Marketing and sales: Different roles in support of a common goal

by Janet Ellen Raasch

Janet Ellen Raasch is a writer and ghostwriter who works closely with lawyers, law firms and other professional services providers – to help them achieve name recognition and new business through publication of articles and books for print and rich content for the Internet.  She can be reached at (303) 399-5041 or jeraasch@msn.com.

What is the difference between marketing and sales?  Now that law firms are starting to join the “real world” of business and thinking about sales as a discrete function, this question is generating much debate within the legal marketing profession.

“Whether we focus on marketing or sales, we are all part of a business development continuum that leads to a common goal – increased qualified leads that lead to increased law firm revenues” said Wade Clark.  “It makes more sense to focus on common objectives than differences.”

Clark discussed the marketing/sales lead-generation continuum at an educational meeting of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association (www.rockymountainlma.com), held in Denver Nov. 13 at The Oxford Hotel.

Clark is director of sales and marketing with BKD (www.bkd.com), one of the ten largest U.S. CPA and advisory firms.  In general, accounting firms are far ahead of law firms in their business development efforts.  Many of the concepts he outlined are proprietary and will appear in his upcoming book on sales skills for the professional services industry.

Four primary objectives

“Marketing and sales professionals – and lawyers – in business development teams share four primary objectives within the ongoing business development continuum,” said Clark.  “The longer a client, prospect or referral source remains in the continuum, the greater leverage a firm will have in turning a qualified leads into an actual sale.

The first two objectives are mainly marketing efforts and conducted one-on-many – one firm trying to reach many prospects.  Objective four is primarily a sales effort and is conducted one-on-one – one differentiated expert trying to gain work from one qualified lead.  Objective three is the very important transition stage – where marketing and sales work together to create a framework to support objective four.

“The first objective of the business development team is achievement of positive brand awareness among a particular audience,” said Clark.  “Tactics promote the firm’s positive attributes and position it within a defined market.  Members of the audience should know what you do – and for whom.

“For this to work, of course, a firm must have a well-thought-out and focused medium-term business development strategy in place – so that tactics support strategy,” said Clark.

This broad audience can be reached using tools like advertising, sponsorships, a website, promotional items, news releases, firm level media relations, direct mail, brochures and collateral materials.

“The second objective of the business development team is achievement of a positive brand experience for members of this audience,” said Clark.  “Not only will they know what you do and for whom, but they will have some kind of substantive educational interaction with a provider that reinforces the lawyer’s credibility as an expert.  This interactive experience launches a personal relationship.”

Tools to create an interactive experience may be written or electronic, like article development, placement and distribution, surveys, white papers, media and public relations, newsletters, client alerts, interactive websites and podcasts; or they may be face-to-face, like involvement in industry and community organizations, trade shows, awards programs, speaking opportunities, seminars and social networking events.

The Four Catalysts

The third objective of the business development team is the collaborative exploration of The Four Catalysts – and the leveraging of The Four Catalysts to generate qualified leads.  (A qualified lead is a lead that is motivated to make a change.)

“In most cases, prospects are content with their current professional services provider and see no reason to change,” said Clark.  “Before a ‘sale’ can take place (objective four), a decision-maker must be moved out of his or her comfort zone using one or more The Four Catalysts – desire, discovery, dissatisfaction or driven.”

After conducting a comprehensive market analysis, marketers and sales professionals should brain-storm to determine:

Desire.  A decision-maker can be moved to make a change if the proposed action will satisfy a desire.  Is the current legal services provider helping a company reach its business goals and objectives – or can your firm do a better job?

Discovery.  A decision-maker can be moved to make a change if the proposed action will lead to a new solution for a pressing problem.  Is the current legal services provider offering innovative solutions – or can your firm do a better job?

Dissatisfaction.  A decision-maker can be moved to make a change if the proposed action will eliminate a cause of dissatisfaction.  Does the current legal services provider offer optimal client service and results – or can your firm do a better job?

Driven.  A decision-maker can be moved to make a change if the proposed action is driven (or made necessary by) external circumstances.  Is the current legal services provider on top of an important new change in the law or technology – or can your firm do a better job?

The fourth and final primary objective of the business development team is the achievement of new business through the actual sales process, where the lawyer or sales professional helps the decision-maker through a complex buying process relying on The Four Catalysts.

“In my upcoming book, I will outline in more detail the two tools that I use for this process – the Buyer’s Decision Model and the Next Steps Process,” said Clark.

Expectations

A business development team usually consists of lawyers, marketers and sales professionals.  “In order for them to work together,” said Clark, “each must understand the others’ expectations – and how to bridge any gaps in expectation that might exist.”

When participating in a business development team, lawyers expect that other team members will be experts in their own fields, will understand the lawyer’s field, will have passion (without being “bouncy’), and will be proactive, effective and efficient.  Lawyers want team members to be creative, but focused on what matters.  They want support to help them discover and qualify leads and close sales.

“When participating in a business development team, marketers expect that other team members will be specific about what they want (early on), let them do valuable (not merely administrative) work and let them be creative,” said Clark.  “They expect that team members will communicate regularly and follow through on their assignments.  They want respect, recognition and reward for a project well done.”

When participating in a business development team, sales professionals expect that other team members will understand that sales is action-oriented.  “Sales does not function well in a complex bureaucratic environment,” said Clark.  Sales professionals want a high-quality, differentiated service package to sell to qualified leads, along with service-related tools that these prospects will find valuable.  They want the freedom and support to act quickly.  They want a reward system that is linked to production.

“All members of a business development team participate in a continuum that facilitates a common goal – more qualified leads that lead to more law firm revenues” said Clark.  “When we understand the process and each others’ expectation, we can accomplish strong results.”