These days, it’s far more than technical expertise which counts when assessing associates and senior associates for career progression to partnership.
While business development skills training should start right from induction of a new lawyer into your firm, here is a quick checklist of activities, skills, and competencies which will help your senior lawyers more onwards and upwards.
Any aspiring partner should:
- be fully familiar with the background of the firm, its range of service offerings, and the expert capabilities of individual team members
- leverage personal contacts in target business and industry sectors to the firm’s benefit
- target and leverage meaningful involvement in relevant networking forums
- attend and facilitate at client relationship reviews; present at industry events and firm seminars
- demonstrate sophisticated oral and written communication skills in the marketing context
- develop excellent presentation skills
- participate in specific bids or pitches for business
- develop and implement marketing tools including seminars, newsletters, website content, and briefing papers
- devise and implement a personal marketing plan
- build reputation and profile through articles, speaking engagements, and activities within industry and/or professional organisations
- pursue selected prospective clients
- develop new service offerings.
By developing in each of these areas, the senior associate will maximise his/her career potential and success of your practice as s/he advances to partnership.
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