The Gazette 1996

GAZETTE

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1996

N E WS

DSBA Makes it a First

F o r the first t i me a B a r A s s o c i a t i on in I r e l a nd is p r o m o t i ng the i n t r o d u c t i on to t h e se s h o r es of a r e c o g n i s ed g u ru in p r a c t i ce m a n a g e m e n t. T h i s f o l l o ws o n the h e e ls of w h a t h a s b e e n the m o s t s u c c e s s f ul s e m i n ar s e a s on e v e r r un b y t he D S B A . T h e P r e s i d e n t 's Hall in B l a c k h a ll P l a ce h a s b e en p a c k e d to the r a f t e rs on a c o n s i s t e nt b a s is f o r its o w n u n i q ue style of p r e s e n t a t i on o n s u b j e c ts as v a r i ed as P r o b a t e, C o s t s, F a m i ly L a w a nd O c c u p i e rs Liability. P u b l i c a t i o ns h a v e i n c l u d ed the C o s t S u r v e y, W i l ls P r e c e d e n t, S t a n d a rd D e e d of S e p a r a t i on a n d in the p i p e l i ne are f u r t h er p u b l i c a t i o ns s u ch as an u p d a te of the F a m i ly H o m e D e c l a r a t i o n s; P o w e rs of A t t o r n ey ; a n d a m o d el s h a re p u r c h a se a g r e e m e n t. R i sk m a n a g e m e nt r e m a i ns a m a j o r c o n c e rn f o r all p r a c t i t i o n e rs a nd t he B a r A s s o c i a t i on is a n x i o us to a d d r e ss this. In the f o r t h c o m i ng s e a s on of s e m i n a rs f o r 9 6 / 9 7 an a m b i t i o us p r o g r a m me is a l r e a dy in p l a ce c o m m e n c i ng w i th the visit of David H. Maister on O c t o b er 7. T h is e v e nt is b e i ng j o i n t ly p r o m o t ed by the D S B A with The Irish Times and TSB Bank and is b e i ng o r g a n i s ed by E d w a r d D e l a ny & A s s o c i a t e s. B u y i n g a p r o f e s s i o n al s e r v i ce is a d i f f i c u lt e x p e r i e n c e. In c o n t r a st to b u y i n g a p r o d u c t, t he b u y er d o e s n ot h a v e the o p t i on of c h e c k i ng o ut t he final p r o d u ct b e f o re a p u r c h a s i ng c o m m i t m e nt is m a d e . D a v i d Ma i s t e r, the i n t e r n a t i o n al ' g u r u' on p r o f e s s i o n al s e r v i ce firm m a n a g e m e n t, in his b o o k ' M a n a g i ng T h e P r o f e s s i o n al S e r v i ce F i r m ' p o i n ts o ut t he f e e l i n gs of u n c e r t a i n ty a n d p e r s o n al risk e x p e r i e n c ed b y p r o f e s s i o n al s e r v i ce b u y e r s. H e h i g h l i g h ts the n e ed f o r p r o f e s s i o n a ls to t h i nk a b o ut t he c l i e n t 's c o n c e r n s. W e m u s t a v o id o u r c l i e n t 's s e e i ng us in t he s a m e t e r ms as the o ld s a y i ng a b o ut d o c t o rs - ' d o c t o rs g et Attracting New Clients - The Maister Approach

f a s c i n a t ed by the d i s e a s e, b ut are not i n t e r e s t ed in t he p a t i e n t '. T o b e s u c c e s s f u l, w e m u s t h a v e g e n u i ne e m p a t hy w i th o u r clients.

Principles of Marketing

H o w e v e r, h o w d o w e attract o ur clients in the first p l a c e? Ma i s t er sets o ut f o u r m a i n p r i n c i p l es of s u c c e ss in the a p p r o a ch to a t t r a c t i ng c l i e n ts as f o l l o w s:

1. "The Raspberry Jam Rule"

J u st as in j a m , m a r k e t i ng i m p a ct gets t h i n n er the w i d er it is s p r e a d. T h e b r o a d er the a u d i e n ce w e a t t e mpt to r e a c h, the w e a k er is the i mp a c t. It is a l w a y s b e t t er to c o n c e n t r a te o ur e f f o r ts on a sma l l e r, w e l l - s e l e c t ed a u d i e n c e. M a r k e t i ng f o r p r o f e s s i o n al s e r v i ce firms w o r ks best w h e n it d e m o n s t r a t es w h a t y o u h a v e d o n e r a t h er than a s s e r t i ng w h at y ou c o u ld d o. C o n s e q u e n t l y, m a r k e t i ng tactics that illustrate o u r c o m p e t e n ce s u ch as s p e e c h e s, articles a nd s e m i n a rs are m o r e e f f e c t i ve than b r o c h u r es or direct ma i l. Wh i l e t h e re is a l w a ys a p l a ce f or the written w o r d in o ur m a r k e t i ng a p p r o a c h, 'in p e r s o n' tactics are g e n e r a l ly p r e f e r a b l e. R e m e m b e r that the e s s e n ce of getting an a s s i g n m e nt is getting a specific client to talk a b o ut their p r o b l e ms - so g e t t i ng started in that d i a l o g ue as s o on as p o s s i b le m u st be the a i m. P r o f e s s i o n al s e r v i c es are not a ' m a s s ' m a r k et b u s i n e ss - clients are a c q u i r ed o n e at a t i me a n d o u r m a r k e t i ng a p p r o a ch m u st reflect this. 2. Demonstrate Rather Than Assert 3. "In Person" Tactics are preferable to the "Written Word"

David H. Maister

' a t t r a c t i n g' w h e n r e f e r r i ng to the p r o c e ss of g e t t i ng n e w clients. O u r a p p r o a ch s h o u ld n ot be o n e that d e m a n d s a j o b b ut r a t h er o n e that s u g g e s ts that e x p l o r i ng the situation f u r t h er is w o r t h w h i l e. W e w a n t to d o s o m e t h i ng that c a u s es the p o t e n t i al client to w a n t to t a ke t he n e xt step, s u ch as d i s c u s s i ng their p r o b l e m. C l i e n ts are n a t u r a l ly sceptical a n d n e ed to be g i v en a r e a s on f o r t a k i ng t he n e xt step in the ' s e d u c t i on p r o c e s s' w i t h o ut c o mm i t t i ng t h e m s e l v es to g o all t he w a y.

Markéting Tactics

U s i ng t h e se f o u r p r i n c i p l e s, Ma i s t er g r a d es t he typical m a r k e t i ng tactics u s ed by p r o f e s s i o n a ls into first t e a m, s e c o nd string a nd ' c l u t c h i ng at s t r a w' tactics in T a b l e 1.

Table 1: Marketing Tactics in Descending Order of Effectiveness

The First Team

S e m i n a rs ( sma ll scale) S p e e c h es at C l i e nt I n d u s t ry M e e t i n gs A r t i c l es in C l i e n t - o r i e n t a t ed ( t r a d e) P r e ss P r o p r i e t a ry R e s e a r ch

4. Seduction not Assault

Ma i s t er d e l i b e r a t e ly u s es the t e rm

252