“The session was prepared and carried out in a truly professional way. Both the quality of the training and your knowledge of the legal industry were impressive. You helped us greatly assess the current situation of our firm with respect to strategic business development and marketing, stimulated our thinking about possible improvements for the future and provided us with expert suggestions.”

Managing Partner, Warsaw

 

“The training raised important questions and we feel that now we are better positioned to make strategic decisions about the firm, including those involving business development and marketing matters. Taking all this into consideration, we can unreservedly recommend your services.”

Founding Partner, Stockholm
 

“I found the assessment results to be the most helpful as it was a discussion forum whereby each of us could exchange his/her views. You personally helped me better understand what ‘proprietary research’ is/means as I must admit that I did not understand the concept before. Also, you helped me understand how the concept of ‘client feedback’ is important. I will definitely keep it in mind in the future. I will also keep in mind the concept of ‘super pleasing’. Honestly, you did a fantastic job as I believe that as a non-lawyer it is somehow difficult to train lawyers!”

Partner, Frankfurt

 

 “Although all parts of the training were very interesting, I believe that the most helpful were those most interactive, i.e., where we had an opportunity to actively discuss relevant matters and exchange thoughts. Therefore, I especially liked the discussions of the assessment results which gave the participants an opportunity to express important and valuable ideas. Even the revealed difference in perception and interpretation of certain questions in the questionnaire by different participants gave me a lot to think of. The expectation I had for the training was to get a ‘different look’ on the problem of communicating with a client. With your help, I managed to get an insight into client's needs and expectations as to how the legal services are to be ‘delivered’ (as opposed to the substance which is my immediate responsibility as a lawyer).”

Associate, Moscow
 

“There were two overall messages that made an impression on me: target, target, target and the importance of LSD (Long Slow Distance) i.e. that there is no need to rush the reeling in. Keep up the high level of interactivity – it is very stimulating.”

Associate, Stockholm
 

“I liked in particular your 5 point guide on how to develop new clients. It was short and focused and very stimulating.”

Partner, Brussels

 

“The training offered a lot of new ideas and helpful suggestions.  However, it is, as you said, all about doing, not only knowing. In this context, it was very useful to sit down with someone and go through my ideas to establish realistic targets.  The ‘plate exercise’ was also useful (and fun) to realize own limitations and complexity of our work/life. Character and attitude are also words and features I see now in a new light. It confirmed and I understand better the importance of being human while feeling that positive attitude can help me to be better. I came back exhausted but with a feeling of spending time with friendly and considerate people, learning something from an entertaining and convincing professional with a human face.”

Associate, Brussels

 

“I particularly enjoyed the sessions where we had to talk about our answers to questions you asked us before the training.  I understand better now the importance of following up client relationships. I think you did splendidly. Well done!”

Associate, Helsinki

 

“I understood marketing and selling as something negative. But now I see it is the way you plan it and carry it out. It only depends on me if it will have a negative touch or not.”

Partner, Berlin

 

“It was a pleasant eye-opener for me to see how marketing is so important.  I got personal satisfaction from the training sessions due to the fact that I was able to confirm to myself that I am able to react to situations by creating reasonable counter arguments or defending my opinions against counter arguments quickly.”

Partner, Ankara

 

“Basically I have achieved a better understanding of the ‘business development’ meaning and of the relevance of this activity in order to be/become a partner. It's a part of the job, either you like or dislike it, therefore it's better to understand the point. You are a very good trainer.”

Partner, Milan

 

“I have been to a lot of training courses but this is the first one where I kept the hand out material and refer to it on a regular basis. It’s like my bible.”

Senior Counsel, Warsaw

 

“I thought you did a great job. I was super pleased. I thought that you were very professional and thoroughly prepared. I especially appreciated your specific inputs to the needs of my office and that I felt very comfortable to discuss matters with you that were of a confidential nature without fear of them being repeated. That made for an open and honest discussion, which was very helpful.”

Associate, Johannesburg

 

“Doing the role playing exercises was a big help because it gave us a chance to put what we learned into practice. You helped me understand you have to do BD. It’s part of the job and just the way it is. I thought you did a great job. It's tough to teach this subject and especially to lawyers.”

Associate, Los Angeles

 

“You helped me formulate a way of thinking about the process that I hope will remove the stigma or air of smarminess that I sometimes associate with selling:  namely, if your efforts come from a sincere desire to help, the process (and the way you communicate) are entirely different than a pure random hard sell. I told my wife it felt like a high intensity language class.”

Partner, Los Angeles

 

“Your pedagogical persona inspires complex and varied reactions. I would say don't change a thing about who you are and how you do it. It hit me later that your Socratic ‘you never know when I am going to call on you’ approach forced me to think, pay attention, and, more importantly, engage, virtually the entire time.” 

Partner, Los Angeles

 

“The reality of our practice is that the time that we have to devote to business development is limited and precious.  Therefore, I found the portion of the course relating to the management of marketing efforts to be the most valuable.  Your discussion regarding ‘targets’ and focusing on the quality (not quantity) also hit a particular chord with me.”

Partner, Miami
 

“The exercise that helped me the most was the ice breaker on the first day, where we had to set goals for who we were going to meet and then try to achieve those goals.  This exercise forced me to take what I previously viewed to be social risks at an earlier stage than I usually take them. It was a good exercise to view socializing as something that could involve goals and outcomes without a sense of phoniness or insincerity -- modes of communication that are contrary to the approach you teach.”

Partner, Palo Alto

 

“You helped me understand the need to develop a focused plan (given our limited time) and to constantly assess whether the plan is working. It helped me think about client development as a planned process and it is not just taking a bunch of people to lunch/sporting events.”

Partner, New York

 

“You helped me understand that my existing tool set of skills and personality traits can serve me as a start to meaningful business development.  There is no set recipe for success at this. That was eye opening and helpful.  In person, you are very effective at pushing people and getting people to stretch. Keep that. Lawyers are a very competitive, judgmental and adversary crowd, and they respect a non-lawyer who can challenge them to think about their own profession. You do that very well. In fact many people remarked that you were a singular example of a non-lawyer consultant who grasps the nuances of your area of expertise in the context of our business/profession.”

Partner, Palo Alto
 

“The training was really well done and nicely integrated. Having us interact in role plays and calling on us forced us to participate. Really having to think about these ideas brought many scattered thoughts together for me. You did a fantastic job of directing this process and keeping us focused. The slides and the related discussions were especially helpful for focusing on the goals for business development.  This reinforced that making a personal connection and having a dialogue are important. Also, the goal of getting better work and controlling the work you get by having a strategy seems logical, but you really reinforced this point.  Plus, all the ‘tactics’ you provided made sense, but you brought them together in one place and helped us to understand how to use them together.”

Associate, Washington DC

 

“I took away many valuable lessons and already see ways I can use the tools we covered in my everyday practice. Thanks again for an excellent program and a truly valuable experience.”

Partner, Washington DC

 “Presentations like a goal-oriented approach were very helpful as were the real world examples that came out of the discussions. Having a planned approach to marketing, as opposed to ‘willy nilly’ writing articles and giving speeches really helped.  I think I saw marketing as those two tactics and nothing else.  Plus, the idea of putting things into action was very helpful. Also, measuring your efforts is very useful as well.  I think you added some science to the madness of legal marketing.”

Partner, San Francisco