A bellwether is any entity in a given arena that serves to create or influence trends or to presage future happenings. This blog is intended to provide observations on buying and selling legal servcies and to be a bellwether on this topic.
I have more than 20 years of experience in professional services marketing and sales to a wide range of companies from entrepreneurial companies to major multinationals, principally in manufacturing and distribution, telecommunications, services, technology and hospitality. I am the Chief Client Development Officer at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC.
Steve, I like this video, and your message. It reminded me of a time 15 years ago, when I had just joined my firm. I had come from the “sales” world, and was accustomed to using the word sales as that is what I did for a living.
It was made very clear to me that my use of that word was not appropriate, nor was using the term “business” to describe what the firm was. I wasn’t referring to the profession, or the practice of law, but to the business that all in the firm were tasked to do every day.
It would help if people understood that sales is not a 4- (or in this case, 5) letter word, and that selling the firm, or attorneys, or solutions, or whatever we are presenting to our potential clients, is reputable, and remains an honorable thing to do.
I suspect we will continue to evolve as “business development” organizations, but think that titles with “sales” in them will be reserved for those who are not in the active practice of the law, and who are allowed by ethics restrictions to do so on behalf of their firms.
Thanks for sharing your video.