Glenda C. Raley
Chair, BUSINESS PARTNER RELATIONS COMMITTEE

It's a New Year for the BPRC and the BPAP!

As we gathered in Honolulu for the Annual Conference & Exposition in April, it was a time for Alohas — we said goodbye to our committee members who were completing their terms and hello to those joining us for 2012-2013.

The Business Partner Relations Committee (BPRC) members who completed their terms were:

• John Kirk, CLM, Manko Gold Katcher & Fox, LLP, Bala, Cynwyd, PA
• Rob Sander, Wiles Boyle Burkholder & Bringardner Co., LPA, Columbus, OH

The Business Partner Advisory Panel (BPAP) members who completed their terms were:

• Mimi Boysen of Quill, Lincolnshire, IL
• Jake Krocheski of Client Connection, Inc., Plano, TX
• Joseph Scott of CompuLaw, LLC, Los Angeles, CA

Their insight and vision contributed to the ongoing mission of strengthening the relationships between ALA members and the business partners who support them.

New BPRC members:

• Diane Fugalli of Hoffmann & Baron, LLP, Syosset, NY
• Cheri Meier of Thompson Coburn, LLP, St. Louis, MO

New BPAP members:

• Mark Davey of Ricoh Americas Corporation, Malvern, PA
• Debbie Foster of Affinity Consulting Group, LLC, Largo, FL
• John Kuntz of Bellefield Systems, North Strabane, PA

Our group looks forward to working with association members and the many business partners who support ALA. Under the guidance of the ALA Headquarters Staff, we hope to explore new avenues of partnership that will enhance and strengthen our relationships.

We hope you will reach out to any of our committee members and let us know how we can better serve you.
 

The Power of Partnership

Develop and Sustain Good Relationships with ALA Members at Conferences and Beyond
Mark A. Bridgeman, CLM

For all of our dynamic ALA Business Partners, we want to be sure to share with you a snapshot of the upcoming opportunities. One of the best ways to personally reach out and touch ALA members from law firms all over the country is participating in the ALA Regional Conferences & Expos that are held each year.

Region 3 Conference & Expo
September 13–15 • The Depot Renaissance • Minneapolis, Minnesota

Region 2 Conference & Expo
September 27–29 • Loews Atlanta • Atlanta, Georgia

Region 4 Conference & Expo
October 4–6 • Sheraton Denver Downtown • Denver, Colorado

Regions 5 & 6 Conference & Expo
October 11–13 • Disneyland® Resort • Anaheim, California

Region 1 Conference & Expo
October 18–20 • MGM Grand at Foxwoods • Mashantucket, Connecticut
 

ALA Regional Conferences & Expos should not be missed! They will undoubtedly provide each of you an unmatched opportunity to build relationships with legal administrators in addition to enhanced visibility and access to attendees from all spectrums of ALA membership. This includes Executive Directors, COOs, Law Firm Administrators, as well as the functional specialists from law firms and corporate and government legal departments. These are the individuals who evaluate as well as select the products and services used by their organizations. Each of the exhibit halls will offer outstanding ways to develop business relationships face-to-face with these varied law firm leaders and managers. Your company representatives will have ample time throughout the conference to educate attendees about your products and services in the exhibit hall, during social events and between sessions.

Because it is important to each Regional Leadership Team and ALA Headquarters Staff for all of these to be successful experiences for you, we thought it would be a good idea to provide you with some successful tips and tricks for these events. For those of you who are seasoned ALA Business Partners — you know what you're doing! But, we also have new exhibitors. Whether a new or returning business partner, I hope you find this list of conference tips helpful.
 

Business Partner Conference Tips

• Be visible and approachable during exhibit time. Don't sit. Smile and make eye contact. Wait until a break in activity to check your email.
• Please don't try to monopolize an attendee for a long period of time. There is limited exhibition time, and attendees want to visit many exhibitors.
• Think in terms of providing information — not about making a sale. Start building the relationship.
• Let us know what's new in your industry.
• Ask the attendee if they would like your literature now or if they would prefer having it mailed to them after the conference.
• Don't be hurt if an attendee does not stop at your table. Not all attendees will need your product/services at this time.
• It's not just about new business. It's about maintaining relationships with your existing customers and clients. Spend some time visiting with your current customers.
• Ask your current customers and clients to make introductions to other attendees.
• Participate in social functions with the attendees — it's a great way to build relationships.
• Please do not make follow-up calls on Monday. Administrators have likely been out of the office for 2–3 business days, and need to get caught up.
• DO follow-up on your leads, though. Take notes on the business cards. If someone is interested in your product or service, contact them within two weeks.
• Have Fun!

Additionally, I thought it might be helpful to provide some information garnered from all of the regions on how, after a successful connection with the law firm leaders, business partners build on relationships in the legal industry.
 

Tips on Building Successful Relationships with an ALA Member

• Continue to learn all you can about the firm. Visit the firm's website. Is it a large firm? Does it have multiple offices? Does it tackle plaintiff, general or corporate work? It is impressive when you already know a little about the firm and don't expect the administrator to spend time talking about the general information. This information will allow you to use your valuable time to talk in detail about what you perceive the firm's needs to be and how your product or service can address those needs.
   
• It is always best to have an appointment, rather than dropping by with the hope or expectation that the administrator will be available. If you decide to stop by without an appointment, it's best to drop off your business card and information for the receptionist to forward to the appropriate person.
   
• Rather than approach non-decision makers (staff and lawyers) in a firm about using your services and products, seek out the professional manager in the firm who is responsible for the decisions regarding your particular product or service. Decisions about business partner selection are centralized in law firms for efficiency and cost effectiveness.
   
• Make a good first impression. For example, imagine that a 10-minute meeting is set up for you to come in and introduce yourself and your company. You show up with three people and take the "tag team" approach. The administrator may now need to find a conference room and it could be awkward. It was unexpected. It is quite clearly going to be longer than a 10-minute meeting. If you feel it is important to have others with you, whether it is the initial meeting or subsequent meetings, make those needs known to the administrator prior to arrival.
   
• Approach each contact, each meeting, each phone call, each negotiation and each proposal as a partnership. Strive to develop long-term relationships — don't look for the quick sale.
   
• Ask administrators what they would like your next step to be — and respect that. Maybe the product or service you have is a hot item right now, or perhaps there are other things more pressing for the next two to three months. Ask how often the administrator would like to receive follow up with additional courtesy calls to check on the status of a proposal, or see if the firm is now ready to look more seriously at your product/service. Confirm the preferred method of communication (phone, e-mail, mail). There are so many efficient ways to keep in touch — find out which works best.
   
• Continue communications with the administrator until you have been asked to contact someone else within the firm. In other words, don't go over the initial contact's head, including calling the managing partner to inquire on the status.
   
• Talk about the trends you are seeing in the legal industry. Administrators look to you to educate them about industry trends from the business partner perspective.
   
• Highlight service advantages and the accessibility to you or another person in your company who can resolve issues if they come up. Administrators like to know they will be taken care of once the deal is done and that they are not just left to a toll-free service number and the infamous voicemail nightmares.
   
• Concentrate on highlighting your company's virtues and strong points and offer examples of how other professional organizations have benefited from your product or service.
   
• Complete all items in the Request for Proposal (RFP). Incomplete responses create additional follow-up and waste time in the decision-making process. Instead, make sure you've addressed every question/item listed.
   
• Offer references from other law firms. There is no need to wait until you are asked for them. The legal administrative community is large and vast, and yet it is very close and tight-knit. Administrators are your very best references. Be assured that when you provide top-quality products or services or go the extra mile, they will all know about it. Everyone benefits!
   
• Even if you are not selected as the business partner for a firm this time, know that there were probably many reasons that influenced the decision. Maintaining a positive relationship after an unsuccessful negotiation is vital to success. The administrator may change firms or may become disappointed with the original selection. If there was a positive post-negotiation relationship, the administrator could come to you in the future. And, if you maintain a positive relationship in spite of a lost bid, the administrator may still become a good referral for you when you call upon other administrators.
   
• Do what you say you are going to do.
   
• Continue to provide exemplary customer service before, during and after the purchasing decision.
   
• Hang in there. You've heard that Rome wasn't built in a day — welcome to decision-making in law firms.
   

Each of the regional exhibitor prospectuses will outline the levels available to you as an exhibitor at these conferences. All of the exhibit halls sell out quickly, so it is important to take the time review all of your options and select the sponsorship that best suits your company’s marketing objectives. The prospectus, applications and other relative information can be found on the ALA website.

Keep in mind that the individuals who attend these conferences are usually those members who are responsible for evaluating and selecting the products and services utilized by their respective organizations. No matter what sponsorship your company will select, you can be assured that you will have the quality face-to-face conversation and interaction with law firm managers. It is our hope that you will take the time to inform them about your products and services during the social and networking events in addition to the varied exhibit hall hours at each of these five Regional Conferences & Expos.

If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to anyone on the ALA Business Partner Relations Committee. I know I speak for all of the regional teams as well when I say that we hope you join us for one or all of the fun and exciting networking, social and business opportunities this fall. And, as always, we thank you for your unwavering and generous support of our mission!
 

2012 Specialty Conferences

In addition to the above-mentioned regional conferences, the following two specialty conferences will also take place in Chicago this fall:

Law Firm Financial Management Conference
August 9–11 • Palmer House Hilton • Chicago, Illinois

Intellectual Property Retreat
September 20–21 • Avenue Crowne Plaza • Chicago, Illinois

For more information on any of the ALA events, please contact:

Please take the time to review the 2012 Marketing Guide and contact Jane Mundell, Manager of Business Partner Relations to find out how ALA can best assist with your strategic marketing plan. Customized proposals can be created to help you achieve your goals and maximize your company's marketing dollars.
 

Advertising & Editorial Information

Currently, ALA is working on the September issue of Legal Management and editorial topics include:

• Performance-based pay
• Backup devices and technology
• Non-financial motivation
• E-discovery 2.0

Contact Robert Leighton at 847.267.1379 for pricing information and space reservations.
 

Write an Article for ALA Currents
We value our business partners' expertise and are open to editorial contributions for e-newsletter ALA Currents, which is distributed to all 10,000 members every other week. Do you have educational content you want to share? Send your pitches (no advertorial, please) to Editor, Amy Dvorak. There are biweekly opportunities and we feature one business partner per issue.
 

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