Delivering and measuring the impact of a BD coaching programme representing a critical juncture where strategy meets action writes Ben Paul of The BD Ladder. After securing senior buy-in, crafting personalised BD Client Action plans, and identifying the right individuals for BD coaching, the focus now shifts to execution and assessment.
Delivery: putting plans into action
Delivery should, in many ways, be a case of following the plans laid out, but it also pays to run some launch programmes across the firm as well. This can help establish the platform for the programme’s success and helps to ensure firm-wide buy-in.
Key aspects of delivery
- Establish a launch event and communication programme
Communicate the initiative internally, clarifying its purpose and individual roles. This communication, be it in staff presentation or via email etc., must come from the senior leadership itself. The higher up the better. If the CEO or Managing Partner launches the programme, it has a much higher adoption rate.
- Regular group feedback to mentees
Beyond one-on-one sessions, periodic group feedback sessions are beneficial. For larger firms, these could be within service or client groups, promoting success stories, and fostering peer-to-peer internal coaching.
- Share success stories internally
Outside of the one-to-one sessions (online or in person) it is a really good idea to have team feedback. For larger firms this may be delivered in service line or even key client groups to share success stories and also to show the progress that is being made at a firm-wide level. These sessions also open discussions amongst colleagues which leads to the all-powerful peer-to-peer internal coaching.
- Report progress to senior leadership
Continuously update the Senior Leadership Team or Board on progress using established measurement tools to maintain their support and program momentum.
This last point leads me nicely into the second part of this final article on BD coaching programmes.
Measuring success: beyond revenue metrics
All programmes that a professional services firm is investing time, money, and resources into should be tracked to see what return on investment it is delivering. While individuals within a firm will be able to see their progress against their individual plans, if you have a large group of partners or fee-earners going through the programme, it will be impossible to use these individual plans to monitor success.
The first thing to do is to establish what important metrics your law firm will be tracking.
Essential metrics to measure
- Increase in client relationship meetings
- Meetings with prospective/new clients
- BD activities carried out (prospecting calls, emails, seminars, etc.)
- Proposals submitted combined with win rate
- Partner/fee earner commitment to the program
- Overall Revenue Growth
Efficient tracking
The final thing to do is agree on how you will track it. It can be tempting to use Excel to record achievements or to go out to individuals to send feedback to a central source. These can work, but they are a tad inefficient. For any firm of a substantive size this will feel like herding cats to the person responsible for reporting.
Utilise a structured tracking system, like a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, to automate and streamline data collection. If you don’t have a CRM, you may find it helpful to use a tool like this key client tracker.
In conclusion: nurturing long-term client relationships
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this and my earlier articles on BD coaching and how to establish and deliver and effective BD coaching programme within professional services firms.
It is my strong belief that those firms that are successful, and those that will continue to be successful, are the ones that have in place a culture of support for their fee-earners to help them establish the long-term client relationships that they and the firm need.
With a strategic approach to BD coaching and rigorous measurement of outcomes, your firm can build a sustainable, revenue-generating BD culture.
Ben Paul is the CEO The BD Ladder, a consultancy specialising in helping professional services firms grow their revenue and build effective BD and marketing strategies. He has held senior BD and marketing roles in leading professional services firms and has over two decades’ experience in business development and marketing.
