Legal Marketing & PR

Hyper Teams: Big Returns from Deepening Relationships

By Larry Bodine, Esq.

Would you be interested in an investment that yields $18 for every $1 you put into it?  It’s not from the tables in Las Vegas; and it’s a lot more predictable than a hedge fund.  It’s what St. Louis-based law firm Bryan Cave earned when it created a business development program they called “hyper teams.”  Their program merited a runner-up recognition at the LMA awards in January, but these results prove that runner-up never looked so good.

“We called them ‘hyper’ because the idea was to create a three-person team quickly, pick a client or prospect and visit them within 30 days,” said Beth Pearson, National Business Development Manager for the firm. “The whole idea was to get things done quickly.  We didn’t want any lawyer to get bogged down.  If it would take two months to meet a target, I would call the team back in and we’d pick a different target.”

“Part of the hyper team process is to get you away from planning, research and things that keep you in your office instead of talking to people,” Pearson said.  “The program focuses on action.”

Even though Bryan Cave has 800 attorneys practicing in 15 offices worldwide, a lawyer working at any size law firm can incorporate the magic of the hyper team approach into their own business development activities.

For the rest of the story see the latest issue of Originate!, the business development newsletter at http://www.pbdi.org/originate/.  It's the first article and it's free.  Click the red "Subscribe Now" button to read all the articles.

Full post as published by Larry Bodine's LawMarketing Blog on April 22, 2008 (boomark / email).