Best Practices
Some Thoughts on Entertaining (and Educating) Clients

Summary: Time commitment to marketing and business development has grown faster than any other task area for firm principals and partners in recent years, according to the latest Work on the Boards survey. To spread that non-billable burden among everybody in the firm who might have contact with potential clients, a few tips are in order on what to do and say in social settings and other casual encounters.

Management consultant ZweigWhite in its September 18 A/E Marketing Letter offers a trio of both things to do and not do while entertaining clients or potential clients. The purpose of such encounters is to put the other persons at ease and build a sense of connection and trust. The key point the newsletter makes is to keep firmly in mind that the occasion is a business encounter and “office-like behavior still applies.”

Do prepare. Successful small talk is very important to creating a comfortable mood, so it shouldn’t be left to happenstance. Most people like to talk about themselves, but not always. Do some research into the person’s family and accomplishments as well as outside interests. It may sound strange, but it usually helps to plan for spontaneity.
Don't bring up controversial subjects. Politics and religion are extremely personal matters. If they come up, leave your views to yourself, especially if they are controversial. This is not always easy, so practice.
Do listen. Let the other person do the talking. If he or she is not comfortable taking the lead, then go to your prepared cache of small-talk topics. People like people with whom they like to talk.
Don't talk down competitors. It’s a small world and people whom you may not like could stand high in the opinion of the person you’re entertaining. Avoid as well, if you can, being drawn into that kind of a conversation.
Do be an honorable representative of your firm. This may be a harsh pill to swallow, but in a business situation, your feelings are secondary to your firm’s reputation. People remember and they talk.
Don't fail the follow-up. Set a time for a call or another get-together. Send a note, if appropriate. Include a pleasant aside or two to show you were listening and that you care.

Remember the brand
The AIA branding campaign offers some other worthwhile tips on preparing yourself and your colleagues for planned and unplanned firm marketing opportunities.

Prepare. If you have a goal statement that focuses on what you do well, take it and turn it around so that you define specific talking points on the value your clients derive from working with you rather than your competitors. Craft those into “elevator conversations”—concepts (not scripts) that can be worked into a 20-second, spur-of-the-moment encounter.

Practice. Make this into a game, if you will. Set up hypothetical situations—a chance meeting in a lobby or a conversation while waiting for a table—and devote a staff meeting to having people role play the potential client and the firm representative. Watch and talk about what happened, why, and how it might be improved.

Measure. Have a mechanism for people to report on planned or chance encounters with clients or potential clients. What messages were delivered? Were there reactions—positive, neutral, or negative? What was the follow-up? Were there results? Are there opportunities for improvement?

Refine. Include reports and results from your branding efforts in every principal-level marketing meeting. Pass back all noteworthy deliberations and conclusions to everybody in the firm, along with the message that you are always open to ideas.