How to Design Profitable Proposals

 

 

Most written proposals actually disqualify the law firm from the competition for the client's work.

 

Too many successful proposals produce financial losses for the firm.

 

 

Winning new work is one of the most critical skills for law firm partners in today's highly competitive market.  Competitive engagements -- also known as "beauty contests" -- have become a frequent challenge for most firms. Yet most written proposals actually disqualify law firms from further consideration, rather than convince a prospective client.  The proposals that succeed frequently result in losses, rather than profits.

 

no magic, just a few practical skills

 

Some people believe that writing a successful, profitable proposal is a mystic art knowable only to a chosen few.  We respectfully respond, "Rubbish!" 

 

Designing, selling, and managing a profitable engagement involves a few practical business skills that any lawyer can master.

 

The first step in Profitable Proposals is a six-hour business meeting at your firm that will:

• Establish a common level of knowledge and understanding about how to design and prepare proposals for profitable engagements for the service lines and practice areas of your firm or practice group, as well as for your firm's client base.

• Identify practice areas, service lines, and client sectors in your firm that are your highest business-development priorities.

• Define measurable goals for individuals, practice groups, and the firm

getting the best results for each person

 

The most important learning takes place outside a classroom. Walker Clark helps each participant in our Profitable Proposals developmental program to apply the knowledge, tools, skills, and methods to real-life challenges and opportunities in his or her practice.  We accomplish this through an individual coaching service that is unique in legal management consulting.  A Walker Clark coach-- usually one of our most experienced principals --  will be assigned to each participant.  Walker Clark will provide four hours of one-on-one coaching for each participant in the program. 

 

These sessions will help each participant to apply the tools and methods to the special characteristics of his or her practice area and client base.  They will include individualized goals and strategies to improve the quality of each participant’s proposals, with special emphasis on competitive, but profitable, fee quotations. In addition, within the first six months after the Profitable Proposals meeting, each participant may have Walker Clark review and provide written recommendations concerning one of his or her proposals before it is submitted to the prospective client. 

 

Who needs to participate?

 

This program is intended for senior lawyers, usually at the partner level or shareholder level.  Our basic strategy is to provide the tools and methods to those most likely to be responsible for the preparation of proposals for major engagements, and to help them to apply this knowledge to real-world opportunities in their respective practices. 

 

next steps

 

To discuss how this Core Business Skills program can give you and your colleagues the tools that you need to move to new levels of performance, contact us by e-mail or by telephone at +1.941.322.7077.