MAKING HISTORY: LMA ANNUAL CONFERENCE RECAP.

PositionConference notes

This year's annual event broke records in attendance and celebrated LMA's 30th anniversary. Here are the highlights from the three days in San Diego, California, as well as key takeaways from some of our favorite sessions.

Session: General Counsel Panel: How We Buy What You Sell--and How That's Changing

What You Should Know:

* AFAs are growing.

* More work is moving in-house.

* Budgets will remain flat.

* Proposals should address only what's asked for in an RFP.

* Diversity is important.

* News should be laser-focused to their needs.

Session: Alumni's 4 C's (Community, Culture, Connectivity and Cash)

What You Should Know:

* Directories and profiles of members score high in what alumni want from an alumni site.

* Next in importance is job postings.

* Members want personalization. They want to be able to set up their profile so that they receive only what interests them rather than getting "blast" emails.

* Some large firms are including professional staff in the alumni association.

Session: Keynote Speaker Dan Pink: Leadership and the New Principles of Influence

What You Should Know:

* You should view matters from the client's perspective and persevere in the face of rejection.

* Buyers have the same information as sellers.

* To successfully develop new business, Pink maintains that one must practice three things:

** Attunement: Perspective taking--you must see things from the buyer's point of view.

** Buoyancy: Not letting rejection get you down. Stay afloat in a sea of rejection.

** Clarity: Curate information and practice "problem finding" rather than "problem solving." There is not much value in solving problems, but there is tremendous value in pointing out problems an organization is not aware it has.

Session: Startup Sense for Law Firms--The Marketers Role in Launching a New Practice Area or Micro Market

What You Should Know:

* Build a business case for a new practice area/group.

* Define the target.

* Review the competitors in the market.

* Gather a list of experience with clients in the targeted group and develop a client list.

* Develop a list of prospects.

* Define and shape the message to the industry.

* Evaluate associations to determine which to join, sponsor, speak, etc.

* Develop collateral material and a PR plan.

* Evaluate whether advertising is worth the cost.

Session: Developing an Ownership Mindset: Techniques for Engaging Partners to Drive a Business...

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