Clients are increasingly defining “great lawyering” to include business skills such as communications, and managing projects and budgets. We tailor attorney development programs to the needs of your firm and your firm’s clients so  your attorneys can  use outstanding service to build stronger and expanded business relationships. Our services include:

• Attorney workshops in client-focused business skills (see below);
• Business development and client service consulting for special industry groups, practice groups or client teams;
• Training marketing, business development and practice management professionals to facilitate attorney groups and drive business development.

Wicker Park Group workshops are based on how lawyers learn and work. Our workshops were developed by a lawyer with extensive law firm marketing experience and are focused on what clients say they are seeking from lawyers. These workshops are designed to be easy for the firm to implement and easy for lawyers to work into their demanding schedules. 

Attorney workshops:

Business Development:

This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of the legal market and how legal services are bought. Topics include:

• Determining client concerns and how they impact each lawyer’s success;
• Understanding how the legal market has evolved and how clients’ buying habits are changing;
• Developing targeted marketing efforts; and
• Assessing and maximizing the return on investment for business development efforts.

We can supplement this workshop with one-on-one business development consulting to assist each lawyer in applying workshop concepts to his or her practice.

Advanced Client Communications:

This workshop provides attorneys with specific tools and best practices to improve interactions with clients and other target audiences, such as juries, referral sources or opposing counsel. Topics include:

• Identifying target audiences;
• Reading people and tailoring communications;
• Influencing strategies;
• Investigating common client concerns; and
• Best practices in client communications.

We can supplement this workshop with one-on-one  private videotaped sessions to help each attorney perfect his or her own communication skills. These individual sessions allow lawyers to practice workshop concepts in a safe, comfortable environment where they can receive immediate and powerful feedback.  

Billing, Budgeting and Managing to the Client’s Definition of Value:

This half-day workshop deals with clients’ concerns and perceptions of value. We will explore best practices and techniques that allow lawyers to assess and work with the client’s perception of value for the work provided.  Unfortunately, billing complaints are among the “pet peeves” most often cited by inside counsel. By sharing these client concerns with lawyers and providing practical solutions to each, we can help avoid and resolve problems. Topics include:

• Common client complaints about billing and suggested solutions;
• Sample billing entries and how to make them more meaningful;
• Common internal law firm challenges with billing and potential solutions; and
• Tools and skills needed for effective budgeting, managing costs, and delivering value.

Managing Client Expectations through Project Management:

Clients' top concerns about lawyers always involve their perceptions of value.  Increasingly clients are tying value to project management. This program explores basic project management concepts that your lawyers can use to actively manage client expectations and perceptions of value. Topics include:

• How to assess and manage the client’s expectations;
• Managing critical aspects of client projects;
• Common client complaints about billing and matter management along with practical solutions to each; and
• Best practices in client-friendly billing; and
• Techniques to help demonstrate the value of your work for the client.

Successful account management for larger clients encompasses an understanding of group dynamics and how to manage and motivate teams of people. Managing industry teams and practice groups is also critical. Wicker Park Group helps lawyers understand the how and why behind group behavior in order to effectively manage teams of lawyers and support professionals.  The goal is to provide the broader leadership skills that allow lawyers to adapt techniques to different groups and different situations throughout their career with the firm. Topics include:

• Understanding how teams function and how group dynamics differ from one-on-one situations;
• Coordinating efforts to increase client loyalty and increase business;
• Leading and maintaining productive teams;
• Managing conflict; and
• Facilitating groups.

Individual Leadership Assessments and Coaching:

An essential element of becoming a great leader is identifying one’s own strengths and weaknesses, and ascertaining how to develop the needed skills.  We provide highly individualized leadership development using the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory  (“ESCI”) developed by Daniel Goleman (Harvard-trained psychologist and author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers Emotional Intelligence and Primal Leadership).  This tool is widely used in corporate leadership development and is based on comprehensive analysis of over 30 years of research identifying the qualities of great leaders across industries. The ESCI assessment includes:

• Online 360 degree assessment of each individual evaluated anonymously by peers, direct reports, supervisors, clients, and others;
• Individual review and analysis of assessment; and
• Assistance developing a personalized development plan.