iQ: What was your vision for the Legal Sales & Service Organization when you started it 15 years ago?
A – Silvia Coulter, LSSO Co-Founder:
The legal industry was shifting from a profession to a business. Part of the shift was introducing marketing, and therefore a means by which firms would compete, into the industry. We knew that highly-experienced, seasoned sales professionals would be part of the next wave of change. And while it has taken longer than expected, sales professionals are in fact joining law firms and bringing a new level of strategic sales to the practice of law, allowing partners to focus on what they do best—legal work and servicing clients. Sales professionals are providing the firms with a heightened ability to compete effectively for new business. The vision for LSSO fifteen years ago is realized with these changes.
Q: What is the role of sales professionals in law firms today?
A – Beth Cuzzone, LSSO Co-Founder:
Now, more than ever before, there are sales professionals helping partners guide the way to retaining and growing existing clients, and to bringing in new business. This year we launched the “2018 Legal Sales Uncovered: Trends and Salary Survey” along with our partner Hellerman Communications. This first of its kind survey will provide valuable insight and benchmarking data on how firm’s are structuring their sales roles. We will reveal the results at RainDance and provide copies to all the respondents.
Q: How is RainDance Different than Other Industry Conferences?
A – Silvia Coulter, LSSO Co-Founder:
The RainDance Conference provides law form sales and business development professionals and those seeking to join them as peers, opportunities to connect and network and share ideas, stories, and successes. It provides sales and service leaders in the industry opportunities to meet sponsors who may provide resources to help them do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.
RainDance is not the largest conference, it is the only conference focused on sales and service exclusively and attracts senior-level sales and service professionals from the legal industry and provides a great venue from which to learn and grow.
Our 15th Annual RainDance Conference is June 6-7, 2018 in Chicago, IL. And there is still time to register!
Q: What are some of the reasons for your success?
A - Silvia Coulter, LSSO Co-Founder:
We are known for introducing new and emerging strategies and techniques at our RainDance Conferences. We were the first to offer Legal Lean Sigma training with Catherine MacDonagh and this year we are excited to have a design thinking workshop. Our partnerships with organizations like Thomson Reuters, David Ackert, Lexis Nexis, Bloomberg Law, Berbay Marketing & PR, LawVision Group, Intapp, and Hellerman Communications have helped our members and attendees experience a new level of support and resources for their profession. And we thank them for growing with us.
A – Beth Cuzzone, LSSO Co-Founder:
Our fellow co-founders, Adam Stock and Catherine MacDonagh are visionaries. Adam, Catherine and LSSO’s Board of Advisors are leaders in the industry. They have each brought their dedication to advancing the profession and to LSSO’s growth and success.
Q: What’s next for LSSO?
A - Silvia Coulter, LSSO Co-Founder:
LSSO is proud of its history and its success over the last fifteen years and looks forward to continuing to be the go-to resource for law firm sales and service professionals. We recently launched the Coaching Advantage Certification program in partnership with LawVision. It provides business development professionals with the training, tools, and credentials to coach lawyers at all skill levels. We have programs coming up this Fall in Los Angeles and New York City.
We’re excited for the next wave and for the growth of legal and service professionals in law firms. We plan on helping firms with building sales teams, providing resources for those teams, and helping firms out-service the competition. Stay tuned!
