I picked up this interesting item from Gerry Riskin's blog:

1) McKinsey & Company, one of the premium consultancies in the world, has no internal marketing department. (Why not? Because the consultants themselves market the firm.)

2) "2/4/8 System": Every Director in the firm is required to be working on "2" assignments, be in the process of proposing for "4" more, and in communication with "8" more prospective clients.

McKinsey has 88 offices in 44 countries with annual gross revenues of $3 billion and 11,500 employees.  Management within McKinsey follows up to ensure that "2/4/8" is a reality.

"Some superb marketing professionals in some extraordinary law and accounting firms confided in me that if their fairy godmother granted one wish it would be that their "professionals" would interact with clients beyond just doing the work."

"It sounds like McKinsey's "2/4/8" means that the fairy godmother has already visited McKinsey & Company," Riskin said.

Comments

[Thom Singer]

Someday there will be law firms (and other professional services firms) who adopt this model thae McKinsey & Co has. They will become HUGE....as all the natural born rain-makers will want to work there so they can be with their own kind.

[Joel S.]

What a great idea -- imagine what would happen if a large law firm did something like that.

I think the key, essentially, is to market the idea of marketing. It's not about Powerpoint presentations or giving seminars -- it's about what you (Joe Partner or Jane Associate) can do to bring more business to the firm, and about what the marketing dept. can do to teach/help/support Joe Partner and Jane Associate in doing that.

I also think the key is getting ahold of the associates. The old dogs either won't or can't learn new tricks, but if you were given time to explain the importance of marketing (and how to market) to associates, and continued to work with them through their careers, you'd

(a) get a lot more clients for the firm,

(b) have a lot more lawyers who "get" marketing, and

(c) no longer have associates feeling misled when they learn -- after working tons of hours for 5-8 years -- that they can't make partner until they also learn to bring in business.