Peer to Peer Magazine

24 S elling strate or change internally within any organization can be one of the most difficult challenges in the career of any professional. Navigating a law firm, however, is complicated whether you are employed by the firm or an external service provider attempting to position products or services within the firm. Traditionally, law firms have been comprised of multiple fiefdoms created by individual partners serving their own needs, sometimes to the detriment of the firm. In recent years, many law firms have surrounded the typical partnership with an organizational structure that aligns more with a typical corporation. This change has been advanced, in part, by the growing number of non-practicing professionals hired by firms holding MBAs rather than JDs. And while this has led to some needed focus around matter-based profitability, increased use of technolo, staffing analysis, and more, at the end of the day, law firms are still run by partners in a partnership structure and not by shareholders in a corporation. Since not all firms are created equal, where does a subordinate focus his or her efforts if they want to introduce a new product or process to the firm? Especially if the new process or product will enhance that individual or group of individuals' processes, or even their reputation and standing within Leveraging Service Providers to Power Internal Sales B Y V I R G I N I A G R I F F I T H , E S Q . the firm. Even more complex is the journey someone from the outside must undertake in-order to bring their product or service to the appropriate individual/s within the firm. Therefore, one of the more effective methods is for the staff member and vendor to leverage each other's strengths and skills. The staff member is likely the end user or the direct beneficiary of the product or service the outside person is presenting, whereas the attorneys are likely the indirect beneficiaries. The outside company often searches for a "champion" for their product or service, someone who can benefit from their solution and understands how it would be successfully utilized within the firm. The "champion" is typically not the decision maker nor do they have buying power. But they serve a very critical role, both as the in-house cheerleader for their particular position, but just as importantly, they serve as the strategic navigator for the vendor. According to Patrick Fuller, Vice President, Legal, ALM "The goal of the vendor is always to become the trusted advisor; and to develop a reciprocal relationship with the champion. Sustainable vendors are not motivated by money, they are motivated by relevancy and respect. For the buyers, or the champions, they also need vendors who are willing to do whatever it takes for them to look like rock stars internally. Therefore, both the champion and the vendor have shared interest in each other's success." This relationship, vendor-champion, should be seen as symbiotic and not parasitic. The champion in the firm should leverage the salesperson in order to push their agenda as well to get to "yes". There are several reasons why and how a successful vendor-champion relationship works for both parties and helps to advance and execute strategies for many firms. First, the product person is an expert in their solution. The product expert can share best practices from other firms with influencers throughout the firm, as they have the benefit of working closely with many end users. Patrick Fuller, Vice President, Legal at ALM, states "For the champion, the vendor offers perspective and advice

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