Peer to Peer Magazine

P E E R T O P E E R : I L T A ' S Q U A R T E R L Y M A G A Z I N E | S U M M E R 2 0 1 9 25 to higher levels within the firm. This may all sound mutually beneficial in theory but how does this look in practice? Today "docketing" in a law firm is a critical process. Many law firms have docketing professionals while other firms have paralegals or legal secretaries who manage the important work of docketing with the goal of placing dates and times for court orders, rules-based events and other important deadlines onto the appropriate attorneys' and time-keepers' calendars. According to a recent risk management survey only 20% of the respondents agreed that their firm's current docketing solution was built on the latest technolo, while amazingly, 12% still didn't have a docketing solution in place. Therefore, a docketing professional in a law firm may be very aware of the need to improve their current process and technolo. Docketing professionals without the latest technolo understand there are more efficient, less risky and more cost-effective ways to handle the calendaring process. One of the indirect benefits of this is that it would free them up to provide additional resources to their attorneys such as providing strong reporting capabilities, assisting in business development efforts and becoming a more integral member of the case management team. An account executive for a docketing and calendaring company would likely connect with the law firm's docketing professional either at a National Docketing Association event, through LinkedIn or via cold calling the firm. Once the connection between sales professional and the firm's docketing professional has been made, the account executive would likely ask several questions to better understand the firms' current process and gaps, and then quickly share how her docketing solution could benefit the firm. In the symbiotic relationship described previously, the two determine through closely listening to each other, that it is mutually beneficial to create a partnership to navigate the uphill runs of the firm and much benefit can be gained. The account executive will be able to provide numerous critical data points, that is critical. Vendors are often in tens to hundreds of different firms annually and have a strong sense for best practices that yield differentiating results." The vendor typically will have statistics and relevant data to support the champion's initiative. The salesperson may be able to provide trial access to their product or service and generate feedback from within the firm that the in-house person doesn't have the time or resources to produce. The salesperson will often come prepared with shareable materials, such as case studies and white papers, to advance the end user's cause. Remember, the vendor has typically one set of solutions they are focused on while the end user, cheerleader in the firm may only need the particular tool for one of their many daily activities. The in-house person should take advantage of the vendor's knowledge and desire to move information about his or her solution throughout the firm. What then can the in-house champion provide the vendor in order to promote their shared goal of getting to "yes"? The champion in the firm is in the best position to arm the sales person with real life examples of how their product/service can benefit the firm, and who within the firm will be their staunchest allies. The end user of the product can also provide information to the sales professional regarding the likes and dislikes of the firm's current process or solution. All of this leads to the critical intelligence supplied by the cheerleader on why their firm will buy and how they make buying decisions. Again, the goal is shared between the vendor and the "champion" - get to "yes". "As the vendor and the "champion" go through this process they are building a relationship, a partnership, of mutual learning and understanding. The goal for the vendor is to make their champion invaluable. This can only be accomplished if both the champion and the vendor agree on the strate necessary to reach the end goal for both parties." According to Patrick Fuller, Vice President, Legal at ALM Intelligence. Trust develops and the fear of one or the other party trying to take advantage or undercut this new relationship fades away as they work respectively to move their agenda including statistics on cost- savings created by their product and efficiencies realized by other firms who have adopted their solution; examples of best practices developed at similar firms using the software; stories of risk and malpractice when inaction regarding the latest technolo in docketing has not been implemented; and references from other partnering firms reaping the benefits of similar solutions. Lawyers like logical, fact-based reasoning that includes research, statistics, and information about what other firms are doing. The information the vendor representative can provide will help the docketing professional drive their initiative for the latest technolo. In coordination, the sales professional can also reach out to other areas of the firm where the docketing professional may not have connections, such as IT or Information Services. The more people hearing the message, the more likely someone will listen. Alternatively, as the docketing vendor is providing information and resources to the firm, the docketing professional as the "champion" should be introducing the vendor to those that have influence in the decision- making process. The in-house professional can share the process for purchasing within the firm and discuss the pain points for the firm which may include examples where the current process has put the firm potentially at risk. Providing feedback and keeping communication lines open will help solidify a successful outcome for all parties involved. In the end, the outside vendor is on the side of the in-house "champion" of the new product or process. Nurturing that relationship is mutually beneficial both in the beginning stages of engagement and throughout the life cycle of the product/ process at the firm. As an account executive in the legal software business, some of my greatest and longest relationships began as a sales professional with an end user. The most successful partnerships I've seen have culminated in job opportunities, references and promotions for the "champion" because when we get to "yes" we all win. ILTA

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