In this episode, we’ll be exploring both sides of achieving win:win commercial agreements with clients. Typically that centres on the fees that we charge and are paid but can increasing is focusing on how we deliver work and the added value services we offer.

Buying and selling anything intangible, as professional services are, is clearly more nuanced than something that is tangible. But is it a science or an art?

Therefore, we will be considering questions including:

• What do clients like and not like when it comes to professionals’ practices around pricing and commercial agreements?
• How can we make it easier for clients’ procurement teams to understand the value we can deliver?
• How do procurement teams address the challenge of buying intangible professional services?
• How can business development teams work well with pricing and procurement teams?

To help me discuss these topics, I am joined by Beth Wallace and Stephen Cole who share their personal views on these topics.

Beth has over 30 years in procurement and supplier management roles including being Group Sourcing Director for a FTSE 100. She’s bought legal and professional services throughout hercareer as well as worked with law firms on a consultancy basis.

Stephen is currently a Commercial Finance Manager at the international law firm CMS in London. He’s a specialist in Real Estate transactional pricing and has worked across a variety of practice areas and sectors. Previously he was an auditor at Grant Thornton in London, becoming a qualified accountant in December 2020.

Your host is James Stringer, a former BD Director and now trainer, consultant and coach on business development and bids.

In this episode, we’ll be finding out what it is like to have the top job in a firm’s business development, marketing & comms team.

If you have ambitions for senior management – whatever the size of firm – what do you need to know about being at the top of the tree?

To help answer this, we will be considering questions including:

• How important is it to have a clear vision for the firm’s marketing, BD and comms efforts?
• Do you need to be an expert politician?
• What should be your priorities when looking to build, develop and retain a successful BD team?
• In 10 years’ time, how will the role have changed?

To help me discuss these topics, I am joined by Damian Taylor and Nicky Purnell.

Damian started his career with a stint as a stand-up comedian before moving into magazine journalism, dot com start-ups and his eventual home of professional services firms working at Deloitte, CMS and Watson Farley. He is coming up for nine years as Clients & Markets Director at Dentons.

In her own words, Nicky has been rocking the world of professional services marketing for over 20 years, and there’s hardly a challenge she hasn’t tackled. From crafting effective brand strategies to driving business development (and mastering all the in-between magic), she says she’s done it all. She is Marketing and BD Director at accountnacy firm Menzies LLP.

In this episode, we’ll be discussing the development of a professional service firm’s strategy and the role that business development takes in that process.

Your host is James Stringer, a former BD Director and now trainer, consultant and coach on business development and bids. He is joined by guests Mike Beswick and Hannah O'Grady.

Questions considered include:

• What are the benefits and pitfalls of having a clear strategy?
• What is the best process to create one for the firm or practice?
• What’s our role in the strategy process?
• What are the tips for successful implementation once your strategy is ready to go?
• How best to measure success?

Mike Beswick has worked in the legal sector for over 20 years, with senior roles at a number of global law firms. He is currently the Director of BD, Marketing and Communications at Taylor Wessing.

Hannah O’Grady also has almost 20 years experience in professional services with a career spanning client-facing, internal, operational and strategic roles. As COO and Strategy Director for Deloitte legal, she was central to the launch of that UK business and since May she has been Global Director for Digital Change at Herbert Smith Freehills.

James Stringer, is a former BD Director and now trainer, consultant and coach on business development and bids