Selling to strengths: Business development for introverts and extroverts

31 May 2012Feature

Douglas McPherson discusses how to create tailored BD plans for introverts and extroverts

The sad fact is that, while not many lawyers are comfortable with the idea of business development (or ‘selling’, to be blunt), the majority have realised that it is a necessary evil. If one is to maximise one’s earnings and realise one’s ambitions of partnership, then the ability to bring in work is essential and, to do that consistently and successfully, you have to be able to sell.

An increasing number of firms are investing time in creating marketing plans to complement their business plans. These are now largely underpinned by personal business development plans, or a list of activities that fee earners have committed to undertake to achieve their targets.

The problem is, however detailed or indeed realistic, measurable and achievable these plans are, they often fail at implementation. The main reason tends to be that progress is just not managed properly. Sometimes it is because there are no figures attached and no clear targets the partner or head of department can use to meaningfully track progress.

However, it is more likely that the management approach employed hasn’t been the right one. Just as solicitors didn’t enter the profession to become salespeople, partners didn’t chase partnership to become sales managers. Ensuring that others are doing what they need to do is often an unwanted distraction for partners and therefore tackled functionally rather than effectively.

So how do you manage BD activity effectively? It may sound flippant, but the simple answer is ‘horses for courses’. Both your management approach and the types of activities you and your team employ need to be the right ones for the individuals involved.

Fee earners need to be comfortable with the activities that they’ve been given responsibility for because, if they aren’t comfortable, the activities will be ignored or completed poorly, which will have an adverse effect on business development. Likewise, if you employ a one-size-fits-all approach to management, you will alienate more of your team than you engage.

Understanding motivations

The first step for any manager has to be to understand the composition of your team. People have different drivers and different triggers. Do you know what incentivises each member of your team? In broad terms, it’s the three As:

Ambition;
Avarice; and
Appreciation.

Some want to progress into positions of increased responsibility, others want more money and still others just want to know you appreciate their efforts and abilities. However, without actually sitting down and working out what works for whom, you will never truly motivate your team.

The good news is that this isn’t a scientific process. By spending time with your team and talking to them (including formal appraisals, which often provide people with the most comfortable way of talking about themselves at the early stages of a working relationship), you will soon learn which trigger each person responds to best.

Determining personalities

The second step is to work out each '¨team member’s type of personality. Are they introverts or extroverts, or do they '¨sit in the middle? More confusingly, do they consider themselves at one end of '¨the spectrum but quite obviously sit at '¨the other?

As a general rule of thumb, extroverts are generally easy to spot. They are assertive, energetic and excitable. They love to be sociable and they enjoy talking and being part of a large group, preferring to be with others to being alone.

With business development in mind, these are all admirable traits but, as their manager, you have to be mindful of a few less positive aspects associated with extroverts. They can assume leadership roles which they haven’t earned (or in instances where you want to retain control). They enjoy taking risks and tend to think as they speak rather than beforehand, which can open up a raft of potential pitfalls.

Introverts, by contrast, are more reserved, less outgoing and less openly sociable. That doesn’t mean that they are asocial, but rather that they tend to have a smaller circle of friends. Introverts tend to be less spontaneous and more reserved in social situations, often preferring solitary activities like reading, writing and research.

From a management perspective, introverts prefer to concentrate on one activity at a time and like to sit back, observe and think before they act. This means that they arguably make a more valuable contribution than extroverts and can often deliver a more creative legal solution for a client if left alone to work on it. Because of the way introverts approach relationships, they are often extremely effective client managers when they are completely comfortable with the client.

Some people may fall in between the two camps but, arguably, they will always be much more of one than the other. This means that, once you have developed the management styles required to look after your introverts and your extroverts, they will not need drastic reworking to accommodate those in the middle.

Managing extroverts and introverts

Extroverts

Agree and deliver clear targets
Measure progress, not promises
Identify areas requiring improvement quickly

Don’t

Manage by personality: ignore first impressions
Allow extroverts to assume positions that they haven’t earned

Introverts

Meet one-on-one or in small groups
Communicate in writing wherever possible
Allow them time to think before and after meetings
Arrange meetings at the start or end of the day
Recognise and praise contributions

Don’t

Force them to attend networking events or business forums

Managing extroverts

Extroverts are typically more straightforward to manage than introverts.

When managing extroverts, let actions speak louder than words. Ensure targets and objectives have been agreed (and written down), because extroverts are great at talking about doing great things but, behind their words, may not actually deliver much. Having a measurable list will let you monitor over and above the hyperbole and hone straight in on the areas that require improvement.

Make sure you don’t allow your first impressions of a more extroverted member of the team define how you think of him in professional terms. While it is probable that he is very good technically, the way you manage him has to be based upon the work he delivers, not on the results he promises. If there is a feeling in the team that you are managing by personality, you will quickly demotivate other members.

The types of activities that suit extroverts best are the ones that involve large groups of people. Traditional networking events, delivering seminars (or more bespoke training at client premises) and working their way around conferences and exhibitions are perfect for them.

Likewise, the delivery of a formal pitch often plays to the strengths of a more extroverted fee earner and allows him to deliver the presentation with impact, even if the content behind the pitch has been produced by other members of the team.

However, there’s one factor to take into account: while extroverts can appear self-confident, sometimes this is not the case and the self-confidence is compensatory. Consequently, activities like public speaking may bring about an adverse reaction. So, it is always best to ask which of the activities outlined above truly suit the person in question.

Managing introverts

When it comes to managing more introverted fee earners effectively, it’s best to respect their two central personality traits: they are happier in smaller groups and they thrive on having time to think.

If you are scheduling a meeting with an introvert, try to make it a one-on-one, or at least limit invitation to those absolutely essential to achieving the desired objectives.

In addition, communicate with introverted team members in writing. Send important information by email or memo, to give them the time they need to absorb it and form recommendations before you meet – if nothing else, this will cut down on the length of the meeting.

After meetings, give introverts time to digest information and wait for rather than force a response; the longer they have to prepare a response, the better it will be.

With regards to the timings of meetings, don’t ‘chunk’ an introvert’s day. When he’s involved in a piece of work, he’ll be totally immersed, so try to meet at the start or end of the working day.

At the meeting itself, give the introvert the opportunity to present his ideas. If necessary, stop the meeting or schedule the time you want his input. If an introvert feels he has to constantly fight for the chance to speak, he will soon give up and mentally (or even if physically) opt out of future meetings.

When an introvert does make a contribution, take the time to acknowledge it. If given the time to prepare and the right environment, many introverts will provide valuable contributions that are as creative as they are joined up and sensible. However, that creativity may stay hidden if credit isn’t given where it’s due. Flattery and compliments are also great ways to increase confidence and feelings of inclusion.

Wherever possible, give introverted team members assignments they can work on independently. Explain that they have full responsibility for the completion of the project and schedule regular updates to be delivered in the way that suits each person best. This approach will both reinforce the important part they play in the delivery of the project and counter one personality trait that infuriates managers: the regularity with which an introvert will become so consumed with a task that he’ll forget to keep the necessary people in the loop.

The tasks best suited to the more introverted members of your team include writing articles, performing due diligence on targets, preparing target lists based upon pre-agreed criteria, researching and structuring formal pitches and tenders, contributing to social media or online forums, and helping to prepare marketing collateral, white papers, special reports and downloads.

Introversion isn’t an excuse not to get involved in business development but, as a manager, your job is to make sure involvement is limited to what is comfortable and to where people can make the most significant impact.

By all means eschew any forced socialising like networking events or business forums. All that will happen is the person will perform badly due to nerves or disinterest, which will create a poor impression of your firm. After all, who wants to employ an anxious and nervous lawyer?

But, that doesn’t mean no human contact is allowed. Because of their genuine attention to detail and ability to provide thoughtful and creative solutions, socialising should be encouraged with key clients on a one-on-one basis.

Harnessing strengths

You will never have a team made up of the same types of personalities. However, you will always have goals, financial targets and commercial objectives. The trick to achieving those is to discover what makes your team tick, to recognise their strengths and weaknesses, and to design a management style for each individual that will allow you to harness those strengths and utilise them to best effect.

BD activities best suited to extroverts and introverts

Extroverts

Traditional networking events
Delivering seminars
Delivering bespoke training at client premises
Attending conferences and exhibitions
Delivering formal pitches
Chairing trade bodies or local business forums

Introverts

Writing articles for trade or local press
Performing due diligence on targets
Preparing target lists
Researching and structuring pitches and tenders
Contributing to social media or online forums
Preparing collateral/white papers/special reports/downloads

douglas@tenandahalf.co.uk