Page 30 - messenger

Feature
30 Private Education & Lifestyle

The More for Less Challenge – with Intense Competition Early Years

from birth A winning
Thrown in!

By Carolyn Roberson ment to their business, look tenders during my career Carolyn Roberson founded
at process re-engineering, and, over the past couple of CRC Consultancy (CRC) Ltd First SchoolcFirst ScFirst S formula.
Lawyers are challenged on a create business ‘self- years, probably a few hun- to help professionals win
t
daily basis to reduce costs serve/self-help’ routes and dred alone. My role is as new business. Clients have to Year 44
and deliver ‘more for less’ find ways for everyone to both adviser to firms pitch- won over £20m with our
yet faced with ever-increas- ‘work smarter’ including ing for new business and to support. CRC provides
ing pressures: the sheer greater use of technology. in-house counsel/legal strategic planning/business
cost of running the busi- They are sophisticated pur- teams conducting pitch development planning,
ness, clients’ ‘power’ to de- chasers of legal services, processes. Both parties merger/acquisition and in-
Middle S
termine the services they driving harder and harder have benefited from more tegration programmes, Middle Schooll
expect and the price they bargains on fees and recent streamlining in pitch client relationship manage-
are prepared to pay, tech- achieving ‘more for less’ – processes, including a re- ment and client Year 5 to Year 8o
nology development at an and even something for duced number of stages in feedback/satisfaction pro-
unprecedented rate (lead- nothing (“added value” in public sector tendering (eg: grammes, tendering and
ing to more expectations by public sector terminology!). pre-qualification and tender pitching, partner coaching.
clients and cost to the busi- Over the past couple of stages are now often com- Clients include law firms of
ness), increasing scrutiny years it has been not just bined, and the final presen- all sizes, barristers’ Cham-
and regulation, and the re- good practice but ‘the tation/interview stage bers, accountants, survey- College
cruitment of Millennials norm’ to review legal rela- abbreviated or even ex- ors, financial services
with distinctly different be- tionships, whether formally cluded), a shorter overall businesses and professional Year 9 to Year 11o
haviors, values and atti- required to do so or not. For timescale, strict practices in other sectors
tudes from previous both buyers of legal serv- page/word/other guide- such as health and commu-
generations. For manag- ices and the firms pitching, lines (but I would counsel all nication. Rather than a ca-
ing partners, the balance to the cost is enormous. buyers to avoid ‘character reer consultant, Carolyn
be achieved is knowing counts’ – the bane of bid- previously held senior roles
Sixth Formh Fixt
what is realistic for the firm Too often, tender processes ders’ existence, diverting Addleshaw Goddard, Ernst S
(and what is not) while hav- are rushed through by the quality time and thinking & Young and Hill Dickinson, Year 12 to Year 133o
ing an inspirational vision buyer to meet artificial from what’s really important after starting her career
and the determination to timescales or internal pres- – the proposal and value with IBM Canada Ltd. For
achieve it. Surveys show sures or both…and for the they can offer because of further information email:
that partners say they most law firms tendering, dispro- the time they spend in carolyn@carolynroberson-
want to work in a firm which portionate amounts of time redacting text to fit artificial consulting.co.uk or call 0151
knows where it is going, has and effort are spent on try- constraints), involvement of 426 2639. Carolyn Roberson • 94% pass rate in our latest GCSE resultse in our lat esults
the drive to get there and ing to understand the ten- reviewers with different
the culture and environ- der instructions and adhere skills and roles (eg: finance,
ment to support it. to guidelines such as word legal, business), greater con-
ew S
• N
cience f
counts, character counts or fidence among bidders to • New Science facilities open 2015510acilities open 2
Enter the dreaded tender page limitations. Yes, it is challenge and question,
process. Few firms are im- sensible to restrict the over- and greater certainty for
• New Sixth Form opening September 2015510ember 2
mune from ‘pitching’ for all volume of a tender (and buyers in future costs • N m opening S
new business, whether in a we all know that lawyers through fixed fees, capped
prescriptive public procure- can always write more fees, annualised fees and
ed Excellent in all ar
ment process or a more in- rather than less!) but are packages of ‘added value’ or Should you really be worried about Google rankings? • Rated Excellent in all areas by ISA
formal, smaller scale buyers actually getting the freebies.
‘proposal’. Competition is best outcome? The Legal Services Board seeing different search re- the digital mix. Your social
fierce. Differentiation is dif- Cutting through the ver- stated in July that many law sults to a colleague for ex- presence, email marketing,
ficult. Fee earner time is pre- Organisations, public and biage, the buyers’ message firms are 'missing out' due to actly the same term. It's also paid advertising and con-
cious. The experience of the private sector, run their own is clear: “Give us exactly not ranking highly in Google a bit narrow minded to be tent marketing strategy are
recent Legal Aid tender still processes in their own way what we say we want AND searches. focusing on a 'golden key- all equally crucial for gener-
O
ast f
ears, S
ew y
v
•
er t
he p
reverberates around the of- – some, for example, invite give us options we might word' bearing in mind the ating traffic and engage- Over the past few years, Scarisbrick kcarisbricears, S • Traditional family values and a warm friendly atmosphereamily vaditional family v alues and a w ar m friendly atmospherm friendly atmosp e
fices and coffee shops of ‘suppliers’ to contact their not have considered. Do it The Board's research found myriad variations and turns ment – and each channel H all S c hoo l has est ab lished itselflished itself
Hall School has established itself
Manchester! Who really procurement teams and at a better (lower) price than that unregulated organisa- of phrase that could be has its own role to play. • High standards of education throughout school, ds of education tandarHigh st• ds of education t hr oughout schoooughout sc l,
as one of the leading independent
‘wins’ in new business com- publish information on how we pay now. Help us de- tions frequently rank above used. Instead, it makes sense as one of t he leading independenthe leading independent from birth to eighteeno eighth tom birtfr o eight een
petitions? to supply to them. Others liver, measure and evidence solicitor firms in search re- to think about your overall People use search engines schools not only in the North West,
h
hoo
he Nort
sc
ls not only in t
use portals and public e- value within our organisa- sults, for terms like 'legal 'visibility' – how frequently when they're looking for an- • Opportunities for leadership activities and outdoor pursuits pportunities fO• pportunities f or leadership acti vities and outdoor pursuits vities and out
but in the UK. .he UKut in t
The recession brought media to announce pro- tion – what we do, you do help for divorce'. It sounds you're appearing in results, swers. But search has limita- b
in our historic 50 acre grounds and lake
i
clients’ legal costs into curement opportunities – and the positive impact. serious – but should you be for a huge range of different tions when it comes to in our historic 5n our hist 0 acr e gr ounds and lakeounds and lak
greater focus than ever be- indeed, some are required Help us prove this to ‘stake- worried? searches. increasing brand awareness,
e one of only a handful of
e one of only a handful of
e curriculum t cur
• Innovative curriculum to challenge students to grow personally
fore and public sector to do so. Some run panels holders’ and scrutineers, or encouraging return visits. We are one of only a handful of • Inno v ati ve o c hallenge students to grhallenge students t o w personally
sc
ls r
hoo
“Excellent” in ev
ed as
at
spending cuts have contin- or frameworks, some take a whether internal or external A means, not an end Of course, visibility just Earlier in the funnel you schools rated as “Excellent” in every yer“Excellent” in ev
• Excellent GCSE results y Excellent GCSE r
• Excellent GCSE results year on year
ued unabated. In the pri- more informal approach or or both. Most people will turn first means you're appearing in should focus on awareness cat egor y b y the Independent • ear on y ear
category by the Independent
he Independent
vate sector, in-house legal mini bids. Looking at a and foremost to a search en- front of people. How many and thought leadership,
cience Facultience Facultience F
• New build Science Faculty ready 2105
• Ne N
Schools Authority and have since
e since
teams have been transform- cross-section of websites for Ultimately, winning new gine when looking for in- people who saw your site in later in the funnel it's about ScS c hools Authoo ls Aut hority and hahorit y and ha e since • ew build Sc cience Fw build Sc y r eady 2105eady 21 05
ing the way they do busi- public sector organisations business is about collabora- stant answers to their search results actually optimising conversion w on a N ational A w ar d from ISA.
om ISA.
won a National Award from ISA.
• Sixth Form launch September 2015 510ember 2epth Sm launc
ness with a real focus on alone shows just how many tion – understanding the questions. Appearing clicked on it? How many en- points and engagement. A • Sixt h F or m launc
efficiency (and measuring variations exist. Yet another buyer’s environment and prominently in search re- gaged with the site? And great digital strategy will
and reporting on efficiency challenge for law firms and mind-set, and delivering the sults is of course likely to re- how many went on to con- capture your audience at With a multi-million pound
With a multi-million pound
h a multi-million pound
and value) and managing their Managing Partners. best mix of ingredients to sult in more traffic – which is vert and become a case? every stage of the journey,
estment scheme under w
heme under w
And t
her
s much mors muc
’ e
e t
external lawyers rigorously. convince them that your why many businesses have There's no point pumping not just the point where investment scheme under way, as And there’s much more to come…
o come…
ly high academic
well as consistently high academic
In-house counsel need to I have worked on hundreds, firm will give them a com- obsessively sought higher all your time and money they type something into w ell as consist ently high academic
prove a return on invest- possibly several thousand, petitive edge. Good luck! rankings for several years. into being #1 if it doesn't Google.
ement, S
carisbric
k H
hiev
ac
But the fact is, rankings are translate into results. achievement, Scarisbrick Hall School lhoocall Sk H
different for everyone these Obsessing over rankings is is the school of choice in the region. S carisbric k H all S hoocall S l. Excellence in E v er ything.
Scarisbrick Hall School. Excellence in Everything.
l of ch
hing.
hoo
is t
he sc
hoice in the roice in t
egion.
days – based on search his- The multi-channel not only outdated – it's fail-
scan me to download your tory, location, and countless customer ing to see the bigger picture.
These are the firms who are
Smart businesses know that
other factors in Google's al-
complimentary gorithm; so you may end up search is just one channel in truly 'missing out'.
fi
04 844 8
11 151 151
.scarisbric hallsck
find out mor
.
Manchester Law Society Reward find out more: www.scarisbrickhallschool.co.uk | 01704 841151.scarisbric hallsck.scarisbrice:nd out more: www.scarisbric hoohoo l.col. .uk | 0 71uk | 0 7 1 0 41111
Card smart phone app