LMA Annual Meeting: What's missing from this picture?

I had just completed a briefing pack and thought I would take a look at the Legal Marketing Association's (aka LMA) Annual Conference Program when I noticed a program titled "Practical Applications and Real-World Tactics for Harnessing the Power of the Internet and Research Databases for Competitive Intelligence viagra online." Naturally, this piqued my curiosity cialis online. So I looked at the Speakers' credentials thinking that it might be someone I know. However, I noticed a strange thing when I looked at these credentials: Neither of them appear to be involved in Competitive Intelligence (CI) research. I believe that, in order to maximize the usefulness of the program, people discussing the topic should have some first-hand knowledge of the subject. I'm sure the two presenters scheduled for this program are very knowledgeable in the field of Marketing and Business Development geneic viagra. However, I'm not convinced that they have extensive current experience in the daily process of conducting CI research viagra. Now, I realize that, as co-Chair of a nationwide group consisting solely of over 300 CI Law Firm Researchers, I may be a bit biased on the subject online pharmacy viagra. I wonder how much effort went into putting together this panel, especially when it wouldn't be difficult for the people behind this panel to utilize the existing contacts and liasons with both AALL and SLA to get qualified, experienced presenters.

Harnessing Free-Flowing Competitive Intelligence Through Social Media Sites

[Note: The full article is published in this month's Law Practice Magazine from the ABA]

The Web is a great resource for law firm competitive intelligence (CI). For years, law firm CI analysts have been watching the Web sites of prospective clients and competing firms for any information that can create a competitive advantage for their own firm cialis. This includes monitoring competitor firms’ attorney rosters and tracking trends within other firms based on the publications, press releases and other information posted on their sites. Clients’ and prospective clients’ Web sites are tracked to identify new products, potential litigation issues, and changes within the companies that might enable a firm to capture new work.

But for the CI analyst, the disadvantage has been that a lot of the information posted on traditional Web sites is so heavily filtered that it’s ultimately of very little value.

The development of Web 2.0 technologies has changed things, however, creating an opportunity to monitor information that doesn’t go through a filter before publication. Resources like social networking sites, “Ning” communities, wikis and blogs encourage the free flow of information, and individuals who were once hidden behind the company’s firewall are conducting all kinds of online conversations outside those walls. For law firm CI analysis, the advent of Web 2.0 has ushered in a whole new era and expanded the abilities to find valuable information that could give the firm a competitive advantage.

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The Intelligent Intertubes: A Weekly Roundup

Here's your weekly recap of the Intertubes:

The web, the world and even intelligence gathering is changing, and August Jackson has a few thoughts on the matter.

The fantastic CI Resource Guide has been updated. If you need a source, this is the place to look.

With many thanks to the Law Librarian Blog, we should all take a look at Whichdraft.com and then rethink the notion that Web 2.0 does not affect law firms or legal work.

The Legal Intelligencer gets all crystal-ball on the future of law schools and firms. Very interesting thoughts on publicly traded law firms.

The ACC has released it's annual "Managing Outside Counsel" survey results. Cost containment is a huge concern, as is to be expected. One surprising trend: Companies are spending more in-house and less on outside counsel.

The ACC has also developed a law firm ranking system, one that actually has value to law firms and in-house counsel. And SURPRISE! Law firms won't pay for advertisements like, ahem, other rankings programs.

Do you have blogs/podcasts/sites that you'd like included in the weekly roundup? I'd be ever so delighted if you could send your suggestions to ssanksto@quarles.com.

And hey, Intertubes! Do you have a blog? Perhaps a blog that talks about CI stuff? Then for Heaven's sake, leave a comment and promote yourself shamelessly - or your friend, or some stranger that you think had a pretty good post!

Thanks for the picture, yourfunnyvalentine!

Survey Results - 2010 Annual Conference for CI/Law Lib

Thanks to everyone who participated in last week's survey on 2010 annual conferences! The results are in, with a summary below.

I may have the opportunity to attend just one conference this year and, although it's a very tough decision because AALL sounds great too, I'm leaning toward SLA.

I hope this helps other folks in budgeting season as you evaluate your options. Looking forward to a great summer of conferences!

The Business Development Perspective on Competitive Intelligence

[NOTE: Patrick Fuller, Business Development Executive for Thomson Reuters, guest posts this week.]

One of the obstacles than many organizations face regarding Competitive Intelligence is not the analysis itself, but rather what to do with it once it’s ready. Its one thing to find the needle in the haystack, but entirely another to know how to leverage the needle effectively.

Competitive Intelligence can inform on, and power, multiple initiatives in law firms and those businesses that serve the firms. For example, well-executed competitive intelligence should be core function of the client retention strategy inside any firm, even using basic SWOT analysis techniques. Lawyers should always know which firms present the greatest threat to their top clients, which in some cases, is now the client, as more work is staying in-house.

For business development, it’s a bit different. As a business development professional, I’m really not interested in the answers that CI provides, but rather the unique, engaging questions it creates.

My job is to engage the prospective client in a way that is both compelling and different, but ultimately, memorable. I want to ask the powerful, open-ended question that no one else will ask. If all my competitors are basing their approach on similar information, it runs the risk of quickly becoming commoditized information (ci) rather than true Competitive Intelligence (CI), and there is little differentiation between the presentations from firm to firm.

The two most important skills for any business development professional are the ability to ask engaging questions, and above all, listen to the answers. The key is not knowing how to sell, but rather understanding why the client buys.

The Intelligent Intertubes: A Weekly Roundup

Here's your weekly recap of the Intertubes, and my apologies for missing last week!

Hildebrandt released its 2009 Law Department Survey, in which - surprise surprise - companies note that they are interested in alternative fee arrangements and cost control measures.

Fulbright and Jaworski also did a nifty little survey, if one can call surveying over 400 people little… or nifty. The Fulbright's 6th Annual Litigation Trends Survey Report was released this week, and it is most definitely a must-read.

Are you being ignored? Outward Insights will explain why, and what you can do about it. And, um… is actionability a word, or is my spell checker just being titchy?

Advanced Competitive Strategies has an excellent case study of a war game of the auto industry.
Legal Rebels? All I can say is… wow. This site and the archived webinars are a veritable gold mine of what is to come in the legal industry.

Do you have blogs/podcasts/sites that you'd like included in the weekly roundup? I'd be ever so delighted if you could send your suggestions to ssanksto@quarles.com.

And hey, Intertubes! Do you have a blog? Perhaps a blog that talks about CI stuff? Then for Heaven's sake, leave a comment and promote yourself shamelessly - or your friend, or some stranger that you think had a pretty good post!

Thanks for the picture, yourfunnyvalentine!

2010 Annual Conference for CI/Law Lib