Partners Go Rogue on Business Development: 5 Reasons Why

You can argue it’s a new problem – or a former isolated problem gone viral.

BTI’s new research with law firm partners and marketing leaders reveals a growing wave: partners going rogue on business development. No coordination. No alignment. No warning. Running solo. It’s now a strategic problem. It:

• Spreads through the partner ranks – diluting firmwide BD efforts
• Impacts the best opportunities as rogue partners operate outside the RFP process
• Undermines client confidence when they get different pitches or uncoordinated outreach

Rogue BD is real. The number of rogue partners borders on stunning: 1 in 4 partners are now operating outside the system. Here are the top 5 reasons why:

Can’t Navigate the Minefield of Client Relationship Access

“There is always a reason not to bring me into my partners’ client. Always. So, I stopped asking and started developing my own clients from scratch. The less the firm knows about it, the better off I am.”

 – 10-year partner at an Am Law 30 law firm.

These partners see abundant opportunity to expand relationships – but are blocked for 3 reasons:

• • Gatekeeping by billing partners
  • No credit for new business
  • Pressure to follow someone else’s BD playbook

Navigating the Client Access Free for All – No Centralized Client Relationship Management

Partners see a client with a need – and go for it. They see no designated point of contact through the firm and reach out directly. The more billing partners on a single client – the higher the chance of rogue business development. These partners have little, if any, visibility into other efforts to build business with the client.

These clients report receiving multiple pitches from firms – with different looks and messages. And different levels of understanding of client sensitivities and objectives.

It Works for Me

These partners have their own approach. They like it and it’s comfortable. They have little interest in changing it. They perceive any outside advice as a threat to their pursuits and process.

Impatience with Bureaucracy

Waiting for approvals, messaging, and coordination feels like red tape and delays – what these partners see as a time-sensitive opportunity. Rogue partners act on their own to move faster – even if it means bypassing key steps.

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

Potential opportunities pop and scream for attention. They think they will lose the opportunity – and pounce before looping in the team.

Here are 2 Big Catches

1. Virtually every single act of rogue business development is a prime opportunity. They happen outside the RFP process – where the best BD prospects lie.
2. More than ½ the partners going rogue are laterals – they may think they are doing the right thing – or doing what they do best.

Kill Them with Kindness to Win Them Over – Harness the Rogue Energy

It is hard to win the rogue business developers over with anything but kindness and care. But once a firm gains their trust they can become super rainmakers – and help develop more rainmakers. We recommend the following to harness the energy for good:

• Look for the places where rogue BD is likely to be happening
• Share all client outreach with all billing attorneys in near real time
• Offer a self-serve resource center to support the rogue activities
• Embrace rogue business developers
• Offer light touches of advice and support
• Study what successful rogue BD rainmakers do – leverage what they do – and find common ground

Firms able to harness rogue BD talent create harmony, amplify momentum, and turn soloists into an orchestra. Just what the market demands for success.