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"Use erudite vernacular!": New post in my 'How not to win business' series

I have recently published the 13th and final instalment of my 'How not to win business' series in The Journal of The Law Society of Scotland. 

The post discusses the importance of avoiding complex language:-
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” (Albert Einstein)

Every day, excellent proposals are rejected because they are expressed in florid language which is meant to impress but has the opposite effect.

You can read the post in full here and you can find links to all of my publications here. From next month onwards, the scope of my publications in the Journal will be expanding to look not just at selling professional services, but many of the other strategic and management issues with which we are grappling. As noted in my latest article, its catchline is changing also, to “The Word of Gold”. Which is not pretentious at all. Obviously.
Gongs, dinners & just deserts: legal awards have r
"Fail to Plan": New post in my 'How not to win bus

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I founded and for over 25 years led a multi-award-winning law firm. Today, I am a consultant and non-exec, acting as a trusted adviser to law firm leaders throughout the UK and internationally.

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If you think we could be a fit, do call me on 0044 7968 484232, or email me at stephen@stephengold.co.uk. I am always delighted to talk confidentially, and completely without obligation.

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I provide expert, practical guidance on: Leadership and Strategy, Making Rainmakers, Mergers and Acquisition, Tenders and Pitches, Coaching and Mentoring Key People.

Rainmaking

Great rainmakers come in many shapes and sizes. There is no secret formula. Creating the right sales and marketing strategy, pricing well, communicating effectively and avoiding the bear traps are the vital skills, and they can all be acquired.

Leadership & Strategy

Successful strategy relies on two elements: the original conception and effective implementation. No two firms are the same, but the challenges are similar: Where do we play? How do we win?

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Mentoring

The greatest demands often have little to do with client work, but with creating the right strategies for the business and ourselves, making successful relationships with colleagues, managing conflict, dealing with personal stress and managing the balance between our business and personal lives.

Tenders, Pitches and Pricing

Tendering and pitching are both art and science. The nuts and bolts of the proposition need to be right: people, price, sector experience, location, structural and financial robustness, and so on.

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The decision to merge or be taken over is usually life-changing and rarely easy. There are competing pressures. What are the strategic imperatives for both sides? Does the prospect of new markets and greater resources compensate for loss of control or the risk of a valued culture being submerged?

Latest Publications

The imperative to be strategic applies as much to our personal lives as to our businesses. Read my final Word of Gold comment piece in The Journal of the Law Society of Scotland here and you can read all of my publications in The Journal via the Archive within this page.As I note within the article:- "This is the last Word of Gold. After almost nine years, I think the Society and its members deserve to hear a new voice. It’s been a fantastic privilege to have this platform, and though I think it’s the right time to exit, I will miss it. I’m sincerely thankful to the many people who have been so supportive of my meanderings.  In particular, I want to express my deep gratitude to editor Peter Nicholson for all his support and friendship over the years, which I’ve appreciated probably more than he knows. He is an immensely accomplished professional, but more than that, a person of warmth, kindness and decency. The Journal is safe in his hands, and I wish both it and him, the highly successful future they both deserve."

Dec 13, 2021

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