In your law practice, knowing the law is what makes you knowledgeable, knowing how to practice the law is what makes you valuable. The same theory applies to how I consult with a law firm.
- What if you could anticipate the next move of your provider?
- What is the most important question that you haven’t asked that will save you the most money?
- Would it help to have someone on your team who is familiar with the “playbook”?
Now, getting ALL of the information may be a challenge, but having the critical information is extremely beneficial.
- Are you being asked how your practice areas have changed?
- Will you get an unbiased opinion of comparable products offered by the competitor?
- Are you planning to grow or downsize?
Your Westlaw and Lexis representatives our very knowledgeable with their products. They will give you usage reports, tell you what you are using and suggest how you can be more efficient by adding new databases or content groups.
Here are some proposals you may be offered:
- “You’ve been going outside of the plan, maybe we should add that database”.
- “I noticed you added some attorneys, I will need to increase your rate”.
- “I am here to reduce your rate and have you pay as little as possible”. The answer is probably not. I just wanted to see if you were paying attention!
It is to your advantage that I negotiate with Westlaw and Lexis on a regular basis. Their sales tactics and strategies change throughout the year. They may have a business model today that will be non-existent a year from now because of new challenges and competitive pressures.