As the Legal Sales & Service Organization prepares for 15th Annual RainDance Conference, its co-founders talked with the National Law Review on how it started and the future.

Q: What was your vision for the Legal Sales & Service Organization when you started it 15 years ago?

A – Silvia Coulter, LSSO Co-Founder:

The legal industry was shifting from a profession to a business. Part of the shift was introducing marketing, and therefore a means by which firms would compete, into the industry. We knew that highly-experienced, seasoned sales professionals would be part of the next wave of change. And while it has taken longer than expected, sales professionals are in fact joining law firms and bringing a new level of strategic sales to the practice of law, allowing partners to focus on what they do best—legal work and servicing clients. Sales professionals are providing the firms with a heightened ability to compete effectively for new business.  The vision for LSSO fifteen years ago is realized with these changes.

Q: What is the role of sales professionals in law firms today?

A – Beth Cuzzone, LSSO Co-Founder:

Now, more than ever before, there are sales professionals helping partners guide the way to retaining and growing existing clients, and to bringing in new business. This year we launched the “2018 Legal Sales Uncovered: Trends and Salary Survey” along with our partner Hellerman Communications. This first of its kind survey will provide valuable insight and benchmarking data on how firm’s are structuring their sales roles. We will reveal the results at RainDance and provide copies to all the respondents.

Read the full interview with Silvia and Beth in the National Law Review.