Why you struggle with pricing

You've put the work into your Business Case, and your Sponsoring Partner is behind you.But the decision on who makes partner sits with a much wider group, and many of those partners have never worked with you. How do you get them to back you, without looking like you’re pushing yourself forward? That’s what this episode is all about.Partners rarely make up their minds from the document alone. Long before a vote, they’ve heard your name from colleagues they trust, and they’ve formed a view on whether you’re someone they want as a business partner. Which means gathering support is part of building your Business Case, and it’s your job to start those conversations early.Your partners are not expecting the finished product. They want to hear about you and your Business Case from partners whose judgement they rely on, well before they are asked to decide.I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner. Here are 5 ways to work with me.In This Episode You Will Learn:How the decision on a new partner really gets made, so you can start building support at the right timeHow to open a conversation with a partner about your career so they want to help youHow to get known by partners outside your own team by being useful to their practiceWhere advocating for yourself ends and lobbying begins, so your efforts work in your favourIf you find this episode useful, don’t forget to like it and then subscribe so you don’t miss another episode.What Help Is Out There For You?If you’re thinking, ‘I haven’t got a Business Case to take to these partners yet’, our Progress To Partner Academy can help you.That’s precisely why we have the on-demand course ‘How to Create a Cast-Iron Business Case for Partner’ in the Progress to Partner Academy. It takes you step by step through creating a Business Plan using the STAGe model, then adapting it and pitching it as a Business Case for partner.LinksPoised for PartnershipHow to Make Partner and Still Have a LifeProgress To Partner Academy (use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership) Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

An urgent piece of work lands on your desk and the client needs it today. You know you should delegate it, but by the time you’ve briefed someone you could have done it yourself. So you do it yourself, again. How do you find the time to plan and brief properly when the work can’t wait? That’s what this episode is all about.Urgent work is often means delegation goes out of the window. And every urgent job you keep for yourself takes time away from your clients, your Business Development and your own career progression. Putting the planning and briefing time in place is your job, and it’s what means urgent work can still be handed over.Your partners are looking for someone who can win work, look after clients and develop a team beneath them. How you delegate when you’re under pressure tells them a lot about whether you’re ready.I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner. Here are 5 ways to work with me.In This Episode You Will Learn:How a few minutes of planning shows you which parts of urgent work you can safely hand overHow to brief properly and check understanding when you’re short of timeHow to stay in control of urgent work by building briefing and check-ins into your diaryHow to widen the pool of people you can delegate toIf you find this episode useful, don’t forget to like it and then subscribe so you don’t miss another episode.What Help Is Out There For You?If you’re thinking, ‘I understand all of this, but when it’s due at five o’clock I still end up doing it myself’, our Progress To Partner Academy can help you.That’s precisely why we have the on-demand course ‘Delegate Like A Pro’ in the Progress to Partner Academy. It takes you through how to delegate effectively, the traps where delegation usually goes wrong, the mindset shift that makes letting go easier, and a practical framework you can use straight away, all in just 1 to 2 hours.LinksPoised for PartnershipHow to Make Partner and Still Have a LifeProgress To Partner Academy (use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership) Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

You've had the coffee, they said they'd keep you in mind, and months later not one introduction has come your way. Do they not rate you? How do you be the person who gets the referral That’s what this episode is all about.When an introducer spots an opportunity, they don’t sit down and weigh up everyone they know who could help. They make a snap decision, based on the box they’ve already put you in. If you describe yourself in the same words as everyone else in your marketplace, that box is the same as everyone else’s, and the introduction goes to someone they can place more easily. Sorting that out is your job, not theirs. Your partners want to see a Referral Network that sends you work, and that starts with your introducers knowing exactly what to send you.I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner. Here are 5 ways to work with me.In This Episode You Will Learn:How to decide the box you want introducers to put you in, so their snap decision goes your wayHow to turn the claims everyone makes into something an introducer can repeat about youWhere to find introducers who’d be glad to pass you the work you wantWhat you can do to repay an introducer’s trust, even when you don’t set your firm’s service levelsIf you find this episode useful, don’t forget to like it and then subscribe so you don’t miss another episode.What Help Is Out There For You?If you’re thinking, ‘But there are hundreds of people who do exactly what I do. What’s my point of difference?’, our Progress To Partner Academy can help you.That’s precisely why we have the on-demand course ‘How to Become Known as the Go-To Expert’ in the Progress to Partner Academy. It takes you through a simple, step-by-step process to choose your niche, build your profile and referral network, and turn conversations into new clients, so you’re seen as the expert to call.LinksPoised for PartnershipHow to Make Partner and Still Have a LifeProgress To Partner Academy (use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership)The Go-To ExpertThe Financial Times Guide to Business Networking Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

So why didn't they tell you they were stuck? That's what this episode is all about.Psychological safety is a term everyone knows and very few of us create the conditions for. Your team won't tell you they're struggling until they believe it's safe to, and making it safe is your job as their leader. This is the first of a two-part episode. Part two, inside our Progress To Partner Academy, shows you how to build it.Your partners are looking for people who can build a team beneath them. A team that keeps its problems from you is not one you can delegate to with confidence.I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner . Here are 5 ways to work with me.In This Episode You Will Learn:How to find out whether your team has understood a brief, without putting them on the spotWhat helps your team come to you earlier when they're stuckHow to set up a new working relationship quickly, even with someone who's only with you for a few weeksHow to delegate knowing you'll hear about problems whilst there's still time to fix themIf you find this episode useful, don't forget to like it and then subscribe so you don't miss another episode.What Help Is Out There For You?If you're thinking, 'I can see the problem, but I don't know what to do differently tomorrow morning', our Progress To Partner Academy can help you.That's precisely why part two of this episode sits inside the Progress to Partner Academy. It takes you through Amy Edmondson's Leader's Toolkit and what it looks like when you're leading a team in a professional firm. You'll also find our on-demand course 'How to Create a Strong Hybrid Team' in the Academy.LinksPart two of this episodePoised for Partnership: https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life: https://amzn.to/4iLxugMProgress To Partner Academy (use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership): https://www.howtomakepartner.com/get-progress-to-partner/ Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

Your junior's coat is on at the dot of five, just as the client's comments land. You're left wondering whether you're stuck with a team who don't want to work as hard as you did, and how you get them to put in the extra hours when the client needs them. That's what this episode is all about.Many people on Partner Track have one management style, and expect their team to work the way they did at that age. Getting the best out of your juniors means flexing that style and taking on the job of motivating them, because developing a team beneath you is part of what your partners expect of you. They'll be watching whether juniors want to work on your matters, and whether you can get good work done through them.I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner . Here are 5 ways to work with me.In This Episode You Will Learn:Why flexing your management style gets more out of each person on your teamHow to ask for extra hours so your team are there when the client needs themWhere to find the team members who will repay your investment with loyaltyHow to decide how much time to give each person you work withIf you find this episode useful, don't forget to like it and then subscribe so you don't miss another episode.If delegation itself is where things keep going wrong, listen to our H2MP podcast episode 53, Why Delegation Keeps Failing.What Help Is Out There For You?If you're thinking, 'I can see I need to flex my style, but my team changes on every matter and half of them aren't even in the same office', our Progress To Partner Academy can help you.That's precisely why we have the on-demand course 'How to Create a Strong Hybrid Team' in the Progress to Partner Academy. It gives you the frameworks and communication strategies to build a cohesive, high-performing team, no matter where they are located.LinksPoised for Partnership: https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life: https://amzn.to/4iLxugMProgress To Partner Academy (use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership): https://www.howtomakepartner.com/get-progress-to-partner/Courses in Progress to Partner Academy to help with building a team are also available individually:How to Create a Strong Hybrid TeamHow to Excel as a Line Manager How to set performance objectives for your direct reportsHow to give negative feedback without it being a career-limiting move Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

You're on Partner Track in a small satellite or regional office. The partners who will decide your future sit together at HQ and see each other every day, whilst you’re one of the boxes at the bottom of the screen. There isn’t a lot of resource in your office, local clients push back on your firm’s rates, and there may only be room for one or two partners in what you do. So how do you make partner from there? That’s what this episode is all about.Working away from HQ doesn’t stop you making partner, but it does mean you can’t leave your visibility to chance, and it’s your job, not your firm’s, to sort it. Your partners need to know what you bring to the whole firm, and not only to your office, long before your name comes up at the partnership table.I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner . Here are 5 ways to work with me.In This Episode You Will Learn:Which people at HQ to spend your time with, so the right partners know what you doHow to make your days at HQ countHow to build a Business Case that doesn’t depend on a partner vacancy opening up in your officeHow to protect your rates and build a team you can rely onIf you find this episode useful, don’t forget to like it and then subscribe so you don’t miss another episode.What Help Is Out There For You?For more advice from me about building your internal firm network, read: 6 reasons why you shouldn’t neglect your internal firm network if you want to make partnerIf you’re thinking, ‘That’s all very well, but my office only needs one partner in what I do, and they’re not going anywhere’, our Progress To Partner Academy can help you.I’ve popped a link to our Progress To Partner Academy, which contains our Game Plan - How to Raise Your Profile and the courses How to become known as the Go-to-Expert, and How to Build a Cast-Iron Business Case for Partner.LinksPoised for Partnership: https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life: https://amzn.to/4iLxugMProgress To Partner Academy (use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership): https://www.howtomakepartner.com/get-progress-to-partner/ Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

You've scoped the job, you know what the firm needs to charge, but you are afraid of charging what it really is going to cost? So what are you actually afraid of? That's what this episode is all about.You may not set your firm's rate card. You do decide what goes into the scope, whether you go back to a client when the job grows, whether you write time off at the end of the month rather than pick up the phone, and whether a proposal explains what the client is getting for their money. Nobody signs those decisions off for you. How you make those decisions will determine whether you are ready for partnership OR you will be able to grow your practice sustainably.The fee you quote is capped by what you believe the work is worth to the person buying it, and by what you believe you're worth doing it.I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner . Here are 5 ways to work with me.In This Episode You Will Learn:What you can influence with the profitability of your work even when you have to work off a set rate cardHow small incremental decisions can significantly increase the profitability of your work.What a client is really telling you when they ask whether you can do it cheaperThe one question to answer before your next fee conversation, so you are more confident quoting a feeIf you find this episode useful, don't forget to like it and then subscribe so you don't miss another episode.What Help Is Out There For You?If you're thinking, 'I understand all of this, I just can't make myself do it when I'm sat in front of the client', our Progress To Partner Academy can help you.That's precisely why part two of this episode sits inside the Progress to Partner Academy. It takes you through naming the specific fear that's operating on you, testing it against what actually happens in firms, and working out where your number is coming from, so you stop pricing from your own pocket.LinksPoised for Partnership: https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life: https://amzn.to/4iLxugMProgress To Partner Academy (use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership): https://www.howtomakepartner.com/get-progress-to-partner/ Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

You keep seeing headlines about the billable hour dying, clients demanding fixed fees, consultancies setting the pace years ago, and you are still sending out invoices built on hours.The question is not whether you should start changing from charging by time, but how to move away from this billing model.Sorting out your own pricing habits, rather than waiting for your firm to change its model for you, is exactly the kind of initiative that marks someone out as ready for partnership.I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner . Here are 5 ways to work with me.In This Episode You Will Learn:- Why AI is accelerating a market place change to fixed fees- How to start the process to move from billing by time to fixed fees or another way of charging- Practical habits to build now if you are still billing mostly by time- What all of this has to do with being seen as ready for partnerIf you find this episode useful, don’t forget to like it and then subscribe so you don’t miss another episode.What Help Is Out There For You?If you’re thinking, ‘This all makes sense, but I don’t have the time or the data to work any of this out properly,’ our Progress To Partner Academy can help you.LinksPoised for Partnership: https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life: https://amzn.to/4iLxugMProgress To Partner Academy (use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership): https://www.howtomakepartner.com/get-progress-to-partner/ Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

You are sitting across from a client who has just asked why you have not passed on the savings from using AI. It is an increasingly common question. So how do you answer it without either caving on your fee or getting defensive about it? That's what this episode is all about.Whilst the presenting problem is how to answer the question about price in the moment with your client, the bigger issue is about understanding the real value you bring to your client. Plus how AI will reduce or increase that value. Sorting that out is not a job for your marketing team or your finance team. It’s the type of thinking that a partner will need to be doing.I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner . Here are 5 ways to work with me.In This Episode You Will Learn:Why the asking for a discount because the client thinks you can use AI to do the work quicker isn’t really the issue.How to respond, in the moment, when a client asks you to justify your feeWhy letting a client test the AI shortcut themselves can work in your favourWhat separates partner-level thinking about pricing from managing one fee on one callIf you find this episode useful, don't forget to like it and then subscribe so you don't miss another episode.What Help Is Out There For You?If you're thinking, 'That's fine for you to say, but if I push back on price and the client walks, that's on me,' our Progress To Partner Academy can help you.LinksPoised for Partnership: https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3 How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life: https://amzn.to/4iLxugM Progress To Partner Academy (use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership): https://www.howtomakepartner.com/get-progress-to-partner/ Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

You have been sat in front of the same client for years. The work is good, the relationship is good, and none of it has ever gone anywhere else in the firm. Then somebody asks what work you have found for the rest of the firm this year. How do you have that conversation with a client without feeling like a second hand car sales person? That's what this episode is all about.Most of the mid-tier, global and multidisciplinary firms have made more work from existing clients their main route to market, which means you need to be good at introducing your clients to others in the firm. Almost nobody is taught how to do it. Account management is a skill, and it is one you will have to build yourself rather than wait for your firm to teach you.I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner. Here are 5 ways to work with me.In This Episode You Will Learn:How to earn the right to ask a client what else they needThe one question that tells you whether your client is ready to meet a partnerHow to spot the opportunity when casually talking with clientsWhich handful of colleagues you actually need to know to be great at introducing others into your client.If you find this episode useful, don't forget to like it and then subscribe so you don't miss another episode.What Help Is Out There For You?If you're thinking, 'I do not know how to have that conversation without sounding like I am selling', our Progress To Partner Academy can help you.That's precisely why we have 'How to Develop Work from Existing Clients' in the Progress to Partner Academy. It takes you through how to have the right conversations with clients that lead to new business. LinksPoised for Partnership: https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life: https://amzn.to/4iLxugMProgress To Partner Academy (use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership): https://www.howtomakepartner.com/get-progress-to-partner/ Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe