At the LMASE conference, I heard a term that was initially unfamiliar: cross-service. Of course, I knew this was referring to cross-selling, but it's interesting, because I have never heard my attorneys refer to it this way.
In reality, that is what cross-selling is - serving your client by finding other areas where they are in need of the firm's services, and serving the other attorneys at your firm by looking out for opportunities where they could help your client.
What obstacles stand in the way a firm's ability to create a culture of cross-service? To name a few: trust, habit, lack of internal/external communication, failure to identify opportunities, and a lack of understanding of the client or attorney needs.
David Freeman addressed this issue by highlighting several accelerators that can increase your firm's ability to create a culture of cross-service. The accelerator that stood out most to me in my personal experience was the "Cross-Connecting Accelerator".
Our attorneys have to know, like, and trust each other before cross-service can truly exist. Finding ways to build trust between practice groups and lawyers will lead to more effective internal communication. This communication will allow them to know which questions to ask in order to connect their clients with the right attorney.