5 Ways to Generate Great Content


Content marketing refers to the process of generating articles, blog posts, presentations, and more that are centered on your practice area and that share substantive information useful to your audience.
This newsletter is content marketing, for instance. When you teach a seminar to a room of clients, potential clients, or referral sources, that’s content marketing. When you speak for a CLE program, however, even though you’re presumably delivering useful information related to your practice area, it isn’t content marketing unless you stand to get business or frequent referrals from lawyers.

Content marketing is a reluctant rainmaker’s friend. When you offer valuable information to an interested audience, you’re demonstrating your knowledge, skill, trustworthiness, and approachability, among other qualities, without imposing on your audience. You’re marketing with information that’s beneficial, and your audience usually appreciates your efforts. (If they don’t, they’ll quickly leave your audience.) 

Content marketing is effective because your audience is actively interested in the information you’re sharing and you’re demonstrating your value while marketing. 

But content generation can be the bane of a lawyer’s existence. The content needs to be timely (or evergreen), relevant, easily consumed, and — most importantly — good. If you imagine sitting in front of an empty computer screen, wracking your brain for an interesting topic you can cover effectively in the time allotted, trying to squeeze in one more activity in your already-overburdened schedule, you aren’t alone.

The good news is, it doesn’t have to be so painful. Most of my clients find that coming up with ideas is the most difficult part of content marketing. Here’s how to make it easy: 

  1. Use listening tools. Twitter is great for tracking trending topics. Skim or read periodicals relevant to your industry as well as some from outside your industry. One of my favorites is Zite (available for the iPad, iPhone, and Android phones) a “personalized magazine” that pulls news from a variety of sources grouped by the categories selected by the user.
  2. Use your clients’ questions and concerns. You probably field questions day in and day out. What themes do you notice? What questions should your clients be asking? If you’re stumped, skim your outbox. You’re almost certain to find topics suitable for content marketing.
  3. Ask your clients what they’re thinking and wondering about. Not only will you learn more about your clients’ needs, which is a great business development activity in itself, but also you’ll notice themes that interest your clients and are ripe for content generation.
  4. Review a book or service that your clients will find useful. Chances are that you’re aware of sources that your clients don’t generally follow. (That’s why I review business books in this newsletter. Most lawyers don’t read these books, and I often get notes of thanks for highlighting useful information.) Bringing information they might not discover otherwise adds value.
  5. Myths, misunderstandings, and outright lies. Chances are that there are some incorrect but commonly-held beliefs or approaches related to an issue that your clients face. Sometimes it’s a simple factual misunderstanding or misinterpretation, and sometimes it’s all about the deeper truth. Debunk those misapprehensions or challenge the common wisdom. When you explain myths and truths, you can quickly get the attention of your audience.

Whatever methods you use to identify content topics, keep a running list of your ideas. You’ll probably find that the best ideas occur to you while you’re exercising, showering, watching TV — anything except sitting at your desk. Use Evernote or a simple Word document to list your ideas. That way, when you are in front of the blank computer screen, you’ll have a list of ideas ready to go. 

Are you tough enough?


How to Build the Determination and Discipline to Reach Your Rainmaking Goals
 

This week, I’d like to share some thoughts on determination. Business development is not a one-time effort. It isn’t rocket science, as the saying goes, but it does call for sustained effort over a long period of time, especially when things aren’t going quite as well as you’d like. And that requires determination.

I could share stories of determined lawyers and those who let go too early, but I’d rather draw from other sources. Sometimes we see best when we see outside our own worlds.


The Determined Dog

My dog is inspiring to me with her example of deep-rooted, unshakeable determination. (Even though I’m a certified dog nut, I never thought I would say that!) Toward the end of my vacation, Patches got an infection that landed her in the hospital. This is the fourth round of something that’s nearly killed her three times — this last round hasn’t been as bad, fortunately.

One of the first signs of the infection is that she’ll limp for a couple of hours and then lose all use of the affected leg until the infection is gone. In the past, she’s been unable to move much at all for a month or so. She’d try, but getting up and walking was just too hard, and she’d stay in the same spot until I’d lift her and help her walk with a sling.

But this time, it’s almost as if she knows she’s been through this before, that it’s annoying and unpleasant, but that she’ll be ok. Instead of lying around, she’s been hopping from the first day. Her entire being telegraphs, “I want to bark at squirrels and protect my pack, and nothing is going to get in my way!”

Patches’ body is weak right now, but her determination is strong. Hopping is difficult for her, and after she’s moved 10 feet or so, she’ll rest for a while, breathless, before picking up and moving on. Unless, of course, there’s something she wants to do more than rest, and then she won’t allow her body to stop her.

Her infected leg is weak, but rather than letting that weakness stop her, she’s learned to compensate with her three strong legs.


The Disciplined Mind…with Safeguards

Before I left for vacation, I’d settled into a nice routine with my workouts. Up at 5, at the gym around 5:30, and done around 6:30. It wasn’t easy (especially since I’m not at all a morning person) but it had become habit and I’d maintained the effort for months.

One of the first things I remember learning about working out (years ago!) is that the mind will give up before the body does. That’s a mantra I use most days in the gym, especially when I’m pushing myself, when my legs or arms hurt, I’m out of breath, I feel like I can’t keep going, and I want nothing more than to stop. 

I’ve learned, after a lot of work, that I can pay attention to the discomfort and doubts, or I can crank up the music and keep on going until I achieve what I know I can do. Even though Lance Armstrong is operating under a shadow these days, he nailed it with this quote: 

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. That surrender, even the smallest act of giving up, stays with me. So when I feel like quitting, I ask myself, which would I rather live with? 

There’s a confidence that comes with completing the designated task on a consistent basis. It’s a confidence born of experience, and there’s no substitute for or shortcut to developing it. (Read this terrific article that drives this point home in the context of athletic training, and then extrapolate to business development or any other professional objective.) I haven’t hit my overall goals yet, but because I keep hitting the interim goals as planned, I know that I will reach that ultimate success. 

Even though I usually don’t let temporary discomfort derail me, I’ve learned that I need safeguards on some occasions. Most recently, I knew I’d be facing a challenge to get back to the gym after being away for more than two weeks. I wanted to be sure that I’d manage that challenge, so I booked an appointment with my trainer for the first day I planned to return to the gym. No excuses on the time. And, in fact, I booked a double appointment, for help with cardio as well as weight training. No wiggle room on leaving out part of my planned workout. 

And sure enough, the workout was not pleasant. And my trainer encouraged me and pushed me, giving me the support and push that I needed so that I could do what I’d planned — and, in fact, to stretch a little bit further. The next workout was much easier (mentally, if not physically), and my confidence continues to grow. 

Questions for Reflection

The message here is pretty obvious. Give some thought to these questions.

  • How developed is your determination when it comes to business development?
  • Are you making the most of your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses in rainmaking activities?
  • Do you have a solid business development plan in place?
  • Are you confident in your ability to put that plan into action and reach the goals you’ve set?
  • Have you identified danger zones, when you may be likely to slide backwards?
  • What support do you need to get through those danger zones and to stretch you beyond your comfort zone? Do you need to line up additional help?

I’d love to hear your answers to these questions — just send me an email.  And, of course, I’d be happy to arrange a conversation with you if I might help you reach your business development goals. 

Mountain Climbing Is A Great Business Analogy


High Altitude Leadership:  What the World’s Most Forbidding Peaks Teach Us About Success (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership)

By Chris Warner and Don Schmincke

 

High Altitude Leadership, published in 2007, draws on observations made during mountaineering expeditions (including Mount Everest ascents).  Through teaching stories, the authors identify eight dangers that climbers and business leaders face.  Although the observations are phrased in business terms, they’re certainly applicable to legal practice as well.

 

1.  Fear of Death. You might understand immediately why a mountain climber would fear death and how that fear could create paralysis and, ultimately, cause exactly the feared result.  In business (and in the practice of law), fear stops action.  To avoid falling victim to this danger, accept the prospect of failure and act anyway. I envision this as the action that allowed some law firms to avoid the worst of the Great Recession by seeing the problems early and moving to mitigate those circumstances rather than becoming paralyzed by the fear of what might happen.


2.  Selfishness.
The authors analogize business selfishness to the precarious situation created when a climber eager to make an ascent ignores warning of danger and by doing so threatens the safety of an entire team.  In business terms, the authors explain that selfishness produces DUD behavior:  Dangerous, Unproductive, and Dysfunctional.  The solution?  Crafting a compelling saga that speaks to purpose and mission and creates the passion that will overcome selfishness.

 

3.  Tool Seduction. Tools – whether ropes and oxygen to assist in mountain climbing or leadership and business development systems – are important.  Overreliance on tools, however, produces people without the foundational skills necessary to survive.  When I was a child, my parents made sure I could tell time with an analog watch before permitting me to wear a digital watch.  The principle here is similar, as is the solution:  learn the underlying skill and how to use the tools wisely. Social media, for example, is just networking with the use of some new tools.

 

4.  Arrogance. Although more than 13,000 people have attempted Mount Everest, 73% failed to reach the summit and 208 died in the process.  Warner and Schmincke claim that arrogance always lurks behind failure, showing up in poor planning, poor execution, or the belief that ordinary rules are inapplicable.  Humility tempers the ego and avoids failure. Where have you observed arrogance vs. humility in the legal field over the last five years?

 

5.  Lone Heroism. Those who refuse needed help, who really believe that “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself,” are suffering from lone heroism.  Warner recounts the story of a climber desperately wants to make an ascent the purist way, without oxygen, even though his body was shutting down.  In business, lone heroes refuse good advice and hamstring talented team members.  Developing partnership and allowing partners to take the lead when appropriate avoids lone hero syndrome.  (As a sidenote, lone heroism — which I call “long ranger syndrome” — slows the progress of would-be rainmakers who refuse help and guidance.)

 

6.  Cowardice. Just as fear and failure / death stops forward motion, cowardice keeps climbers and business leaders stuck in place.  They may unenthusiastically continue work on a project knowing it’s doomed, or they may fail to uncover a weak or arrogant member of the team because someone might criticize them.  The solution, of course, is developing a sense o bravery, which is encouraged by an atmosphere in which everyone is expected to speak the truth and to admit to problems as step one toward correcting them.

 

7.  Comfort. The best climbers and the best leaders are comfortable being uncomfortable.  Sure, it’s easier to climb a mountain or lead in rosy times.  But strong leaders know how to persevere even in unfavorable circumstances — and they know that sometimes perseverance means stepping back when changed circumstances make a strategy infeasible.  Choosing to step into calculated risk may be uncomfortable, but it’s also how progress gets made.

 

8.  Gravity. Even carefully laid plans sometimes fail due to erroneous assumptions, brand new obstacles, or others’ failure to adhere to commitments.  Bringing skill to climbing and to business will avoid many problems, but challenges are sometimes unavoidable.  High altitude leaders recognize the role of luck: sometimes you can do everything right and fail anyway.  Just ask those who suffered through the law firm layoffs o 2008-2009.

 

 

The analogy of mountain climbing is surprisingly applicable to business, as the authors note:

 

“On big peaks, we tell clients that the first mistake they made was joining the expedition.  They are now in an environment where things can go terribly wrong very quickly.  If they are going to make it home alive, they have to be more disciplined, more giving and more humbled than ever before.  Everyone has to scan the horizon.  Everyone has to examine themselves and each other for signs of weakness.  Everyone is responsible for their own safety and the safety of everyone else.  They have to prevent the small mistakes from adding up to a catastrophe.

 

 

High Altitude Leadership is a compelling book with a strong business message. We’ve all seen the pull that business places on the practice of law in recent years, and High Altitude Leadership will be helpful for lawyers who are seeing the business side of practice in a new light.

What Are You Thinking?


How do you regard business development activity?
Do you believe you can succeed? Is the wolf at the door, waiting to devour your practice if you fail? Is bringing in new business a “nice to have” activity, or is it a critical stepping stone for you? Are your clients fortunate to have you on their side?

To some lawyers’ surprise, the answers to these questions influence (sometimes heavily) the chances of success.

Attitude or mindset is a “soft” characteristic of rainmakers. It’s easy to ignore or dismiss as touchy-feely mumbo-jumbo. However, I’ve seen lawyers over and over demonstrate how critical it is to have a positive attitude toward business development…and NOT because a positive attitude will attract good results to you or will somehow magically predispose clients to your office.


Attitude matters because it can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Believe you’re not good at business development? Every setback will prove you right. Believe clients aren’t looking for someone like you? Every cool response will convince you even more.

But if you believe that you bring useful skills and knowledge to your clients, if you believe that you can develop the business you need for a thriving practice, chances are that you will persevere until you prove that correct as well.

Over the almost seven years that I’ve been working with lawyers (and in reflecting on my own experience), I’ve identified three aspects of attitude that may impact rainmaking efforts’ outcome.

1. Do you believe you can succeed? I occasionally tell lawyers that the third client they land is the most important. The first two you might dismiss as mere good luck or being in the right place at the right time, but when you sign the third client, you know that you’re doing something right.

Before you have concrete proof of your ability to bring in business, how you measure your results can have significant influence on your future performance. Low volume, higher fee practices tend to take much longer to develop than high volume, lower fee practices. If you measure your results in terms of activity that moves the biz dev ball forward, even if it hasn’t yet led to business, you’ll raise your confidence in your abilities in an appropriate manner.

As you define your goals, then, bear in mind what makes sense for you to measure. In some practices, you should start by measuring the influx of business right away. (That applies to, for example, sole practices that need income to survive and those who’ve already developed some business but are now seeking to grow and systemize their activity and client pipeline.) In others, you should start by measuring meetings with potential clients or referral sources, the growth of relationships with current clients, or advancement in leadership in targeted organizations.

2. Do you believe you know enough to get started? Because lawyers tend to be risk-averse, we have an inclination to approach important tasks with “read the manual, aim, aim, aim, read the manual again, ready, aim again” — perhaps never getting to fire.

Assess realistically what you need to know before you start your rainmaker activity. My suggestion is that you know how to define your practice in a way that communicates clearly to your would-be clients and referral sources. Get started with that, and then work in everything else.

There are terrific books and programs available on business development and you should take advantage of those learning opportunities in conjunction with your activity. But don’t wait until you’ve read all the books and attended all the programs and created a flawless business development program. Start now.

3. Why do you do business development? If your answer is “because I know I have to”, you need to dig deeper and find a reason that inspires you. Do you want to change your clients’ lives or businesses? Do you want to impact an area of the law or industry? Do you want to become a partner in your firm, to move to another firm, or to start your own practice? Do you want to buy beachfront property? Do you want to pay off your parents’ mortgage?

When you get tired of business development — and you will — you need to have a reason that will inspire you to keep going. I recommend you come up with several reasons that hit on several levels. For example, some of my personal goals are to reach the lawyers we as a society need and help them learn to build a successful practice so they don’t give up, to buy a summer house in Wyoming, and to fund a promise to send a class of underprivileged kindergartners to college. On some days, I conclude that I’ll just stay in motels when I visit Wyoming and lawyers will just have to take care of themselves, but the image of those little faces (whom I have yet to meet) keeps me going.

Don’t misunderstand: you must have more than a good attitude to succeed in business development. I don’t believe that envisioning something will make it happen without any effort.  But I do believe that a positive attitude makes it easier to put in the work and to keep going when it would be easier to stop.  I’ve seen it over and over with my clients and myself.

How about you? Take just a few minutes to check your own attitude.  If you find it not as strong as you’d like, work on building a better attitude.  Attitude is a soft attribute that can help you to attain real success.

Tips to Simplify Legal Newsletters


Newsletters offer a way to stay in contact with a large number of contacts easily, consistently, and productively.
Newsletters focus on substantive information, and assuming you’ve defined your areas of practice carefully enough, your content will be valuable to recipients and therefore welcome. Better yet, if your topics are timely and if you include an appropriate call to action, you may even receive requests for assistance on matters related to your writing.

Most firms have multiple newsletters tailored to their various areas of practice, often with multiple contributors. Whether you’re responsible for coordinating the content for your firm’s (or team’s) newsletter or you’re a sole practitioner with soup-to-nuts responsibility for the newsletter, you’ve probably had more than a few hair-raising moments wondering how you can possibly get it all done. (And if your firm doesn’t have a newsletter, I can virtually guarantee that fear is the top reason why not.)

So, let’s make newsletters simple. These five tips and resources will reduce the time and angst required to produce a newsletter that delivers results.


1. Repurpose presentations and articles
you have written for publication elsewhere into newsletter content. Shorter articles tend to be more useful, especially in electronic newsletters, so you can often get several issues of content from a single article.

2. Keep a list of generic questions your clients ask and turn the responses into newsletter articles. You must make certain that no one interprets your article as legal advice for them (check your local ethics rules to be sure you’re in compliance) but with appropriate language, you can easily create useful information based on frequently asked questions.

3. Use social media to “listen” for topics you should cover. You may find news or op-ed pieces you’d like to address, and by catching hot topics, you’re increasing the chance that your readers will be interested.

4. Include the “so what” for news. It’s hard to offer unique breaking news that isn’t being covered by journalists, bloggers, and other newsletters, but you can one-up many other reports by including some analysis and commentary of the news. In other words, let others handle the details of who, what when, where, and how. You focus on the why and so what.

5. Source your content from a good outside vendor. In the past, I would not have recommended using pre-written articles because they’re generally easy to identify a mile away. Generic and often not written for the audience to whom they’re sent, bad pre-written articles that are simply dropped into a template will not help your marketing efforts and may indeed inflict terminal damage.

But I recently learned about a content provider that offers well-written articles that can (and really should) be edited so that they offer good information with your unique voice and perspective.

Insight in Motion, an offering from Amicus Media, offers articles written by lawyers on topics currently including estate planning, family law, bankruptcy, immigration, and personal injury. (I’ve urged them to include intellectual property soon — we’ll see!) I’ve reviewed the articles and I’m impressed with the information presented and the way the content is presented.

Offering two levels of subscriptions based on the number of legal articles you need each month and number of practice areas, Insight in Motion provides a “keep it simple” approach at a reasonable price. Even better, the company will create a customized newsletter template and send your newsletters if you’d like. The content can even be published on your firm’s website or blog.

I took a thorough tour of the system and asked the same questions you likely would, and I’m impressed. If your practice falls within the areas that Insight in Motion covers and you’ve been holding off on creating a newsletter, this may be your golden opportunity.

For more information on Insight in Motion, visit this page.

And in case you’re wondering: no, I will not receive any affiliate fees or other incentive if you enroll in Insight in Motion.

Which of these tips can you use to make your newsletter strategy simpler?

How Thin Is YOUR Margin?

Michael Hyatt is one of my favorite leadership bloggers. The chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, Hyatt holds the belief that leaders must be thoughtful and purposeful, and his posts range from philosophical to tactical.

One post this week has been so impactful for me that I have to share it with you: How to Create More Margin in Your Life. “Margin” describes intentionally-created space in a schedule, designed to accommodate the unexpected. As Hyatt writes:

❝Everyone, it seems, wants a piece of you. And no one seems to appreciate the fact that you are a finite resource. (Perhaps you don’t even realize this.)

That’s why creating or re-visiting your Ideal Week is so important.❞

Hyatt explains how to design an Ideal Week schedule that takes into account daily themes (Fridays for appointments, for example) and daily focus times for each domain of life (self, work, and family/friends/planning). He then schedules key times based on his goals and priorities (and these times are broadly described), leaving “margin” for the unexpected.

I’d tweak this approach, to allow for daily margin during the regular workday. In other words, rather than scheduling a full four hours for writing, I’d set aside three hours as a fairly non-negotiable minimum I’d expect to attain each day, and then block the fourth hour for margin. On an ordinary day, that fourth hour might be occupied with writing as well, but it could also be devoted to the priority question from a client that requires time for a response.

I highly recommend Hyatt’s post as a source of both inspiration and direction on time management. By blocking time for what matters most, leaving time open for the things that inevitably crop up, and seeding accountability (by directing that you share the Ideal Week with your team), Hyatt has created a tool that will be useful for getting the “must do” tasks done without getting burned out.

Tactical Transparency


Tactical Transparency:  How Leaders Can Leverage Social Media To Maximize Value And Build Their Brand

By Shel Holtz and John C. Havens

In 2008, musician Dave Carroll was waiting to deplane from a United Airlines flight when he heard another passenger say, “They’re throwing guitars out there!” He looked out to see baggage handlers tossing expensive musical instruments, breaking his $3500 guitar. After getting runaround from United, he finally decided to put his story to music and release a video trilogy on YouTube and his website. After four days, over a million people had watched the video. United’s stock declined 10%, losing about $180 million in value, and the company finally paid Carroll’s claim for the damage. (For more on the story and its aftermath, see this article from Fast Company.)

 

We’ve probably all seen the emails, watched the videos, or heard the audios in which a clueless or uncaring company drives a customer to fury — fury that produces a social media backlash. In the old days, we’d have been limited to telling a few friends (studies show that on average we tell seven others about negative experiences and tell only three about positive ones), and they’d tell a few friends, and the word would get out…Slowly, and in limited distribution. Today, though, as Tactical Transparency describes, feedback can spread like wildfire, and corporations’ only choice is to how to handle that feedback.


Tactical Transparency
opens with one story about Sony’s having launched a blog purportedly written by a boy named Charlie who wanted to help his friend Jeremy get a PSP for Christmas. Readers quickly discovered that the blog was the creation of a marketing agency and lambasted it as lame and offensive, though Sony denied the deception until it finally had to own up to it. A second story describes a blogger who wrote a series of posts describing his problems with Dell’s computer service and technical support. His odyssey was followed by hundreds and Dell’s reputation (and stock price) suffered, until Dell saw the light and launched its own blog, Direct2Dell, which talked openly about problems and worked to resolve them. Unlike Sony, Dell’s reputation improved as a result.

 

The message: people — your customers and clients and those considering doing business with you will talk, and you’d better listen and respond. Though the facts are considerably different, this message is illustrated in the legal community through the many blog sites and posts that tracked layoffs last year and accused firms of conducting “stealth layoffs”. It’s continuing now in discussions about which firms are cutting salaries and how much. There’s been much speculation that some firms will be impacted by reduced loyalty from lawyers who watched colleagues sent packing and from law students who take the lessons of the last two years as an indication that they’d better keep their options open and trust nothing. And it goes both ways, as witnessed by lawyers and summer associates who’ve left their own career-tanking tracks in unflattering emails that can be sent around the world with just a few clicks.

 

The authors of Tactical Transparency suggest that the new reality of transparency has arisen thanks to the twin trends of declining trust in “business as usual” and the rising public scrutiny of business due to social media. Tactical Transparency goes to the heart of the matter, examining the practical steps a business can take to be “sincerely but prudently” transparent with its stakeholders about its leaders; its employees; its values; its culture; the results of its business practices; and its business strategy. The authors identify four characteristics of transparency, which may be applied in varying degrees to meet varying needs: Objectivity, Purpose, Esteem (for your stakeholders and your customers) and Navigation, which neatly form the acronym OPEN.

 

Tactical Transparency discusses transparency in a variety of contexts, many of which are applicable to lawyers, but I’d highlight one as being particularly critical: relationship orientation. In other words, at least in part due to the rise of social media, business must look at the clients or customers in the context of relationships rather than one-off transactions. This is certainly a key concept for lawyers whose clients may have more than one legal need that they (or their firms) might meet. Tactical Transparency recommends eight steps to design relationship-focused marketing:

  1. Get specific. Make sure your comments connect with this potential client and ensure that you understand his or her specific situation.
  2. Make small talk big. Lawyers sometimes wonder how much to ask in the context of growing a relationship.  Small talk is the starting point.
  3. Make your pitch interactive. Don’t tell a potential client how you’ll solve the problem.  Have a conversation about possible approaches and solicit input.
  4. Give a call to action. This is marketing language for requesting a next step, and it can be as simple as offering to sit down and discuss how some event or legal development might impact your potential client’s situation and how you might help.
  5. Write down a connection point. The authors suggest that you demonstrate that you listened and tried to help with something not directly connected to a sale.  If that’s not applicable (because sometimes your conversations will be quite sharply focused on the legal needs), simply demonstrate that you listened intently and how you’ve connected your background or approach to the potential client’s needs.
  6. Practice good timing. There’s an art to finding how to move a conversation forward without pushing it.  Learn and apply that art.
  7. Follow up.
  8. Partnering versus closing. Think of working together with a client to achieve identified objectives rather than landing a new client.  The distinction may be subtle, but the transparency you demonstrate in placing your focus on the service to this specific client will bolster your relationship.  Moreover, in my experience, it’s also likely to increase your willingness to engage rainmaking activities.

Although the key lesson I draw from Tactical Transparency has to do with business development, the book is wide-ranging in its discussion of social media and its applicability to business. If you participate in any kind of social media or if you’re considering stepping into the world of social media, this book will provide plenty of brain candy as you think about building your reputation with new social platforms.

Don’t Make This Mistake!

This week, I’m jumping up on a soapbox. LinkedIn is the professional social networking platform for many lawyers, and I firmly believe that every lawyer must have a profile on the site. Most lawyers can benefit from actually using the site, but even if that isn’t the right fit for you today, having a profile and building a network of connections on LinkedIn will bring some benefits to you.

 

LinkedIn is a good place not only to collect your connections, but also to expand your network by reaching out to new connections. I’ve noticed that a lot of lawyers are making faux pas in the way they’re using LinkedIn to meet new people. Watch this video (it’s less than two minutes) to find out how you can take just a little extra time to build a much stronger network.

 

Mix Work & Play for Fun & Profit


Clients often tell me that they socialize with friends and acquaintances who would make wonderful clients and/or referral sources. And yet, no one wants to be
that awful person who’s always shilling for business from social contacts, missing the “leave me alone” vibes.

But what a waste to nod along with a zipped lip when you might be able to benefit your contact and yourself by bringing business into the conversation. We’ve all had the experience of wishing we could turn up some help with a thorny issue, and if you can offer the help, shouldn’t you?

The truth is that it’s easier to stay silent and avoid any chance of giving offense. But what if you could briefly share what you do and suggest that you might be able to help, then turn back to pure socializing?

Mastering that art will benefit you, in getting a new opportunity, and benefit your contact, in finding a useful resource. So, how can you talk business at a social gathering without risk?

 

  1. Discover the opportunity. When you hear something that makes you think you might be able to help, listen for whatever your contact is sharing.
  2. Share your observation. Whether you’re talking to your best friend or a complete stranger, there’s a good chance that she doesn’t know or hasn’t realized that what she’s discussing has any overlap with your practice.

    Your comment can be as quick as, “You know, I handle issues like that for my clients all the time.”
    Or in a referral-related setting, perhaps you’d say, “It sounds like there’s some overlap in the kinds of clients we serve (or issues we address).”
  3. Watch the reaction. You may get an unmistakeable “tell me more” signal that invites you to proceed with business conversation right then. Or you might get a polite, “Oh, is that so.”
  4. Offer to meet at another time to talk about your shared interests. Even if the person with whom you’re talking wants to go into a deeper business conversation on the spot, I suggest that you make an appointment to meet at a later time for that conversation.

    By doing so, you’ll separate business from social conversation, avoid having someone overhear a private conversation, and eliminate the risk of offering free, off-the-cuff advice.
    Even if you agree to step outside the party or to move to your host’s home office, be sure to create a physical separation.

    A simple invitation is sufficient, such as “This isn’t really the time or place, but I’d love to talk with you and see if I might be able to help with that.”
    You’ll gauge your next steps (exchanging cards, setting an appointment to talk again, or moving to another location) based on your contact’s response.
  5. Approach the business conversation as an extension of a social relationship. Even though you’ve moved to separate the business context from the social, your conversation will likely retain some familiarity. At the same time, your business relationship must exist apart from a social relationship, and it’s likely up to you to set the appropriate professional boundaries.

As you move into summer socializing (whether that’s now or in six months from now), look for opportunities to spring from pure social contacts into business, and look with a light touch. When done deftly, you’ll find that all of your relationships benefit as a result.

Get Out Of The Office!

The more senior and sophisticated your professional roles, the more likely your best thoughts about work won’t happen at work! They may happen on the vacation.  And invariably people meet others to expand their network, and get new ideas and good information while socializing. And if you’re traveling it’s great to keep track of places to go, things to do, in case you want to go there again.  If a key benefit of recreation is to get a fresh perspective, then protect your investment and be ready to take advantage of its outputs.

~David Allen, author of Getting Things Done (if the thought of vacation is stressful because you go away physically but stay so connected to the office that you don’t feel refreshed, download Allen’s short article Vacation — Managing Work or Not? It’s free, but you must register.

All intellectual improvement results from leisure.
~Samuel Johnson

Every now and then go away and have a little relaxation.  To remain constantly at work will diminish your judgment.  Go some distance away, because work will be in perspective and a lack of harmony is more readily seen.
~Leonardo DaVinci