I’ve received terrific feedback about my new book The Reluctant Rainmaker: A Guide for Lawyers Who Hate Selling, and people have asked what made me decide to write this book now. Here’s a short video with my personal story about why helping lawyers learn to excel in business development (especially helping the lawyers who think they don’t have the “magic touch” necessary to bring in new clients) is so important to me.
TRR LA June 25
One of the keys to success is efficient and effective action. We all know that’s true in billable work, and we study time management and time mastery to find ways to optimize daily activity.
Nowhere is this principle truer than in business development. Most lawyers don’t get excited at the prospect of undertaking rainmaking activity, and thrashing about aimlessly (meaning, inconsistenly and without a solid strategy) is almost guaranteed to produce poor results. And poor results tend to produce a heavy sigh and a, “See, I knew I’m not destined to be a rainmaker” attitude – which tends to doom future action. It’s a nasty cycle, and avoiding that cycle entirely is much easier than breaking it once it’s started.
So, it follows that the best way to grow your practice is by taking consistent, strategically determined steps toward your goals for you practice. Once you become aware of the importance of consistency and strategy in rainmaking, you’ve unlocked the first key to business development success.
However, you still have to know what to do, and that’s the source of the popular question, “What’s the best way to grow my practice?” It isn’t possible to give a blanket answer for every lawyer and every practice. Advertising, for example, is a good tactic for some practices, especially those that depend on immediate and urgent need and a high volume of matters. It’s less likely to pay off for practices that center on more complex matters that are ilkely to generate high fees.
One rainmaking tactic, however, tends to perform well no matter the practice area: making personal contacts.
As Bob Burg, author of Endless Referrals, wrote, “All things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust.” In other words, the more people who know you and think well of you, the more likely you are to receive business and referrals.
While you might argue about whether all things are ever equal, think about how you select any servicee professional you hire. Whether you’re looking for a dentist, a house painter, a baby sitter, or a lawyer, chances are that you check with at least one or two or your contacts to get a referral, and a significant number of clients who seek your services will do the same. Knowing more people increases the chance that someone in need of your services will find out about you.
Likewise, your current and former clients know and, one would hope, like and trust you. They also have had the experience of working with you, so they know how you serve clients and may be able to evaluate, to some extent, your legal ability. As a result, current and former clients may be even more likely to refer business to you and, where your practice is amenable, bring you additional work themselves.
So, the bottom line is that the more people you know, the more likely you are to bring in new business. And it follows naturally that, without knowing any information about your specific practice or your strengths, my top recommendation for growing your law practice is to work on increasing your network of contacts, consistently and strategically.
Consider these questions to kick-start your networking:
If you’d like to learn more about where and how to network, you may want to investigate The Reluctant Rainmaker: Business Development for Lawyers Who Hate Selling. You’ll find step-by-step recommendations on how to begin networking and how to become a master at growing connections with the right people to advance your law practice. Visit TheReluctantRainmaker.com to learn more and to pick up your copy today.
Over a year ago when I was visiting my very favorite bookstore (the Upstart Crow, in San Diego’s Seaport Village), I saw a book titled Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way. Because I am a fan of Mrs. Roosevelt, I knew I had to grab it, but then something happened and distracted me, and I left the bookstore without the book in hand. One thing led to another, and I never got around to ordering it. So I was truly delighted when I visited again last month and the book was still there!
Part biography, part instruction on leadership in the business context, Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way is an easy and interesting read. The author gives a chronological review of Mrs. Roosevelt’s life and draws out the lessons in each stage, which makes for a reasonably effective presentation. My only quibble with this approach is that Gerber occasionally shifts from the historical recounting to a present-day business example without much warning, calling for closer attention than the book requires otherwise.
The book’s focus, not surprisingly, is on women’s leadership, though many of the lessons transcend gender. Its opening explains that leadership is particularly important to overcome the gender disparities that continue to exist, giving examples from business and politics.
In additional, the study found that male equity partners out-earn female by average of $87,000. While these statistics are limited in scope, they indicate that at least in the firms studied, significant disparity remains. As Gerber wrote,
Although these issues differ somewhat in kind or degree from the problems of Eleanor’s day, the solutions rest on the same foundation: leadership. Why? Leadership is about change. It means intentionally achieving a helpful, ethical purpose, and doing so in a process of reciprocal motivation and support between leaders and those they hope to lead.
Gerber pulls leadership lessons from every stage of Mrs. Roosevelt’s life. More extensive in number than in depth, the lessons are nonetheless instructive and likely to provoke readers’ reflection. For example, the following lessons (learned “the hard way”) flow from the painful period in which Mrs. Roosevelt discovered FDR’s affair with Lucy Mercer:
What’s in it for lawyers? As the foregoing example indicates, the leadership lessons Gerber offers are often drawn from Mrs. Roosevelt’s writings or speeches. Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way offers many leadership lessons, generally at a somewhat superficial level that introduces a general principle without fleshing it out in depth. As a result, those who are seeking deep discussion of leadership or its practical application may be disappointed. If you enjoy the Roosevelt history, though, and don’t mind a good but topical discussion of its leadership lessons, you’ll likely find benefit from reading Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way.
When a law firm hires me to work with a junior associate, very often one part of the engagement centers of the associate’s leadership presence and self-confidence – how he or she presents to others. (Of course, that focus is not by any means unique to junior associates.) Although reviewers may use a variety of words such as proactive, poised, assertive, or self-assured, they’re usually looking to see to what extent the lawyer is able to present as a leader, as someone who is sufficiently self-confident to inspire others’ confidence. Such a person typically contributes to conversations, asks insightful questions, and is willing to express an opinion or espouse a position.
Interactions with someone who lacks this level of confidence tends to leave others (supervising lawyers and client alike) uncertain of the message being conveyed. Does a lack of contribution indicate lack of comprehension? Boredom? Something else entirely? It may be difficult to interpret what what’s happening, but the result is a lack of clarity and an unwillingness to rely on the lawyer whose self-presentation is found to be lacking. The consequences can be significant, including unduly slow career progression (or even being fired) and difficulty in building client relationships.
For instance, I was working with one client (let’s call him Tom) who was hoping to make partner and entered coaching to strengthen his performance so he’ll be a strong candidate. He’d picked up on some comments that made him question whether he was viewed as partner material. I found Tom to be intelligent, personable, and funny. I also noticed that when I’d ask him a question about his work, he downplayed the role he’d played. It puzzled me, because I could tell from the kind of work he was describing that he was a heavy lifter on the cases, but to hear him talk he was simply supporting work done by others. One day, Tom said that a particular concern he held about making partner was that it didn’t seem like anyone regarded his work as being important or notable. He explained the evidence for his feeling, and then I asked his permission to share an observation.
I told him that when he described his own work, he minimized and understated his contribution. To hear him tell the story, he contributed little more than hours – and certainly nothing critical in terms of strategy or deep analysis. But when I asked specifically and pressed, he’d tell me about tasks he’d done and decisions he’d made that were quite high-level. My assessment was that because he was so careful not to overstate his contribution – and perhaps so uncomfortable being in the spotlight – he didn’t give a fair opportunity for someone to understand the kind and level of work that he was doing.
We devised a plan for Tom to share more about his work, and he discovered that when he changed his communication style and became more open about what he was doing, people began to appreciate the scope of his work and to understand what he was capable of doing. He got more and better work, and he felt that others’ perception of him was more accurate.
Michelle, another client, was upset to receive a review that indicated that some clients didn’t want to talk with her because they felt that she didn’t have a sufficient grasp of the right legal strategy to accomplish their aims. When pressed for details, a reluctant partner admitted that although he knew Michelle understood exactly what was at stake and how to advance the clients’ interests, her comments were so often peppered with words like maybe and possibly and her inflection was so often questioning that she just didn’t seem to be sure of what she was saying,. The result was that her communications undermined his confidence in her even though he knew she was almost invariably right about what she was saying. After making a concerted effort to notice the habits that the partner identified, Michelle started speaking with more authority and more clarity, which over time (and along with other changes that Michelle implemented) increased the confidence that others put in what Michelle said.
How do you know if your presence isn’t as strong as it should be? Here are three common signs:
If you recognize yourself in these signs or if you’ve received feedback that you need to be more proactive, perhaps we should talk. While learning to project more confidence and a stronger leadership presence requires stepping outside a comfort zone, the impact can be dramatic. Especially in this difficult market, your job and your client relationships may depend on your ability to inspire confidence. Ready to take the first steps? Email jessica (at) lifeatthebar(dot)com to set up a time for us to get acquainted.
I was in Boston last week for the ABA midyear meeting, and the mood was grim. Conversation was centered on the economy, especially in light of the announcement that nearly 800 large firm employees were laid off on Thursday, a toll that climbed to over 1000 by the end of the day Friday, according to The National Law Journal. Anecdotal reports suggest that some smaller firms are making similar layoffs, though they’re not getting the same press.
And what if you’re a laid-off lawyer? I’ll write more about that in the next few days. And I’d like to extend an invitation that I made to the readers of my newsletter Leadership Matters for Lawyers: I’m considering how I might add value specifically for you, perhaps through a monthly free teleclass or report with strategies that you can implement now to help you make your next move.
I’d like your feedback: what can I offer to help you find the next job, to make sense of what’s happening in the legal economy now, or otherwise? I can’t promise anything, but I’ll read through every response and do my best to implement some of the best suggestions. Please leave a comment below (anonymous, if you’d like) or send me an email to Julie@FlemingStrategic.com. I will hold all email responses confidential.
This week’s task: Set up Google Alerts for your top 5 clients.
Why is this a good activity? Google Alerts deliver news results about whatever topic you select direct to your mailbox on the schedule you select. They function as a free clipping service. In this instance, receiving alerts about your clients will let you know what’s happening with their business or industry, what others are saying about them, etc., and put you in an opprtunity to be proactive in providing advice or offering assistance.
How to undertake this activity? Go to http://www.google.com/alerts and complete the form. It’s simple of self-explanatory. Use your clients’ names as the search terms. If you choose to expand this week’s task, you might also add other terms relevant to your clients — perhaps their industries, their products or service, or their competitors. Two tips to avoid an avalanche of results:
How long will it take? Just a few minutes to set up the searches, and probably 5-10 minutes daily to review the results and/or edit your searches.
This week’s task: Review your biographical sketch and update it if appropriate.
Why is this a good activity? Your bio sketch is likely to be your first introduction for potential clients who are referred to you, for potential clients who find you on the Internet or otherwise, for other lawyers, etc. Your sketch may also be returned based on a Google or other keyword search online. It’s important that your sketch be accurate, persuasive, and up-to-date.
How to undertake this activity? Review your sketch and ask these questions:
Look at your sketch online. Is the most important information “above the fold,” meaning that it shows on the screen without requiring you to scroll down to it? If not, reorganize.
How long will it take? If it’s been a few years since you’ve revised your sketch, this could take as long as 1.5 to 2 hours. If it’s reasonably up-to-date, 30 minutes will probably suffice nicely.
What will it do for me? Completing this task will ensure that you don’t lose out on opportunities because of inaccurate or missing information. You’ll know that you’ve put your best foot forward online.
One of the keys to being a successful rainmaker is making a habit of consistent client development activity. I recommend that lawyer doing something designed to increase business every single day, whether it’s writing a 2-minute email, hosting an hour-long lunch, or attending an all-day industry meeting.
I’m launching a new blog feature this week: the Weekly Rainmaker Activity. Each Monday, I’ll offer a business development task. Those who choose to accept that challenge will make the time to engage in the activity of the week at least once. If you’re so moved, please post a comment (anonymous is fine, of course) to let me and the other readers know what you’ve done this week. Healthy competition of this sort can benefit everyone.
So, this week’s task: talk with a current client about the economy’s effect on his/her business. (It should go without saying, but for the sake of clarity: this is an “off the meter” conversation.)
Why is this a good activity? For better or worse, that’s the chief topic for many people right now — is your business suffering? If so, how are you handling it? If not, what’s setting you apart from those who are suffering? How do you see the next weeks and months playing out? What do you need to make it through this rough period? Since everyone is thinking about it, we may as well talk about it, especially if there’s a chance that you could offer some sort of assistance. Even if you can’t, your client (and you) will likely benefit from the conversation.
How to undertake this activity? Choose a client. (If you’re a junior lawyer without much client contact, choose an internal client — one of the partners or more senior lawyers who gives you assignments.) If you’re talking with him or her anyway, just fold the inquiry into your conversation, perhaps piggybacking on recent news or on a legal discussion about the business. Or place a call to your client “just to touch base” and raise the topic that way.
How long will it take? That’s entirely up to you and your client. I’d say 5-10 minutes is long enough to allow for a meaningful discussion without going into too much depth.
What will it do for me? It will deepen your relationship without your client. It offers the client the opportunity to be heard about something that’s likely at the top of his or her mind anyway, and it could offer a chance for you to give useful advice.
I know you’ve been reading the negative legal news over the past few months. Some of you have been directly affected, and some fear that you might be hit next. Today’s post presents the five steps that you must take now. These apply whether you’re looking for a new job (voluntarily or otherwise), trying to make yourself more valuable so your practice will flourish or so you’ll be considered indispensable at your firm, just starting out, a seasoned practitioner – you get the idea. These five steps are also critical in business development, so pay special attention if rainmaking is on your goal list for 2009.
1. Get crystal clear about whom you seek to serve and how to reach those clients, and then deliver more and better than they could possibly expect. If you’re a fairly new associate at a large firm (within the first two or so years), you’re serving the more senior lawyers at your firm. It’s important, of course, to narrow down on your niche, but your focus needs to be on the lawyers who will give you assignments. If you’re more senior or working in a smaller firm, you may serve more senior lawyers as well as “real” clients of a particular description. When you’ve identified the people you serve, look for ways to impress them. Maybe it’s offering extra resources, maybe it’s proactively raising a potential problem before it turns into an actual problem, or maybe it’s offering a fresh perspective on a long-standing challenge.
2. Set SMART goals for yourself and your practice. SMART goals are Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based. Setting goals in this way ensures that you can track your success as you proceed. Instead of saying that you want your client communications to be more timely, you might decide to set a standard that you return all telephone calls within 3 hours of receipt. Instead of setting a goal to bring in new billable work this year, you might decide to set a goal of bringing in $25,000 of new work in the next year. (Whether that’s an achievable goal depends, of course, on your own circumstances.)
3. If what you’re doing isn’t working, change. You’ve probably heard the definition of insanity, attributed (probably wrongly) to Einstein: “insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Maybe that definition doesn’t always apply, but it’s accurate for operating in our current environment.
So, are you insane? Some old approaches are still valid, but others are now a waste of time. If you don’t know which is which, make it your business to find out now.
4. Find valuable shortcuts. Time remains precious, and it’s wise to eliminate as many time-wasting activities as you possibly can. If you want to learn something new, find a mentor, coach, or training program to show you how to avoid the common traps and how to become proficient more quickly.
5. Drop the excuses and the blame. I must speak plainly on this one: circumstances will never be perfect, and if you wait until they’re better you’ll actually be moving backward. If you’re unhappy in your work but you stay on because it’ll be hard to find a new position in this economy, you aren’t doing yourself or anyone else any favors. If you choose not to invest in necessary training or resources because times are tight, you’re actually costing yourself. While you’re waiting for just the right plan or just the right time or just the right opportunity, others are moving forward with plans and opportunities that are good enough. They’re moving forward and gaining momentum, and you’re standing still. As we all learned in high school physics, objects in motion tend to stay in motion and objects at rest tend to stay at rest. That holds true for people, too.
Here’s the bottom line: if you’re stressed and worried, you aren’t alone. You may find it tempting to hunker down and try not to open yourself to further trouble, but that’s exactly the wrong thing to do now. Everything may begin to look brighter with the new year and new administration, or it could get worse. Don’t wait for an external solution. Implement these five steps now.