Where Are You In Your Rainmaking Journey?


A few years ago, I had to drive to an important business meeting in an unfamiliar city.
 Because this was before I had GPS, I printed out directions before leaving my office, so I had a good idea of where I was going.  The sun was beaming down and my “pump me up” playlist was blaring, and I was feeling really good.

But then I hit an unanticipated obstacle:  a road closed due to construction.  I didn’t know the area and the detour wasn’t well-marked.  Before long, I had no idea how to get from here to there.  I knew which roads I needed to find, but looking at the map was useless because I didn’t know where I was.  So frustrating!

When I talk with lawyers about business development, this story feels all too familiar.  So often, lawyers have a sense of what they’d like to accomplish (the destination) and even how to get there (the directions), but after hitting an obstacle–sometimes even despite a lack of obstacles–what had seemed clear seems confusing.

If you want to succeed in business development, you must:

  • Know where you’re starting. One of my favorite cautions is, “Don’t mistake luck for skill.”  If you’ve had success in landing clients, make sure you know why and how to replicate that.  If it’s sheer luck, you have to find a way to shift that luck into something you can repeat and transform into skill.  What’s going well?  What’s broken?  What questions do you have, and what resources do you need?I created the Law Practice Profitability Audit to simplify this step.  Take the Audit here.

  • Know how you’re going to get from where you are now to where you want to be.  In other words, you need a plan.  You need to be able to describe your ideal clients and referral sources, and you must know how you can reach those people and businesses.  What specific actions will you take to get to your goal?
  • Know the most effective ways to accomplish the tasks on your list.  This is why it’s important to read books and get training on business development topics.  You have to master the skills such as effective networking, speaking and writing that builds your reputation and gets you clients, and asking for business.
  • Take action consistently on your plans.  What you know is important, but what you do is what will make you succeed.  It is not sufficient to take action occasionally or at random times; you must act consistently and persistently.
  • Track your results.  There’s a concept (attributed to Lord Kelvin, among others) that what is measured can be improved.  Without knowing whether an activity is producing results for you, it’s impossible to know whether you should expand it, keep to the status quo, or discontinue it.  While data may be difficult lto gather (especially in high value, low volume practices tend to have a longer “sales cycle”), it’s important that you have at least a qualitative sense of how successful your activity is at moving you closer to your business development goals.

When you have all of these aspects of successful business development in place, you will be able to adjust your plans when you encounter an obstacle.  Equally importantly, you will know how to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves, and you will consistently move toward your rainmaker goals.

What more do you need to succeed, based on this checklist? 

Catching attention, building connections


I recently spent nearly two hours sitting at an airport gate, sitting about 5 feet behind a stand with Delta American Express card representatives.
 You’ve probably seen these stands:  a table to the side of a concourse, with various promotional freebies, application forms neatly stacked, and one or two hawkers, trying desperately to get people to pause and fill out an application.

Annoying, right?  I drowned out the hawker’s calls.  But as I sat reading, I noticed that more people than usual were coming up to this table, and they were staying longer than usual to talk with the card rep.  So I started listening.  And I re-learned something useful.

The average hawker bombards passersby with the “great offer” they simply “can’t pass up”.  But this rep focused on individuals and engaged them:  “You, miss, in the red shirt!  Where are you headed today?”

Some people ignored him, but over and over, people paused, walked to the stand, and talked with the rep.  Some told him about their travel delays.  Others told him about the jobs they were traveling for or the family they were leaving behind.  Several soldiers told him what it’s like to be on leave from duty in the Middle East.  And the marketer listened.  He asked questions and empathized.  He was genuinely present with the people who were talking with him.

After he’d heard some part of their travel story, he’d weave in his offer:  “Man, wouldn’t you like to get an extra 10,000 miles so you can get back to see her more often?”  Sure, the rep was trying to get people to apply for a credit card, but he was doing it by connecting with people, by building a relationship, albeit a brief one.  And almost without exception, the people who stopped in front of the display filled out something, whether a credit card application or a Delta mileage program application.

Observing this guy reminded me of a Maya Angelou quote:  “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  What I saw was the power of listening and genuine, though brief and superficial, connection.

The contrast was clear when he went on break and another pusher took his place.  This hawker didn’t engage people,  He threw out half-hearted, “Sir, don’t you want some extra SkyMiles today?  It’s a great offer!  You can’t pass it up!  Sir, you flyin’ Delta today?  We’re giving away 10,000 SkyMiles free — for nuthin’!”  But the busy passengers did pass by the table over and over without stopping.  Those who did stop received only the sales pitch, and I’d guess this vendor’s application completion rate was much less than half of the other man’s.

Small sale or large, connection really does pay.  And it doesn’t require a tremendous amount of effort.  It simply requires genuine presence.  Not a bad reminder while waiting in an airport.

How can you apply this insight?  Write your website copy or the introduction to an article from your target read’s point of view.  When talking with a potential client or referral source, ask questions before you talk about your experience and qualifications.  Make it your practice to seek to understand before you seek to be understood.

The Powerful (Marketing) Message You Should Deliver Daily

The statement “I’ve got your back” is one of the most powerful business development messages there is.  When you have someone capable and attentive on your side to offer assistance and cheer you on, you’re likely to be more willing to undertake new, difficult, or risky-feeling activity.

Consider this:  a child learning to walk or to ride a bicycle will often look to a parent to be sure that someone is there to encourage them if they waiver.  We applaud speakers and those receiving awards as a way of saying, “Good job!”  And we’ve probably all called a friend for support after being rejected by a potential client or date, or a job opportunity.  Just about everybody appreciates encouragement and support.

There’s another side to “I’ve got your back”, too:  someone capable who’s in the trenches with you, ready to help.  And that’s where “I’ve got your back” goes from a source of feel good emotional support to a do-good, hands-on promise.  That’s also where it becomes a powerful business development message.

Think about your client’s perspective.  Whether your clients are legally sophisticated large companies or individuals who have never worked with a lawyer or legal problem before, every client wants to know they’re in capable hands.

More importantly, clients want to experience being in capable hands.  That means, for example:

  • Having a lawyer explain the heart and the context of the legal matter, to an extent that feels comfortable to each particular client, and knowing that the lawyer fully understands and appreciates the relevant law and its impact on the client.
  • Having a lawyer who’s proactive in flagging new issues and opportunities
  • Getting calls and emails promptly returned by the lawyer or a knowledgeable staff member
  • Knowing the status of the matter, including the reason for delays or quiet periods in a representation
  • Being billed clearly and appropriately, in accord with expectations
  • Receiving emotionally intelligent communications, whether that’s congratulations or an explanation of what went wrong and why (this is the feel-good side in a business context)

When you convey that you’ve “got a client’s back” through your actions, you’re laying the groundwork for great client service.  You’re building a relationship that’s characterized by respect and support, in the context of legal skill.  That service not only keeps your current clients happy but also creates the potential for repeat business or referrals.

You might choose to say, “I’ve got your back” (or more businesslike words that convey the same message), but your actions must back up your words.  If not, your statement will backfire:  your actions will demonstrate that you don’t have the client’s back and, almost worse, that you either don’t realize that fact or you’re willing to lie about it.  (This, I believe, is one root of many lawyer jokes and the usual low standing of lawyers on lists of trustworthy professions.)

How can you demonstrate and perhaps say that you’ve got your clients’ back?

From your own perspective, working with someone who’s “got your back” as you undertake business development activity (which may be unfamiliar and feel risky, at least at first) can be a key factor in your success.  It’s the flip side of the points above, substituting marketing for legal knowledge and skill.  When you have great support, you get a cheering squad, a listening ear, a brainstorming partner, a source for new ideas and insight, needed resources, and more.

Here are a few ideas on how you can get the support you need:

  • Join forces with one or two colleagues who are also working to grow their practices
  • Join a rainmaker group (or create your own)
  • Use social media for accountability and support
  • Hire a consultant or coach

If you’d like to join a group of colleagues, check out Chapter 1 of The Reluctant Rainmaker (pages 26-30 in the print edition) for specific suggestions of how to find or create the right group.  And if you’re looking to hire a consultant or coach, let’s talk and see if we’re the right fit.

Blog Posts You MUST Read

I keep up with dozens of blogs (legal and otherwise) on a regular basis, and I like to bring the best of the best to you periodically.  Without further ado, here are the top five posts that I’ve read in the last few weeks.

  1. Why Being Told “No” is Actually the Greatest Motivator (Peter Shankman)  Shankman founded Help A Reporter Out (HARO), which I’ve highlighted in the past, and I enjoy his block for its insights into non-legal marketing.  He’s also a good storyteller as you’ll see in his post, which starts with an ode to the excesses of Dubai.  The post ends with ways to use a “no” answer to help you move forward.  (Think in the context, of course, of business development.)  While I don’t agree 100% with his perspective (sometimes a “yes” is not available at a particular time), his advice overall is spot on.  Read this especially if you find yourself frustrated by near-misses with new business.
  2. Welcome to the Year of the Snake:  13 Law Practice Resolutions for 2013 (Adrian Baron)  I was introduced to Baron’s The Nutmeg Lawyer through another favorite blog, Cliff Tuttle’s Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk.  Baron is a sharp observer with a funny streak:  “According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2013 is the year of the snake.  As such, I believe it should be a great year for attorneys, car salesmen, contractors, and DMV employees.”  This post offers some insightful ideas for improving the way you practice, as well as some commonly-overlooked common sense.  For instance, tip 3 reads in part:

    Pay attention to your support staff.  How does your secretary answer the phone?  Does he or she simply say ‘Law Office’ or do they mention the firm’s name?  How do they greet clients when they walk in the door?  In my own practice, we instruct our staff to greet clients followed with a “somebody will be right with you.  Can I offer you coffee, tea or cappuccino?”  I actually purchased an easy to use cappuccino machine that uses a disc system.  Sounds goofy, but you would be surprised at the effect something so simple has on clients.

    (For my thoughts on greeting clients, see this post.)

  3. Will LinkedIn endorsements effect search results?  (Kevin O’Keefe)  I have a confession:  although I appreciate the endorsements I’ve received on LinkedIn, I absolutely loathe the endorsement system itself.  Allowing a 1-click endorsement facilitates quid pro quo skill recognition, often from those who have no way to judge the strength of the skill being endorsed.  However, the system is apparently here to stay, and after reading this post, I decided that I’d better learn how to use it.  After you read O’Keefe’s post, check these posts for more information (or this one to laugh).  I’m still not a fan, but I’ll be updating my skills list in the next few weeks.
  4. Actually, it goes the other way (Seth Godin)  If you’ve ever wanted to throw in the towel on business development because you’re not a “born rainmaker”, read this 5-line post right now.  And then read it again.  And then print it out and tape it to your monitor, your telephone, or your forehead.
  5. Nurture Your Network for Success (Steven Taylor)  Very often when I ask new clients about their network, they’ll insist that they don’t know anyone who even might be “useful”– but that’s equally often incorrect.  If you’d like a more robust network (and, really, who wouldn’t?), look to this post for suggestions.

Want more resources like these?  Follow me on Twitter (@juliefleming), where I share 5-10 useful posts and articles every day.  (And please say hi–I enjoy conversational tweeting, too!)  Don’t want to see that much from me?  Wait until next week, when I’ll reveal how to receive a more focused stream of information.

Quotations of the Month: On Innovation

“Creativity, as has been said, consists largely of rearranging what we know in order to find out what we do not know.  Hence, to think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted.”
~George Kneller

 

“It’s easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago, but will soon be out of date.”
~Roger von Oech

 

“Companies have to nurture [creativity and motivation]–and have to do it by building a compassionate yet performance-driven corporate culture.  In the knowledge economy the traditional soft people side of our business has become the new hard side.”
~Gay Mitchell, Executive VP, HR Royal Bank

 

“Where all think alike there is little danger of innovation.”
~Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire 

The Power of the Pocket (of Time)


I’ve been thinking lately about the power of the pocket.
 Not pockets of money, but pockets of time.  You see, I’ve gen myself a deadline of March 15 to finish the draft of my upcoming book Legal Rainmaking Myths:  How What You THINK You Know About Business Development Can Kill Your Practice.

With that big deadline looming, here’s what else I’m doing:  preparing for and holding regular client meetings, doing my own marketing, working on content for a program I’ll be releasing soon, engaging on social media, finishing up a real estate transaction, caring for one of my dogs who almost died recently (dog lovers:  bloat and torsion are terrifying; read up on it in case you ever face the symptoms, because minutes matter), caring for other quad- and biped family members, managing a renovation project, planning some upcoming presentations, and so on.  While our specific tasks will be different, my guess is that you have as much or more on your plate.

Maybe the volume of tasks sounds familiar.  Most of us have more to do than we have hours available.  We also have the inevitable waiting time and downtime, some of which go unused.  Free time is important for recharging and getting grounded.  But it’s hard to recharge while waiting in line to renew a driver’s license or finding 10 free minutes when arriving early for an appointment.

That’s why it’s helpful to know what you can accomplish in a pocket of time.  I use Reeder to catch up on blog posts and Pocket to catch up on other reading I’ve clipped from the web.  I often carry notecards, and I maintain a list of non-critical “when I can” tasks (for example, comparing prices and shipping costs for dog food on various sites) in Nozbe.  Give me 10 minutes, and I’ll knock at least a couple of items off my list.

What can you accomplish in a pocket of time?

Obvious but ignored: rainmaking requires action

New behaviors, especially those that play out in public for others to see, can be difficult.  We lawyers especially, who tend to fall toward the perfectionist side of things, perceived a high risk in trying something new.  What if we fail?  What if we look stupid?  What if we really mess up?

Last Sunday, I took on a new role in my church.  Despite having observed others perform this role, I was really nervous:  I’d be in front of the whole congregation, taking on a highly visible part of the service.  In preparation, I read the handbook for performing this role, searched online for other guidance, drafted and revised the words I’d say, and mentally walked through every part I’d play in the service over and over.

I noticed three things about my preparation:

  1. I could envision failure more easily than success.
    I imagined tripping and falling on the altar stairs.  I imagined dropping the microphone and books and trays.  And I even came up with my response should those things happen:  flash a winsome smile, chuckle, and say “Well, at least I got THAT over.”
  2. I spent more time preparing than I did acting.  I invested close to three hours reading and working on the comments I’d make.  I even typed out the comments and then copied them by hand onto an index card!  And all told, I probably spent 15 minutes performing my role.
  3. While the preparation I did by myself was helpful, I got the most benefit from the few minutes I spent talking with others who could tell me what to do.  The handbook, while helpful, included some directions that we didn’t use, and certain steps weren’t clear to me.  So I grabbed someone who’s served in this role for more than ten years and asked for help–and she straightened me out right away.

The other thing I noticed is that I hear these same observations from my clients when they’re talking about business development.  Reluctant rainmakers (those who would really prefer to build a book of business just by being a good lawyer, not engaging in specific business development activity) are especially inclined to spend as much time in gearing up for activity as doing it, and much of that time may be spent in fruitless worry.  We typically don’t call it that, of course:  we may call it planning or brainstorming or waiting until the time is right.

The antidote to this paralysis by analysis is action.  Action is the only antidote.  In my church analogy, I started to feel more competent in my anticipated role when I talked with someone who could answer my questions, not when I raed books or visualized my part in the service.  And having performed that role once, even thought I didn’t do things as well as I would have liked, I know what it feels like, where my specific challenges are, and what I need to do to improve.

With business development tasks, action may feel high-risk because of the possible consequences if it goes wrong.  The truth, however, is that (barring exceptional circumstances) a misstep can usually be corrected, and in most cases, a small amount of preparation will avert disaster.  In other words, don’t go into a meeting cold, don’t attend an organization’s meeting without knowing what the group is about and who’s in leadership, and don’t call an important contact without having some sort of plan.

Most of us hold back too long on rainmaker activity; few rush in without forethought.

Here’s the take-home

Where are you stalling in your business development plan?

  • If you’re stuck in planning where to start, get outside help from a mentor, a colleague, or a marketing professional.  It can be difficult to begin with the 30,000-foot view that is an overall strategy, and outside help can be instrumental.
  • If you’ve been putting off an activity because the time isn’t right, ask what will make for a “right time”.  Sometimes the delay is legitimate.  If you can’t pick out specific circumstances that you’re waiting for, you’re probably just delaying.  Examples of appropriate delay include waiting for a contact to return from vacation before you make a call or waiting until there’s a vote on specific legislation before releasing a white paper about how to respond to the new rules.  Fruitless delay occurs, for example, when you’re waiting to get “more information” without being clear on what information you need or how to get it.
  • If you’ve been delaying an activity because you don’t know how it will play out, ask what you can afford to lose rather than what you might gain.  Good planning can’t remove all risk.  If you’re considering an action that might blow a relationship, you’re right to be cautious.  If you’re holding off on getting your profile up on LinkedIn because you’re not sure how best to describe your practice and experience, you have almost nothing to lose.  (For a review on this, see Little Bets by Peter Sims, and my review of the book.)
  • If you’re waiting for your schedule to free up, act immediately.  One of the most challenging aspects of business development is doing the work even when you’re busy with client work.  Failing to do that, however, risks getting into the feast/famine cycle.  Almost worse, for mid-level and senior associates and service partners, you run the risk of believing that everything is going okay with your career, when the truth is that today’s economy demands that every private practice lawyer must at least contribute to business development.

Action is required for business development success.  We’re still early in 2013:  get your year in gear by acting today.

Creating and Harnessing Momentum in Business Development


When an attorney is focused on business development and is implementing consistently a strategic plan designed to reach clearly identified goals, magic happens.
 Often it’s magic that brings in new business, and for practices with longer sales cycles, it’s magic that first brings in connections and opportunities that eventually  lead to new business.  The magic that always exists in the presence of consistent activity, though, is momentum.

Momentum is defined by the Macmillian Dictionary as “progress or development that is becoming faster or stronger,” and Merriam Webster adds that momentum is “strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events.”  Momentum is a force that seems to take on a life of its own.  In business development, momentum occurs when opportunities begin to flow from one another, introductions materialize, and all of the work that you’ve done yields a noticeable uptick in rainmaker results.

I’ve identified several steps to create momentum in business development.

  1. Develop a plan that includes activity in several complimentary domains.  In other words, when you identify one activity to include in your plan, look for related activities that naturally build on that one.  For example, if you plan to write articles or a blog, look for ways to repurpose that content, perhaps by launching a newsletter (which is a good complement to a blog) or by speaking once or twice a year on themes that you’ve identified through your writing.
  2. As soon as you’ve decided to commit to an activity, put it on your calendar.  Momentum requires action, not just plans.  It’s easy to “decide” to have two lunches a week with good contacts and then to “decide” to start nextweek.  Or the week after.  Or the week after that…  You know, when things slow down long enough for you to catch your breath.If a commitment isn’t in your calendar, question whether it’s really a commitment.
  3. Take consistent, concentrated action. One push may be all it takes to roll a perfect boulder down a perfect hill, but business development doesn’t exist in a perfect world.  Committing to an activity requires committing to consistent engagement.  One lunch isn’t momentum.  Five lunches might start to create momentum.  Twelve lunches in a month may be enough to get some momentum going:  not only will you know that you’ll have lunch with strategically selected contacts three times a week, but you’ll be in the habit of mentally sorting your contacts to select the right lunch partners, identifying why you should meet, and planning what you’d like to realize from the lunch.  You’ll also likely get into the groove of offering and asking for assistance.Concentrated action is usually required to create momentum.  Taking action once a month is consistent, but unless the action is massive (such as hosting a seminar and then implementing a follow-up strategy that requires additional action) you’re unlikely to see momentum build.  In today’s world, our attention spans are shorter, and momentum both thrives on and creates attention.  Make business development your top priority for a set amount of time (the length of which will depend on your specific plan and practice) and that concentration may create the right content for momentum to blossom.
  4. Measure your results.  Tracking results quantifies outcomes (even when the only measurement is qualitative, as it often is especially in the beginning stages of business development) and helps to create momentum.  When you see that doing X leads to positive outcome Y, you’re more likely to repeat X.  Measurement also helps to avoid fruitless activity.
  5. Once a quarter, review your activity and results, looking specifically for synergy and complementary opportunities.  For example, if you’ve received several referrals from CPAs, perhaps you should consider how to spend more time with selected CPAs.  If you’ve sponsored a meeting, review the results of the sponsorship and your planned follow-up steps, then think about how you might build on that activity — for example, you might invite attendees to hear you speak on a topic of interest.

We all feel momentum when it happens:  the phone starts ringing, one great idea generates another (and both get implemented), and you discover that your network of contacts really is a network that you can access.  Calculated steps can create momentum, but you must also prepare yourself to recognize it and to analyze what specifically created it.  When you’ve identified that what, make sure you build more of that into your plans.

A caveat about momentum, though:  when it comes to business development, think of momentum as an accelerator, not as a continuous motion machine.  Remember that we commonly talk about losing momentum at least as often as we discuss gaining it.  Momentum leads to strong results, but it is not an independent force that will continue in perpetuity.

The key to creating momentum is also the key to keeping it going:  consistent action.

Do you have momentum in business development?  What would it take?  If you’re uncertain, a good place to start is by evaluating what activity has delivered the best results over the last six months and then asking yourself how you might create momentum around that activity.

Quotations of the Month: on focus, action, and priorities

This month’s quotations suggest how to get focused, follow priorities, and get things done…

Clarity affords focus.
~Thomas Leonard

 

Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.
~Attributed to Andrew Jackson, Napoleon Bonaparte, and others.

 

“The Principle of Priority states (a) you must know the difference between what is urgent and what is important, and (b) you must do what’s important first.”
~Steven Pressfield, The War of Art:  Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles

 

He, who every morning plans the transactions of the day, and follows that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through a labyrinth of the most busy life.
~Victor Hugo

 

First things first


I spent all of last weekend outlining and getting started on my next two books.
 They’re both about business development, of course, but one is designed to be an idea-generator and action-prompter, while the other is more of a teaching book.  I got outlines done for both and started working on the actual writing.  By Monday morning, I was really ready for a weekend.  (Oooops.)

The reason I started two books at once is because the subject matter is so intertwined that I needed to rough out the scope of each before starting to write.  And as I did that, I started thinking of related articles and blog posts I should write, seminars I should offer, and how to incorporate the information into a workshop that I’ll be introducing soon.  I ended up with my desk covered in notes, windows galore open on my computer, ideas exploding every few minutes, and way too many avenues to pursue.

At first, the energy was seductive:  I was excited and everything was flowing, so I kept working on multiple ideas at once…

But then, everything shifted.  I started feeling confused as to which idea belonged to which project, I lost sight of which project should take priority, and I couldn’t decide whether one idea was reinforcing another or simply repeating it.  UGH.

Have you ever felt like that when it comes to business development?  Especially when first diving into rainmaking activity, some lawyers get neck-deep in activity without a cohesive plan that defines objectives, priorities, and strategy.  And sometimes, even successful rainmakers can have so many ideas that it’s hard to know where to start…  And so all those lovely ideas go to waste or, worse yet, get partially implemented without the necessary support to reach the goal.

When I realized that I was falling victim to idea frenzy, I stepped away from the desk to clear my head.  When I came back, I cleared my desk and my screen, leaving only the text of one book and a gathering place for notes and ideas for other projects.  That allowed me to focus, and I was able to make a substantial dent in writing  Better yet, I see how each project fits into the overall picture, and I can assign priorities.

Do you ever get deep into business development activity and find yourself spinning?  That’s a symptom of an unclear (or nonexistent) plan or attempting to implement all parts of a plan at once, without regard for priorities.  But the fix is simple:  stop, consult (or create) the plan, and then move forward deliberately.  (Just don’t deliberate when action is needed.)