Getting Feedback from Your Best Clients

If you want to build a long term relationship with your clients, you need to elicit feedback. Conducting client interviews is one way to get this crucial insight. For more, here is my latest article in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

What's In a Name?

What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Clearly Shakespeare was not giving advice about marketing when he wrote those lines in Romeo and Juliet. What you call your business can have a great impact on how you are perceived by potential clients. Even if you are a great personal injury lawyer, calling yourself Business Lawyers of Boston is going to attract the wrong inquiries.

For many years, I have operated my business under the name Seckler Legal Consulting. While I realized long ago that "consulting" is an ambiguous term, I was trying to cast a broad net that would include both the coaching I do and the consulting I provide to law firms.

But as coaching lawyers on marketing and career issues has become my primary focus, my messaging needs to change. And so, Seckler Legal Coaching is born.

While I'm still the same professional who helps both individual lawyers as well as law firms, Seckler Legal Coaching better captures my primary focus. I still care about how law firms manage themselves in a changing business environment for legal services. I still consult with firms about how to attract, develop and retain talent and how to market more effectively. But "Coaching" best captures the essence of what I do.

If You Want to Build Business Relationships, Go for Small Gatherings

Every few years, I decide I'm going to attend the annual dinner of one of the charities I support. The event is touted as a great place for lawyers to meet each other but in truth, it's really a lousy way to meet new lawyers. I go because it provides me with a quick way to shake a lot of hands (i.e. I know a lot of people in the organization so I see people I already know).

In sharp contrast, I joined a tiny Squash and Tennis club in my hometown and on the first day I went to work out, I met more new people than I ever do at one of these gala events.

I have nothing against large events. And I think this charity is extremely effective and does good work (and I'll continue to support it.) But I don't think I'm coming back. It's just not worth the time and effort.

The reason is simple. Large crowded rooms filled with a lot of people you do not know are generally not a good environment for relationship building. If your objective in getting involved in non-profits is to make connections while doing good, aim for committees, projects or much smaller events where you will actually have the chance to connect with people you want to meet.

Creating a Memorable Blog to Market Your Law Practice

My next free webinar on November 18th.

Do You Send Thank You Notes to Your Referral Sources?

What about gifts? How would you feel if you kept referring work to another professional and never received a thank you?

I know what I would do (and what I have done!) I'd stop referring work to that individual.

Lawyers, Process Management and the Billable Hour's Demise

There is a good piece today in Law.com about how law firms are looking more seriously at process management in order to reign in legal costs. It's all tied into the backlash against the billable hour, a trend that has been growing since the start of the Great Recession. The author writes:

Project and process management -- in essence the antithesis of the billable-hour model -- is a concept being eyed by law firms as they try to ensure they can deliver the efficiency required to make good on their alternative fee arrangements.

I wrote about this in another blog that I was writing for a client (suggesting that lawyers only have to look at how contractors charge for their work in order to figure out how to do the same in the practice of law).

What this all means is that the days of running the clock are over for attorneys. Like contractors, lawyers need to figure out how to apply the "right" resources to get different parts of the job done. Tasking a first year associate with document review and charging the client $300 per hour will be a thing of the past within a few years. Once lawyers are working for a fixed fee, the right incentives will be there to become more efficient (or process oriented).

The career implications are obvious to me. If you haven't already started investigating ways to price legal work on a project basis, the time has come; and if you have never thought about how to break your work into pieces so that some aspects of the work can be done by cheaper vendors, then start doing this and you will find very receptive clients.

5 Marketing Rules for a Web 2.0 World

Free Webinar on October 21st from 1:00-1:45 p.m. EST.

Beyond Internet Marketing

Good marketing can certainly help to build a professional services practice; but good marketing can only succeed when it supports business development. Put another way, marketing is a one way conversation; but selling professional services requires a two way conversation.

For many lawyers, it is much easier to focus on marketing than on business development. Lawyers are accustomed to crafting written messages. But having a great website alone, is unlikely to build the practice that you want.

Webinars as a Marketing Tool

While it may be a little premature to endorse GoToWebinar (my first webinar using GoToWebinar is still 2 weeks away--i.e. Strategies for Commercializing Patent Assets in a Down Economy--a free webinar I am organizing and facilitating for my client IPEngine), my preliminary assessment is that this is a great tool for legal marketing.

With very minimal time input and very minimal expense, you can set up a relatively automated publicity and registration system for a webinar. The service allows you to record the webinar and even has automated e-mails that can be sent out to registrants who are unable to attend. You can conduct live polls during a presentation and the logistics for both audio and video participation are automatically generated and e-mailed to registrants--along with as many reminders as you care to send out.

I have yet to actually take the controls and navigate through several speakers, audience questions, etc. But unless something goes terribly wrong, I can say with great conviction that this is an excellent way for lawyers to "touch" their clients, client prospects and referral sources more frequently.

Hard Times Call for True Grit

There was an interesting article on success in the Boston Globe this past Sunday. The author discusses the role of grit in achievement (i.e. that grit is just as important as raw intelligence and innate ability.) In the article, he references Thomas Edison's thoughts on grit and points out that grit is more than simply "hard work".

Thomas Edison famously remarked - the researchers are quick to point out that grit isn’t simply about the willingness to work hard. Instead, it’s about setting a specific long-term goal and doing whatever it takes until the goal has been reached. It’s always much easier to give up, but people with grit can keep going.

Given the state of the economy, grit is a much needed skill for any lawyer trying to build a practice. In the best of times, business development takes time and faith (i.e. faith that your efforts will pay off over time even if you don't see short term results).

In good times, we can see success around us (even if we have not achieved it yet ourselves). In our current economic climate, our faith is sorely challenged because it is hard to see anyone succeeding.

But make no mistake about it, the climate will shift and attorneys who continue to keep their visibility high will be well positioned for business development success as we exit the Great Recession.

Using Outsourcing to Market Your practice

My latest post on The Middle Office.

Don't Be a Stranger

My wife and I have lived in the same house for 15 years. During that time, we have hired someone to paint on four separate occasions and each time we have been very happy with both the price and with the results. On an interpersonal level, we liked each painter and as best as I can recall, we really didn’t have any complaints.

Each painter we worked with was responsive, each did good work and each one was willing to redo sections if we had any concerns. While we did not always go with the lowest bid, we always felt that we got good value. In fact at the end of each job, my wife and I agreed that we would happily hire the same painter again; but of the four times we needed painting done, on only one occasion did we hire the last contractor.

So how did this happen? Why did we hire a different contractor each time?

The simple answer is that over time, we lost track of each painter. In two instances, the painter we wanted to reach was not even listed in the phone book and since we had not worked with (or heard from) either of these contractors in a long time, it was easier to ask our neighbors for referrals.

There are lessons here for any service provider (particularly providers like lawyers who deliver a service that clients may only need once every few years). The lesson is that it is important to remain visible to past and prospective clients and referral sources.

Painters can do this by sending out an annual reminder post card or by calling past clients to ask if they need anything done. Lawyers can do this by sending out client alerts and newsletters and by using social media like blogging, LindedIn and Twitter to report on developments in their field. Client seminars, involvement in non-profit or bar related activities and a host of other traditional marketing techniques provide numerous ways to accomplish this as well. (Click here for links to articles that will give you more ideas.) In short, there is no magic formula that works for everyone.

Doing a good job and delivering good value are prerequisites for getting more work. But they are not enough to insure that satisfied clients will call you the next time they have a need (or that referral sources will continue to refer work your way). Marketing to maintain your visibility is the missing link that would have served any of our painters well. It is the also the key for you to keep your law practice growing.

To put it another way, I will quote my late grandfather: "Don't be a stranger". If you disappear after doing a great job for a client, then the next time that client needs legal help, they may end up turning to a lawyer who has been more visible.

Time to Get Serious About Marketing

A marketing consultant says that in these times, lawyers should spend at least 3 hours a week on marketing activities. But what if you can't figure out how to spend those three hours most effectively? Hire a coach. That's what Jim Hassett suggests.

When hiring a coach, make sure you find someone who you feel you can work with. Do you want a drill sergeant? A cheerleader? A strategist? An individual who shares your values? For more on coaching click here.

Are You Fit for Solo Practice?

Here is a good list of ten qualities of an entrepreneur. The list has relevance if you are contemplating striking out on your own (or starting a new firm with partners). Item #4 is probably the hardest one to translate to the law (Do you have a unique service or product?) It's hard to come up with a new practice area that the marketplace needs.

"Unique" in this context may relate more to the clientele you serve or how you deliver your services. For example: find effective ways to bill clients that do not rely on traditional hourly billing; identify an emerging industry that has a common set of legal problems; create a firm that provides a multi-disciplinary approach to solving a set of business or individual problems (making sure to adhere to the ethical rules which bar non-lawyers from owning law firms).

The point is that you need to distinguish yourself from service providers that already exist.

Twitter, LinkedIn and the Tower of "Babble"

If you are confused about how to use social media to market your law practice, you are in good company. Although twitter is getting tremendous media attention at the moment (and in all likelihood, you've been receiving connect requests through LinkedIn for months), these are very new media.

No one really knows which Web 2.0 application will be around in 10 years. It's all too new.

I've been experimenting more in recent months with both LinkedIn and with Twitter and while I was feeling like I was missing something with both of these media, in truth, I've come to realize that even the "experts" have no concrete recommendations for the best way to incorporate these tools into your marketing arsenal.

The best advice I've gotten is that I should experiment with Twitter, LindedIn, Martindale Connect and Legalonramp. So far, I've done more with the first two than with the latter; but I remain open to trying these last two tools as well.

This same advice has come from a leading expert on the use of social media in the political realm, a consultant who has been working with large corporations to integrate social networks into their businesses and a legal tech guru who has been blogging since the inception of blogs.

So what's a confused lawyer to do? For starters, get involved in some on-line community and get accustomed to sharing ideas with other professionals using one of these media. Experiment and make time in your schedule to be a meaningful partipant.

One of my coaching clients once shared with me the advice of a partner about participating in bar associations and other industry groups: don't be an empty suit (i.e. don't just sign up but never show up). The same holds for social media: don't be an empty username. Your future will depend on it. But no one can really tell you how!

59% of Lawyers are On a Social Network

Here's another quick overview of how to get involved with some good tips to help you generate business.

Free Overview of Social Networking for Lawyers

Feel like you are missing the boat wrt Web 2.0? In some ways, we all do. But if you are just starting out and want to read a good overview of how these tools can help you in marketing your practice, take a look at Carolyn Elefant's free e-book on the topic.

Just Say No to RFP's

In these challenging times, should a law firm respond to every RFP? Not necessarily suggests an Altman Weil consultant. It can cost between $35,000 and $65,000 in partner time to put together a proposal. Furthermore, the chances of winning the work are not necessarily that great. So before taking the plunge, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this client a strategic target or just a one-shot opportunity?
• What are our chances of winning?
• Do we have a brand that is meaningful to this client that would give us an advantage?
• Do we have a personal relationship with anyone on the client side?
• If we got the work, why did we?
• If we didn’t, why not?

Becoming an Instant Expert

I just returned from the LegalTech show in New York where I was invited by Incisive Media to attend as a blogger. I have a lot to share about the show (not necessarily about technology), but that will have to wait a day or so as I catch up. In the meantime, here is me branding myself as an expert on Legal Process Outsourcing! And all I did was attend a couple of workshops on the subject. More to follow in the coming days.

Podcast on Traps to Avoid in Selling Professional Services

Nothing revolutionary, but here is a very good summary of how to stop pitching and how to start selling.

New Year's Gratitude List

Instead of creating a list of New Year's resolutions, how about creating a New Year's Gratitude List. The concept here is that resolutions are easy to break (most of us don't get past the first day of the year). If we instead focus on being grateful, our marketing success will follow. The rationale? Resolutions make us focus on the negative (what we don't like about ourselves). Happy people do better in sales. Finally, gratitude makes us worry less and focus more on meeting the potential needs of our clients.

These Are a Few of My (Least) Favorite Things

Business pitches on the golf course, surprise $35,000 bills for legal memos and lawyers who discuss cases with the company's executives without keeping in-house counsel in the loop are just a few of general counsel's least favorite things. Click here to read the rest of the article.

A Renewed Push for Fixed-Fee Billing Arrangements?

Alternative billing arrangements are hardly a new concept. In many ways, fixed-fee billing is actually a retro concept. Fifty years ago, lawyers were not slaves to the billable hour.

Fixed-fee arrangements have been trying to make a comeback for over a decade. At the same time, there have been many efforts to create new forms of billing that reward firms for success. I remember organizing a CLE program, Beyond the Billable Hour, in the mid 90's. But the current financial crisis seems to be creating a renewed push by corporate counsel to get law firms to move away from open ended hourly billing arrangements.

We are in a period of crisis in the legal profession. Deal flow is constricted and litigation has not picked up enough to offset the loss of deal related business. In the coming year, this means that clients will have more leverage. Law firms that are able to adapt to this new reality and offer creative billing arrangements will be the winners.

IMHO, everyone will be happier when firms start to move away from the billable hour. Law firms will be rewarded for efficiency and associates will feel less pressure to record 200 billable hours in a month. Until that happens, though, we are in for a rough ride. Maybe a new wave of financial regulation will help fill in the missing hours at some AmLaw 100/200 firms. Maybe the litigation boom will arrive as companies and individuals scramble to recoup their investment losses. Smart firms will be properly positioned to capture this work. But in order to survive during this recession, firms will need to carefully review their expenses and come up with creative ways to satisfy their cost conscious clients.

The Morning After for Campaign Junkies

One of the best ways to enhance your law practice is to find an interest that connects you with a lot of other people (particularly individuals who are potential clients and referral sources). But what if your passion was the Presidential campaign of 2008?

For the past two years, I have been pouring over polling data, reading political blogs, sharing political humor with friends and colleagues (at least the ones who share my political beliefs) and generally engaging in a lot of political discussions. But as the Wall Street Journal reports today (subscription required), political junkies like myself must now find other ways to feed our addictions.

For a while, there will be opportunities to speculate about the election and understand what were the key factors that lead to Barack Obama's historic victory. But there is now a void in my life that I will have to fill.

Would I have been better off if my passion was something timeless like playing golf or collecting wine? Only if those were truly my passions. And since I've never played anything but miniature golf and I only drink wine on Passover, I would have been making a critical mistake.

The best way to succeed in life is to pursue those things that truly interest you. So now, I'm looking for a new interest. If anyone has any suggestions on how I can now fill the countless hours that I spent on political websites, I am open to suggestions. In the meantime, I will revel in the news that for the first time in history, the United States elected an African American to the office of President of the United States. WOW!

The Opportunity Maker

There's a simple principal in saving for retirement: start early. If you begin making small and regular investments when you are in your 20's, you will be well off by the time you reach 65.

It turns out that the same principle can be applied to building a law practice. Get started when you are a law student and by the time you are a senior associate, you can begin to reap the rewards. That is the basic premise behind a new book published by Thomas/West, The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career.

The Opportunity Maker is an easy read and contains a lot of practical information. While a newcomer to the profession (and marketing) may find the book a little overwhelming (another point made in the book is that there are many different ways to build your reputation and referral network,) the author does make an effort to point out that just getting started is what counts (i.e. not to do everything mentioned in the book.)

This volume is best used as a cookbook that can help you to understand how to implement strategies that feel most comfortable to you. No one could possibly try every suggestion (nor does it make sense to try.) But if you want to make a good investment in your career by laying the groundwork for building a practice, The Opportunity Maker is a good place to start.

If You Feed Them, They Will Come

I was reminded yesterday that food is the universal marketing tool. If you want to gather a crowd, good food is the key. Are you thinking of planning an event for clients or prospective clients? Make sure the publicity clearly states that food and drinks will be served.

For the past two years, I have sublet space from a boutique law firm, Gesmer Updegrove. In a short time, I have come to appreciate that this firm really knows how to throw a good party. They also understand how to leverage a marketing event.

Take yesterday's Open House. The firm sent out invitations that were followed up by several e-mail reminders. They created a web page and gave out door prizes every hour (i-pods in this case.) Every attorney at the firm was given a list of which clients were planning to attend. There were name tags, of course, a slide show displaying the logos of their clients (the firm represents a lot of technology companies) and most importantly, a crowded lobby and conference room (note to self--make sure to choose a room you can fill if you want good energy at an event.) It was a low keyed affair but it seemed like people were having a good time (and the hors doeuvres were yummy!) All in all, pretty good bang for the marketing buck!

Dress for Success

A partner at Womble Carlyle believes that lawyers should dress like lawyers. Personally, I rarely find myself wearing a tie or sport coat. It has been over 10 years since I worked in a job where I was expected to put on a suit every day and frankly, I don't find them that comfortable; but I think this partner is on to something.

Maybe what matters is that you have a suit in your office so that you can dress "appropriately" when you are with clients. We all expect our doctors and dentists to wear lab coats or scrubs. Don't clients who are paying several hundred dollars an hour expect to see their clients dressed in the appropriate uniform?

Listening is More Powerful than Talking

A reader weighs in on my latest article on telling the truth in an interview. He suggests that the problem for many lawyers is that they are too concerned with their own technical qualifications when they are in an interview situation. He suggests that the key to success in any business interaction (job interview, meeting prospective clients or referral sources, etc.) is to use your listening skills:

I read your article and agree with it. My experience is more like yours so what you posit seems very common sense to me. However a lot of client service professionals, such as lawyers, accountants, and consultants, seem to fall into some of these traps.

They are so concerned about technical qualifications and problem solving and putting them out there that they neglect to think how others will receive them, i.e., not putting themselves in the position of their audience. Another way of discussing this is their failure to listen.

I see this in how they write their resumes and come across in conversation. They should communicate about the value they bring and the objectives they've accomplished in terms of who they are speaking to or to whom they are mailing their resume. Instead they do an information dump of sorts and hope something sticks. When interviewing people should align their accomplishments and skill to the objectives of the interviewer's organization. Amplify the strengths that fit, acknowledge your weaknesses and set them aside.

The quickest way to partnership is to bring in business, and to bring in business you need a network, and to have a network you have to get outside your protective bubble. Yet I observe deep seated resistance to this and I find it amazing--an overall lack of willingness to network or prospect and get "the big picture." I'm sure there are a myriad of reasons for their reluctance but I still don't get it especially since the vast majority of successful people maintain these skills.

What We Can All Learn From Mitt

It's official. One of the leading "flip floppers" is out of the presidential race. For a while, it seemed like charisma would propel Mitt Romney towards the Republican nomination (along with a personal fortune that he was willing to spend.) But I'm happy to report that money alone still doesn't buy you the presidency.

There are a variety of reasons why Super Tuesday was a super flop for the Romney campaign. But one thing seems clear: voters saw right through him. They knew he wasn't genuine. The conservative positions he staked out were not part of a long standing commitment to conservative principals. Rather, they were a concerted effort to pander to the conservative electorate.

Ironically, if he had stuck with the positions he held while serving as Governor of Massachusetts, he might still be in the race. So the take home lesson is: be genuine.

For example, if you are trying to market yourself and your legal practice, don't try to be anything that you are not. If you hate golf, wine tasting, large public charity functions or even sporting events, don't spend time doing these things simply because they may generate business. You won't enjoy yourself and people will see right through you.

In Uncertain Times, Think Like Mac

I'm a political junkie. While I confess I am growing tired of the current presidential race (can't someone figure out how to move us out of the perpetual election campaign that now begins the day after the president is inaugurated), I find a lot of good life lessons by watching politicians.

Take John McCain, for example. Six months ago, this guy was political dead meat. This past Saturday, he moved a step closer to the Republican nomination by winning in South Carolina, a state which has chosen the Republican candidate in every race since 1980.

It certainly helps him that the facts on the ground in Iraq look a little better than they did before the "surge". But what strikes me most about a politician like Mac is that even in the face of utter adversity, he is unwilling to give up. (Maybe every challenge in his life pales in comparison to the challenges of surviving as a P.O.W. in Viet Nam.)

It takes a lot of narcissism to believe that you are competent to be the leader of the free world. I'm sure that McCain is no different in this regard from any of the other candidates. But McCain also demonstrates a tremendous determination to go on.

My takeaway is that persistence will get you far in life. Despite all the odds, McCain believes he can win and he continues to act like it.

This kind of thinking is far removed from the ordinary mindset of a typical lawyer. Lawyers predict problems. Lawyers counsel client on risks and how to avoid risks.

If you want to build a law practice, however, you need to think like a politician. You need to meet a lot of potential clients and referral sources even though the odds are small that they will have a present need for your services. Over time, it is this determination that will get you the work that you want and deserve.

Sure the news in the papers is bleak. Yes it does seem like we are headed for a recession. But in the long run, your clients will need legal services, in good times and in bad. So stop wallowing in the bad news. Go out for lunch. Send a few e-mail messages. Think like Mac. Just do me a favor and don't vote for him! I'm ready for a Democrat.

Just Pick Up the Phone

There are many paths to building your own practice. Some lawyers like public speaking or professional writing. Some like to get involved in bar association activities or become active in trade associations. Others enjoy leisure activities that put them in frequent contact with potential clients and referral sources (e.g. golf, spectator sports, wine tasting, etc.)

But when you get right down to it, these activities mainly fall into the category of marketing. And marketing alone is unlikely to generate legal work (at least in the short run.) I was reminded of this by an article I read yesterday about cold calling.

As an individual who does a lot of marketing, I am taking this to heart as we enter the New Year. Maybe a lot of lawyers realize that I am in the search business because of all the writing I do. Maybe a lot of potential candidates have seen my blog, read my column in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly or received one of my broadcast e-mail messages. These activities have helped to build my visibility and presumably, my reputation. But they are no substitute for calling firms to find out who is hiring. If I rely on marketing alone to find candidates, I will not have a big enough pool of talent to serve my clients.

So who have you called lately? Do you check in with your clients to find out how they are doing? Do you call old law school classmates to learn what they are up to? Do you schedule breakfasts and lunches with your referral sources?

Cold calling is probably an ineffective strategy for most lawyers (though as law firm marketing becomes more sophisticated, I imagine that a greater number of firms will employ business development specialists to generate leads.) But nurturing new and existing relationships is absolutely a good strategy and one that anyone should be able to follow.

Now if I could only stop procrastinating and get on the phone! Maybe 2008 will be the best year ever!

A Radio Interview With Yours Truly

Well, I'm back. In case you were wondering why this blog has been inactive since mid-December, I have been busy following my own advice (i.e. taking a 2 week vacation and NOT checking in.) Although I am severely jet lagged today, and somewhat depressed to leave behind a tropical paradise in exchange for the crappy weather that comes in January in Boston, I can honestly say that I am completely converted! Two weeks away in the sun in a different time zone is a very healthy way to end the year. Disconnecting is a great way to get rid of headaches and improve your digestive system!

I have a lot more to say on this subject, but I also have a lot of catching up to do. So I will simply end this post with a link to an interview I did just before I left. The interview is with Cole Silver of FindCareerSuccess.Com . Cole is a lawyer who consults with attorneys and other professionals on career and marketing issues. He has worked both in a law firm environment and as a general counsel. The interview provides an overview of ways that lawyers can get more out of their law firm experience.

Tell the World About Your Successes

Like many lawyers, I grew up in a family where it was considered bad form to brag. I remember hearing my father (a math professor) speak disparagingly about businessmen and politicians. In his words, they were "operators". He valued achievement and in particular, academic achievement. Success that derived from fast talking was "cheating".

And so at an early age, I learned to temper my own bragging. Bragging was saved for indisputable accomplishment (a perfect score on an exam, first place in a competition, etc.)

As an adult, I've become much better at tooting my own horn. I've come to realize that there is nothing wrong with telling the world about your successes as long as you have earned them. In fact telling your clients, superiors, friends and family about what you have achieved is important on many levels. For starters, there are many far less deserving individuals who are only too happy to take credit. In addition, clients like to hear about your success because it reinforces the notion that they were right to hire you in the first place. Finally, the reactions you get can help reinforce your success to create more success.

When I found out that this blog had been selected for the ABA Journal Blawg 100, my initial reaction was: wow, that's great. But did I really deserve to be selected? Then I realized that this was news that I needed to share. So I started telling friends and colleagues. As the congratulations poured in, I realized that I should get the word out more broadly. So I began to e-mail more of my professional contacts. I sent notices to my alumni journals and contacted several journalists. I realized that this news was too good to keep to myself.

Successes are a great excuse to communicate with your professional contacts (or your superiors.) Don't be bashful about letting everyone know what you have accomplished and do not assume that they have already heard. People like to hear good news and sharing good news is a sure way to have your ego stroked. Did you get a good result for a client in or out of the courtroom? Let your colleagues at the firm know. Were you appointed to a high profile committee in or out of your firm? Contact your college and law school alumni publications. It may be bragging, but if you have done the work, you may as well get the credit and there are many times in life where we get no credit for our good work and deeds.

Holiday Parties and Relationship Building

December is a good month to focus on business relationships. There are many opportunities to attend parties and socialize. During this time of year, there are more chances to meet potential clients and find out their legal needs. And if you are a good listener and ask good questions, you will land your next client, right? Wrong!

Good business development does require good listening skills. Click here for a recent post on the subject. But don't go to the local Chamber of Commerce holiday party so that you can "listen" to the people you meet and then try to sell them your legal services. Business development requires that you listen for listening sake. A prerequisite to asking for business is to demonstrate that you are a trustworthy individual who is truly interested in the other person.

A contributing editor of Rain Today puts it nicely here:

Really successful salespeople are always establishing and deepening relationships with people. Doing so earns them the right to engage in a different form of conversation, around a buyer's needs and around selling.

If you think the "purpose" of building a relationship is to lead you along a process of selling the client, then you are likely to ask questions in order to get answers. Your idea of "listening" will be in service to driving the process model forward.

And your prospect will get the same idea: "He's listening to me in order to find an opening to best present whatever he's selling. I'll go along as long as it suits me, but I'm on my guard."

What's Your Elevator Pitch?

Can you tell someone what you do in the time it takes to ride 10 floors in an elevator? If you can, then you've got what is sometimes referred to as "an elevator pitch". No one wins legal business by simply delivering an elevator pitch to a stranger. But the elevator pitch is a useful tool in your marketing arsenal. It is something that you probably should draw upon when you meet someone new.

What is more important, however (and something that is lost on many lawyers) is that good listening skills are much more critical if you want to sell professional services. Being a good listener opens up a relationship. Listening helps you understand why and how an individual might need your services. Most importantly, being a good listener shows that you are truly interested in the other person; and that is what will build the relationship and ultimately make the person want to do business with you.

This is not a new concept. Dale Carnegie noted the importance of listening almost a hundred years ago in the first edition of How to Win Friends and Influence People. But there are always new ways to say this and Alan Weiss, Ph.D., a contributing editor to Rain Today, has done it nicely here.

In-house Counsel Want More

In-house counsel are using fewer law firms and investing more time in managing their relationships with outside counsel. In addition, more than half of in-house counsel have terminated at least one relationship with outside counsel in the past year. These are some of the findings of a recent survey conducted by the Association of Corporate Counsel.

This study tells me that opportunities abound for lawyers looking to pick up corporate work. There are a lot of lawyers out there who still don't get "customer service". In-house counsel are paying far too much to outside lawyers to put up with poor service. So go forth and market! Meet GC's. Listen. Follow through on your promises. You may not be a better lawyer, but over time, you will win the business that is being squandered by lawyers with poor interpersonal skills.

Ten Things I Hate About You

Looking for resources on marketing your law practice? Here is a nice book of articles that just came to my in-box. On a quick read, it looks like a good primer on how to build positive relationships which can lead to referral business. It is also a good reminder that publishing is an excellent way to let others know about your expertise. Give away content for free and know that in the long run, it will help generate billable work.

Good Networking is Relational, Not Transactional

A lot has been written on the subject of networking. I've written a few articles myself (e.g. here, here , here and here.) But someone can always come up with a new angle and most of us can use the help. So here is another good piece on the subject. This author points out that many lawyers view networking as a transactional activity (i.e. you meet once and it is over and done with.) But effective networking is really the opposite. Good networking takes place over time and has no end point. There is no closing.

And while I am on the subject, I continue to get invitations to join people in their LinkedIn network. I must confess that I have yet to make use of my 24 LinkedIn contacts, though I keep accepting the invitations. But Linked In is a tool that can help us find introductions to potential clients and employers and it is on my "to do" list to spend more time on the site. I was prompted to think more critically about this by reading this article. It seems to contain some excellent recommendations about how to get the most from LinkedIn. And make sure you understand the etiquette of this medium!

Paying Attention to Relationships Will Pay Big Dividends

If you have a lot of work on your plate, it is easy to become a slave to the billable hour. If you are at a large firm, that's probably what you are being told to do. But increasingly, success in the legal profession means having the ability to generate work and the best place to look for work in the future is by keeping up the relationship with existing clients today.

Of course you have to be sensitive to politics. If the client sends work to the firm because of a strong relationship with a partner, be careful about working too hard at cultivating the relationship. On the other hand, if you have become the primary client contact, there is nothing wrong with showing the client some appreciation through meals, sporting events or whatever seems appropriate. Even if the partner will "own" the relationship forever, if you do a good job for the client, you may be able to generate referrals.

For a good article on the subject, click here and wherever you see the word "consultant", insert the word "lawyer".

How Women Suceed (or Fail) at Business Development

Until recently, not much research had been done on the barriers that women face in trying to develop a law practice. Dr. Harry Keshet of Keshet Consulting and former director of the LSSO Women Attorney Business Development Study (LSSO), has now done some interesting work on the subject. Dr. Keshet, an organizational psychologist with over 2 decades of experience in coaching attorneys , has put together a discussion of a research project he ran last year and he has given me permission to put the material on-line here. The paper outlines the strengths that women bring to business development and the obstacles that get in the way. He identifies the unique factors which are strong indicators for business development success for women. He also suggests a number of ways that firms can better support women in their business development efforts.

Learning to Make Rain

Job security is largely gone in the legal profession. Building a practice is the only way to ensure your longterm marketability. While many lawyers still build very successful careers as service partners, it is the the partners with portable business who hold most of the playing cards.

The challenge for most associates, however, is that no one teaches them how to begin originating work. In fact, at most large firms, partners tell associates to focus on client work. Few associates are being encouraged to market themselves and most are given incentives to bill long hours. Associates are generally not compensated for activities that are designed to build the associate's reputation or business connections.

In the short run, you may build your political capital at a firm by being a great service provider. But it you want to rise to the top, start learning how to generate business. The National Law Journal has a good article to help get you started. And by the way, it is never too soon to start.

Do not expect instant success. In fact it may take five to ten years before you begin to see marketing results. But once you develop a marketing mindset, you can begin to lay a foundation for the business development success that will provide you with much more job security in the future.

"Danger, Will Robinson!"--Baby Boomers About To Retire En Masse

I mentioned in an earlier blog the huge opportunities and challenges facing law firms with the impending baby boomer exodus from the leadership ranks. I thought I would expand on that theme here.

That's right, you heard me--the long-standing complaint among senior associates and junior partners that they have no role in leading firms is going to radically change in the next few years. Take a look at the bios of the leaders in firms--that grey should be telling you something. That, coupled with several years of very healthy profits for equity partners (meaning less incentive to hang on and keep billing), and moreover combined with the heightened expectations of us all for long and fulfilling retirements, will all work together to create a single and compelling phenomenon: an impending tsunami of retirements that is going to rock the leadership of firms great and small. Click here if you don't believe me.

As the referenced article advises, most law firms are blissfully unaware of the potentially crippling effect of management ranks being felled through retirement. Those that can begin to plan ahead and really take stock of their intellectual capital (meaning of course their junior and mid-level partnership ranks) and begin to groom them for real leadership, will weather the storm. Those that won't will be scrambling to import high-ranking talent from other firms to bridge the gap.

The looming crisis could even be bad enough to force many more firms to adopt corporate-style leadership with true CEOs and all the rest (possibly even, gasp, non-attorney management!). It will be something to watch, believe me. It will also be a feeding frenzy in the recruiting world.

Mark my words, firms stuck in old-style, top-down management styles that don't account for the development and grooming of their talent are going to be in for a shock. Further, all these factors combined with the tendency even of current leadership to think only of their own careers with no regard for the future of firms, is going to mean huge opportunities for some--and yet further rounds of mergers. Also, even those firms that have been doing a good job at bringing up good talent are going to find even greater pressures in terms of retention--good leaders are GOING to be even more aggressively recruited.

The smart money is going to be on firms that combine solid retention strategies with agressive recruiting practices and close collaberation with professional headhunters.

Bright young partners be on notice: You may be far closer in line for the 'throne' than you think!

You heard it here first, folks!

Pete Smith, Esq.

BCG Attorney Search

Business Planning for Mobile Partners

Law is a business. You may have gone to law school to become a professional; but as you get more senior, your marketability will not be determined by your legal skills. Instead, your ability to make a lateral move is likely to be determined by your "portables". While you can demonstrate the value you bring by providing the new firm with several years of information about your originations, a better practice is to come up with a business plan which shows how you would leverage the new platform to generate work.

My colleague, Jamie Bailey, from BCG's Chicago office, has come up with a great outline to help partners put together an effective business plan. It is a great starting point for anyone contemplating a lateral move. And if you are not at that point yet (i.e. if you are still trying to evaluate your experience, I have created a career audit for partners. Send me and e-mail and I'll be happy to share. It is not an on-line tool like my associate career audit, but eventually, it will be available on-line.

Guest Blogging is In

If you are thinking about blogging and want to try it out for a while (without the commitment), consider becoming a guest blogger on someone else's blog. I invited several of my BCG colleagues to become guests and their posts have added a new dimension to this blog. For them, it is a chance to write about career issues while not having the same level of commitment that an active blog can require.

Guest blogging is also a way to get visibility for your own blog and today, I became a guest blogger on JDBliss Blog. I will be blogging there mainly on the subject of alternative legal careers, though my first post is about my career audit tool.

I have also posted on Penelope Trunk's blog, The Brazen Careerist. A few days ago, she wrote a very nice post about me and I saw a nice increase in traffic on CounseltoCounsel.

LinkedIn Etiquette

Have you ever been invited to join someone's LinkedIn network? I have been getting requests with increasing frequency and I'm not really sure how to respond. But Penelope Trunk at Brazen Careerist has some sound advice (which I plan to follow.)

Keep in Touch

In marketing professional services, it is critical to find ways to remind past clients that you are still thinking about them. It is too easy for a client to come in contact with another service provider when a need arises.

Many lawyers are cautious about becoming too much of a "pest". But clients rarely feel that way. Instead, here are some good guidelines for keeping in touch.

Associates can do this too. Of course, it is important not to step on the toes of the partner relationship. But if you find that you have connected in some way with a client (during a deal or a piece of litigation), don't hesitate to call every so often to say "hi" and ask how things have turned out.

Build Your Reputation

In my latest article on law crossing, I talk about the importance of getting known. In marketing, they call this "positioning". In the law, it is about demonstrating that you have expertise in a type of litigation, a type of transaction or in working with a particular industry.

The Pursuit of Happyness

I watched The Pursuit of Happyness with my kids this weekend. It's a rags to riches feel good movie that was "inspired by a true story". It follows the life of a black father (played wonderfully by Will Smith) as he tries to make a good life for his son (played by Will Smith's son in real life.)

If you have ever tried to generate business as a lawyer, you should see this movie. The shear determination of the main character is truly inspiring (he manages to finish an internship program with Dean Whitter even though he and his son become homeless along the way.)

What comes through in this story is that attitude and determination are critical to success. Of course most of us will not face the odds faced by Will Smith's character. So watch the movie and then go forth and network--and make sure to keep a smile on your face even in the face of failure.

Talk to the Press

I have long believed that almost any publicity is good publicity. It is hard to get noticed in the crowded marketplace as a professional. Having others mention your name is therefore generally beneficial (unless it is in connection with a scandal or a criminal act.) Obviously, you want to be extra careful to "get it right" if you are speaking on behalf of a client; but short of that, even a mangled quote is helpful in building your visibility. Most people will only remember that they saw your name somewhere, not that you said something which was patently stupid.

This is hard for most lawyers to grasp. We are wordsmiths and take pride in sounding articulate in print. But let go of it! The name of the game is visibility!

Similarly, do not take for granted that the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times are the only publications that matter. I spoke to a reporter a few months ago who was doing a story for Amtrak's magazine, Arrive. I didn't think the publication had much readership; but I'm always happy to try and be helpful to reporters. The article, which appears in the March/April issue, is on the subject of law firm partnership. As it turns out, the publication has almost 2 million readers (who would have known?)

So the moral of the story is try and be helpful to the press; don't get overly concerned that you are being quoted properly (although in this case, I thought the author made me sound better than I ordinarily would); and speak to everyone. You never know where it might lead.

Don't forget your Rolodex

Increasing your circle of contacts can make a big impact in increasing clients, widening job opportunities, and raising your local profile. Always, always have your business cards on hand and offer them to the business contacts you meet.

When you do meet new contacts, take their business cards and jot a quick note to the person the next day without fail. Personalize the note, and then stay in contact with that person. Countless times, I have seen a great networker get the job or obtain a new client over others who might be more qualified. They weren't always the best attorneys, but they knew the most people.

The Career Journal has some excellent tips for networking.

It's Never too Early to Start Marketing

David Maister continues to amaze me with the quality of materials he puts out for free. If I were running a large law firm and had a budget to hire a management consultant, he would be first on my list. He is prolific, generous and right on point.

His latest podcast is a good starting point for any associate who wonders how to get started with marketing. If you work in a large law firm, and you are a junior associate, you are probably getting the message that you should focus on delivering high quality legal services. That is what the firm expects from you and that is how you will advance your career.

The problem with this message is that it is only partly true. As you get more senior, the firm will begin to look at your future potential for generating work.

David eloquently (and succinctly) makes the point that if you focus now on relationship building (he calls it friendship skills in his podcast), you job of generating work for your firm will be much easier down the road. It's a good overview for any associate who is concerned about his or her long term security in the practice of law.

7 Habits for Rainmaking Success

Marketing and business development is an important career issue for attorneys. While not everyone is destined to generate millions of dollars in originations, I truly believe that most lawyers have some ability to bring work to their firm. I also know that at most law firms, it is the lawyers with their own clients who have the most influence.

Becoming a great lawyer is a good place to start. Being a great lawyer won't necessarily turn you into a rainmaker. But delivering great customer service to your clients is a great first step in the road to generating repeat legal work. Sara Holtz offers the following suggestions: it helps to have a plan, make business development a priority, do a lot of listening and follow up consistently.

E-mail Etiquette: Ignore at Your Peril

Career Journal recommends a degree of formality when communicating with recruiters (it's kind of like dressing up for an interview at a firm that dresses in business casual.) Last week, my colleague in New York, Carey Bertolet, spoke more generally on the subject of electronic communication and in her words, "brilliance is fleeting; stupidity lasts forever!"

In other words it is a big mistake to treat e-mail as an informal mode of communication. Doing so means that you risk putting in writing something you will later regret (either because it is misinterpreted or because your opinion on a subject later changed--litigators are increasingly mining e-mail messages to find inconsistencies and impeach credibility.)

Here is a link to an article I wrote on career opportunities and pitfalls associated with the use of e-mail.

More on "Doing What You Love"

RainToday.Com has an article today on how in a service business, passion boost profits. In a nutshell, the author asserts that having employees who are passionate about their work is critical for a service business. Without it, customers are not going to get good service and they will choose another provider.

I read this as further evidence of the importance of "doing what you love". In a prior post, I recommended David Maister's podcast on career planning. In this podcast, Maister talks eloquently about why doing what you love is critical to your career success (personally, I believe that it is sufficient to "enjoy" what you do--i.e. you can build a very successful career without being passionate.)

Simply put, if you enjoy providing great legal services to your clients, your enthusiasm will translate into great client service. This in turn will have a direct impact on your future business generation success.

If you do not enjoy what you are doing (either because you are in the "wrong" work environment or because you are in the wrong profession,) client service will suffer and ultimately, you will be less successful in generating business. Ultimately, you will have less career success.

Serving Not Selling

Traditional sales techniques are largely ineffective when selling professional services. Instead of talking about your services, demonstrate your ability to serve through your actions. You will feel better about the sales process and more importantly, you will be more successful.

Careful Who You Refer

In general, referring a strong candidate to your firm can elevate your standing at the firm. But be careful in making referrals. A poor candidate can reflect badly on your own reputation. If you know a law school classmate well, go for it. But if you know nothing about someone's work style, experience, etc., then think twice before putting your own career in jeopardy.

How to Lose Clients

Here are 10 great ways to lose business! Sometimes mistakes are the best teachers!

The Importance of Small Talk

Small talk is an important career skill. While small talk may seem trite or unimportant, it is actually critical in helping us to build rapport. If you are unwilling to make small talk with another individual, you are actually communicating that the other person is not important to you. Here are some good tips for making small talk.

The Best Referrals Come Unsolicited

If a lawyer or other professional service provider asks for referrals, he or she runs the risk of making a client feel uncomfortable. Better to deliver great service and then respond when a client asks how they can be of help to you.

Surefire Ways to Fail at Business Development

Coach Ellen Ostrow offers some ways to ensure that you will be unsuccessful at business development (inter alia: chose a specialty that does not interest you, start networking only when pressured to do so, focus only on getting the business when meeting with prospects.)

Should You Have an Elevator Speech?

Maybe. But it is much more important to engage prospects by finding out about what they do and what their needs might be. No one likes to listen to a monologue and pithy "hooks" can backfire.

Maister on Rejecting Work

David Maister reminds us of the importance of staying focused in the work we accept (and even turning away work that does not fit with our business strategy.)

Great Tips for On-Line Marketing

Larry Bodine offers some great tips for getting the most from your on-line marketing including: update your content frequently, start a blog of your own, organize your website around your client's interests (i.e. rather than around your firm's practice areas.)