July 21st, 2010 -
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The most basic rule of business development is something lawyers often forget. It’s this: tragic as it may seem, clients don’t care about what you do. Instead, they stubbornly persist in caring about their own problems and needs. (Very strange (not!), but true . . . )
So, don’t spend your time with clients boosting your credentials and expertise, or trying to demonstrate however brilliant you might be. Instead, focus on what’s important to them. Discover their issues. Ask questions. Be interested. Find areas of mutual interest. Make that connection. Seek information. And find out what they need.
In essence, listen (rather than talk). We all want to be listened to, and our clients are no different.
Tags: asking questions, business development, listening
Posted in Client relationships, Marketing | No Comments
July 13th, 2010 -
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I’ve met many lawyers who chose their profession for its intellectual challenge—or (still more frankly) because they “wanted to avoid anything to do with sales”! But, in the latter case, the joke’s on them because as lawyers we must sell ourselves—and our services. Unfortunately (at least for these lawyers) we’re still in the sales business.
Fortunately, selling is something that can be learned. It’s no different from learning to play a musical instrument. First you learn the basics, just enough to play a note or two, and from there you learn how to put those notes together, and eventually play a song. At first that song seems pretty difficult, because you have to think about every note… but eventually it becomes natural, and you enjoy playing it. As time goes on, you learn more techniques and expand your repertoire and play more songs—or even sonatas.
The key to getting to that point is practice. Just like learning an instrument, if you commit to learning sales, and achieve what you learn with practice, you will succeed—and even come to enjoy it.
The knowledge is out there, so reach out and discover the relevant notes—and then practice!
Tags: learning to sell, practice
Posted in Advice and tips, Marketing, Networking | No Comments
June 29th, 2010 -
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Frankly, don’t you often find it easier just to do something yourself rather than delegating—especially if you have to spend time teaching the other person how to do it?
The old proverb about teaching someone to fish may be true, but sometimes it’s actually the harder option. All the same, in the long run, it might still be the best choice: because it not only makes you more efficient, but also helps you to build relationships.
Think back to your favorite teachers/mentors. What made them great? What still causes them to stand out in your mind?
Among other things, you probably regarded them as experts. One of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise is to teach it to someone. When people teach us something, we tend to hold them in high regard and value them as a person (even if their personality might not be so admirable, oddly enough!)
The same will be true of you, if you share your expertise.
If you show others how to fish, you don’t just feed them (and yourself) for a lifetime—you also create a relationship in which they remember you as their expert—and you never know where that might lead. Just think if one person you teach one day moves into a position to hand out legal work—remembering you as a generous-minded expert!
Tags: delegate, expertise, relationships, teach
Posted in Advice and tips | No Comments
June 22nd, 2010 -
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In better markets, many lawyers secured their jobs on the basis of strong academic qualifications rather than, necessarily, their interviewing skills. In the current market, interviewing skills can (in fact, will) make all the difference. Since many talented professionals are now in the market for jobs they would otherwise not have pursued, the competition is still tougher, and you can’t assume that you’ll be chosen on the basis of your credentials or intelligence alone. Instead, you need to show why you are genuinely interested in the position, how your skills and experience would add value to the firm, and what assets you bring above and beyond the competition. In essence, you need to work on your interview skills.
Secondly, don’t just scuttle behind your computer, applying for opportunities on-line. This strategy almost never works – least of all because many of those positions don’t even exist. Most jobs – statistics cite over 80% – are awarded through networking. So, my second piece of advice is to get out there, make connections, and build a network.
You never know where a referral, helpful suggestion, or even an interview might come from . . . often from a very unlikely place!
Tags: interview skills, job market, Networking
Posted in Advice and tips | No Comments
June 15th, 2010 -
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I was giving a seminar to a group of IT lawyers within a prominent firm when—as a former IT lawyer myself—I began discussing some business development strategies allowing such lawyers to involve themselves more, both within the industry and within their own client base. Shockingly, it became clear to me that most of these lawyers were very adept at the “law” but quite clueless about IT and the business of technology. I couldn’t help comparing their attitude to mine, when I was in their position.
Back then I was absorbed in the technology industry (OK, I admit I’m not anymore!) I attended their conferences, read their journals, and was up to date on the latest news.
It should be abundantly clear that your clients expect you to understand their company and their industry. The inference is just as obvious: Read what your clients read, go to their meetings, visit their offices, and learn to see their problems before they do. This will give you the edge over your competitors, and add the sought-after unique value.
The best way to provide unique value to your clients is to give them notice of how they can avoid legal problems (ideally, before they even KNOW there is a problem) or, EVEN BETTER, create opportunities for them.
You can’t do that by only knowing the relevant law—no matter how brilliant you might be!
Tags: understanding clients' business
Posted in Client relationships, Networking | No Comments
Author Jennifer Overhaus is a former partner and global practice head in a top American law firm. She speaks from her experiences of working on both sides of the Atlantic (the US and London) in various types of law firms, including top global and UK magic circle firms.