In Black & White

In Black & White

Common Sense Strategies for Growing Your Legal Practice

Legal Business Development: Are You Mad At Me?

Posted on by Paula Black

Are you mad at me? That’s a pretty eye-opening question to be asked, especially if in your opinion there is no basis to think such a thing. That is exactly what happened to Adam Bryant, a contributor to LinkedIn and writer of the column Corner Office for The New York Times.

A colleague I had worked with over the years came up to me in the hallway and asked if we could talk in a conference room. Sure, I said, wondering what was up. We sat down, and the question came out of the blue: “Are you mad at me?” Of course not, I responded immediately, since I had to no reason to be.

I was puzzled, but I realized later what was going on. As an editor, I faced a lot of tight deadlines, and I would often have just a short window to get a story into shape for the next day’s paper. I’m guessing I was thinking hard about some story as I walked through the newsroom one day — probably furrowing my brow, my mind a million miles away — when I briefly locked eyes with my colleague, who was startled enough by my body language to later pull me into a conference room to wonder if the air needed to be cleared between us.

That colleague did me a huge favor, because I learned a memorable lesson that day about how people can read so much into subtle, and often unintended, cues. From that moment on, I found myself making much more of an effort to be aware of my body language, particularly with the team of reporters I was leading, and to always show energy, confidence and optimism, even if I was on a tight deadline and wrestling with a difficult problem.

Many of us have similar stories. People can’t read our minds, but they do try to read our body language. Sometimes they’re right and sometimes they’re wrong. When they’re wrong is it because we have given the wrong message?  It is very important to identify situations in which you may be giving unintended cues. Bryant has an example of how to avoid this type of miscommunication.

Many CEOs have told me similar stories about moments when they realized how much they were, in effect, constantly under the bright lights of a stage, intensely scrutinized by employees who often pay more attention to the non-verbal cues than what their leaders are saying. Do they look concerned? Is something up?

It’s a challenge that every leader faces. Here’s a smart tip that Jeffrey Swartz, the former CEO of Timberland, told me he learned from his father:

“I remember him saying, ‘Pick a face. If you want to be serious, then you have to be serious all the time. Because if you’re serious one day and happy the next, people will be confused. They won’t be able to figure out where you’re coming from and that’ll be threatening.’”

Pick a face. Ever since that colleague asked me the surprising question about whether I was angry, I’ve tried to pick a face – no more furrowed brows – and be consistent. If leaders are consistent, then their employees can spend more time focusing on their work, and less time searching for clues in the boss’s body language.

I believe the real question here is this. What face do YOU want to be known for? Friendly, approachable, and happy or distant, unapproachable and angry? Ask yourself… What’s really in my heart? If it is, friendly, approachable, and happy, then show it. It’s as simple as that. It’s your choice. The more you show it the more you feel it. It builds on itself, and it makes a real difference to the people around you. 

Posted in Branding and Positioning, Building Relationships, Inspired Thought

Legal Business Development: Delight Your Clients!

Posted on by Paula Black

Everyone has had an experience with someone who has given service that delights you. Someone who went beyond the call-of-duty. AND it is an experience that you remember, and often talk about over and over again. So I ask you… are you delighting your clients or are you simply going through the motions? Merrilyn Astin Tarlton has Five Big Surprises, at Attorney at Work blog. They are a must if you want to delight your clients… and have them recommend you to their colleagues.

1. Go calling. You may think you know what your client’s day-to-day life is like. After all, this isn’t your first time at the lawyer-client rodeo, right? But all it takes is one spontaneous drop-in visit to realize that your cloistered law office is like Alpha Centaurus when compared to the world your clients inhabit every day. First, you’ll find it invaluable to your ability to help solve their legal problems once you really understand what their enterprise looks, feels and sounds like. Second, who ever heard of a lawyer who makes house calls? Imagine their surprise! And delight. (Oh yeah, don’t bill for your time.)

2. Pay a genuine compliment. I’m not talking about the false, exaggerated or gratuitous kind of compliment. Make it genuine. Clients grow so accustomed to lawyers finding fault with everything (that is, after all, what they pay you to do) that when you do offer praise, it feels particularly remarkable. “You seem to have a surprising grasp of the legal principles at work here” can send a young businesswoman out of your office several inches taller. “You always know the best restaurants for lunch” may seem meager praise, but it immediately grants respect and acknowledges familiarity. Who doesn’t like that?

3. See the big picture. Yes, the client came to you with another crappy little wrongful termination suit. It didn’t take much to handle because you’ve done it for him dozens of times. This time, talk to him about how to prevent it from happening again. Develop policy. Suggest supervisor training. (Heck, offer to teach the supervisors yourself.) Show your client that you feel it’s your job to help him succeed, not to just clean up messes.

4. Under-promise and over-deliver. When somebody asks exactly when you plan to show up, do you do that thing where you don’t want the person to get irritated so you say, “I’m leaving in five minutes”? Even though you know it’s going to take at least 30 minutes to finish the document … and that you have to send off a bunch of emails before you can leave? What happens? You not only arrive an hour later than you promised, but you prove yourself an unreliable witness. This is a really easy and well-intentioned way to destroy someone’s trust in you. Why not do it in reverse? Promise you’ll have the documents ready by Friday, but call Wednesday to schedule time Thursday morning for the client to come in and sign. Surprise!

5. Say thank you often. That client doesn’t have to choose you. There are plenty of other lawyers out there. So don’t get confused about who is doing who a favor. Say thank you when she returns your call promptly. Say thank you when you are referred to someone she knows, and when you are paid, and when you are complimented … even when she thanks you. “No. Thank you. It’s been a pleasure to work with you.”

BONUS: Ask how you did. When it’s all over, that’s when you want feedback. And don’t get all balled up in thinking that since your client isn’t a lawyer he isn’t really a good judge of your performance. (Read what Roy Ginsburg says about the one thing clients can judge quite accurately.) Because it doesn’t matter whether the feedback is an “accurate” assessment, it will be the truth about what your client thinks. And what he thinks, rightly or wrongly, is what will make him come back again … or not. And boy, will he be surprised when you ask!

These principles may be common sense… but do you put them into practice 100% of the time? No! Not because you don’t want to or because you’re basically a rude person. No, it’s because you get busy and laser focused on the matter you’re working on.

I worked with a client this morning, and he observed that the most valuable thing that he’s learned while working with me is that business development is equally as important as the legal work. “Before you, I thought it was secondary… when and if I had time.”

I tell you… there’s nothing more important then to dazzle your clients with whatever means you can… brilliant lawyering, a smile and a thank you… or just doing what you said you would do! Do it in such a way that they will tell the story over and over again to anyone who will listen. That is what business development all about.

Posted in Branding and Positioning, Business Development, Increasing Credibility, Inspired Thought

Legal Business Development: Writing is Scary!

Posted on by Paula Black

I have coached many lawyers to write articles, blogs and books. The initial response is usually; I don’t have time, that’s too much work, what would I write about, who would be interested in what I have to say… and so on and so on! But what is really behind all those excuses? In many cases, fear… because writing is scary! Beth Hayden contributor to the blog Copyblogger, writes… Why We Still Need to Write, Even When We’re Scared. She breaks these fears down to the essence.

Sometimes when we publish something, it makes us feel like our insides are hanging out, for all the world to see. We feel vulnerable. We feel naked. We feel … terrified.

But here’s the thing — we have to keep writing, in spite of the fear. If we let fear stop us, our content will have no spark, no life. And everything we write will be completely unremarkable

Brene’ Brown, sociologist and researcher believes, “We are put on this earth to connect with one another. Connection is what gives meaning and purpose to our lives.”

But if we want connection, we have to be willing to be vulnerable. Even though vulnerability is often hard — sometimes even excruciating — we’ve got to put ourselves out there in order to experience connection.

And here’s what very few people are talking about in the field of content marketing — vulnerability not only makes us better human beings, it also makes us better writers, and better content marketers.

We have to be willing to put our ideas, opinions, and deepest fears out there, so we can truly connect with our audiences. Content that isn’t vulnerable — that doesn’t scare us, just a little bit — isn’t necessarily going to draw a huge audience of raving fans. It’s not going to get shared on social networking sites thousands of times. It’s not going to really impact the world.

Vulnerability is the missing piece in content marketing.

So next time you cover up the fear with excuses… think about connection. Connection is what bonds a client, prospect or referral source to you… that is what’s at stake. So are you willing to be vulnerable in order to achieve connection?

Posted in Building Relationships, Increasing Credibility, Inspired Thought

Legal Business Development: Are You a Manager or a Leader?

Posted on by Paula Black

When you are trying to change the firm culture to be more focussed on business development, teamwork is vital. But to do that you need the entire team to pull in the same direction, and achieving that is often difficult.

I was working with a client today and she was lamenting the frustration of “lazy” staff and associates. They lack the initiative and get-it-done kind of attitude. But as we explored the situation she realized that they come to her because she has an open-door policy and answers everyone’s questions. So she has trained them… that the fastest way to get an answer is to ask her. So in an effort to be a better leader did she in fact become trapped as a manager? Ilya Pozin, columnist for LinkedIn writes… The Difference Between Managers and Leaders. He has 5 ways to be a leader and encourage people to think and act on their own.

1. Managers give answers, leaders ask questions. There’s nothing certain to turn your employees against you faster than shouting orders at them. Why not spare yourself the impending resentment and simply ask your employees this: “What would you do?” or “What do you think of this idea?” Allowing people to participate in the decision-making process will not only transform what could have been an order into something more easily swallowed–it also inspires creativity, motivation, and autonomy.

2. Managers criticize mistakes, leaders call attention to mistakes indirectly. It may seem more efficient to point out your employees’ mistakes directly, but this will only leave them feeling embarrassed and frustrated. You should really be giving them the chance to learn and grow from your critiques. Instead, give your employees the chance to address their mistakes.

For example, say a project was sent to a client and you receive back a disgruntled message. Calmly ask your employee about the clients concern and whether they feel what was provided was on par. This will give them a chance to provide their input, while also improving for the future.

3. Managers forget to praise, leaders reward even the smallest improvement. Praise pays off when it comes to increasing the overall success of your company. Finding time to recognize your employees for even the smallest accomplishment will only increase their interest in what they do. If you’re interested in ensuring your employees take pride in all that they do, regular feedback and recognition is certain to do the trick. Everyone wants to be genuinely appreciated for their efforts.

4. Managers focus on the bad, leaders emphasize the good. This really comes down to seeing the cup half empty or half full. If you’re only willing to point out the flaws of a project or an employee, you’re not giving them much interest in learning or improving. Instead, create a sandwich effect. Start with some form of praise, follow with the criticism, and end with praise.

5. Managers want credit, leaders credit their teams. Managers who lack leadership abilities are always first to take credit. But effective leaders understand the importance of crediting their teams for the big wins. This pays off in the long run for creative a workplace with a more positive company culture and employees who are driven toward more successes as a team.

The stronger your business development efforts the stronger your team needs to be. Learn to lead instead of manage.  And let’s not lose sight of the fact that your best source of new business is often existing clients. So lead your team to provide winning client service, and I assure you new matters and referrals will flow your way.

Posted in Business Development, Inspired Thought

Legal Business Development: How Does Your Practice Fit Into Your Life?

Posted on by Paula Black

“Success” means nothing if it comes at the expense of your life. Define what it is you want in your life both personally and professionally. Dream as though there were no obstacles. And redefine success for yourself. Your dreams may seem impossible at the moment, but ask yourself… why not? I’m sure you will come up with many practical answers for why you can’t, but stop for a moment and say yes to… why not! Because if you look around you just may find someone who is doing exactly what you thought was impossible. Granted, it may not be the time for your dream to become a reality, but it IS the time to prepare for your dream, acquire the needed experience, lay the ground work and believe it can happen. I have had the privilege to be part of many of my client’s dreams…

  • The dream to be able to go to your child’s soccer match without glaring eyes of disapproval. This client joined forces with two other moms and created a firm of smart ambitious women lawyers that cover for one another so they can have the best of both worlds.
  • The dream to build a new practice area that will be in demand in large corporations and land those matters when others said it would never happen.Well, it is happening for one of my clients!
  • The dream to find a niche that would be enjoyable and gratifying and to succeed at becoming the top authority in the world in that niche… yes I said world. And yes, it is happening!

So… What could you dream up? What do you want to work toward? How are you going to get there? Redefine what success means to you. Your practice can fit into your life… but only you can make it happen.

 

Posted in Building Relationships, Business Development, Developing A Strategic Plan, Inspired Thought

Legal Business Development: Who Are You Listening To?

Posted on by Paula Black

I coach lawyers on the subject of business development everyday. Everyone’s path is different. Each lawyer builds on the foundation of their expertise and experience… which is almost always very impressive. They leverage their network of family, friends, colleagues and clients… which is usually a vast one. But it isn’t always comfortable to forge that path because of the voice that exists in many lawyers’ heads.  So, when it comes time to focus on business development, I ask… Who are you listening to? If you are like some of my clients I suspect you are listening to the voice in your head that is saying…

You don’t have enough experience!

You don’t have experience that every other lawyer doesn’t have!

You can’t do that!

Your friends don’t care about what you do!

Your colleagues think you’re a joke!

I can tell you with complete confidence that none of these are true about any of my clients, yet some of them listen to that voice. Are you listening to that voice? What’s my take on it? Tell that voice to get lost! Don’t listen…

You do have enough experience to develop relationships.

Not every other lawyer has the same experience you do… that is impossible.

Of course you can develop new business!

If they’re your friends they’re interested in what you do and how they can help you.

Your colleagues aren’t thinking about you… generally they’re thinking about themselves.

Own your accomplishments and your strengths. I don’t mean just acknowledge them I mean really own them. Don’t let that voice in your head diminish them for one minute. Yes, lawyers are trained to look at the negative, but in this case it serves no good purpose. It only serves to undermine your business development efforts. So tell that voice to… SHUT UP! And own your strengths! This will open the floodgates to business development success.

 

Posted in Inspired Thought

Legal Business Development: Are You Earning A Seat At The Table?

Posted on by Paula Black

A book of business gives you power, clout and… a seat at the table. If you want to be a partner in any law firm, big or small, you must have a book of business. It’s as simple as that!

I recently read an article from Altman Weil by James Cotterman… Who Should Be Partner In A Post Recession Profession? Part 1: Earning a Seat at the Table. Cotterman points out that “Law firm partnership carries certain responsibilities. First and foremost partners must generate business. A business development culture, accommodating different roles and styles, will permeate a successful firm.” Let’s face it without business development nothing else matters… you are just a lawyer with a desk.

So why are so many lawyers hesitant to commit to business development? It’s simply out of their comfort zone. But it doesn’t have to remain that way. There have been many things in your career that were not comfortable at first… but you tried different angles, practiced and stuck with it and sooner or later you mastered it. Business development is no different, it’s just a skill to master.

Cotterman goes on to pose some of the questions that should be asked when a lawyers is being considered for partner…

1. Is the individual active in developing a network of contacts and establishing relationships in the community?

2. Does she/he project an understanding of business and legal subject matter that demonstrates experience and expertise through writing and speaking?

3. Does this person seek, hold and successfully handle positions in professional organizations related to her/his area of practice?

4. Does this person seek, hold and successfully handle leadership positions in community (civic, charitable and religious) organizations?

There is no doubt that building relationships is at the core of all this. You can build relationships in a multitude of ways, in your community, among your colleagues and even online. Decide what tools you want to use and be consistent… do something every single day. Move outside your comfort zone and build a book of business… and if you want a seat at the table it can be yours.

Posted in Building Relationships, Business Development, Developing A Strategic Plan, Inspired Thought

Legal Business Development: 8 Ways to Turbo Charge Your Productivity

Posted on by Paula Black

I don’t know a lawyer that isn’t trying to squeeze more out of every single day… maximum productivity. We would all like to find a silver bullet… the answer to the demanding obligations we have in our lives. Jeff Haden contributor to Inc. Magazine wrote… 14 Simple Ways to Get Considerably More Done. It’s an eye-opening list and I think there are 8 tips that will be particularly helpful for lawyers.

1. Craft your “just say no” elevator speech. Entrepreneurs work hard on their elevator speech. They revise, they hone, and they rehearse because their elevator speech is important.

It’s also important to know, with grace and tact, how to say no. Most of us default to “yes” because we don’t want to seem rude or unfriendly or unhelpful. Unfortunately, that also means we default to taking on more than we want or can handle. Maybe your response will be as simple as what I plan to use, “I’m sorry, but I just don’t have time.”

Whatever yours is, rehearse so it comes naturally. That way you won’t say yes simply because you think you should; you’ll say yes because you think it’s right for you.

2. Set limits. Deadlines and time frames establish parameters, but typically not in a good way. We instinctively adjust our effort so our activities take whatever time we let them take. Tasks should only take as long as they need to take–or as long as you decide they should take.

Pick a task, set a time limit, and stick to that time limit. Necessity, even artificial necessity, is the mother of creativity. I promise you’ll figure out how to make it work.

3. Rework your nighttime routine. Every day the first thing you do is the most important thing you will do: It sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Prepare for it the night before. Make a list. Make a few notes. Review information. Prime yourself to hit the ground at an all-out sprint the next day; a body in super-fast motion tends to stay in super-fast motion.

4. Rework your morning routine. Then make sure you can get to that task as smoothly as possible. Pretend you’re an Olympic sprinter and your morning routine is like the warm-up for a race. Don’t dawdle, don’t ease your way into your morning, and don’t make sure you get some “me” time (hey, sleep time is me time). Get up, get cleaned up, get fueled up–and start rolling.

5. Rework one repetitive task. Think of a task you do on a regular basis. Now deconstruct it. Make it faster. Or improve the quality. Pick something you do that has become automatic and actively work to make it better.

Even if you only save five minutes, that’s five minutes every time.

6. Outsource one task. I was raised to think that any job I could do myself was a job I should do myself. Starting next week the kid down the street will cut my grass. He can use the money. I can use the time.

7. Fix that one thing you often screw up. I’m terrible about putting meetings and phone calls on my calendar. I figure I’ll get to it later and then I never do. I spend way too much time, often in a panic, trying to figure out when and where and who…

You probably have at least one thing you tend to mess up. Maybe you don’t file stuff properly. Maybe you put off dealing with certain emails and then forget them. Maybe you regularly find you’re unprepared for a call or meeting. Whatever your “thing” is, fix it. You’ll save time and aggravation.

8. Pick one task during which you won’t multi-task. Plenty of research says multi-tasking doesn’t work. Some research says multi-tasking actually makes you stupid. Maybe you agree. Maybe you don’t. Either way, I feel sure there is at least one thing you do that is so important you should never allow a distraction or a loss of focus.

Choose an important task and when you perform it turn everything else off. Focus solely on that task.

I think there is good sound advice here for lawyers and if you would put each and everyone into practice imagine how productive you could be… it’s likely to be life changing. Why not give it a try? I know I will!

Posted in Building Relationships, Business Development, Inspired Thought, Marketing Time Commitment

Legal Business Development: Your Firm Culture Can Make All The Difference

Posted on by Paula Black

Firm culture… It can foster business development or it can thwart it. Consider all the different aspects of your firm that your culture influences. Jeff Haden, contributor to Inc. Magazine, highlights Dharmesh Shah, the co-founder and CTO of HubSpot who knows exactly how valuable a strong firm culture can be to your success.

1. Culture improves decision-making. Culture helps make a large body of small decisions quicker–and a small body of large decisions easier.

2. Product is to marketing as culture is to recruiting. Just like attracting customers is much easier with a great product, attracting amazing people is much easier with a great culture. The goal is to create a culture that appeals to the rights kinds of people and gets them to self-select.

3. The interest on culture debt is really high. Culture debt is when you take a shortcut and hire people because they have the skills you need and you’re “hurting” for people… but they’re not a good culture fit. You let the “culture bar” down. When you bring on people that aren’t a fit they infect other parts of the organization; even after a culture misfit moves on, their corrosive effects on the company live on.

4. You’re going to have a culture anyway. You can and should influence it–so why not build the one you love?

So where should you start if you want to create a mission statement that actually means something–and that helps you run your business by establishing and codifying goals, practices, and principles you both follow and measure? Shah suggests,  ’Quick hint: You want to build a company that you love working for. The rest will work itself out.’

I realize that it’s not the easiest task to get a room full of lawyers to agree on a vision, but that is exactly what has to happen. What makes your firm different? What makes your firm memorable? What makes working at your firm fulfilling? What’s at the heart of your firm? Find the answers to these questions… then live them on a daily basis. You’ll find that this practice benefits your firm in many different ways… especially when it comes to business development.

Posted in Business Development, Inspired Thought

Legal Business Development: Is It Time To Shake Things Up?

Posted on by Paula Black

The legal profession is evolving… are you? Granted change is tough. But the longer you put it off, the farther behind you fall, and the harder it is to get started. So, make the choice… take the first step! Harvard Business Review offers a great place to start…Three Ways to Help Your Company Snap Out of It.*

Organizations, like people, can get set in their ways. Relying on established ways of working and solving problems not only stifles innovation but can lead to a lack of perspective and moments of delusion. Here are three ways to help your organization snap out of unhelpful patterns:

Challenge rationalizations. Every organization has shared explanations for doing things the way they do. Poke holes in those rationalizations and ask the question: why is this standard practice?

Expose faulty either/or thinking. False dichotomies can set up irrational choices about how to work. Don’t let A or B be the only options, propose C or D as a new way of working.

Focus on the long-term. Emphasis on the short term can trap you into current practice. Help your colleagues pull back, see the big picture, and understand not only short-term gains but long-term consequences.

Look at the way you and your firm develop business and challenge the status quo. Ask the tough questions. Come up with innovative ideas and ask… Why not?

*Adapted from Keeping Your Colleagues Honest by Mary C. Gentile.

Posted in Business Development, Inspired Thought