Miami Legal Business Development | Branding | Lawyer Coaching | Paula Black

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Why do we do anything? We do it out of obligation. We do it because we should. We do it because we’re getting paid. Let’s face it how often do we do it because… we want to.

 What would you do if it were more fun? Yes, more fun. Anything... say as simple as walking up the stairs instead of using the escalator. Watch...

Think about putting fun into your business development efforts. Be creative… make it a challenge, a game or just plain FUN. 

• A challenge – turn it into a Sherlock Holmes mystery to figure out.
• A game – how many referral sources can you meet in a month, and can you beat last month’s number.
• Fun – I love to listen to music and a friend gave me a collection of 35,000 songs... so I crank up the music when I have a project to work on (as I’m doing right now).

 Be a kid again and get creative. I would love to hear what you've come up with. What could be your piano keys to the sky?

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Travel... isn't it great? Conferences. You get to travel, it's a business expense, maybe you learn something and maybe you make some contacts. Does this describe your conference going experience? This week I was working with a client that is getting ready to go to a trade conference in Copenhagen. I have been to Copenhagen many times, it's a great city... but let's face it, they probably won't get the chance to really experience the city, because they will be in the conference most of the time.

 So... if they are going to be in the conference, then... they need to BE IN THE CONFERENCE! I would like to share with you my strategy for maximizing their experience.

Journaling

You have an incredible opportunity to plug into "the industry". It will be an enormous benefit if you keep a daily (hourly) journal. The ideas will be free flowing and you want to capture every single one. Your journal can focus on these 4 things...

1. Strokes of Genius... yours and others.

2. Observations... things you see, hear and learn... stories to re-tell... trends to report on... article and blog ideas.

3. Ideas to take your practice to the next level... no matter how big or small.

4. Note to self... other things you want to remember.

Relationship Building 

The other opportunity is forging relationships... you never know when someone can contribute to your success or you to theirs.

1. Talk to as many people as possible. Divide and conquer... don't hang out with the people you came with, move around.

2. Ask questions. What have they found to be an effective business development tool? Do they blog and write articles? You get the idea. If you always ask the same 3-4 questions of the people you meet, you get the added benefit of consensus. 

3. Make sure you ask for business cards... the protocol is YOU ask for theirs, you don't offer yours unless asked for it. To build relationships it is essential to stay in-touch, get those business cards... but I caution you this is NOT a business card gathering exercise. The idea is to connect with people and once you have done that... THEN you ask for their card.

If you focus on journaling and building relationships when you attend a conference you will come home with the right tools needed to maximize the time and expense of attending the conference. If your firm is sending you... you would never want anyone to think it was a boondoggle, you will have the information needed to report on what you gained and the results of the conference. 

As for Copenhagen? I encourage you to visit the city when you have the time to really experience it! The people are warm and friendly. The architecture and design is amazing. Denmark is a tiny country with a big, big heart.

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The Tour de France... is it on your bucket list? Is cycling your passion? This weekend I had the awesome privilege to witness two friends of mine while they started to plan their trip to The Tour de France this July. First of all... their passion is cycling. When an opportunity presented itself they recognized it as an opportunity of a lifetime. There was no hesitation and no excuses... I can't afford it... it will be too crowded that time of year... we probably can't get flights. You know the routine... all the why NOTS! They viewed it "as if" they were already there. The friend that invited them to attend sent a DVD for them to watch. I wish you could have been at my house to watch their faces as they watched the video. It was like watching the faces of two small boys on Christmas morning. Pure delight and wonderment! They will be in one of the pace cars... how cool is that?

When was the last time you felt that passion in your work? I can just hear it... are you kidding me? Work is work and The Tour de France well it's THE Tour de France! I assert that there is NO reason we can't feel that passion in our work... pure delight and wonderment! The thought and feeling of... pinch me because I can't believe I get to do THIS for a living!

Are YOU one of those lawyers who has given in to resignation? You have put your passion in a box and buried the key? I beg you... I challenge you... I order you... FIND IT and get into action.

What happens when you find your passion?

1. You LOVE thinking about it, talking about it and working on it.

2. You inspire others with confidence, trust and reliability that you are the right person for the case.

3. You are developing business without even intending it... it's a byproduct of your passion. People want to be around you. People want to hire you and people want to refer you.

Say yes when opportunity knocks... no excuses. If you are in-touch with your passion you will recognize an opportunity of a lifetime with no hesitation. What's the passion that will take you to YOUR Tour de France?

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I had lunch with a lawyer the other day and she was lamenting the fact that she has lost the fire in her belly. She said "I have no passion and creativity in me anymore... it's GONE". I have to tell you that this comment made me so sad, because the thought of living without passion or creativity... for me... is like living without oxygen... impossible. I happen to know because about 15 years ago I thought I had reached the end of my passion, I thought after 12 years in business I had burnt-out.... All I knew is that I was miserable... so I did a few things I'd like to share with you...

1. I identified what I liked doing. For 2 weeks I made a note every time I liked the task I was doing. Visit a client... yes! Help them figure out a strategy to build there brand... yes! Talk to a new prospect... yes! I only focused on what I LIKED doing... the list grew and grew. Why just the positive? Because... I didn't want it to be a "bitch" session. It was apparent that I had NOT burnt-out. I liked too many of the things I was doing. 

2. I then took actions to alter or eliminate the things that were not on that list. I found a more qualified bookkeeper so I didn't have to micro-manage. I fired clients that were toxic to our business AND weren't even profitable... the new bookkeeper was able to produce reports that made this possible. I stopped doing other peoples' jobs... this was a big one. I realized that I held a lot of resentment with those people that weren't completing their work and I had to pick up the slack. Who allowed that to happen? DUH! Me. I confronted the issues and some people rose to the occasion and other did not. The list goes on and on... but you get the picture.

3. I allowed myself to dream! Yes dream... what do I want in my life? I wanted freedom, creativity and smart driven people to work with, to mention a few. I set out to make sure those things were in my life in some shape or form... every single day. I imagined myself writing a book... I had been telling clients to "write a book, it will give you instant credibility"... so why shouldn't I write a book? I put it on my master list of goals and 10 years later that dream came true. Almost like a fairy tale... it won the Business Breakthrough Book of the Year and I went to Washington DC to accept the award with my mother by my side. What is YOUR dream? 

Today, my business is very different then it was then. Quite frankly... I love what I do... it's my passion. As the saying goes find what you love and you will never work a day in your life. Maybe your passion is a more defined practice area or maybe it isn't even the law. Whatever it is YOU need to find it and lay the groundwork to get there. It will not happen over night... so every day you waste not going in that direction you get further and further behind.

Find your passion. It may have been asleep for a very long time but believe me it will find YOU if you are open to finding IT. 

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Lately I have been writing about finding a niche and a colleague of mine, Cordell Parvin, shared a story from one of the clients he coaches. He shared how Alison Rowe found her niche... when Cordell asked her what was she passionate about, she asked him not to laugh. Her passion is horses and she wanted to be an "equine lawyer." Well he didn't laugh, (I imagine he cheered) and encouraged her to follow her passion. 

Here are the steps Alison went through to follow her dream.

1. Met with other lawyers who were already practicing equine law.

2. Subscribed to trade publications.

3. Researched the law.

4. Joined trade organizations.

5. When to events and conferences.

6. Offered to speak and write articles.

Today she has two blogs: The Equine Law Blog and  TxEquineLawyer FAQ's and promotes herself as a equine lawyer that handles 100% horse related cases.

Now... that is a niche! She had a dream and followed her passion. What could your niche be? The steps are simple... the commitment needs to be unwavering.

Black Pearl: To read Alison's entire story, go to Cordell's blog and in the center of the page you will find "The Practical Lawyer" Latest Articles. Get inspired!

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Find a niche... easier said than done, right?

Usually when I mention finding a niche, most lawyers' push back. They generally explain how they don't want to miss this kind of case or that kind of case. Their practice areas list looks like that of a firm of 10 lawyers. How can you possibly market such a list? How can potential clients and referring attorneys remember what you do? Will they think of you when any of those practice areas are mentioned? Probably not!  If your list is a practice group with a long list of sub practice areas... that works. However if your list is: criminal defense, real estate closings and business transactions... that's another story.

Here are some questions to help you identify your niche.

1. Look back on your last few cases, which ones were the most enjoyable. Why?

2. What aspects of the case really lit your fire?

3. Is there a particular industry or category you are interested in?

4. Are there characteristics of the clients that you like to work with more than others?

5. Is there a sub practice area that you like?

6. What are you really passionate about?

Once you have answered these questions you can start to create a profile of your ideal client. Keep in mind that you don't have to have a lot of experience in this area. You market to what you want, not to what you have. You may need to develop more skills or do more research in the area you choose as your niche. When you focus on this niche you will find that it will come easily. Why? Because it is something you are passionate about.

Now that you have identified a niche it is much easier to tell people what you do and more importantly... easier for them to remember what you do. Have the courage to step out of your comfort zone and you will find that the rewards are many... including satisfaction in your work.

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Last week I read a blog post by Seth Godin that has been on my mind for days. It's sort of like that song you can't get out of your head. Why? Well... first here is what Seth wrote...

"Dancing faster then ever, but why?

I just read a relentlessly snarky profile of the brilliant chef Charlie Trotter. Charlie is one of the pioneers of modern cooking, a gracious host and a perfectionist as well.

The Times is disappointed that he hasn't opened chains of restaurants, made a fool of himself on reality TV or decamped to a more expensive building in Chicago. All he's done, it seems, is mentor an entire generation of chefs, consistently create amazing meals and also donate once-in-a-lifetime, multi-course dinners for rising high school students in Chicago (150 times a year).

There will always be someone telling you that you're not hip enough, famous enough, edgy enough or whatever enough. That's their agenda. What's yours?

Shun the non-believers."

Seth's comments got me thinking. How many times have you minimized your accomplishments because someone made a comment about what they thought you should do... making you question your path? I would guess that it has happened more than once. Having a plan and a vision for where you are headed will insulate you from what Seth calls the "non-believers". 

There are a million and one paths to follow when it comes to marketing and business development... find yours and stick with it.

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I was talking with an attorney last week... he's had his firm for ten years and his website STILL isn't launched. He knows he should get it done and he knows this isn't good. But I'm not so sure he really knows what is at stake.

No website? 

1. It gives the impression that you are behind the times... in the way you think. 

2. You have no idea how many people hear your name, but don't consider your firm because they can't find information. They simply find someone else.

3. It's a missed opportunity to be able to explain to potential clients and referral sources what you do and how you do it... establish your brand.

4. Plain and simple... no internet presence means no internet business.

Would any attorney think they could do without business cards? Of course not. Today, a website is your electronic business card. There is too much at stake to procrastinate.

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Courage. Sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zone. I tell lawyers all the time... Narrow your focus... find a niche. It allows you to speak directly to your audience in their language and  it positions you as the go to expert in that area. Now, that doesn't mean it is your only practice area. It will not be the only work that comes your way... it will just be the attraction. 

Have the courage to step out... because this works. I've seen it over and over again.  I have had the privilege to work with Michelle Estlund who has the courage to step out... last week she launched her blog... Red Notice Law Journal.

Kevin O'Keefe's Real Lawyers Have Blogs recognized Michelle's new blog... 

It's always neat adding a publication discussing a new subject. With Michelle Estlund's Red Notice Law Journal we have that. For those of you who don't know, Red Notices are issued by INTERPOL "To seek the provisional arrest of a wanted person with a view to extradition based on an arrest warrant or court decision." On this blog, she discusses INTERPOL's infrastructure, tools and practices; politically-based Red Notices; challenging Red Notices; and international extradition.

Does it take courage? Sure it does. Michelle is passionate about this unique area of the law and I am sure that she will have fun writing her blog.  It is just a matter of time until clients will find her.

Black Pearl: Michelle launched her blog on March 31st and on April 4th I googled "Red Notices Interpol" and her blog was already on the first page, as the 6th listing. That is what I call RESULTS!