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

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How many of you have tons of friends, family, school classmates, colleagues and acquaintances? Come on... everybody does. But for some reason we think of these people in personal terms and never think about leveraging the relationship to develop business. I'm not talking about "selling" to them; I'm talking about telling stories that give them a memorable example of your expertise.

I went to a dinner party at a couple's house who are both lawyers and let me tell you dinner conversation was watching MASTERS at story telling. The women is an IP lawyer and she told a story about the seizure of counterfeit Singer Sewing Machines... she and the feds at the port with guns and sirens. My 5' 2" friend mesmerized the table and I'm telling you they will not forget her counterfeit story any time soon. Her husband is a maritime lawyer and had spent time in the Middle East; his stories were equally fascinating and topical. They were gracious and interesting hosts.

Nearly every lawyer has a practice that the average person can relate to.  It's not about explaining the law... it's about telling the story of how it affects the lives of the people you help. 

Here are three things to help you...

First: Put them in writing... script out several stories that you could tell that illustrate how you help people or companies. Make them short, powerful and memorable.

Next: Share from your heart... with passion and enthusiasm. 

Lastly: The more stories you tell... the more stories you will think of, and you will get VERY good at it.

Storytelling is the cornerstone of civilization. Master the art of storytelling... and ensure that your friends, family, school classmates, colleagues and acquaintances understand how YOU help your clients. They will think of YOU the next time someone asks them if they know a lawyer who does what you do.

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I can't tell you how many lawyers tell me that they would like to work on business development... but they don't have time. I don't buy it! When they say they don't have time, what they are really saying is they don't have the commitment. And they are saying they don't have time... without knowing what kind of time it requires.

As you know by now, my mantra is... DO SOMETHING EVERY SINGLE DAY! Yes, every single day. It should be like brushing your teeth... we do it without thinking about it and it's a habit. Five or ten minutes are all it takes on most days. That would be a phone call, an email, a hand written note or making a list of five prospects you would like to meet and who can introduce you to them. And on other days you might meet a referral source for lunch... that may take an hour... but you have to eat don't you?

Do you see why I don't buy, "I DON'T HAVE TIME?" 

So where do you stand? Are you in the camp of no time, no commitment, no results?

Well it doesn't have to be that way. Make the commitment TODAY! If you make the commitment - I guarantee you that you WILL see results. Just the act of focus will make a big difference.  When your focus is on business development you will start seeing many things you can do, and the more you do the more opportunities show up. Make it fun and make it a habit! 

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Who came up with the phrase WORK LIFE BALANCE anyway? Well... according to Wikipedia the phrase was first used in the 70's... ah ha... that explains it... it was probably conceived in the 60's in a drug induced trip to Nirvana!

I would like to inform whomever came up with the phrase, that we only have ONE life... (that we can verify.) Our work is our life... and our family... and our friends... and our hobbies... and our diets... and our errands...etc...etc...etc! It's ALL our life and we need to integrate it ALL. And not to feel guilty about whatever it is we are doing or not doing.

I was working with my client... she is a mom, a wife, a lawyer, a business owner, a cook, a special events director, a volunteer, a daughter and the list goes on and on. Now... that is a woman with a LIFE. When she confessed that she doesn't feel she does any of them well... I pointed out that from where I sit it looks like she does a great job and, the fact that she does so much is a huge accomplishment in itself.  I'd like to shoot those guys in the 70's who came up with... WORK LIFE BALANCE. They are making my client feel inadequate and she deserves to feel success... success that she is juggling ALL of that.  

Let's start a movement... My Life Is A Success... movement. And rejoice in the successes of each day... from helping to get your children off to school to getting your client off with a lesser charge. Here's what the bumper stickers will say:

Take Pride... in everything you do and recognize that not everyone can do what you do.

Get Help... yes, hire people to do what you can't, don't want to do or don't have time to do. (Maybe one of those guys from the 70's would like to do your dishes or deliver the documents to your client.)

Say No... to silly, annoying, unimportant and useless things that are time sucks.

Being balanced is acknowledging our successes and accomplishments that cross many lines... and not about compartmentalizing... since we only have ONE LIFE. And every day counts... don't waste one minute feeling inadequate! And no one gets to define YOUR balance but YOU!

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In the past few posts I have been sharing with you my work as a faculty member at the Managing Partner Forum in St Louis. The highlight... Managing Partner Idea Exchanges. They are insightful conversations among the Managing Partners that gives everyone valuable ideas to take back to their firms.  Aviva Cuyler from JDSupra and I facilitated the small firm group that included firms of up to 40 lawyers.

VISION & STRATEGY. We discussed the various ways that Managing Partners have had success getting started and here are the top five:

1. Think about your vision. Where do you want to be in 5 years? Tomorrow?
2. Set time aside to think about your vision & strategy... plan to plan.
3. Consult with others.
4. Set goals that are concrete, simple and easy to communicate (it should fit on an index card).
5. Understand your position in the marketplace.

Generally the hardest part of any task is getting started and I think our group came up with a good list of things to consider as you embark on your strategic plan. I think there are two items here that are key. The first is - make your strategy simple to communicate... so concise that it could fit on an index card. I know this is a tall order for lawyers... but could be the difference between full engagement of the firm OR not. The second is - understand your position in the marketplace. This is often overlooked, many firms get so caught up in what is good for the firm that they forget to look at the situation from the outside looking in. So, when considering a strategic plan these are two critical steps that could ensure success... good luck!

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Last week I told you about my work as a faculty member at the Managing Partner Forum in St Louis. The most popular aspects of the conference are the Managing Partner Idea Exchanges. They are broken down by firm size and Aviva Cuyler from JDSupra and I facilitated the small firm group that included firms up to 40 lawyers. I would like to share some of the highlights with you.

One of the topics we addressed was... CHANGE. We discussed the various ways that Managing Partners have had success implementing change and here are the top five:

1. Bring in an outside resource to shake things up.
2. Create financial incentives.
3. Emulate success - look at what has worked in the past and do more of it.
4. Focus on and support the people who are interested in implementing the change.
5. Minimize the risk of opposition (e.g. sunset the changes unless they are approved again after a certain period. Start small and work your way up).

There is no question that change is difficult even when the current situation is painful and ineffective. I think the list our group came up with could be extremely helpful for anyone in any position in a firm... you don't have to be the Managing Partner to initiate change. These days "business as usual" is not a good thing. We need to continually strive to improve, grow and stay competitive.

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On Tuesday I started to tell you about my work as a faculty member at the Managing Partner Forum in St Louis. The data gathered in the instant audience poll is eye-opening.

Today I would like to share the results from three of the questions.

1. How did your firm perform financially in 2010?

• Much better than expected... We had a very good year - 53%
• About what we expected... A relatively good year - 32%
• OK, but not where we wanted to be - 9%
• Not good... It was a tough year - 6%

2. Looking ahead, how would you describe your expectations for 2011?

• 2011 will be a very good year... A solid improvement from 2010 - 34%
• Cautiously optimistic... We expect a slight improvement, but still nervous about the economy - 34%
• Hard to say... Fairly flat - 23%
• We see another difficult year in 2011... Profits will remain disappointing - 9%

3. What have been your firm's top 3 most effective strategies to improve financial performance over the past two to three years?

#1 - Improving billing and collections practices

#2 - Marketing and business development

#3 - Improved operating efficiencies

83% had a good to very good 2010... and 68% expect improvement in 2011. No surprise to me... marketing and business development is the #2 most effective strategy to improve your financial performance. There is only so much one can do in operations to improve your performance... but with marketing and business development you are limited only by your attorney's proficiency to do it, their focus to get it done and your follow-up to hold them accountable... remember people do what you inspect not what you expect.

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I just got back from St Louis where I was a faculty member at the Managing Partner Forum. Firm leaders from all over the Midwest were in attendance and shared information and insights. It was a very powerful conference that I think we can all learn from.

John Remsen the founder of the Managing Partner Forum uses an instant audience polling methodology as a means of gathering accurate (all responses are anonymous) benchmarking data that Managing Partners can use for their own strategic planning and management decision-making. This week I will be sharing some of those results.

There are results from two questions I would like to share with you today.

1. Does your firm have a written strategic plan?

• Yes - 39%
• No - 36%
• Work in progress - 25%

2. If yes, can you attribute improved performance and performance and profitability to it?

• Strong correlation between planning and performance - 29%
• Some correlation between planning and performance - 47%
• No perceived correlation - 24%
• Inverse correlation between planning and performance - 0

63% have a plan or are working on it... with 76% reporting a correlation between planning and performance. Whether you are a firm leader or an individual lawyer, I'm sure this is very compelling information. Create a strategic plan - it will guide you and give you a framework for decision making as you go forward. Let's face it... this isn't the first time we've talked about strategic plans, but now you have the data. When will you start your plan? Tomorrow isn't soon enough, after all we ARE in the second quarter already aren't we? It's not too late to ensure that 2011 will be one of your best years ever. The plan can be one sheet of paper... or as Brian Burke, former managing partner at Baker & Daniels for 15 years, pointed out, "the best plans can fit on a 3X5 card... short and understandable."

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Many lawyers have said to me that they don't have a personal brand. But they most certainly do... they just didn't create it consciously. Everything one does adds to their personal brand... positively or negatively. But we don't often see it that way. The question here is can we change it? Sure we can. Should we change it? Absolutely. If you are working on business development it is imperative that you craft the personal brand that will get you where you want to go. 

But... it isn't easy. Seth Godin talked about... "Changing Personas". He defines a marketing persona "as the posture or approach or attitude you bring to the market"... your personal brand positioning.

Change is needed when what we are doing doesn't work any more and we need to move to the next level. He pushes back with:

"Please don't tell me about authenticity. Brands and personas are made, not born, and we use them because they work, not because our DNA ordains us to. When they stop working, it's time to change them." 

CHANGE...

• You first have to make a commitment to do it. Not just put it on a list, I mean the kind of commitment that is uncompromising.
• Make a plan... you need to know where you are headed. What do you want to be known for? What do you want people to think when they hear your name?
• Get into action... do something every single day. Show the world you are who you say you are and do it little step by little step.

No, it isn't easy... but becoming a lawyer wasn't either. Legal business development will be less arduous if you have a strong personal brand... persona... reputation... OR whatever you would like to call it. It is easier for people to send you referrals or hire you when they can clearly understand your values... small and large.

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Effective business development requires several elements working together cohesively, and one of them is a strong brand. Last week I was working with a client on the question... is it time to re-brand? How do you know? It will be obvious when you know the competitive landscape.

I believe a good first step is to do a brand audit... what is a brand audit you may ask? Get a copy of every printed piece of material you give to clients. From business cards to brochures and include your website. I like to put them up on the wall so you can stand back and take a look.

The next step is to Google your practice areas with the city or region you practice in. For instance... Family Law - Miami. Do that for each of the practice areas you want to develop. Take a look at who is on the first page (let's face it no one goes beyond the first page.) Print out all of their logos and put them on the wall. Also print a few pages of their website. Most websites don't print as they appear on the screen so you will need to do this as a "screen capture". 

The wall is now filled with YOUR materials and logos from your COMPETITORS, as well as their websites. Stand back and take a good hard look. Now ask yourself these questions...

1. Does your logo standout or does it blend into the landscape of competitors?
2. Who has a tagline that communicates a clear difference?
3. Who appear to be the top three strongest firms based on the visuals you see? Are you one of them?
4. Whose websites have a compelling home page?
5. Where do you fit in amongst these competitors? What are your points of differentiation?
6. Whose names are short and easy to remember?

Are you proud of your side of the wall? If you are not satisfied with the answers to these questions it might be time to consider re-branding and maybe even shortening your firm name.

My client realized their branding was not clear and strong enough. They saw the competition in a very different light. Some they hadn't considered competitors, but they realized that if someone Googled them they would most definitely see them as a competitor. They looked at how the top three presented themselves and clearly saw an opening in which they could fill. We will now re-brand them with all of this in mind.

Is it worth the time and effort to go through this exercise? I can tell you that my client would say absolutely.

Here are more circumstances that will help you know when it is time to re-brand.