Legal Business Development: Building Relationships - More Than Meets The Eye.
In this business of LAW there is no stronger business development tool than BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. Few would argue with that!
I had the privilege to be a speaker at the Spain-Florida Law Firms Forum. It was a two-day conference organized by the Embassy of Spain - Trade Commission. They invited 15 firms from all over Spain to meet and collaborate with 30 firms from South Florida. The opportunities are endless...
Spanish clients could invest in the affordable Florida Real Estate markets.
Miami could be the entry point to Latin America and the Caribbean for the Spanish firms and their clients.
Florida firms could assist Spanish firms and their clients entering the US market.
Just to name a few. Yes, that was the intent of the Forum... to find ways to build business between Spain and South Florida. After all that is the job of a Trade Commission... right?
Well, there was another benefit that wasn't as obvious... the bond that was forged with the group of 15 Spanish firms. I witnessed it build over the two days I was with them, (lunch and dinner... not to mention South Beach until 1:00 in the morning!) They were from all across Spain... north, south, east and west. They represented the entire country. They each gave a 3-minute speech about their firm intended for the Florida firms but, in doing so they became knowledgeable about each others practice and started to think about ways they could help one another in Spain. They became supportive of one another because they had a common interest... develop business!
Sometimes there are opportunities we overlook that are right in our backyard or under our nose. The most fruitful among them will be the ones where you have a common focus... business development. You don't need to wait to be invited to an event organized by a Trade Commission... create your own group. Find firms of similar size with different but compatible practice areas to forge a business development partnership. Learn what kinds of cases are ideal for their practice... and they learn yours. You have now multiplied your business development possibilities.
Thank you for these suggestions and insights into to build relationships across cultures in order to drive business and firm results. I’ve been working on building my career and the relationships I have with others in my large firm. My mentor recommended “Relationship Mastery” by Dr. David Fraser http://www.drdavidrfraser.com. It’s had a profound impact on how I see myself and how I approach conversations with my coworkers.
I just went on Amazon to check out Dr Fraser's book, it looks like a worth while read.Thanks for the recommendation Emily.