Miami Legal Business Development | Branding | Law Firm Coaching | Paula Black

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The idea behind business development is finding a way to standing out from the rest. Today with the Internet there are many ways to do that. But just as the Internet has become the most powerful tool of this century... email has become an avalanche that we need to deal with on a daily basis.

• If you want to send a heartfelt message, DO NOT send an email. Send a handwritten note! Today I came across a blog post from Gerry Riskin who points out that people SAVE treasured handwritten notes. I bet that right now you could put your hands on a handwritten note YOU have received. Need I say more?
• If you want to build more meaningful relationships... pick up the phone! Have a conversation. An exchange that gives both of you more insight into one another.

Yes, it's easier and faster to shoot off an email. But is speed always what is needed? I don't think so. Building deep relationships... being top of mind... and connecting to our humanity is often more important.

Black Pearl: How do we get our email under control? Read The Hamster Revolution. It will give you a system to deal with the avalanche... better yet go on-line and take the course. Learn strategies that can save you 15... yes... 15 days a year. What could you do with an additional 15 day a year?

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When we look at our marketing and business development activities, we look at what we did and the results. But, we seldom look at what we were NOT able to do because we were doing that activity. That my friend is an opportunity cost. Let me explain...

• I have a client that has been involved in his practice area section of the bar, exclusively. He has learned a lot, and has gotten a couple of cases from others that have conflicted out of a case. So what is his opportunity cost? By only spending time with his practice section he has missed out on networking with lawyers who DON'T practice in his area and have the potential to send more cases.
• Another client who is a criminal defense lawyer is on the rotation wheel to receive court appointed cases. She signed up to have a steady flow of cases. The hourly rate for these cases is $175 per hour; her regular rate is $300. What has happened is she is spending so much time on the court appointed cases that she has little time to develop her own referral sources. This one is a BIG opportunity cost.

Now, I don't recommend going "cold turkey"! What is needed here is balance... balance that will take effort and discipline to achieve...

• Balance your bar activities with the goals of education and business development. EVERY event you attend plan an expected out come... such as meet one or two new people who do not practice in your area, etc. 
• With court appointed cases you can't pick and choose which cases you will take but maybe you can take a leave of absence from the program. And use the time wisely. Get out there and build your relationships. For fastest results ONLY work on established relationships that you have neglected, later on you can forge new ones. Then... ask yourself if you REALLY need those court appointed cases or are they just a crutch you have become dependent on because you haven't built your own referral sources.

What opportunity cost are you not seeing? 

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When it comes to business development what comes first credibility or visibility?  It's a bit like...what comes first... the chicken or the egg? 

I was coaching a client who has been consistent with her blogging and has been seeing potential clients for consultations. In the past six weeks she's seen six prospects that can be directly attributed to the blog; she landed two of them, was honest with another and told him that he doesn't really have a case YET (when other lawyers told him they would start working on the matter), spoke with two others that are raising the money and found that the last one was geographically undesirable. She has also been asked to be part of a panel discussion for an ABA meeting. I would say those are great results in record time!

She was a bit skeptical when I suggested she write a blog but now she has seen the power it can have. She was easy to find because her blog is very specialized... hence it comes up on Google searches. The potential clients have had the opportunity to understand her expertise because they have read her blog. What her blog has done for her is two fold... she gets credibility and visibility all in one.

We talked about what has contributed to her success...

• She had faith that my advice was sound... even if it was out of her comfort zone.
• She found a niche and loves it... you have to like the work.
• She loves writing; so she posts twice a week... you have to blog consistently.
• She said yes when asked to speak... take advantage of every opportunity.

Landing the prospect takes focus...

• She is extremely prepared when the potential clients come in for the consultation... a consultation is REALLY marketing at your best.

How can you connect with the prospect in a way that you establish TRUST? Everything you do should be in the interest of the client even if that means there isn't work for you at this time. When you do the right thing they will tell their friends and colleagues what a trust worthy lawyer you are... THAT my friend is credibility and is worth more in the future than a case you create today.

Black Pearl: Relationships Are Everything! Is a book by my colleague Mark Maraia, it's a great read that is full of pearls of wisdom. And YES... relationships ARE everything!

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This week I participated in a networking event at the University of Miami School of Law. They called it "Know-How to Network" and invited eight lawyers, a Judge and me to mingle with an intimate group of 20 students at a cocktail party designed to give the students an opportunity to experience a networking event first hand. After the cocktail hour we debriefed... giving the students feedback, insights and advice. There were lessons that even seasoned lawyers could benefit from:

1. Think in advance... have ideas for conversation ready to go. They could range from current events to hobbies not just about law.

2. Focus on only meeting 2-3 new people. You are not there to collect business cards. You are there to set the stage to build new relationships. Listen and be engaging!

3. Dress appropriately. Be memorable for the right reasons... not for spiked hair, a beard, cleavage, or too much make-up. This is a business development event... look like you mean business.

4. Keep eating AND drinking to a minimum. You don't want to have a mouth full of food at the very moment the person you want to meet is walking in your direction. Booze... it goes without saying... keep your wits about you. This IS business.

5. Remember ... this is an opportunity to reinforce your personal brand. What do you want to be known for? A confident person who looks people in the eye,  a handshake that says "I am glad to met you", a person who genuinely listens and a conversationalist that is interesting.

Keeping these 5 simple strategies in mind the next time you are invited to a networking event will make your job much easier and maybe even FUN. Now, wouldn't that be nice.

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Continuing on the subject of trust… let’s be honest: You can’t trust what you don’t see. And in the age of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, face-to-face contact sets you apart and builds… yep, trust. Are you more likely to refer business to a LinkedIn contact or the person you had breakfast with last week? That’s what I thought. Building trust, trust enough to refer you potential clients, takes time and it doesn’t happen solely online. So this year start to think about how you can rebel. Go to an event. Schedule a lunch (via phone!). Take a colleague out for coffee. Then support those face-to-face meetings with your social media. Here’s a quick and interesting piece about how to do just that. (Hint: check out the comments.)

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As with our business card discussion at the beginning of this series, when it comes to joining organizations more is sometimes simply...more? It may look great on a resume to list 25 organizations to which you’re a member, but for business development purposes it isn’t doing much. Now look over the list of professional and charitable organizations you belong to and ask yourself an important question...

Question of the week: Where do you provide leadership?

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Networking and relationships are an integral part of any marketing and business development initiative. Let’s face it... without those relationships most of our marketing efforts would be at a stand still. But, as I often tell my clients, the key to SMART networking and relationship building is to focus on a core group of people, or what I like to call “choice relationships.” Before we get into the definition of a “choice relationship” let’s see where your networking mindset lies...

Question of the week: What's the most effective way to network?