Helping Attorneys to Rebuild Their Relationship Pipeline

It is a business development challenge of extraordinary proportion that many attorneys face. Multiple years of successful practice and suddenly their traditional pipelines/relationships dry-up or disappear. Their clients have moved to new markets the firm does not serve, they've been on the sell-side of too many transactions, or their clients have retired leaving no legacy relationships. No matter the cause it is a painful time for the attorney and a noble challenge for any marketing or business development professional to take on. There is much that can be done if the attorney is willing (if they are reluctant or unwilling is the topic of a different post to come).

• Find out who they already know (that are left for them TO know) that can help in a rebuild. Have them set up meetings with these persons and ask the attorney to be honest in those meetings about their situation. "My client base has changed and I am going to rebuild my practice." They will find that with their honesty will come much needed understanding and help (with referrals and suggestions).
• Look at your own business community activities. What are you doing in the community that you can offer inclusion to the attorney? Take them with you to your own meetings with industry people relevant to their practice. Whom do you know that could be a good relationship for them. Open your rolodex and share.
• Do they have an area of true expertise that could benefit the existing clients of other attorneys? Talk to other attorneys at the firm and create synergy where you can. Recruit other attorneys to offer inclusion in their industry/community activities.
  
• Get the attorney on the street meeting people. Sign them up for events. Go to the events with them and assist in introductions and relationship intelligence. Help them enlist in associations and get on active committees and boards.
  
• Be tough if that is what is called for. Some habits and routines become ingrained and change is always tough. When they don't show up, skip opportunities, or are not responsive let them know you're paying attention to these things. While it may feel uncomfortable this is what you must do.
  
• Spend private time with the attorney to offer mentoring and understanding. Often the most an attorney needs is a compatriot and a shoulder. They are already successful but need to know someone believes in them now for their success to continue.

Getting a frank, complimentary photograph of an attorney is not always easy. Let's face it, very few people are comfortable in front of a camera, and attorneys in particular have a heightened awareness of "self". Heightened awareness of self is a wonderful quality of great lawyers, but just a bit tougher to capture in a photo. Here are my tips for capturing their quality's on film.

• Treat your subjects like "talent", which they are. "Talent" is the Hollywood nickname for the people in front of the camera. "Talent" occupy a special place and, within reason, need to be catered to. The moment your attorney steps on the "set" take care of them. What do they need? What can be gotten for them? Do they feel like the most important person there?
• Put your attorneys at ease by having them pose in difficult positions early. By pushing their natural feelings of discomfort to the edge early everything else feels easier.
• Keep the camera clicking. Instruct your photographer to snap shots between "official" poses. The digital age makes it possible to capture dozens and hundreds of photos -- both construed and candid. Both have produced remarkable results.
• Search for a photographer that can adjust on the fly. Some photographers are so focused on their art that they can only work in perfection. I like photographers with news and event experience -- they seem to be able to capture outstanding images in any setting with any subject.
  
• Do not let the "talent" see the photos while they are being taken. It will add to their self-consciousness.
• Use makeup. At a very minimum have some powder around to minimize "hot-spots" on their face or exposed skin areas.
• Be fussy about their details. How is the jacket hanging. Where are their hands. Is there a scuff on their shoe or a weird drape in their trousers/dress. Fussing around "talent" continues to let them know they are important.
• Have fun! They're nervous, you're nervous, everyone is nervous. Humor always has a place when nervous people are at work.

I have been getting incredible photos of my attorneys at every shoot. I hope the same for you.

Why is Membership Low -- Revitalizing Professional Peer Associations

In this marketplace there are at least 1500 law firms. Of those 150 are based here and have 20 or more attorneys. Also among those 1500 are dozens of satellite offices for larger super-regional, national and international law firms. One might surmise that there might be more than a handful of law firm marketers, business developers, and marketing oriented lawyers in town. In fact, the membership in the local chapter of LMA is only 40 strong! Yup. 40.

I've known many of the local marketers for a long time, and I've known most of the board and LMA members (at least casually) for a few years. I know the local chapter is dedicated to doing a great job and regularly holds lunches to gather the legal marketing community together. But something has happened along the way and most of the community appears apathetic about mingling and learning with their peers. As a developer of relationship networks for so many other professionals I am disappointed by my apathy in building a peer network for myself. I even wrote about the importance of peer networks!

What I am going to do in the next several months, in addition to writing all things marketing, is share on this blog what we do and how we are doing as we try to rebuild the membership of the SoCal LMA. That's right... instead of just offering my opinion I have stepped up to help some really talented people get this thing done. Instead of just being a critic I hope to be a worker.

More Proof: Entertainment at Events Matters

This evening I returned to the ginormous event I talked about in my last post. Tonight the headliner was the artist that sang the song "Shout" in the movie Animal House. I talked with a lot of people tonight and the overwhelming reason that SO MANY conference attendees were still at the conference in the waining hours of the whole deal was that they did not want to miss anything.

Get it!? The attendees were so entertained that they didn't want to leave! A financial conference!

It does not matter the content. If you make entertainment your number one priority your audience will be in the palm of your hands.

Entertainment Should Always be the Top Priority at a Business Event

Two revealing moments today about entertainment at events. The first came late this afternoon while sitting in an organizing committee meeting for a new awards event launching in Orange County (more news on that in a few months). While discussing sponsor benefits the topic of introductions of award recipients came up and most of the committee was leaning toward the common practice at business events; Introduce a sponsor who in turn introduces the award recipient. Depending on the event you go to that process can last two minutes and more often lasts ten.

I've talked about this process before. Why would we subject an audience to a tedious process that we ourselves do not like to endure when we are the attendee? It is an anti-entertainment dogma that must be stopped. A sponsor on a stage is not a "wow-fun" memorable moment and you should not subject your sponsors to the negative side effects. Instead, find ways to give them the branding they crave, without bringing them to the stage.

Think of it this way -- Would I be entertained? Which brings me to my second revealing moment today. I attended a reception/party for a mid-cap finance conference this evening.

As boring as that sounds from the outside I would venture to say the annual Roth Capital Conference is one of the most popular, gotta-be-there, conferences in the country. The reason? They stumble over themselves trying to find interesting ways to make every day a fun day. Tonight's headliner onstage just won a Grammy for top rap artist. Yah! That guy! I would mention his name but do not need the errant search hits coming here.

Throughout the conference the organizers sprinkle incredible fun into the day and they don't get hung up on procedure. There was no introductions tonight, no speeches of welcome and nothing from the stage about purpose, cause, or sponsors. They just turned everyone loose to do what they came to do -- network and have fun.

I talked with a lot of the sponsors and their unanimous response was, "Heck yah this is worth every penny we spent!"

Next time you are creating an event think hard about the entertainment value of every moment. Would I LOVE to attend an event such as I am creating?

What Do You Stand For?

Life, many say, is a compromise. It feels that way sometimes with all of the things I must "have patience" to endure. Working as a law firm marketer for many feels this way much of the time -- I want to make a stand on something I feel is important but in the final measure think it wise to let it go.

While some of this type of thinking is quite OK, a marketer does need to make a stand from time to time. One, because they DO know the right path, and two, because if we do not believe in ourselves how can we expect that others will. Here are a few things that I consider worth standing for:

• The brand of your firm - Someone HAS to be "the firm" as if the "firm" had a human voice. If you have done your groundwork and created a brand that absolutely represents the firm as a whole you need to be ready to stand up to its parts. You see... the brand of a firm is not perfect for everyone -- it is perfect for all. Understand this and you'll have the right armor to defend it.
• The growth of your people - Being a mentor/boss requires absolute loyalty when they have earned nothing less. People grow because they feel safe to make choices (even poor choices).
• Relationships mean more than qualifications - Too many times I've been asked to expend extraordinary effort to create a proposal when the principles involved had literally done nothing to know the people they were proposing to. The most successful attorney I have ever known would admit he was at best an "average" attorney. But he was really good at creating great relationships before he ever asked for the work.
• Truth matters more than emotion - I have heard incredibly passionate arguments for doing the wrong thing... just as I have heard passion for doing right. Be always ready to stand for truth. As marketers the truth may be in approach, proposal, relations, or message. What matters to me is that I stand for knowing what is true and acting on that knowledge.

What are you willing to stand for? Nothing defines a quality marketing person more than their passion for their craft.

Law Firm Marketing Consultants - What to Charge for Services

There are a lot of marketing consultants providing services to law firms of all sizes. There is an equal range of both quality of consultants and prices they charge. One of the most common questions I am asked by consultants I've been privileged to know or mentor is, "How much should I be charging for my services?" Many of the larger consulting firms have established price structures... the question is more common from solo and small shops.

My answer is, "You should charge what you are worth." I realize this appears to be a non-answer, but in fact, it is quite concise. Consider these three items:

• Charge enough so the work provides a living (if in fact you can develop a full-time level of business).
  
• Charge as much as the market will bear. To find that number raise your price until the market starts saying, "No".
• Charge as much as you can say out loud to a client or prospect without getting the giggles or feeling foolish.

To the last bullet -- I have a consulting friend who has helped two different technology companies skyrocket their sales in short order and is responsible for a ton of incredible campaigns with many other clients. Her top billable rate is $150hr. When I was consulting my top billing was $300hr. I would consider her skills far superior to mine and yet she can't get over a personal hurdle of asking for more than $150.

While some might say there is a lot of science and formula for determining billing/project rates I will argue that it is something totally different... Which would explain why billing rates are all over the board. Use my three rules and see what happens for you.