Law Consulting Blog : Cordell Parvin's Law Consulting Blog : Coach & Consultant For Lawyers & Law Firms : Business Development, Career Planning

In 2010, you will likely attend one or more conferences. You may not know anyone at the conference. Sounds daunting doesn’t it?

Eric Pruitt is a lawyer I coached from Birmingham. When I first met Eric he told me he would be attending an industry conference and asked if I had any ideas for him. I gave him some and told him to read chapters from Keith Ferrazzi’s book: Never Eat Alone. Eric did and it changed how he approached industry conferences. Here are some of Eric’s thoughts that he recently shared with me.

Keith Farrazzi has 15 Tip for Being a Conference Commando. Some of it sounds over the top, or "dorky", however, I decided to look at his tips with an open mind and see how I could apply his concepts as a lawyer. I found some great ideas. Here are a few of the things I've started doing:

1. Develop a plan. Work to identify people you want to meet, schedule lunches/dinners/drinks/ etc. . . before the meeting. I'm attending the CMSA Annual Meeting in NY next month and have worked to schedule these events in advance and am working on identifying the "celebrity status" (people of importance in the organization - not real celebs) that I want to meet while I'm there.
2. Work on building relationships with people, not seeing how many people I can meet and give a business card to. Focus on the person I'm talking to, don't let my eyes wander and attempt to find the next target.
3. Take notes on the people I meet and follow up quickly with a hand written note. Use the notes so I can make a personal connection in my follow up correspondence.
4. Have a "what can I do for this person" attitude instead of "how can I do legal work for this person". Helping others is a great way to build a network.
5. If it is an industry organization that you want to become more involved in, find a non-threatening way to volunteer for tasks at the meeting. This can provide opportunities to find out about special invitation events, get to know leaders, etc. . .

These are just some quick comments. The book is packed with great insight.

What can you learn from Eric's ideas and actually use at the next event you attend?
 

 

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I am sure many of you will find this odd. I really like and admire Barack Obama and I really like and admire Sarah Palin. I am not talking about their political views. I am talking about how well they have done so far under intense pressure, how they have handled their underdog status, and most importantly how they have emotionally connected with their clients-the people of the United States. I feel I have learned a great deal from watching them.

At the beginning of this year, virtually every political pundit predicted that Hillary Clinton would wrap up the nomination on "Super Tuesday." It seems they underestimated Barack Obama. Between Friday and Wednesday night many political pundits described in detail the mistake John McCain had made selecting Sarah Palin. It wasn't just the political pundits. Joy Behar, Jay Leno. David Letterman and especially Bill Maher ridiculed Sarah Palin in ways I have not seen in years. If you want to read what they said, go to: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,416981,00.html

When I watched Barack Obama as the underdog in the early debates and when I watched Sarah Palin take the stage on Wednesday night, I felt like I was watching our women's gymnastic team on the balance beam during the Olympics. I was so worried that they might show their nervousness and not nail it. I believe they both have performed at the highest level under intense "make or break" pressure.

Why have Barack Obama and Sarah Palin connected so well with their clients? How have they moved audiences so well? How can you take what they do and apply it to your own relationship with clients and your own presentations?

In his book "The Likeability Factor," Tim Sanders includes a chapter on "The Four Elements of Likeability." Those elements are:

• Friendliness • Relevance • Empathy • Realness (authenticity)

Prior to this election, I feel I learned a great deal from President Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, President Reagan and President Clinton. Like, Barack Obama and Sarah Palin, each of these candidates connected with their audience. In varying degrees they each demonstrated friendliness, relevance, empathy and realness.

Many young lawyers I coach feel they are at a competitive disadvantage because of their age and experience. I am confident that each day before the election we will hear something about Barack Obama's and Sarah Palin's lack of experience. Yet, I believe this election will show that experience is overrated and judgment, connectivity and likeability are underrated. The same is true for lawyers.

When I coach young lawyers I share with them that I believe that about 10% of legal work is "bet the company." Clients will hire the best-known senior "go to" lawyer to handle that work. At the other end, I believe that about 20% to 30% of legal work is commodity work. Clients will hire whoever is willing to do that work for the lowest price. If you are in a firm of any size, you will not be able to compete on price and frankly you would not want to compete on price. Finally, I believe that at least 60% of legal work is neither bet the company or commodity work. Clients will hire lawyers they like and trust and with whom they feel some connection.

How can you position yourself to have the best opportunity to be hired by clients for that work? First, you have to be a capable lawyer. But, that will not be enough. You need to also be likeable with the elements Tim Sanders describes. You need to be friendly. Tim Sanders uses a quote from Bert Drecker, a communication expert: "If you want to get your message across . . .., You must first persuade the listeners first brain that you represent warmth, comfort and safety." Next, you must be relevant. As a lawyer that means understanding your client's industry and company and understanding your client contact's needs. Next, you need to be empathetic. You must be able to see things from your client's point of view. To do that you need to be able to ask relevant questions and then listen, listen, listen. Finally, you need to be real.

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned one of my favorite books on presentations. It is: "Give a Speech, Change the World" by Nick Morgan. I believe history will record that 38 million people tuned in to watch a speech by Presidential candidate, Barack Obama that changed the world and then less than seven days later 37 million people tuned in to watch a speech by Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin that changed the world. I hope that their speeches and performance under pressure will inspire you to give a presentation to a group of potential clients that will change their world.

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I have been conducting a workshop for lawyers I coach titled: "Beyond Selling." I actually recorded the workshop and may make a DVD of it, if enough lawyers are interested. If you are interested in watching and listening to it, contact Joyce at jflo@cordellparvin.com.

I call the program "Beyond Selling" because selling legal services is different than selling other products or even other professional services. Also, selling legal services in 2008 is different than it was 25 or 30 years ago when you just did good work, you got a Martindale AV rating, you were visible in your community and you waited for the phone to ring. In those days you could also get by on who you knew as well as what you knew. In this time who you know is less important than who knows you.

Matt is a real estate associate I am coaching in Dallas. He is a marketing machine, in part because he was a salesman before he went to law school. He also really appreciates how selling legal services differs. At my request, he drafted a short "how to" article on what to do at a client meeting/lunch to close a sale. I will briefly touch on his ideas here. If you would like a copy of his entire article, contact Joyce.

Matt begins with just one suggestion: "Ask questions of your prospects. There is no greater sound to any person than the sound of their own voice." Additionally, too many lawyers want to tell or sell, when they meet with prospective clients. Clients instead want you to ask them questions about their business and demonstrate to them through your questions that you know something about their field or industry.

In Matt's experience, most of his prospects like some small talk before business, even as small as asking: "Did you get here ok?" Matt suggests that even though this step may sound unimportant or a waste of time, he finds that it is key to establishing that you are not there just to get their business. He told me: "Treating people with this human element sets the right tone that you are more than their lawyer - you are a person concerned over their well being and on your way to being their trusted advisor in the future."

Matt refers to his approach with the marketing idea of "peeling back an onion." We peeled the first layer by talking to them person-to-person, rather than lawyer-to-client. It is now time to peel back the next layer, which is to take an overall, broad interest in their business, again rather than the specific reason for their visit. Matt does this by asking great questions: "Tell me about your development." "What type of development is this, again?" "Where is it?" "How large is it?" "Are there any other investors?" The questions, even at this broad level, are endless. Matt then listens intently-really listens.

I think you can see that Matt really understands how to do "Beyond Selling." I think you will find the way he approaches prospective client meetings effective for you also.

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I have told this story about a financial advisor many times. It taught me what it feels like when someone is selling me.

Tom is a financial advisor I know here in Dallas. His wife and Nancy are friends and we have played golf as couples a few times. Tom is really, really a nice guy, but, in my view he has made many cardinal mistakes in trying to get my business.

A few years ago, Tom's assistant called me and said: "Mr. Smith would like to know if you would like to play golf with his group on Saturday." My first thought was: "If Mr. Smith really wanted me to join him, wouldn't he have called me himself?" I decided Mr. Smith was having his assistant call a "prospect" list.

Fast forward to 2007. I no longer work downtown. I discover my office is in the same building as Mr. Smith's and that he is most anxious for me to join him for lunch. I knew it would not be a social lunch between friends. Tom was looking for the opportunity to sell me his financial services. I immediately thought: "I can run, but now that we are in the same building, I can't hide forever."

Sure enough, in January of this year, Tom finally had me cornered. He and his son had joined Nancy and I during a round of golf. During the round he asked when I would next be in my office so I could join him for lunch. Knowing I could not say: "never," I told him I would in be in office on Tuesday.

I went downstairs Tuesday at noon for what I anticipated would be a sales lunch. Because I teach lawyers how to interact with potential clients, I thought that at the worst I would see an experienced sales professional in action.

The lunch was very nice. We sat in Tom's office where he had a flat screen TV tuned to a financial station and I thought that was very cool. I expected the small talk about golf and our spouses and waited to see how Tom would transition to business. Here is how he did it: "Let, me tell you about my company." He proceeded to give me a bit of a history lesson and talked about how the company is full service and can handle all my financial services. The one advantage of having Tom tell me all this is I could eat rapidly and just keep nodding my head.

Finally Tom popped the big question: "Cordell, would you like to be able to put away more for retirement that would not be taxed?" That is like asking if I would like to have someone give me a million dollars. Knowing Tom expected me to say: "Yes, tell me how." I, instead said: "Yes, and I have been talking that over with MY financial advisor." I put the emphasis on the word MY purposely to let him know I already had someone with whom I was happy. Not to be deterred, Tom spent the next 15 minutes telling me what I already knew about Defined Benefit Plans for small businesses.

When I got home, I told Nancy that even though I made clear I did not need a new financial advisor, I knew I would receive an email from Tom...the follow up. Sure enough I got this email:

Cordell, please let me know if you want any assistance in designing a qualified retirement plan for you---many times we can maximize the benefits for the principal and minimizing the same for other employees. Most principals want to obtain at least 80% of contributions so that the IRS tax savings pays for the other employees. I'm available to assist you..Tom

(As an aside, just suppose Joyce, my loyal and trusty assistant happened to see this email and concluded I was trying to minimize her benefits. Had I been Tom, I think I would have inquired about Joyce during our meeting.)

So, what can we learn about selling legal services from my experience? Send me an email or post a comment with your thoughts and I will send you my Top 10 Selling Mistakes. If you think about how you would feel from what I have written above, I believe you uncover many of the Top 10 Selling Mistakes.

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In my post last week, I suggested that when you are doing things with your family, you focus your attention on them and turn your Blackberry off. There are two stories about fathers and sons that I believe illustrate the difference between how we interact with our children. My minister related the first story to our congregation a few years ago. It was about a day of fishing long ago.

Charles Francis Adams, the son of John Quincy Adams took his son, Brook fishing. Brook kept a journal and his entry for that day was:  "Went fishing with my father--the most wonderful day of my life!" It turns out that Charles Francis Adams also kept a journal. His entry for the very same day was: "Went fishing with my son today--a day wasted." That entry might seem incredible today, but I do not think so.  I remember Harry Chapin's wonderful song "The Cat is in the Cradle" and the lyrics:

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play"
"Can you teach me to throw?"
I said, "Not today, I got a lot to do"
He said, "That's ok"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah"
"You know I'm gonna be like him"

I read recently about a Cornell University study that found the average father spends 38 seconds per day being totally attentive to his children's needs and about 20 minutes a day being partially attentive. The same children spend 54 hours per week watching television. I learned early in my career from my first senior lawyer mentor the importance of spending quality time with my daughter, Jill. She is 29 years old and I still spend quality time with her. She now enjoys "family game days." We play Trivial Pursuit, The Game of Life, Texas Hold 'em and a variety of Wii games. I am confident that most of us do not consider our time with our children wasted. But, if that is so, are we totally attentive when we are with them? I know I have been guilty of not being totally attentive. My daughter's story about me reading emails on my Blackberry and responding even made it into a Boston Globe article.  http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/articles/2006/07/02/businesss_new_task_turning_off/

The second story is "Green and Clean" and I read it many years ago in Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." Stephen Covey tells about giving his seven year old son responsibility for the yard work and making the yard "green and clean" and volunteers to be his son's helper. For several days, Stephen Covey looks at the yard and nothing has been done. Stephen Covey asked his son: "How's the yard coming?" The son replied: "Fine, Dad." After dinner Stephen Covey suggested they take a look at the yard. As they walked out in the yard his son began to sob and said: "It is so hard, Dad." Stephen Covey asked if there was anything he could do to help. That broke the ice. His son went in the house and got a bag for Stephen Covey to use to pick up garbage from a barbeque. According to Covey, his seven year old son only asked for help a couple of more times that summer and the yard was greener and cleaner than ever before. Do we have the patience to be our children's helper and teach them to take responsibility, or would we have just become upset with our child and taken over the task? You can read the entire story  at :http://www.geocities.com/managementplaza/green-and-clean.html.

At the risk of giving this post too much of a Kumbaya touch,  I also found an inspirational website for fathers at  http://fathersmattermuch.com. Check it out Dads.

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As I write this post, Mitt Romney has just suspended his Presidential campaign. I actually had the opportunity to watch his speech. I suspect that had he given the same speech much earlier, he would have done much better with the voters. For the first time, I could clearly understand his vision. He talked about the importance of families and children having fathers. He spoke about our country's challenge with so much money going outside the country for energy. He focused on the importance of limiting government spending and regulations and enabling individuals and corporations to save and spend their money. Finally he spoke about the importance of winning the war on terrorism.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, has articulated a clear vision from his very first speech. Last July I watched the first Democratic debate. Afterwards, I taped the discussion on Fox News with a focus group. Even then, when he was not well known, he connected with the focus group because he skillfully articulated his vision for change and working together to build a better future.

I am reading a great book titled: "Charisma: Seven Keys to Developing Magnetism That Leads to Success" by Tony Alessandra. In the chapter on vision, Alessandra tells the story of a kindergarten teacher who asked a student what she was drawing: "I'm drawing a picture of God," the child quickly answered.  "But sweetheart," said the teacher, "no one knows what God looks like." The young girl replied: "They will in a minute!"

Alessandra notes: "Charismatic people possess a similar, almost childlike faith in their vision and their ability to create change. People will follow leaders (and clients will rely on lawyers) whose vision inspires them and makes their lives more meaningful."

Do you have a clear vision for your future? Do you convey to your clients a clear vision of how you can help them? 

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Last week I wrote about client service and the difference between my experience with my Apple Mac computer and my PC. Even though there are differences in the computers, for me the two computers function in much the same way. The real difference is the experience owning and using my Mac computer. It is the service at the Apple store at the Genius Bar, in the group training that is offered and in my one-on-one training. Apple isn't the only company focused on providing extraordinary service. I recently came across a great Wall Street Journal article on service titled "Selling the Special Touch." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115318546810009370.html  

If you want to learn some valuable ideas about client service read the article and even consider going to the training Ritz Carlton offers on client service. I have experienced client service the Ritz Carlton way first hand.

In 2005 my daughter got married within a week of mine and Nancy's 35th anniversary. So, we planned an anniversary trip to Hawaii in November. An extremely urgent client matter came up which required me to cancel our trip to Hawaii. We then decided we would take a three day weekend and go to the Ritz Carlton at Marina del Rey in Southern California. As a treat we decided to stay on the club level. (If you haven't ever done it, stay at least one time on the club level at a Ritz Carlton.). Two days before our check-in I received a call at my office from Maria. She worked on the club level and she wanted to talk with me about my upcoming trip. She asked if I had any special requests. I reported we would be landing at LAX at about 8:30 AM and would really appreciate an early check-in. Then she asked if this was a special occasion. I told her it was a belated 35th anniversary trip.

Two days later we arrived at the hotel at about 9:15 AM. People were checking out. When we got to the front of the line to check in, the person behind the desk called Maria over to greet us. She told us she would check us in on the club level. She said there were two different rooms with different views that were available now. After we selected the room we liked best, Maria checked us in and introduced us to Tom who was the day manager of the club level lounge. At a point Tom asked if I had any questions about the club level. I asked what time they opened on Saturday morning. I think he said 7:00 on the weekends. Since that would be 9:00 Dallas time, I wanted coffee earlier in the morning. I asked where the closest Starbucks was. He told me and said they likely opened about 7:00 on Saturday also. I thought he was wrong about that, but I didn't say anything.

In the afternoon, Nancy and I went for a long walk along the water. When we got back to our room we found a coffee pot, two Ritz Carlton mugs, enough Starbucks coffee to last a week and a couple of other treats from Starbucks. Tom's handwritten note wished us a happy anniversary and told us to keep the Ritz Carlton mugs as an anniversary gift from the hotel. I was blown away. Tom had obviously listened to me and knew he could provide extraordinary service by finding a way for me to have coffee before he opened the club lounge.

For many of us as lawyers, when our clients come to us to help them, it is not a Ritz Carlton vacation. Instead we are helping them solve what may be a very difficult problem. How can we apply the Ritz Carlton service to that help we give our clients?

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Here's another Little Things Matter that demonstrates how much it counts for you to remember little things your client or potential client tells you. The attorney in this story not only remembered what her potential client told her, she did another little thing that mattered.

I had a phone coaching session with Cordell yesterday and I mentioned that I had been focusing the last 30 days on in-person client visits. I have also been trying to incorporate the "give away" idea Cordell has discussed. I have had a lot of fun getting to know my clients and potential clients on a more personal level. I wanted to share with you the following, in the hopes that it may inspire and/or assist you in your efforts.

I ran into a long-time acquaintance recently, we'll call her Mary, who I had not seen in some time. "Mary" and I got to talking and I learned she had recently become engaged, is planning a wedding, and is also in the process building and buying a new home. "Mary" mentioned that she had not found time recently to work on fitness and that she wanted to get back on a fitness program before the wedding. She also mentioned her plans to rent her existing home to a tenant. A week or so after my meeting with "Mary", I was in a bookstore looking for a specific book. While there, I thought about "Mary" and remembered a health eating/fitness book I had read. I called "Mary" and stopped by to see her after work, where I presented her with a small gift bag with the book and a note. She was very touched, could not believe I had remembered her mentioning her desire to become more fit before the wedding, and could not thank me enough. She has already asked me if I can prepare a lease and to review the contract for her new home."

We all know it's important to listen to what your clients tell you. We all know we need to listen to what they say about their legal issues. That's a big part of being a good lawyer. But if you want to build relationships with your clients, you will want to listen to what they say about themselves. Then you'll know what little thing to do that will matter.

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I will be speaking to groups of associates in two law firms in the next week. The topics generally will cover the secret of being a successful lawyer and having a fulfilling and active family life.

When I was billing 2000 hours I did not have time to study or understand why some lawyers are successful and have a great family life and why others are not. I also did my client development instinctively and some things worked very effectively, while other things did not work quite as well. I didn't have time then to sit down and analyze why.

Now, that I am coaching and working with lawyers, and researching and writing, I have a much better idea of the attributes of the most successful lawyers who also have a family life and I understand better why certain client development efforts work more effectively than others. While each lawyer I know has unique talents, weaknesses, ambitions and practices, and there is no magic pill or formula, there are principles that I urge you to think about and try.

I have written about those principles in previous Blog postings and on my web page you will find two articles I wrote that were published this year. The first was published by the New York State Bar Association YLD publication "Perspective" and the second was published by "Marketing the Law Firm." It is kind of a shorter version of the first. They both address some of the principles I mentioned.

As I have outlined on this page before, it all begins with our attitude. When we talk to our self do we say: "Yes, but..." or "Sure. How...?" do we say; "My problem is..." or "my opportunity is..." Next, we must have clarity on what we want in our career and life. Our time and energy are our most important assets. If we do not have clarity by having a written plan and written goals we waste precious time. Next, we need to focus on what our clients need. They do not want to be sold. They do not care about what we do. They hire us to solve problems, help them achieve opportunities or deal with internal or external changes. If what we do does not address those issues, the client will not hire us, no matter how good we are.

We need to build our profile. Over time it really helps to focus on a niche and become the "go to lawyer" in that niche. It should be something clients need and you are passionate about. One lawyer I am coaching sent me her revised plan. She identified clients and potential clients, what she could do for them, two specific areas she wanted to focus on and become the "go to lawyer" and a game plan to become recognized by the clients she wants to serve.

Building our profile gives us the opportunity to build relationships with clients and potential clients. At the end of the day, we get the opportunity to be considered based on our reputation and recommendations, we ultimately get hired based on how well we connect with our clients and build trust and rapport. Assuming we do high quality work, we keep those clients by understanding their industry, their business and their personal needs. I also say that I want my clients to be friends and I want my friends to be clients. So, the personal relationship we develop really does matter.

When we become more successful we need to build a team. Young lawyers who will later work with you will be thinking "what is in this for me to work with...?"  We need to treat them as if they are as important as our most important client because without their help we will not retain our most important client. We need to align their goals with our own and our client's goals, provide sufficient information in a timely way for them to do their work and then constantly give feedback.

Finally, we need to plan our personal time at the very least as well as we plan our work time. For me, Saturday afternoon starting with lunch has always been Jill's time. It is more challenging now that she is married, but we still try to spend that time together, now usually with her husband and my wife, Nancy, included. When we are with our family, we need to be in the moment, not answering blackberry emails. You will see in this Boston Globe article that my grown daughter brought that point home to me well. http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/articles/2006/07/02/businesss_new_task_turning_off/

I recently came across a report titled: How Superachievers Outperform Others by Dr. Donald J. Moine. I found it very supportive of what I have learned and written about how super lawyers outperform others. You can find it on the Selling Power webpage http://www.sellingpower.com. If you have trouble finding it or downloading it, send me an email and I will get it to you.

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Simple observation can be a powerful client development tool. In his book Making Rain, Andrew Sobel tells a great story about his son's interview with the head of admissions at a college to which he was applying. Sobel describes that at the end of the one-hour interview, his son said to the admissions director, "I notice you're wearing an Outward Bound pin. Are you a graduate?" "Oh, yes," she beamed. "This past summer I finally took one of their adult courses--it was something I had wanted to do for years." As Sobel points out, this story illustrates how you can break through when you make an emotional connection with someone. What does all this mean to lawyers? Put simply observation and doing your homework can be powerful client development techniques because it allows you to connect with the client on a personal level.

Here are some ideas on applying those techniques. Before you meet with a client or prospective client do your homework. Prepare for the meeting by finding out as much about the person and the company as you can. Where did the client representative go to college and law school? Where did he work before joining the client? Has he written any articles? When you arrive at the office, take a look at the coffee table books and magazines in the reception area. They may be industry magazines or may be books about the city or state of the business. Whatever they happen to be, they convey the client's interests or values.

Meetings in the client's office provide ample opportunity for observation. What is on the wall and shelves? Are there sports pictures, pictures of his or her kids, or works of art? What books are on the book shelves? Is the office neat and tidy or kind of messy?

With the information you gather by observation you can find ways to connect with the client. You can subscribe to trade publications, send things you find that will be of interest to your client, and read some of the books that interest you.

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I recently received a copy of an email from a lawyer I am coaching to the others in her coaching group. She said:

I am not sure how many of you are reading Cordell's book, but I just read a great tip in there that I thought that I would share with you.  It is not one that I had heard before.

Determine who 5 leading lawyers are in your field.  Print out their biographies.  Study their biographies to determine what has made them successful (e.g. speaking engagements, leadership roles, pro bono, memberships).  Emulate their success.

A few years ago I read a quote attributed to Bobby Knight and also to Paul (Bear) Bryant. It was "Many have the will to win, but few have the will to prepare to win."  I believe  successful lawyers are not successful by accident. Most I know prepare to win by figuring out what is important to them, setting career and life priorities, developing a plan with goals and taking action to achieve them. I also know now that attracting new clients and building a lasting relationship with them is not an accident. The successful lawyers I know prepare to win with clients and potential clients by taking time to understand their needs and making sure they effectively address those needs.  In your career, "the will to prepare to win" will be way more important than the "will to win." So, I chose "Prepare to Win: A Lawyer's Guide to Rainmaking, Career Success and Life Fulfillment" as the title for my new book, which has recently been released.

This book is not about winning in court or on appeal. Instead, it is a workbook designed to help you define your own success and then achieve it. I hope you will find it a helpful tool as you focus on your career, client development, and living the kind of life that is important to you. I hope you find some valuable nuggets in the book that will help you think through what your career and life priorities are and how you can achieve them.

Here are the Chapter titles:

Chapter One:  How Do Rainmakers Do It?
 
Chapter Two:  Living and Practicing Law with a Purpose: You Have to Answer the "Why" Question

Chapter Three:  Your Vision of Success: How Do Rainmakers Do It?

Chapter Four:  Core Values: How Do You Want to Live?

Chapter Five:  The Importance of Role Models and Mentors

Chapter Six:  Setting Yearly Goals and Developing Your Career Plan

Chapter Seven:  A Call to Action: Executing Your Plan

Chapter Eight:  Mind Games: Getting and Staying "In the Zone"

Chapter Nine:  Building Your Profile: The Power of Writing and Speaking

Chapter Ten:  Community Service and Networking

Chapter Eleven:  Connecting with Contacts

Chapter Twelve:  Top Ten Client Development Mistakes

Chapter Thirteen:  Improving Client Service

Chapter Fourteen:  From Niches to Riches

Chapter Fifteen:  Important Extras: The Value of Extraordinary Client Service

Chapter Sixteen:  The Business Case for Better Balance

Chapter Seventeen:  Building the Next Generation of Rainmakers

If you want to read a sample from the book, click here. You can also order the book from the webpage.

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Christy is one of my all time favorite young partners. Why? Christy is the "real deal." She is an extremely talented, self-starter who knows what she wants to accomplish in both her professional life and her personal life, and she plans her time around her priorities.

Christy is a long-term health care lawyer. She made equity partner in her firm when she was 32. Her husband is also an equity partner in a large law firm. She had two children while she was an associate. Christy is also a happy person who is not stressed out by her work and life.

Christy recently conducted a program for all the associates in her firm titled: Taking Control of Your Non-Billable Time.

Christy sent me the PowerPoint slides and it is clear that she has successfully implemented in her own life many of the ideas I suggest young lawyers consider. I wish every young lawyer would have a chance to listen to Christy's program.

In her presentation Christy told associates they cannot have it all and they have to make choices based on their priorities. She plans her life around her priorities (does that sound familiar?) Christy has established life time goals in the four categories I suggest:

• Physical/Financial
• Mental/Learning
• Emotional/Relationships
• Spiritual/Values

Christy's priorities include her family, church, work, and public service. Recognizing her priorities Christy was able to do one activity that included all of her priorities. How, you ask?

Christy was asked to be a deacon in her church. While the time commitment was not great, she declined because it would take her away from her family. Instead she started the children's choir at her church. Here is Christy's description of a public service project her choir did.

"My children's choir chose as our public service project to go sing at nursing homes (hmm wonder whose idea that was?) Around Halloween, I took the choir to sing and hand out care packages to one of my church-affiliated nursing home clients." She sent a photo of the choir to the CEO of her client with an email.

From: Christy
To: Shelley; David Smith; Kimberly
Subject: "I Saw the Light"

Mr. Smith, Shelley and Kim, I just wanted to let you know how much my Children's Choir enjoyed singing for the residents at Wedgwood yesterday and spending time with them handing out treat bags. Kim, thank you for coming in on Sunday afternoon to show us around. I am attaching a few photos. I apologize for the quality. My son is the cowboy on crutches.

Christy

This is the email reply she received from the CEO who she had always called Mr. Smith.

From: David A. Smith
To: Christy
Subject: RE:"I Saw the Light"

Christy, the pictures are neat...I recognized your son immediately (looks like his mother). Thank you for bringing the children and spending time at Wedgewood. Our residents always look forward to and enjoy children visiting.

P.S. I think you should call me David.

Thanks, David

Christy did not start the children's choir for business development. She started it because she wanted a church activity she could do with her children. She wasn't marketing when she took the children to Wedgewood. But, that public service project connected her in a meaningful way with her client that had nothing to do with legal work.

How well are you planning your personal time and non-billable time? Is it based on your priorities? Let me know if you would like more information about Christy's presentation.

Tags: Being a Lawyer, Career Development, Client Development, Emotional Intelligence, Having a Life, Interpersonal Skills

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I have always been an avid reader of books I thought would improve my skills in client development, leadership, teamwork and a variety of other topics, and help me use my time more effectively. I learned long ago a way to read business books. I first skim the book. In that process I decide what is important that I want to go back and read in detail.
People often ask me for a list of books I would recommend they read. So, I put this list together with the idea of you reading a book a month. Considering I am posting this blog in February, you may want to adjust the schedule accordingly. However, if you can find the time, I'd suggest you quickly read January's book and then get right into the book for February. I hope you find each book to beneficial to you and I hope you enjoy them.
January: Getting Things Done by David Allen
February: Overachievement by John Eliot
March: The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
April: The Ultimate Guide to Mental Toughness by Daniel Teitelbaum
May: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
June: The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey with Rebecca Merrill
July: Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz
August: Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles
September: High Trust Selling by Todd Duncan
October: 10 Secrets of the World's Greatest Business Communicators by Carmine Gallo
November:  Making Rain by Andrew Sobel
December: Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green and Robert M. Galfard
Six Bonus Books if you have already read any on the list above:

1. Selling with Emotional Intelligence by Mitch Anthony


2. How to Connect in Business in 90 Seconds or Less by Nicholas Boothman


3. Heavy Hitter Selling by Steven W. Martin


4. The Likeability Factor by Tim Sanders


5. Presenting to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story by Jerry Weissman


6. Leading with the Heart by Mike Krzyzewski

By the way, please feel free to post comments to this blog as you read the books. Tell me what you found helpful. I like receiving your feedback.
 
 

 

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I remember when and why I decided I wanted to become a lawyer. I was in eighth grade and, already a fan of biographies (and I remain one to this day), I purchased a book called My Life in Court, an autobiography written by Clarence Darrow, an outspoken opponent of capital punishment, an advocate for civil rights, and proponent for the teaching of evolution. (I still have the book today, its $.1.95 price tag clearly visible.) Brilliant, witty, profound and genuine, Darrow inspired me with words that still resonate with passion nearly seven decades after his death. He also taught me to think and to question things others did not question. 

• As long as the world shall last there will be wrongs, and if no man objected and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last forever, 



• Chase after the truth like all hell and you'll free yourself, even though you never touch its coat tails. 



• History repeats itself. That's one of the things wrong with history. 



• I am a friend of the working man, and I would rather be his friend, than be one. 



• I am an agnostic; I do not pretend to know what many ignorant men are sure of. 



• If you lose the power to laugh, you lose the power to think. 



• Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt. 



• At twenty a man is full of fight and hope. He wants to reform the world. When he is seventy he still wants to reform the world, but he knows he can't. 



• No other offense has ever been visited with such severe penalties as seeking to help the oppressed. 

Many of us entered the legal profession full of fight and hope that we could reform the world and make it a better place. We also wanted to help the oppressed. We learned we could not do those things working for a law firm helping corporations. Yet, opportunities exist to make a difference through pro bono work and through many bar association activities. Even when we are helping corporations, we are helping the people who own stock and the people who work for the company. Think about what motivated you to become a lawyer and find ways to do as much of it as possible. 

 

Tags: Being a Lawyer, Having a Life, Interpersonal Skills

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Are you willing to go on a journey with me and see if it makes 2007 your best year ever? 

I contend that no matter how successful you have been in the past, 2007 can be your best year ever. I also contend that for most people, it is the small things that will make the biggest difference. If you are interested, I want you to answer the following questions about yourself. You can email your answers to me if you would like my thoughts. I will also give you my Top 10 Tips for Making 2007 Your Best Year Ever. 

Here are my questions: 

1. What are your hopes for your career in 2007? 

Create 3-5 goals that will lead you toward the hopes you have for 2007. 

2. What are your hopes for your career over the next five years? 

Create 3-5 goals that will lead you toward the hopes you have for your career over the next five years. 

3. What is the one thing you could do in 2007 that you have not done before, that would have the greatest impact on your career? 

Several years ago, I decided that the one thing for me was to use my time more wisely. I also decided that I needed to plan my time each week and write down what I planned to do. 

4. What is holding you back? 

In my case, I know I lack self discipline, and more than anything else, that was the most critical thing holding me back. I knew what I should do, but did not have the discipline to always do it. 

5. What are you willing to do to become more successful? 

I like the quote attributed to a wide variety of college football and basketball coaches. "Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win." 

Here are my Top 10 Tips: 

1. Write down what you want to accomplish in 2007. 



2. Prepare a Plan so you use your non-billable time wisely. I can provide you with templates to consider. 



3. Decide on one area to learn that will enable you to be a more effective lawyer in your field. One year I decided to focus on communication to juries. I bought every book I could find on the subject, listened to every tape and read every article. 



4. Read or listen to one book a month on success, client development or other topics that will make you more effective. If you send me an email, I would be happy to send you my list of books that will make the biggest difference in your career and life. More importantly than reading the books is actually implementing 2-3 things as a result of reading the books. 



5. Use your time more effectively. Time is our most valuable resource. Whether we care to admit it or not, our challenge is not that we do not have enough time. Instead, our challenge is that we do not use the time we have effectively. Occasionally, I challenge myself to write down things I do - or things I should do that by not doing them - wastes my time. 



6. Think of ways to apply the 80-20 rule. Let me give you examples so you can think about it. Twenty percent of the things we do creates eighty percent of our success. What is that twenty percent for you? Eighty percent of a typical lawyers business comes from twenty percent of his or her clients. Which of your clients generate eighty percent of your business? 



7. Decide how much non-billable time you plan to spend developing your career and client base in 2007 and divide by 50. Each week give yourself a report card on whether you spent the number of planned hours and how well you spent it. 



8. Get more face time with clients and prospective clients. One of the lawyers I coach has discovered that each and every time he meets with a client in person, he comes away with a new matter either right then or shortly thereafter. 



9. Send me an email that tells me all I need to know about you to recommend that a potential client hire you. Why am I suggesting this? First, if you do not know why a client should hire you, the clients clearly won't know either. Second, this will cause you to think about your elevator speech. How many times have you met people who ask what you do? Telling them you are a litigator, or a corporate lawyer or a tax lawyer may be absolutely accurate, but it will not likely get you very far. 



10. Some of you might think this idea is a little hokey, but try it anyway. Several times each day for a week, close your eyes and say to yourself as emphatically as you can: "I am the best and I love what I am doing." Psychologists, including sports psychologists have told us for years that affirmations and visualization can create peak performance. Our brains cannot distinguish between what we experience and what we vividly imagine. We are no greater on the outside than we think we are on the inside. Twenty years ago I read: Peak Performance: Mental Training Techniques of the World's Greatest Athletes by Charles A. Garfield and Hal Zina Bennett. I applied what the authors suggested to athletes to my law practice and I believe it works. 

There is something else I urge you to do in 2007. Spend more time with your family without feeling guilty. When you are with your family, be in the moment with them. Focus on them both externally and internally. Do not let your mind wonder. You can spend more time with your family, if you spend your billable and non-billable time more efficiently and more effectively. 

 

Tags: Being a Lawyer, Book Reviews, Career Development, Client Development, Emotional Intelligence, Having a Life, Interpersonal Skills, Tips

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If you're looking for your own role model for a great mentor, I believe you can learn a great deal from one of the greatest coaches in the history of sports: John Wooden. UCLA remarkably won the NCAA basketball championship 10 out of 11 years from 1964 through 1975, with a wide variety of different players and different teams. Yet, Coach Wooden's principles never changed. 

The practice of law has changed dramatically over the last several years, but the principles of integrity, professionalism and client service have not changed. As mentors we need to help mentees understand how changes in the law practice affect them, while exhibiting the time honored principles. 

Here are five lessons from Coach Wooden we can profit from following: 

1. Character and principles of the mentor and how he or she treats those under him is essential. We must gain trust by our actions before we can effectively offer advice. 



2. Convey to mentees that their measure of success is whether they are becoming the best lawyer they can be and help them set goals to exceed their personal best. 



3. Teach mentees to do the little things right. If they do, the big things will follow. 



4. Show mentees that being industrious and preparing and executing a well conceived plan are the keys to success. 



5. Anticipate and be prepared to make changes to stay on top. 

The legal profession is changing more rapidly in the past few years than in the century preceding them. But lawyers of high principles need not and should not change. 

 

Tags: Being a Lawyer, Career Development, Interpersonal Skills, Mentoring

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Recently I gave a presentation on career success and life fulfillment to 250 Dallas Junior League members I began like this: 

"Can any of you tell me the date today?" Several in the audience called out "October 9th." I continued: "As you will read in the handout materials, that was a defining moment in my life. My daughter, Jill was born 6 weeks prematurely that day and the Doctors didn't know if she or my wife Nancy would pull through. Why am I telling you that? It was easier to have a successful career and a fulfilling life then. Think about it, we had no Blackberries, no cell phones, no ATM machines, no email. We didn't even have computers on our desk. It was easier to "be in the moment." Now we have too much abundance, but not nearly enough time to enjoy it, too many choices and not nearly enough help making the right ones, too much technology and not nearly enough freedom from it and too much focus on outward success and not nearly enough focus on inward fulfillment. Today it is more important than ever to take control of your career and life. Over the next hour I will give you a roadmap on how to do it." 

For the next hour the Junior League members were engaged. Most took detailed notes and many came up to me afterwards with comments and questions. 

Why were they interested? In my opening I had done three things. I asked them a question. I told them a story and I tied the story to them. I was able to answer the subconscious question each member was asking: "What is in this presentation for me?" 

Your audiences will ask themselves the same question. Do you have a good answer? 

 

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Last fall I was on a plane with Nancy, my wife, going to the Virginia Tech-Miami football game (turned out to be a very bad experience for a Virginia Tech Alum). I watched a young woman in the row ahead of me "connecting" with the gentleman seated right in front of me and it reminded me of some important "connecting" points. She looked healthy and vibrant. She was giving him lots of eye contact. She had a great smile on her face and looked very open and engaged. 

Suppose you are going to a function where you will have the opportunity to connect with potential clients. You should apply the same principles. You need to express energy. How do I do that? I listen to music (Tina Turner) and when I get there I say YES! three times to get pumped. When I meet someone I smile because I am pumped by the music. I look into their eyes and determine color. I am open (arms not folded). I try to determine how he or she is standing the tone of voice and volume. I then try to match it. I make sure my attitude is warm, confident, relaxed and engaged. I am thinking I really want this person to trust me and ultimately like me. What I have described may sound mechanical but it isn't. It is second nature to me just as it is for the young woman on the plane. I want to share with you a study of professors that were discussed in the book "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. In the study, a group watching video without sound matched the evaluation of the students who had actually taken the course. The researchers kept reducing the time of the video until it was 2 seconds. The results stayed the same. 

What does the study tell us? People make up their minds quickly and your body language is way more important than your words or tone of voice. Body language is your eyes and your smile and whether you are open. 

Try this with strangers you meet at your next function. 

And speaking of being open, I like receiving your feedback. Please feel free to add comments or go to my www.cordellparvin.com website to send me an email. 

  

 

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