10.30.08
Posted in asking for the business, confidence, networking at 5:34 am by Marianne Trost
One of the issues that comes up most when working with clients is “asking for the business.” Most lawyers are lawyers first and sales people second, or third or close to last. Almost all of the lawyers I know would rather be practicing law than feeling like a sales person.
Asking for business doesn’t have to be about acting like a sales person. Rather, it can be about offering help – help that your potential client would want. Help that you or one of your lawyer colleagues can give.
To demonstrate this point, take a moment right now to think of someone you know (it should be someone who is nice and who seems reputable) who is either a doctor, an accountant, or a dentist. The person cannot be someone who has asked you for their business in the past.
Now, imagine that this person was in conversation with you. Let’s take a dermatologist, for example. What if she said to you, “If you ever need a dermatologist or a second opinion, I would be happy to help you.” Or what if she said, “If you have a dermatologist and some day want to switch dermatologists for some reason, feel free to give me call. I can also give you the names of other doctors whom I know to be highly reputable, if you need them.”
If a dermatologist said that to you, would you be offended or “put off”? Would you feel like she was selling you something? Likely not. Rather, you would be grateful that she would like to help you if the need arises. You probably would walk away from the conversation thinking, “Great. I’m glad to know I have a resource if I ever need one.”
The same is true for lawyers. People encounter times in their lives when they need legal services. You can help them. Or one of your colleagues can help them. (Your competition can help them too, if you don’t ask for the business.)
What if you said to someone, “If you ever need a laywer or a second opinion I would be happy to help you.” or “If you are already using a lawyer and some day want to swtich lawyers for some reason, I would enjoy working with you or I can give you the names of other lawyers whom I know to be reputable.” Do you think the person would be offended or “put off” or feel like they were being sold to? Likely not. Just as with the dermatologist, the person would probably be grateful to know that you would like to help them in any way you can if the need arises.
That’s all “asking for the business is” i.e. letting people know you would like to help them if the need arises. All it takes, is being in that helping mode mindset, which actually comes pretty easily to most women once they view asking for the business from this perspective.
So, the next time you consider shying away from asking for the business, reconsider. See if you can find a way to offer to help your contact either directly, indirectly, or by serving as a referral source. Your contact will likely be grateful that you made the effort to let them know you want to help if the need ever arises.
Permalink
10.29.08
Posted in business cards, networking, staying in touch at 9:45 am by Marianne Trost
I was reminded a few days ago of the importance of having your business card with you when you are in even the most unusual of places (I was at a horse stable).
One never knows when a potential business opportunity will present itself. If you can hand a potential client or referral source or contact your business card instead of saying, “Do you have a piece of paper and a pen? I’ll write my name and phone number down for you.”, you will be one step closer to a potential new opportunity. That contact will have your name, your firm name, your adddress, your e-mail, your website, and your phone number, all in one convenient place.
Here are a few suggestions of places to keep your business cards.
Keep a few in your wallet or purse. There are times when you will be somewhere without your briefcase and you will need your card.
Put a few in your briefcase. Ditto. There will be times when you will need your card and not have your wallet or purse with you.
Put a few on your desk (not in it), so you will be reminded to offer them to potential clients, referral sources, and contacts. An additional advantage to keeping your cards on your desk, as opposed to in your desk, is that existing contacts who stop by your office may actually help themselves to a few of your cards to pass along.
Put a few in your portfolio or legal pad holder. You may be in an in-office meeting not expecting to hand out your card, but someone else attending the meeting may ask you for it.
Keep a stack at home. Yes, at home. There will be times when you are running out the door to a breakfast meeting or a morning networking event and don’t have time to stop by the office to pick up more cards.
Put a few in the glove compartment of your car. You may find yourself at a horse stable and be asked for your card.
If you have a spouse or partner or roommate, give them a few for their wallet and their glove compartment. They will occasionally find themselves in situations where your business card will be something that a contact, colleague, acquaintance, co-worker, or friend may want.
If you rely on accountants or other service providers for referrals, make sure they have more than one or two of your cards to hand out to potential clients.
If you take a few minutes to make sure you have business cards in these key places, I can promise you the effort will be well worth it.
Permalink
10.28.08
Posted in networking at 8:52 am by Marianne Trost
One of the simplest but most often overlooked marketing tips is making sure you tell everyone, including casual acquaintances and non-work related contacts, what you do. I know, telling everyone sounds “boastful”, but it’s not. First, people want to know. That’s usually one of the first questions people ask, “What does s/he do?” . Here are three easy steps to follow…
The first step is to get comfortable telling people that you are a lawyer. Yes, sometimes you’ll get a bad lawyer joke in response, but most of the time, people will find it interesting to know that you are a lawyer. When someone tells you that they are a doctor or an accountant or a teacher, do you get offended or “put off”? Most likely not. People are usually curious to know.
The second step is to get comfortable telling people what type of lawyer you are. Are you a litigator, a real estate lawyer, an estate planner? Most people want to know that part too. When you hear that someone is a doctor, wouldn’t you find it of interest to know that they are a cardiologist, a pediatrician, a naturopath, or a dermatologist?
When describing the type of law you do, try to use the word “help”, so that people can connect what you do with how you might help them. For example, “I am a litigation attorney. I help people and companies resolve disputes when they are sued or want to consider suing.” (Note: Don’t assume that everyone you talk with knows what a litigator is. I’ve run into people who don’t know.) “I am a real estate attorney. I help guide people through the process of buying and selling or leasing commercial property.” “I am an estate planning lawyer. I help people structure their assets so they can protect them and minimize tax implications on their estate.”
The third step is to remember that people are interconnected. You’re not bragging about what you do. Rather, you are getting the word out so that you can help people. You never know who might know whom. The person you are talking with might have a spouse who owns a small business, a colleague who needs a lawyer, or a best friend who is the CFO at a company. It is estimated that each of us knows an average of 150 people well enough that we would pass along the name of someone we met if we felt it would be helpful.
If the listener seems interested, there is one final step i.e. add one sentence that will stick in their mind longer than your practice area will (see my column on “Stating Accomplishments” explaining why people remember this sentence more than the others.) Continue by saying a sentence such as, “For example, I just finished closing a real estate deal for the new owner of the Northgate Shopping Mall.” “For example, I just finished litigating a case involving a small business that sued its general contractor.” “For example, I just finished an estate plan for a family that wanted to leave its assets to its grandchildren in a trust.”
The next time you have the opportunity to tell someone what you do, go for it! You may find that it will lead you to an unexpected contact, an unexpected referral, or even an unexpected piece of new business. You can do it!
Permalink
10.03.08
Posted in part-time at 6:52 am by Marianne Trost
One of the common challenges faced by lawyers who elect to be part-time is that they are often overlooked when it comes time to pitch a major client outside of work hours or even meet with a client in an informal setting after work.
There is often an assumption by the other lawyers in the firm that part-time lawyers don’t want to participate in activities that extend beyond their usual working hours. To complicate matters, many full time lawyers hesitate to even mention such opportunities to part-time lawyers because they think that doing so is disrespectful of their colleagues’ part-time arrangments. The result can be the unintentional marginalization of part-time lawyers.
To make certain you are not left on the perifery of client development and client relations, be proactive. Educate the people you work with about your definition of part-time. If you want to be included in outside activities, let your collegaues know that you are more than willing to arrange your schedule to participate in after-hours events if given advanced notice. Don’t assume that because you are part of the team or because you service a client regularly, that you will be invited or even informed of after-hour activities.
In an ideal world, inclusion would be a fair assumption. But in a world where our industry is still trying to figure out how part-time works (many firms don’t even have written part-time policies), you have to take the lead to educate those around you. Let your colleagues, your practice group, your marketing director, and your staff know what your preferences are. If you hear of an opportunity that passed you by, talk with those who were involved and mention that, yes, you are part-time, but you would still like to be kept in the loop so that you have the option of participating. Remember — you are not being pushy or critical. Rather, you are helping others navigage the “part-time” waters in a way that is respectful of your wishes. Some may even thank you for taking the time to clarify and for removing the awkwardness caused by their assumptions.
Tip of the day: Educate those you work with on how you define part-time and the extent to which you want to be kept in the loop on after-hour activities. Tell them what you want and what you expect. Don’t let assumptions about “part-time” get in the way of business development and client relations opportunities.
Permalink
10.02.08
Posted in confidence at 9:49 am by Marianne Trost
One of the obstacles that frequently pops up when coaching career transition clients is confidence. The questions, “What if I don’t know how to do it?” or “What if I don’t know everything?” can often appear as a roadblock to considering new opportunities. That’s the irony, though. In seeking “new” career opportunities, isn’t it important NOT to know it all?
I would go so far as to say that if you are confident that you know everything you will need to know, or even almost everything you will need to know when taking on a “new” opportunity, then you likely aren’t challenging yourself enough.
To overcome the block of “not knowing it all” I’d suggest taking a different perspective. Ask yourself, “If I don’t know everything, do I know enough to find a way to figure it out?” “Am I a resourceful solution finder?” “Am I willing to seek guidance or advice, if I can’t figure it out myself?”
If the answers to these questions are “yes”, then set the “what if” fears aside and proceed with the confidence that IF you end up in a situation where you don’t know something (and remember that 90% of what we worry about never actually turns out that way), you will figure something out. You can do it!
Permalink
