Take Time

Take Time To Think – It Is The Source Of All Power
Take Time To Read – It Is The Foundation Of All Wisdom
Take Time To Play-It Is The Source Of Perpetual Youth
Take Time To Be Quiet-It Is The Opportunity To Seek God
Take Time To Be Aware-It Is The Opportunity To Help Others
Take Time To Love And Be Loved-It Is God’s Greatest Gift
Take Time To Laugh-It Is The Music Of The Soul
Take Time To Be Friendly-It Is The Road To Happiness
Take Time To Dream-It Is What The Future Is Made Of
Take Time To Pray-It Is The Greatest Power On Earth
Take Time To Give-It Is Too Short A Day To Be Selfish
Take Time To Work-It Is The Price Of Success
– Author Unknown

 Do you have a favorite poem? I would love to publish it on one of my Friday poetry posts.

• The first and last two minutes of a presentation.
• A mock meeting with a potential client.
• A mock pitch to a client.
• You might even video a mock networking event.

Why do you REALLY need to do this? Your lawyers need to:

• See their body language.
• See their facial expression, what they do with their hands, whether they stand and sit straight. I can go on, but you get the idea.
• See their energy level.
• Help them become less fearful and nervous by practicing.

You may want to start with having your young lawyers watch this Harvard Professor Amy Cuddy Ted Video:

For several years, I worked with a large firm on an associate retreat. A firm partner and I (mostly the firm partner) created a fictitious client and factual situation. At the retreat the associates were divided into four pitch teams. During the day they prepared a presentation for the fictitious client and in the evening they socialized with each other.

In the morning of the second day each team made its presentation to a mock client team. Video was shot of each presentation. During lunch, I worked with the professional videographer to make clips of the parts of each presentation that were well done. Then, after lunch the entire group talked about the clips.

It was great fun for me and I am confident the lawyers found the experience valuable.

1. Client development is about building high trust relationships, serving and caring.
2. You will not develop client relationships merely by being a highly skilled lawyer and doing quality work.
3. Focus your attention on discovering what your clients need.
4. Identify and provide solutions to problems before the client realizes there is a problem.
5. Strive to differentiate yourself from your competitors, by providing extraordinary service.

This is not the first time you have seen these ideas here. So, how can this list help you? Take each item and make a list of all the things you can do to successfully implement that item. Then, rank each action from most important to least important. This exercise will give you a tremendous start on a business plan.

If your firm has not cut training and if your firm thinks it is valuable for your younger lawyers to attract, retain and expand relationships with clients, here are some client development skills you might consider teaching them.

Junior Associates:

1. Dress for Success
2. Business Etiquette
3. How to Network
4. How to Remember Names
5. Active Listening Skills
6. Systematic Ways to Keep in Contact
7. What Clients Want and Expect
8. Taking Control of Your Career
9. How to Set Goals and Prepare a Development Plan
10. Using Non-Billable Time Wisely

Senior Associates:

1. Client Development Principles and Practical Tips
2. Building Profile:
   (a) Your Website Bio;
   (b) Writing Articles that Will Generate Business:
   (c) Presentations the Will Generate Business;
   (d) Joining Organizations and Associations;
   (e) How to Follow Up After an Event
3. Building Relationships with Clients:
   (a) How Clients Select;
   (b) What Clients Want;
   (c) Learning the Voice of the Client;
   (d) Thinking Like a Client;
   (e) How to ask questions;
   (f) Client Service;
   (g) Building Trust;
   (h) Building Rapport;
   (i) Personality Traits;
   (j) Following Up After Completing Project
4. RFPs and Client Pitches
5.  Client Interviews

New Partners:

1. Coaching Program-Group and Individual: (a) Setting a Group Goal; (b) Developing Action Items to Achieve the Group Goal; (c) Accountability
2. How to Prepare a Business Development Plan: (a) Setting Business Development Goals; (b) Developing Action Items to Achieve the Goals; (c) Making Client Development Part of Habits
3. StrengthsFinder and How Each Can Best Use Time
4. Becoming the “Go to” Lawyer
5. Delegating and Building the Team
6. Cross Serving
7. Client Visits
8. Selling Skills
9. Becoming a Trusted Advisor
10. Client Development Mistakes to Avoid
11. Dealing with Difficult Clients

Discomfort brings engagement and change. Discomfort means you’re doing something that others were unlikely to do, because they’re hiding out in the comfortable zone. When your uncomfortable actions lead to success, the organization rewards you and brings you back for more.

I know many lawyers who are focused on results rather than focused on striving to get better. They fear failure to such a degree that they are unwilling to get outside their comfort zone. They are not learning about how to become better at client development. Instead they are focused on what they have been comfortable doing. When their efforts do not produce results, they give up.

What should you do instead? Work on getting better at things that are outside your comfort zone. If you want to learn how to network, go to events where you can practice. In fact, go to a networking event and approach strangers and introduce yourself.

If you want to become a better public speaker, speak in public. Consider joining a Toastmasters International Club, or starting your own speaking club. If you want to become a better writer, write and have someone review it and offer a critique. There are plenty of retired editors and senior lawyers, who would gladly critique your writing.

Beyond getting outside your comfort zone, think about a Napoleon Hill quote:

Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.

I enjoy coaching many lawyers who play sports. Many are still playing. Recently I had a coaching session in Toronto with an IP litigator David Tait. We talked about Rugby and a case he recently tried. I saw a connection and asked him to share it with you. Here are David’s thoughts:

You wouldn’t think being a patent litigator at McCarthy Tétrault in Toronto and playing rugby as a forward for the Bay Street RFC have much in common, would you? I didn’t. But, during one of our coaching sessions, Cordell asked me to think about what makes playing rugby and trying cases similar.

Our team (affectionately called the “Pigs”) is made up of lawyers, bankers and other downtown professionals. The team recently went on its first tour. Destination: the Caymans. Opponent: the IRB-ranked Cayman national side.

Unfortunately, I was scheduled to complete the damages phase of a long patent trial and would miss the trip. Fortunately, the trial ended early. I have the sunburn (and bruises) to prove it.

So, given that inspiration, here are the top five ways I can think of litigating like a rugby player – like a gentleman playing a hooligan’s game:

1. Never underestimate the home field advantage. (Trying cases away from home is a challenge).
2. Referees (judges) differ on their interpretation of the laws. Play to the referee, else you’ll might end up in the sin bin (and remember, your interpretation of the laws are not as important as theirs.)
3. It is a battle of attrition. You may lose a scrum or lineout, but you can still win the match. (You may lose the motion or a witness may hurt you, but you still can win.)
4. It’s also a game of positioning – think 2 or 3 phases ahead. (Great trial lawyers are always thinking ahead.)
5. Leave it all on the pitch; don’t take it to the pub. (Leave it in the courtroom.)

I thought of this recently. I know two lawyers that for this blog I will call “Yin” and “Yang.” (Check the active link to understand why I chose those names.)

Yin is a young, top notch equity partner I coached two years ago when he was an income partner. Yang is a young, income partner. I am coaching her now. They are working on an extremely complex project for a very demanding client who expects things to be turned around immediately, over night and over weekends. They are a great team for this project.

Why are they a great team? Here are my thoughts:

• Having worked with both of them, I know they are both highly motivated and driven to do the best work possible.
• Like Yin and Yang, they have different strengths that compliment each other.
• Their focus is on helping the client succeed with the project.
• They are both working really hard, but also finding ways to relax and recharge their batteries.
• They are not trying to hog credit for ideas.
• Most importantly, during their work on the challenging project they have developed a lot of respect for each other and are open to hearing each other’s ideas without becoming defensive about their ideas.

I know from experience it is not easy building a great team. It is not easy to be a senior lawyer and realize the younger lawyer working for you has a better idea. In my own practice, as soon as I was able to overcome needing to be “always right,” the quality of work of the team I built around me increased dramatically.

I would like to share a story with you. Years ago I was coaching lawyers at McMillan Law Firm in Toronto. One day I arrived for coaching.  It turned out that on that morning the firm was sponsoring two events at the same time with several people attending each event.

After I arrived, I watched June Ellis greet each person, take their coat and escort them to the correct event. June is the supervisor of client events at McMillan and a real pro. I am not sure any of those who attended remember what was in the firm program, but I bet they remember how June made them feel.

June has a way of making each person who visits her firm think they are the most important person who has ever walked into the firm lobby. She is the ultimate professional, but more importantly she conveys how much she cares. I thought about that each time I went down the elevator at the McMillan offices. Because she was upbeat, I was upbeat.

Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezo could have been talking about June when he said:

We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.

In my current work I go to many law firms both in the US and in Canada. I have been blessed to meet some truly outstanding receptionists. I do not want to list all the ones I love, so if I am working with your firm, share this with your receptionists. Like June, they greet me with a smile and make me feel part of the firm family.

Your clients assume your lawyers know their business, but they make no assumptions about how they will be treated. So, yes, the person who greets your visitors just might be the most important person in your office. Let him, or more likely her, know it.

Finally, you might share this interesting blog: The 12 Most Important Ways to Let People Know They Matter.

Does your firm webpage promise to “add value” for clients and claim that firm is “client focused?”

I have seen those phrases on law firm websites for many years. But, most law firms do not convey what those phrases mean. Also, many law firms fall short on implementing these ideas.

Here is a question for you: When was the last time your firm discussed how you could provide “extraordinary” service to your clients?

I have a second question: When was the last time your firm rewarded a lawyer or professional staff member for providing “extraordinary” service?

I recently gave it some thought and wanted to share my ideas with you.

Value Adding Strategies

Some value adding strategies are not new. Some might simply say adding value means “going the extra mile.” But, even that phrase is ambiguous.

• Understand client needs.
• Anticipate your clients needs before they know they have a need.
• Create content clients value and give it away. (I spent a lifetime creating guides and doing in-house workshops for clients.)
• Treat each client, no matter how large or small, like it is the most important firm client.
• Provide top quality as perceived by the clients by understanding their business and needs. (Subscribe to their business publications.)
• Provide superior and timely service. (Price is less of an object when service exceeds expectations.)
• Extraordinary responsiveness. (Clients want the work done right away.)
• When appropriate introduce your clients to other clients with whom they can do business.

Client Focused

• Read what your clients are reading.
• Belong to the organizations your clients belong to.
• Meet frequently with your clients at their place of business. (Don’t always charge the client for these meetings.)
• Figure out what your clients like and don’t like.
• Ask your clients how your firm could serve them better.
• Look for new and innovative ways to serve your clients.
• Treat your client representative like a partner.
• Make sure your younger lawyers learn about the clients for whom they are working.

If you want more of my thoughts, check out my Client Service iBook on Slideshare or you can download it to your iPad from iTunes.

If you read my iBook you will find many Ritz Carlton stories. Did you know that each Ritz Carlton employee participates in a 15-20 minute meeting each day before their shift to talk about customer service.

I wonder what would happen if a law firm held a meeting each day to talk about client service? Somehow, I think clients would notice a difference, and so would your lawyers and staff.

His un-shined shoes made an impression on me that will take a long time to go away. It is the first thing I think about when his name comes to my mind. I wonder if potential clients and referral sources also notice his shoes. If so, he will be forever “branded” as a business lawyer who does not dress like one.

I don’t like the word “brand” to describe lawyers. Yet, we each have a brand. It is what our clients, referral sources, contacts, adversaries and colleagues in our office say about us. What do those folks say about you?

Recently I read the Forbes article by Lisa Quast: Build A Personal Brand, Not Just A Career. I was fascinated by the discussion of Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s new CEO.

As Google’s 20th employee and first woman engineer, she is a ‘brand.’ Marissa Mayer is the woman that made Google successful.

That is definitely a brand. I urge you to read the entire article and discuss some of the ideas with your colleagues.

When I was building my law practice I wanted my potential clients to think I was:

1. The preeminent transportation construction lawyer in the US
2. Innovative
3. Construction business savvy
4. Trusted advisor
5. Likeable
6. Caring
7. Focused on helping contractors

I never called that a “brand” but it was. For 25 years I wrote a column for Roads and Bridges magazine titled “Law: The Contractor’s Side.”  The title of the column itself “branded” me as a contractor’s lawyer.

What do you want your clients to think about you? What is the best way to show them your brand?