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By Julie Zeveloff, Senior Reporter for Law360 in New York. This article is reprinted from Law360, the newswire for business lawyers.
When it comes to being a rainmaker, sometimes even more important than knowing what to do is knowing what not to do. If you want to become a client-generating and profit-making machine, there are certain easy mistakes that you need to avoid, known rainmakers and legal marketing experts tell Law360.
Read on for seven surefire ways to doom your rainmaking dreams:
 1. Aiming to Impress Just the Big Shots
One of the biggest mistakes a newly minted attorney can make is focusing all of his attention on the guys at the top of the ladder.
Instead, offer the most junior-level client the same top-notch work and excellent client service that you would senior general counsel, the experts advised.
“I always say to young attorneys, you want to make every in-house attorney happy,” said David B. Bassett, chair of WilmerHale LLP's intellectual property litigation practice group. “No matter what level they are at now, later they may become your clients and they'll send you work if you do a good job.”
Bassett said he was still amazed by the number of current clients he first met two decades ago, when he worked with them as a first- or second-year associate.
“I'm happy that by happenstance, I impressed the more junior people at my clients,” Bassett said. “Now that I'm a more senior practicing attorney, they are the ones making decisions about hiring counsel.”
Similarly, develop a good rapport with your law school classmates — they could become referral sources or even clients themselves, advised Richard M. Goldstein, chair of Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP's tax and wealth transfer group.
And don't slack on pro bono cases, which can be beneficial from a rainmaking perspective, said William M. O'Connor, chair of Crowell & Moring LLP's financial services group.
He recalled a colleague who negotiated a contract for a young musician while working with Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, only to have that person sign on as a regular client once he became a star.
 2. Forgetting the Follow-up
Networking takes more than chatting up a prospective client at a cocktail party — it's a long-term commitment, the experts agreed.
“The biggest mistake you can make is that you don't follow up,” said Sara Holtz, a business development coach for lawyers and founder of ClientFocus.
Fortunately, she said, there is a systematic approach to building up a personal connection that may lead to business down the line.
“Offer an in-company seminar, forward an article, have lunch, help someone find a job,” Holtz explained. “There are lots of ways of connecting with people and building relationships.”
But one or two lunches and a quick e-mail exchange won't necessarily do the trick, she warned, noting that it generally takes between seven and nine contacts, or up to two years, to get a piece of business.
As long as they're consistent, follow-ups don't need to be time-consuming or expensive, Goldstein said.
He has a firm librarian pull articles related to his clients' business, and he forwards them along if they seem interesting.
“They appreciate it and it's very easy to do,” he explained.
O'Connor said one of his favorite ways of staying in touch with clients was inviting them to an annual reception.
“It's nothing particularly outlandish, but throwing a party for our clients and getting them all together — nobody does that,” he said. “Law firms tend to be inwardly focused, but we've had great success with it, particularly within our Wall Street financial services practice.”
In the 10 years Crowell & Moring has invited clients who are New York bankers to the year-end party, O'Connor said he had always come away with at least two or three new business matters.
3. Networking Everywhere
Networking may be the key to successful rainmaking, but it only works if you take a strategic approach.
“You want to build your network among people who are potential clients or potential referral sources,” Holtz said.
For example, an attorney who specializes in insurance coverage litigation should spend time building relationships with senior people at large companies, not small business owners who don't necessarily need that kind of expertise on a regular basis, she explained.
Goldstein also emphasized the necessity of networking in the right places.
“People who spread themselves very thin trying to network with everyone under the sun, and not really thinking about it — I believe they are at a disadvantage,” he said. “I think you really do need a focused plan.”
4. Looking Good on Paper, Only
A resume jam-packed with publications and speeches can bolster an attorney's reputation, but don't build your CV at the expense of building one-on-one connections, attorneys cautioned.
“I think that going to conventions and conferences, speaking and doing pitches for clients are all necessary, but they are probably overrated as far as the ultimate results,” Bassett said. “What's most effective is doing excellent work on existing cases, for existing clients — that leads to more work.”
Goldstein said the same held true for community and professional organizations.
“Becoming a member of many organizations is nice and perhaps helps you get out there, but in order to become well-known in the community and have someone become interested in hiring you, you should have one or two organizations where you truly make an effort,” he explained.
And don't just associate with other attorneys, he said, adding, “it's interesting, intellectually, to be involved in lawyers' organizations, but I've found that I have developed more business by becoming involved in community organizations other than those mostly involving lawyers.”
5. Staying Behind Your Desk
That stereotypical image of the bigwig attorney with his feet on the desk and a phone buzzing nonstop with new business proposals?
It's all a myth, O'Connor said.
“You have to be in front of the cavalry, leading the charge,” he said, explaining that visiting clients on their own turf is a key component of rainmaking.
“Seeing clients and understanding how they operate on a daily basis can be very helpful when it comes to representing them,” he said. “You have those off-the-cuff conversations where you learn what's really important to them and see how things work within their organization.”
And while e-mail and social media make communication a snap, clients and prospective clients still appreciate — and expect — a more personal touch, Goldstein said.
“I believe you really do need to pick up the phone to talk to a client or referral source, or a friend who may be a client or referral source, or spend face-to-face time with them,” he added.
Set up a meeting after work instead of at lunchtime, when people may be checking their watches and running back to the office, Goldstein suggested.
6. Forgetting to Write it Down
Even the sharpest lawyers should write down their referrals, mark networking time in their calendars and type up their marketing plans. For referrals, even a one-page outline of people in your network beats keeping a mental list.
Attorneys should prioritize the contacts on their referral list and then set aside time for touching base. A disciplined approach is to schedule your rainmaking appointments and put them in your calendar. Attorneys should meet with high-priority contacts every 45 to 60 days for coffee or lunch and give less important contacts a ring every three to six months.
Having a written marketing plan, even if it's just two or three pages long, is important. Identify your goals, your ideal client, your ideal business and what you are going to do to get that business. Once you have those goals, its a matter of determining — what does your ideal client read? What conferences do they go to? And how can you get visibility in those outlets?
At Bilzin Sumberg, attorneys can create their own business plans and then set up quarterly reviews to assess their progress, Goldstein said.
While all the firm's partners are “strongly encouraged” to participate in the voluntary program, many associates are also taking the initiative to come up with their own marketing road maps, he added.
“I think its really essential to have some type of business plan,” Goldstein said. “Almost everyone successful in rainmaking has a plan, and they track what they are doing.”
7. Thinking of Referrals as a One-Way Street
If someone sends you business, don't forget to show your appreciation in one way or another, the experts said. Remember to reciprocate, because a referral network works best when you are sending leads back to the people who sent leads to you.
But even if you can't directly refer a client, there are other ways to return the favor. Apprise them of relevant speaking opportunities or set up an informal meeting with someone who could generate business down the road.
And at the very least, remember to say thanks. Send a note, keep them informed of what's going on in your practice.
O'Connor noted that small tokens of appreciation can go a long way. “Don't be afraid to say thank you to your clients once in awhile, or pick up the check once in awhile,” he said. “I never understood the concept that everything has got to be on the client's till.” |
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