Attention Legal Professionals:
The 5 Biggest Mistakes Attorneys Make In Building Their Professional Network
By: Allan Boress, Michael Cummings & Barry Schneider, SAGE Law Marketing




It is undeniable. Your future success as an attorney will be determined by the quality of your professional network of contacts and relationships. And the ability to cultivate and transform these “contacts” into a practice-building set of allies is what separates the top producers from the rest of the profession.

Yet, most attorneys don’t have a network building game plan, fail to turn their clients into their personal sales force and lack professional allies. Attorneys who don’t cultivate their network building skills make some common mistakes that cripple their ability to build their practice, including:

Mistake #1: Random Networking - Wasting time networking in the wrong places and in the wrong way

Problem: Most professionals think of networking as meeting as many new contacts (i.e. strangers) as possible and trading business cards. All the time, their mindset is on “what can this person do for me” – and this attitude permeates their interaction with potential referral sources. They also do not “qualify” contacts on their ability and willing ness to help them.

Solution: Start by networking with people you already know. Be VERY selective beyond this group. Only invest time and energy in networking with people or groups who can get you the “ideal” clients you desire. Have a “giving” mindset. Your goal is to build a mutually beneficial business relationship – not add to your business card inventory.


Mistake #2: Networking Myopia - A self-limiting view of networking

Problem: Doing “networking” is seen as an activity. For example, I am going to an association meeting or luncheon to “network.”

Solution: The right way to think about networking is as follows: Networking is building relationships with ANYONE who can help you to grow your practice. Using this definition, you are already networking all the time. When you are working with clients, meeting with your colleagues or mentors at your own firm or attending an alumni event. The key is to recognize that you are constantly network building, inventory & prioritize these business contacts and develop an express action plan to cultivate these relationships.


Mistake #3: Settling for Referrals - Getting “cold calls” with a name attached

Problem: A referral is defined as a contact telling you to call someone they know and “mention my name” when you call. Now, getting a referral to a potential new client can’t hurt, but it is not the best you can do. The person doesn’t know you, don’t understand why you would be of value to them nor are they prepared for your call.

Solution: Ask your contact to first call to introduce you to the future client. In this way, they “pre-sell” and endorse you to the prospective client – and prepare them for your call.


Mistake #4: “Solo” networking - Marketing yourself by yourself

Problem: Professionals only look to build THEIR personal network – people who can help them to build their practice.

Solution: Instead, team up with a few like-minded professionals and build your combined relationships. Look to trade and inter-connect your web of relationships together. Add collective value by introducing people to one another – even if there is no direct business benefit to you. Find people with ‘power networks” like the head of an associations and go to see them as a team.


Mistake #5: No allies - Settling for “shallow” networking relationships

Problem: Professionals often look to network with MORE and MORE people.

Solution: Instead, the best business generators look to forge highly committed alliances with FEWER & BETTER referral sources. Build a small, elite team of professionals “business partners”. Continually market together on a cooperative business. See your business contacts as “de-facto” partners in growing each other’s business.

Don't Make the
Same Mistakes!

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Best Selling Book - for Attorneys:

In this 230 page book, you will learn the network-building trade secrets of the top rainmakers in the legal profession. Get a step by step networking blueprint. Understand the practical business-building strategies and build the skills you need to achieve breakthrough results.

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Why networking fails for professionals

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The 10 Commandments for Networking Success

How to Create Chemistry with Prospective Clients and Referral Sources

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Turning Your Clients Into Your Sales Force

How To Ask Clients For Introductions

How To Inventory and Audit Your Network

How to Penetrate Organizations From the Outside

How to Target Dynamic Referral Sources: Activating The Right Contacts for Referrals

Strategy For Building a Contact Base Outside Your Foundation of Relationships

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Staying in Control: Establishing, Maintaining and Nurturing Your Data Base of Contacts

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The bottom line:
Lawyers Must “Network”

Fact: In 1995, the American Bar Foundation said the number of lawyers in the United States was around 896,000. More recently, they estimate the number at around 1,000,000. That's one lawyer for every 300 people!

Fact: And with law schools graduating over 30,000 new lawyers every year, that alarming trend only seems to be increasing.

Fact: A 2003 report by BTI Consulting said that Fortune 1000 firms plan to reduce the number of law firms they do business with by 40 percent over the next three years.

What does this mean for you?

The days of listing your services in a phone book and hoping for the best are long gone.

Marketing must become the personal responsibility of each attorney -- not a "firm" activity. Success is predicated on building relationships, making contacts, doing business development each day and systematically employing the proven methods of the top producers.

But competition is everywhere... and in today's world of firms consolidating... continuing over supply of attorneys and other professionals elbowing in on your turf... marketing your services is more essential than ever.

This course offers you a practical and proven step-by-step approach to effectively marketing yourself. Written in an easy-to-read style, it provides a wealth of tips, tools, techniques and how-to guidance you need to be more successful in 2004.

About the authors of Best Practices In Building Your Personal Network: For the past 20 years, Allan Boress, Michael Cummings and Barry Schneider have worked with industry leading professional firms as trainers, coaches and business development consultants. They have built the entrepreneurial skills of thousands of professionals at hundreds of firms – including personal marketing, building a network of allies and cultivating relationships with customers. They are award winning instructors, best selling authors and world class public speakers for both associations and in-house. Call 630-572-6798 to learn more.

Benefits of the training include:

How to eliminate the mystery, wasted time, and effort of trying to figure how to most successfully market your practice

How to be mentored by the top producers in the profession.

Learn how to systematically apply the same best practices on a daily, weekly and monthly basis

Offers you a step-by-step approach to effectively marketing yourself - written in an easy-to-read style - the tips, tools, techniques and how-to guidance you need to be more successful

Every possible aspect of networking and creating alliances is discussed in a step-by-step format that you can begin using immediately

This program is based on over 200 interviews with attorneys and law firms across North America -- working with over 500 professional firms since 1980. It is the ONLY Best Practices study of law firm marketing 3 Specific examples and case studies are reviewed to turn theory into practice

Know exactly what you have to do to grow your practice on a daily, weekly and monthly basis

Leverage your existing strengths as an attorney and apply them to business development for results

Find ways to unleash your current contacts into a fertile referral source

Learn proven methods to turn your clients into your sales force

Cultivate a committed Set Of Professional Allies and Business Partners who market your services for You

Quit wasting times on personal marketing methods that bear no fruit

Take control of your business development success

Lessons from the Best Business Generators, so you can emulate their business building behavior and start to consistently produce the same results

Generate a steady stream of "pre-sold" prospective clients

Learn how to become a celebrated "expert" in your field

Create the word of mouth advertising that makes money

Focusing on Your Best Opportunities, Marketing to Existing Clients, Obtaining Quality Referrals, Building Powerful Alliances, Developing an Effective Network

"This is definitely one of the best things we have done for our firm… Our results have been phenomenal! Everyone immediately began putting these methods to work. The energy level in our firm has been incredible. Most importantly, everyone is empowered and confident in selling our firm. This is definitely one of the best things we have done for our firm….We more than paid for Allan's fee with the results we attained the first week following the training." - James L. Williams, Dixon Odom LLP "We have been growing 25%-30% per year... "The "raw meat" of Allan's program is a culture-changing business development message. And the message stays with you. His philosophy underpins the phenomenal growth of the Kansas City office of Fleishman Hillard. It has allowed us to continue growing in a market where many might have thought we had reached our potential. We have been growing 25%-30% per year...Our work with Allan undeniably has had an enduring impact on our ability to develop the business relationships necessary to grow our business." - Ron Arp, Senior Partner "We are extremely pleased with the results... We have developed a number of action points focusing on business development and client service, derived from the points you raised on the subjects. The reviews speak for themselves. It would be a pleasure for me to assist you in identifying opportunities for your organization within Deloitte. I am also happy to be used as a reference should you have any potential opportunities (inside and outside Deloitte) in the pipe-line." - T.J., Deloitte

 

Best Practices In Building Your
Personal Network - for Attorneys

The 230 page step-by-step networking blueprint
followed by the top rainmakers in the legal profession.
Only $97, plus shipping & handling.

[Click one button below to pay by Credit Card
(AmEx, Visa, Mastercard) or thru PayPal]

For orders delivered WITHIN North America, select this button:

Delivery WITHIN North America:

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