Networking in the Legal Field
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Networking is an effective method for developing work
opportunities and contacts, based on referrals and introductions -
either face-to-face at meetings and gatherings, or by other contact
methods such as phone, email, and increasingly social and business
networking websites.
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The shortened term 'networking' can be confused with computer
networking/networks, which is different terminology, relating to
connection and accessibility of multiple computer systems.A
business network of contacts is both a route to market for you, and
a marketing method.Networking offers a way to reach decision-makers
which might otherwise be very difficult to engage with using
conventional methods.
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In addition, networking brings with it the added advantage of
recommendation and personal introduction, which are always very
helpful for developing work opportunities.Business networking is a
way for you to make the maxim, "It's not what you know, it's who
you know.." work for you.The principles and techniques of
networking are mostly common sense. Many of the behavioral
principles apply also to business and relationships generally, and
specifically to legalese, managing, coaching, facilitating,
etc.
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The word network is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary
(2005 revised edition) as: "Network (noun) 1 An arrangement of
intersecting horizontal and vertical lines... 2 A group or system
of interconnected people or things... (verb) 1 Connect or operate
with a network... 2 (often as noun networking) Interact with others
to exchange information and develop professional or social
contacts.
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Interestingly, the first definition above referring to a more
general sense of a network, as might be used for a network of
railways or a canal system, reminds that a network consists of
connecting lines which run in different directions. Creating and
maintaining good lines of communications, in all directions, is as
important as developing contacts. We could say instead that there
is really no point developing contacts unless good lines of
communications are established and maintained.
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A networker is defined as "...1 A person who operates from home
or an external office via a computer network... 2 A person who uses
a network of professional or social contacts to further their
career." The first networker definition here originally referred to
the use of a computer network, whereas nowadays the notion of
working from home or elsewhere remotely has merged significantly
with the more modern meaning of networking, in the sense of
contacts and communications.
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The point is that while a computer is probably significant in
most forms of home or remote working, what matters most these days
is the networking itself (communications and relationships), rather
than there being a specific dependence on a computer network. These
separated root words, 'net work', are very apt today. Net Work'
remind us of the vital aspects of modern successful networking, by
which ideally:we work (apply thought, commitment, effort) to
create, grow, use, assist and enable our own net (network) of
contacts.
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Here are ten of the most important principles for effective
networking in the legal field. Consider that all sorts of
professional people outside of the business community can also be
very helpful networking contacts - for example, lawyers,
scientists, lecturers, educators, etc. When developing your
networking plans, think beyond the people you'd typically see at
other networking events.
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Some of the most important connections are not business people,
and consequently you need to be creative in reaching them. The
examples of networking situations/methods below provides help with
this later. These tips apply broadly to any sort of networking -
face-to-face, organized events, business social networking
websites, etc:
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1. Elevator speech.Describe yourself concisely and
impressively.2. Be different.Differentiate yourself. Aim high. Be
best at something.3. Help others.Help others and you will be
helped. 4.Personal integrity.Integrity, trust and reputation are
vital for networking.
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5.Relevant targeting.Groups and contacts relevant to your aims
and capabilities. 6. Plans and aims.Plan your networking - and know
what you want. 7. Follow up.Following up meetings and referrals
makes things happen.8. Be positive.Be a positive influence on
everyone and everything. 9.Sustained focused effort.Be focused -
and ever-ready. 10. Life balance.Being balanced and grounded builds
assurance.
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1. Describe yourself - elevator speechUse these principles also
in text-based descriptions for the web and printed materials,
etc.This is commonly called an 'elevator speech' or 'elevator
pitch' - as if you were to meet a potentially important contact for
the first time in an elevator at a conference and he/she asks you:
"What do you do?" You have no more than 20 seconds - perhaps just
10-15 seconds - between floors to explain, and to make such an
impressive impact that the person asks for your contact
details.
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1. your name"My name is..." Look the other person in the eye.
Smile. Shoulders back. Speak with confidence. Sincerity and passion
are crucial in making a strong early impression.2. your business
name"I work for..." or "My legal office is ..." Loud clear proud
again. Do not ask "Have you heard of us..?" or wait for
recognition.
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3.based and covering where"I am based..." and "I cover..." Adapt
the town, city, geography for the situation. There is little value
in mentioning a tiny village if you are at a global gathering, or
your global coverage if you are at a local town gathering.Make this
relevant to the situation.4.your personal specialism and/or
offering, and your aimsBe different and special and better in some
way from your competitors. Be meaningful for the event or situation
or group, and as far as you can guess, be meaningful for the
contact. Express what you offer in terms of positive outcomes for
those you help or supply, rather than focusing on technical details
from your own viewpoint. Load your statements here with special
benefits or qualities. Be positive, proud and ambitious in your
thinking and expression of what you do. Include in this statement
what your aims are, to show you have ambition and that you know
what you are seeking from network contacts.
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Depending on the situation, aim to complete your explanation in
less than 20 seconds.Less is more: lots of powerful points in very
few words make a much bigger impact than a lengthy statement.It is
a sign of a good mind if you can convey a lot of relevant
impressive information in a very short time.Conversely, a long
rambling statement shows a lack of preparation, professionalism and
experience.
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In some situations your speech may flow smoother by inverting
points 3 and 4, or combining them. If your organizational structure
is complex do not attempt to explain it. The other person is not
interested in this level of detail now - they just need to know
where you operate, and an indication of scale.While you are
speaking look the other person in the eyes, and be aware of his/her
body language to gauge for interest and reaction to you personally,
and to help your assessment of the other person's character and
mood.
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After your 'elevator speech' end in a firm, positive,
constructive way. Ending with a question enables more to happen
than letting the discussion tail off nowhere or into polite
small-talk. Depending on the situation and visible reaction (again
see body language for clues of interest) you can end in various
ways, for example:"What's your interest here/at this event?"What
are you most wanting to get out of this event/your visit here?", or
obviously if you've not already asked:"What do you do?"
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If you already know the other person's interests and motives,
for example ask:"How would you like to improve/change/grow...
(various options, for example - your own network, your own legal
activities, this sort of event, etc)?"After giving your elevator
speech avoid the temptation to force your business card onto the
other person (unless this is the tone and expectation of the
event).
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Instead try to develop the discussion around what the other
person wants to do, achieve, change, grow, etc.And be on your guard
for interruptions and sudden opportunities:Many highly competent
people have a habit of interrupting and cutting short discussions
when they see an opportunity. This means you may not always finish
your elevator speech, in which case allow the discussion to
progress, rather than try to complete what you planned to say. Be
prepared at any time to respond effectively to an interruption
like, "Okay, I get the picture - now what exactly do you
need?.."
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2. Be different and ambitiousIf there is no special difference
between you and other providers, then people have no reason
whatsoever to choose to work with you.Look again at how you
describe your business offering (or yourself as a person) - what's
different or special about it (or you) compared with all the
others?
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Sometimes this is merely a matter of redefining or placing
different emphasis on what you already are and already do. This
difference must be something that plenty of people will find
appealing; ideally irresistible. If you are struggling to find a
difference or market advantage, look at your competitors and talk
to your customers, and discover what's missing and what can be
dramatically improved out there.
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This difference needs to shine out in your elevator speech, and
be echoed in your subsequent discussions whenever initial interest
develops towards supplying something, or putting a collaborative
project together.Aim high and big when thinking about and
expressing yourself and your aims. Be realistic of course, but aim
to be the best and to lead in some way, in whatever
specialisms.
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networking is not simply finding customers in one-to-one
meetings and connections; it's building a strong network, helpful
for your aims. Accordingly project yourself as a great networker,
as well as being a great supplier or specialist.networkers want to
work with other networkers who aim high, who have great ambitions;
people who see what can be, not merely what is; and who strive for
change and improvement. When you meet like-minded networkers with
these attitudes, your network will grow because they'll see you can
make things happen too.
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3. Help others - give before you receiveAlways prioritize
helping and giving to others ahead of taking and receiving for
yourself.You must give in order to receive. Be helpful to others
and you will be helped in return. Networks of people are highly
complex - often it is not possible to see exactly how and why they
are working for you, so you must trust that goodness is rewarded,
even if the process is hidden and the effect takes a while.Use the
principle of 'what goes around comes around'. You could think of
this as Karma in business.
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A possible explanation of how Karma (or whatever you call it)
produces positive outcomes is found in the rule of 'cause and
effect', or the scientific law (loosely speaking) that 'every
action has an equal reaction'. Good deeds and helpfulness tend to
produce positive effects. They are usually remembered and often
repaid. The giver builds reputation and trust. Referrals tend to
result.
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Imagine yourself having lots of personal connections like this.
You become known as a helpful person. Word about you spreads, and
your reputation grows. People who give are seen to have strength to
give. Followers gravitate to strong giving people. Helping others
extends far beyond your personal specialism or line of work.
Networking is about working within a system (of people) enabling
relevant high quality introductions and cooperations, which get
great results for the participants. These enabling capabilities
transcend personal specialisms.
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At a simpler level, always try to ask helpful questions. These
typically begin with 'what' and 'how', and address an area of
interest to the other person, not you.Open questions (who, what,
how, when, etc - also "Tell me about...") give the other person
opportunity to speak and express their views and feelings:
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Ask people: "How can I help you?" "What can I do for you?"Closed
questions (requiring a yes or no answer, or another single
response, for example "Is this your first time here?") do not offer
the other person much opportunity to talk, although at certain
times a good relevant closed question can be vital for clarifying
things:"Do you mean X or Y?""Do you want to do X or would you
prefer that I do it?"
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The communications concepts of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic
Programming) and TA (Transactional Analysis) also contain useful
techniques for helping others, and for understanding the
underpinning psychology. Be creative and constructive in how you
regard others and how you might help them. Being defensive and
making assumptions tends to limit options and growth.
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For example try to see your competitors as potential allies.
There is a fine dividing line between the two behaviors, and
positioning too many people/companies in the competitor camp can
make life unnecessarily difficult. When you talk to your
competitors you will often surprise yourselves at the opportunities
to work together, in areas (service, territory, sector,
application, etc) where you do not compete, and even possibly in
areas where you do compete. This is particularly so for small
businesses who can form strategic alliances with like-minded
competitors to take a joint-offering to a market and compete for
bigger contracts.
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4. Keep your integrity - build trust and reputationSometimes a
situation arises which tempts us to do the wrong thing, causing
harm or upset that could have been avoided. We are all human;
mistakes happen. If you do make a mistake or wrong decision -
whether it significantly undermines your integrity or not - always
admit it and apologize.Failing to apologize for wrong-doing often
damages a person's integrity and reputation far more than the
original misjudgment itself.
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We only need to think of how we view people in high and public
authority, notably politicians, when they fail to take
responsibility and admit their mistakes. Some integrity is lost. Do
it a few times and all integrity is lost.People of low integrity
sooner or later find that the only friends they have left are other
people of low integrity. Significantly, integrity is vital for
trust to develop. Trust is simply not possible without integrity.
Building trust is essential for growing a strong business
network.Lack of trust prevents successful business networking.
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Empathy and effective listening greatly assist the process of
building trust. These qualities require you to be genuinely
interested in others; to listen properly, and to reflect back
meaningfully and helpfully.Following up is also a vital feature of
building trust and reputation.You will probably know a few very
solid people who always keep their commitments, and who never make
a commitment which they cannot keep. Aim to be like this.
Reliability and dependability are highly valued qualities in
relationships, especially relationships involving referrals and
recommendations, because someone's reputation is at stake.
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The words 'reliable' and 'dependable' do not mean that you are
always available to everyone. These words mean simply that when you
say you will do something you will do it.
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5. seek relevant groups and connectionsIdentify and target
groups and connections which are relevant to your aims and
capabilities.Relevance can be according to several different
things, for example:GeographySizeSectorSocial grouping (e.g.,
ethnic, gender, age, seniority, etc)Political or religious
grouping
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Trade or society groupingAcademic or technical groupingOther
common interest (e.g., social enterprise, environmental, Fair
Trade, etc)
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The more relevant your targeting of groups and contacts, then
more useful your meetings and referrals will be. Other professional
people can be important networking contacts. Don't limit your
targeting just to obvious business people.Certain non-business
professional people can be hugely influential in networks, and
greatly trusted because of their neutrality and professional
standing - educators and scientists, for example.
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It is not easy to make connections with these people through
conventional business networking, but remember that a network is
not only made of business-people, and be awake to these
non-commercial connections when the chance comes. If you find that
your networking is producing very low opportunities for follow up
and referral, try to improve your targeting. Find different groups
and methods, in other words.
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A true network is a connected system of people within which
referrals and opportunities can be passed through several
connections, or circulated to all those connected. Networking thus
can extend far beyond simply having lots of random one-to-one
meetings.A given number of people who are connected for a reason
will generally be more productive than the same number of random
connections.
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So don't go aimlessly after every networking opportunity which
comes your way; instead try to find networks which already function
well or have the potential to do so; and consider and decide which
sort of groups and contacts will be most helpful for your aims and
capabilities - ideally remembering that you need to be able to help
them, as well as they should be able to help you. Within most
networks people tend to have a few close and trusted connections.
Choose these, your most trusted and closest associates, very
carefully. Reputations are built according to your chosen contacts,
in addition to how you yourself behave.
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6. Plan your networking - know what you want - manage itAll
projects need managing. Business networking is a project, and so it
needs managing. You can use various tools to manage your
networking. You must manage your networking, or it will manage
you.Some people plan with shapes and connections on a big sheet of
paper. Others prefer a spreadsheet. Use whatever you find
comfortable.Be able to plan and monitor your networking
activities.
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It is important to know exactly what you want, because you will
be asked - very directly by powerful potential contacts - and you
will need to give a clear answer.An activity which has no clear
planned outcomes is liable to be pulled in all sorts of unwanted
directions.As with any project, you will only move towards your aim
when you keep focused on that aim.If you don't know what to plan,
then probably some research is necessary:
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In terms of evaluating and choosing a potential networking group
- especially a big online community - investigate the tactics that
successful members are using. Ask a leading member for pointers.
This will help you assess the group's relevance to your needs and
strengths.You will save yourself from attending time-wasting
events, and registering with time-wasting websites, if you do some
research before committing valuable time to deeper involvement.A
plan is vital because business networking can be a very
time-consuming activity.
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A structured approach can be especially important for very
sociable networkers.Business networking can be a very enjoyable
activity, and for some people can seem a lot more productive than
it actually is, so stay mindful of business results and
cost-effectiveness. Here is a simple example for planning and
monitoring networking, which extends the elevator speech.Just use
the headings as a guide if you prefer to work more intuitively, or
if you favour a certain type of planning method.networking planner
example
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networking planner example
group 1group 2group 3what is my aim?ideal connections (people) -
describing wordsgroup name and typegroup profile/sector/interests
(relevance to me)tactical group notes/tips - what works well?
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my elevator speech (for this group)what I can do for these
peoplewhat do I want from these people?diary dates/scheduled
taskstargets/expectationsactuals time spentcompare with my other
marketing activities
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The example above doesn't necessarily suggest you begin with
three groups, or limit your business networking activities to three
groups.A sensible start might be to pick one business networking
website, and one face-to-face business networking group or event,
and see how you do before increasing the activity.As you will see
from the sustained focused effort point, business networking works
best when it is attacked in a concentrated way. If you take on too
many groups and websites at the same time you will be spread too
thinly, and find it difficult to make an impact in any of them.
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7. follow up your commitments and promisesThere are two main
reasons for the importance of following up: Networking only
produces good results when it is followed up.Following up with
contacts builds trust, reputation, and relationships.Put
negatively, to emphasize the points: Networkers who meet people and
never follow up are wasting their time. Networkers who never follow
up will eventually become known as time-wasters.
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Follow up is a matter of relevance and commitment: If a contact
or referral is not relevant, then say so, which avoids any
expectation of follow up. If there is relevance, follow it up, in
whatever way is appropriate for the situation.If you find that you
are not wanting to follow up meetings and referrals because of lack
of relevance then you can re-examine your group targeting strategy.
You might be chasing the wrong groups and connections, and could
need to redefine these issues.
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Networking Strategies for Introverted Lawyers
the mantra for building a law practice: networking, networking,
networking. But there are lawyers out there who, despite their keen
legal minds, are just painfully shy. For these lawyers, the idea of
working the room at a cocktail party or calling someone that they
hardly know to arrange a coffee or lunch meeting is not just
undesirable, it actually could make them break into a cold
sweat.
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The risks of isolation
The introverted lawyer is not just at risk of being unable to
develop a referral network that will generate business. In
representing lawyers in discipline matters, I often see lawyers who
are very isolated from other lawyers, whether it is by virtue of
office location (working from home, renting an inexpensive office
in a suburban office park, working in a rural area), a strong
independence streak (I will prove I can do this myself), or,
sometimes, not knowing how to get started networking.
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For some lawyers, isolation leads to bigger problems, such as
not having colleagues to turn to when tough questions arise on
files or not having anyone around to notice that the lawyer is
showing signs of depression. It is troubling in a discipline case
to represent a lawyer who cannot identify one or two friends with
whom the lawyer has shared his or her problems and know the lawyer
well enough to testify as a character witness.
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Get in the game
Introverted lawyers should approach networking in ways that will
minimize confrontation. For starters, become a joiner. Sign up for
one or two bar committees, social organizations, or nonprofit
boards that will have regular meetings. Small nonprofits, in
particular, are eager to have lawyers serve on their boards.
Through these meetings, over time, you will get to know your fellow
participants and they will have the opportunity to get to know
you.
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These relationships may lead to a coffee or lunch date but it is
not critical. You should find appropriate timesbefore meetings,
during breaks, walking to the parking lot afterwardsto slip your
elevator speech into the conversation. After youve served a two or
three-year term, move on to another activity. Yes, this is a
long-term strategy. But really, all networking is a long-term
strategy and you will likely make deeper connections with people
who actually work with you on projects than you would just by
drinking a lot of coffee.
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Go on-line
Introverts should also take the opportunity to participate in
on-line discussion groups. Ask anyone who is active in a listserv
and they will tell you that they get to know the personalities of
their fellow participants just by reading their posts. More
importantly, they develop trust in their colleagues and refer
business to them. This is where an introverted lawyer can shine
because often your strengths lie in deliberation and thoughtfulness
(as opposed to your extroverted cousins, like me, who think while
speaking, which occasionally has unintended consequences).
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Networking, however, is a skill. Like all skills, it needs to be
practiced. After you get the hang of participating, perhaps you can
be the one to introduce a listserv to your local bar.Lastly, look
for situations in which you can develop one-on-one relationships
without the cold calling. Sign up for a mentoring program, for
example. You put your name in, they contact you. Offer to visit or
take meals to members of your religious community when they are
ill. Join a book group. Just try to form relationships with people
in environments that are suited to your personality
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After a long day at the office, usually the last thing we want
to think about is more work. But if you want to really want to get
yourself known, youll get involved in community activities or in
social causes.A lot of people just dont enjoy the typical
networking events: stiff conversation at a cocktail party or a
formal luncheon or dinner. But volunteering is a great way to
network without really trying. It is a way that you can benefit
yourself and whatever organization, project, or cause youre
interested in, and it can be fun.
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Volunteering is a great way to find new opportunities. It can
give you a chance to explore a new area of law to practice or a new
career altogether. It can help you get different kinds of training
or improve a skill, and it can help you make new contacts. Many
nonprofits are eager to have an attorney on their board of
directors. It gives them added credibility and legal assistance
when they need advice.
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And volunteering doesnt mean you have to make a heavy time
commitment. You could get involved in something that is long term,
such as serving on a board and participating in all the
organizations fundraisers and activities. Or you could be an
episodic volunteer where you help out as a one-time supporter. That
would let you get involved in a lot of different events in your
community and meet a lot of different people.
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Elevator Speech StrategyWhat I mean by an elevator speech is a
short description of what you do, or the point you want to make,
presented in the time it takes an elevator to go from the top floor
to the first floor or vice versa. In this article you will find out
what, why, where, when, to whom, and how to prepare that elevator
speech. The idea of an elevator speech is to have a prepared
presentation that grabs attention and says a lot in a few words.
What are you going to be saying? By telling your core message, you
will be marketing yourself and/or your business, but in a way that
rather than putting people off will make them want to know more
about you and your business.
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Of course, if you meet someone who shows interest in the
elevator, you can be literal and use it there - when you attend an
event, a conference, a convention, or some other type of meeting
with networking opportunities. You will notice that one of the
first questions people ask is, And, what do you do? Oh, Im a lawyer
or an accountant or a consultant or an artist It doesnt matter
because they will often say, Oh, thats nice, and immediately label
you in their mind with all of the stereotypes they perceive those
occupations carry with them. However, if you turn your message
around and start with an answer like, I work with small businesses
that are grappling with computer problems, right away especially if
they own a small business their ears will perk up and they will
want to know more.
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The more often you give your short speech, the better it will
become. You will have so much fun experiencing the unique reactions
to what you are saying, you will easily be able to add enthusiasm
and energy to the telling. I suggest taking advantage of a wide
variety of gatherings and networking events. And, dont worry, if
your elevator speech isnt smooth, easy, or natural in the
beginning. If you stick with it, you will find that it gets better
and better, and before long, you will be getting a surprising
amount of business or, at least a number of contacts who want your
business card and to stay in touch. You will also be
remembered.
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Plant a seed of curiosity.Begin a conversation.Shift the focus
to the person asking the question.Establish yourself as a trusted
advisor and expert in our niche.Reposition the legal industry as a
helping profession.
Roxana-Emanuela Dude
Roxana-Emanuela Dude
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Facebook is becoming the social and communications hub for all
aspects of the lives of millions of people. They use it to share
information with friends and work colleagues, and it is their
preferred means of communication. For many, Facebooks private
message feature is replacing email.As the largest social networking
site on the Web, Facebook poses opportunities and challenges for
lawyers and law firms. Any place where you can meet 800 million
unique people is clearly a lucrative marketing opportunity. And
while initially, most people saw Facebook as a personal networking
tool, it is being used increasingly as a successful business
marketing tool as well.
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While many lawyers are still scratching their headsand
rightfully sosome lawyers are making it work for them. Many have a
personal Facebook account and a separate page for their firm. Task
No. 1 for any lawyer using Facebook is mastering the sites
ever-changing privacy and personalization settings. You need to
understand and carefully control what the world can see. Facebook
has just introduced its smart lists feature, which automatically
assigns friends to categorieswork, school, family and city. Users
can then add or remove their friends from categories after Facebook
makes its recommendation. The functionality and longevity of this
feature is still unclear, but smart lists may be a helpful way for
lawyers to separate professional and personal contacts.
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LINKEDIN The so-called Facebook for professionals, LinkedIn is
in a different category than many other social media tools because
of its express business focus.LinkedIn allows users to create
public profiles that are much like Facebook profiles, only without
the bachelorette party photo stream. It allows professionals to
upload a picture of themselvesusually the standard company
headshotand most of the information you would find on a standard
rsum, including employment history, education, skills, publications
and awards. LinkedIn users can see each others profiles and
connections (called contacts) when they connect to each other.
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Smart firms actively encourage all their lawyers to be on
LinkedIn and to actively find real contacts (as opposed to wannabe
friends) by relying on the power of exponential networking to
identify connections to potential clients. They also request that
lawyer profiles use consistent firm branding and language to ensure
they make a professional presentation. A firm of 20 lawyers who
each have 100 contacts may have more than 2,000 potential contacts
at only one degree of separation. The trick is to connect these
contacts to business development strategies. LinkedIn is a goldmine
for potential firm hires, many of whom use the site to forge
connections with practicing lawyers working in their desired
area.
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Smart law firms appreciate this by soliciting interest in job
openings on LinkedIn. LinkedIn permits users to make
recommendations or to endorse the services and performance of
others, which raises obvious ethical issues.LinkedIn also has the
feature of asking questions of those within ones network and
responding with answers. This blurs the difficult dividing line
between professional development and the provision of legal
advice.
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BLOGS Law blogging, or blawging, is a quick and useful way to
report current developments to colleagues, clients and the general
public.The appeal of a blog is how easily and reliably it produces
quality content in a timely fashion. All that a contributor needs
to do is write and click to submit; there is no cumbersome editing
process or having to wait for a print publication. For this reason,
blogs have the potential to provide cutting-edge legal commentary
about emerging issues before the journals. Relative to the other
social media tools, it takes more work to create a blog.
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The regular writing you must do to keep posting updates can be a
chore, but the rewards can be large, especially if you establish
yourself as one of the go-to people in a given area of the law.
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Many firms are focusing their efforts on firm-wide blogs or
practice group blogs. Enlisting a group of colleagues, usually
specialists in a given area, to commit to posting on a regular
schedule helps spread the writing load around. It also means the
blog remains a firm asset if one of the people posting to it
leaves. Blogs with good reputations reflect well upon the expertise
and diligence of lawyers, and present valuable client development
opportunities from within the readership. They can generate real
leads. And if the mainstream media follows your blog, youll find
yourself quoted or invited to comment on television or radionot a
bad payback for something that requires little out-of-pocket
investment, but your attention and time.
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