Some Poor Advice on Rainmaking in Law Practice Today
Usually, I like to highlight articles that our audience should read and follow. But here’s one that you really shouldn’t – unless you want to learn what not to do to market a practice. This article from the usually valuable publication, Law Practice Today contains some really poor advice on rainmaking in its monthly Meet the Rainmakers column for the February issue. The article profiles a biglaw attorney who, by her own description, engages in no rainmaking efforts except for an women’s networking retreat every couple of years and just “being the best lawyer” she can be.
Sorry – but being “the best lawyer” you can be isn’t a marketing strategy. It’s a given, a starting point, a professional obligation that all of us have to our clients. How can we compete for business with the numerous other attorneys who are also out there “being the best lawyers” that they can be ?
Moreover, clients are never going to find out that you’re “the best lawyer” you can be if you’re not out there to begin with. This doesn’t necessarily mean schmoozing on the golf course, but it involves writing articles, speaking at seminars and constantly staying in people’s faces so that when it’s time to hire, they’ll remember you.
Personally, I’m leery about attorneys who are passive about marketing. Because after all, if you can’t – or aren’t willing – to step up to the plate and sell yourself, then how can you sell your clients’ cause when you’re working for them?
Wow! I’m sure she’s a talented attorney and works hard, but that’s a clueless attitude towards marketing and what it takes to bring in business.
That might be okay, but you would think she would turn down an interview for ‘Meet the Rainmaker’ if she considers that she does no marketing.
(My guess is that she does more marketing than she is acknowledging in client relations, but that interview is……wow).
Just what I thought. From her firm website:
“Kathleen has been recognized as one of the top real estate lawyers in Texas on several occasions. In 2003, the Texas Lawyer Magazine named Kathleen as one of the top six “go to” real estate lawyers in the state. In addition, in 2004 and 2003, Texas Monthly Magazine named Kathleen a Texas “super lawyer” and DMagazine named Kathleen one of the best lawyers in Dallas.
Kathleen is a speaker and author on multiple issues affecting women in the workplace including articles in the National Law Journal, Texas Lawyer, Lawyers Network, and Legal Times. She often serves as a commentator for the national public radio Dallas affiliate. Kathleen is very active and participates in a variety of local and civic organizations.”
She’s a veritable marketing dynamo. She just didn’t say that in the article.
I guess, maybe it was a poor interview – perhaps an email exchange or something of the like. Because I would think that if this attorney had told a reporter that she does not do any marketing, the logical follow up would have been “Where does your success come from.”
Of course, the other thing that makes me wary when reading about successful lawyers at large firms is that sometimes, there may be a couple of overarching rainmakers who “feed” cases to other departments. For example, a securities litigator representing a business in a merger might pull in attorneys from real estate or tax. Thereafter, the client (if satisfied) would call those attorneys for follow up w/their RE or tax issues. So they have follow up business though they did not generate the lead originally. I don’t really consider this “rainmaking” either because the entre was provided by a partner. But it likely accounts for the success of many large firm attorneys.
When it comes to success as a solo, I would posit that marketing expertise is at least twice as relevant to success as actual legal ability (based on my empirical study, i.e. constant networking and studying the success or lack thereof of my peers.) Personally, I am energized when I am reminded of the marketing cluelessness often evidenced by even some of the more successful attorneys out there. Of course, the article also hints that marketing is not always as critical to those in biglaw…while it’s the bread and the butter in the solo world. As long as I realize this, I am more than happy to keep most other attorneys in the dark.
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