Careers
Tips for Would-Be Rainmakers (Be Nice!)
Posted May 5, 2008, 01:09 pm CDT
By Martha Neil
Perhaps the hardest part of being a rainmaker, for many lawyers, is figuring out how to go about generating business.
Having the right mentor introduce you to clients and help you with your career, of course, can be very helpful. But even without one, a lawyer can develop expertise in a specialized practice area—and, at least as important, make sure that others know about it. Being the first to publish an article on a new development in the law, for instance, is a surefire way to gain attention, reports the Legal Intelligencer, in an article reprinted in New York Lawyer (reg. req.).
Existing clients are the best source of new business, those interviewed for the article agreed. And, while it's important to ask for more work, it's also important to get to know a client's business and form relationships with client representatives before too-aggressively seeking additional income. Simply being personable can be a big plus, points out Robert Heim, a rainmaker at Dechert.
“It’s always surprised me how very personable, engaging people treat their clients as if they are just representatives of the problem rather than people they would enjoy in their own right as people,” he says.
Read the full article (reg. req.).
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: "How Associates Can Make It Rain"
ABA Journal: "The Rainmaker Within"
ABAJournal.com: "Like to Golf? San Diego Law Firm Seeks Associate Rainmakers"
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Posted by msg - 5 months, 2 days, 17 hours, 5 minutes ago
Why don’t lawyers take a marketing class if they can’t figure this out on their own. It isn’t that difficult. Most of it is obvious - treat your clients how you want to be treated, return phone calls in a timely manner, network, be honest, don’t be a bull shitter, do excellent work, ask for referrals from satisfied clients, advertise in a professional manner, have informative websites, consider developing an intelligent and informative newsletter for your clients, become known as an expert in your field, publish articles. Do I have to tell you more? Dah!