The Complete Lawyer

Business development skills are critical for success in practice. Sole practitioners and those in small law firms must be able to sign on new clients and new business to stay afloat, and aptitude for client development is all but required for partnership in larger firms. Rainmakers tend to find more satisfaction in practice because they have more opportunity to do the kind of work they enjoy for the clients they like, and rainmakers usually wield more influence in law firms than the lawyers who only grind out work. Finally, in today’s economy, news about layoffs and law firm closures makes it clear that the only real security rests in the ability to generate billable work.

To Rainmake Means To Create And Cultivate Relationships

Rainmaking relies primarily on two assets: reputation and relationships. Reputation flows from technical legal expertise, which most lawyers expect to develop. However, to be useful, reputation requires appreciation by someone else. Without the involvement of another person, it becomes something of a koan (or irreconcilable paradox) much like the sound of one hand clapping: that is, what good is reputation with no one to recognize it? (Lawyers fall into this trap when they expect that doing good work will be enough to build a successful practice.) And that’s where relationships enter the picture.

Without enough relationships, or relationships of adequate depth, any lawyer will find it difficult to generate new billable work. The contacts most likely to yield that work will vary depending on the practice at issue (CFOs of midsized corporations for tax attorneys; foreign-owned businesses for immigration lawyers), but in general, the more contacts you have in your target field, the more likely you’ll get business from them, assuming that you build relationships with them. Relationships in which others have the opportunity to know, like, and trust you provide the exposure and comfort level that build confidence. Confidence, in turn, prompts contacts to hire or refer lawyers.

Attending rainmaker training or reading books about some aspect of rainmaking (Legal Business Development by Jim Hassett and A Lawyer’s Guide to Networking by Susan Sneider) is certainly beneficial, primarily for learning strategies, being exposed to new tactics, and presenting case studies as teaching examples. For many lawyers, though, that kind of learning isn’t enough. To become highly skilled in rainmaking, some lawyers need to work with a mentor, a coach, or rainmaking group.

Coaches And Coaching Groups Can Help You Become A Rainmaker

Working with a mentor, coach, or a coach-led rainmaking group helps lawyers get objective feedback about their client development goals, develop a strategy for reaching those goals, identify the high-payoff activities that harness the lawyer’s strengths and match his or her preferences, create a step-by-step plan to incorporate those tactics into a routine, and overcome the obstacles that will inevitably arise. By creating a structure in which the lawyer is accountable for the actions he or she is taking, the mentor, coach, or group also creates a structure for success.

Those who aren’t yet ready to engage a coach or coach-led rainmaking group, or who want more assistance than a single mentor can provide, may draw on a coaching approach to progress more rapidly. Setting up a peer group of two to ten lawyers for rainmaking development pays tremendous dividends if designed properly, and you can create a strong group in six steps.

1. Create a structure for accountability and support. Whether you decide to work independently or with a group, setting a specific time to focus on your rainmaking goals guarantees that you will make progress. Plan to meet regularly with a partner or group and agree to hold one another accountable for completing the steps that you identify during each meeting. Because meetings may run off-track without a facilitator, each member should take a turn as leader.

2. Begin by setting your business development goals. Ensure that each member sets a standard by which he or she can judge progress. Perhaps you want to build a referral network, to land $50,000 of client work within the next year, or to grow your book of business to $500,000 before you’re up for a partnership vote. The goal must be specific, measurable, achievable, and time-based.

3. Set a strategy to reach your goal. If your goal is to build a referral network, for example, you might decide to do so by networking and speaking. Consider your strengths and preferences in determining what kinds of activities are most likely to help you reach your goal.

4. Develop a step-by-step tactical approach to your strategy. If your goal is to land $50,000 of billable work, you might start by investigating whether your current clients have unmet legal needs or whether you might take over additional work from another lawyer with whom your clients are dissatisfied. You might elect to reconnect with former clients and contacts and set a regular schedule for doing so. Depending on the partner or group with whom you’re working as you lay your plans, you might want to share only the broad outlines. Working with a mentor or coach will afford you confidentiality that may lead to more profitable brainstorming on tactics.

5. Incorporate education into your meetings. You’ll find many helpful ideas and resources in legal business development books, articles, and blogs. Look into other fields as well, and adapt their approaches to suit your rainmaking goals. Don’t recreate the wheel. Compose a reading list or list of resources that will expand your knowledge of tested business development tactics. If you’re working with a mentor, ask what he or she would suggest you study; if you’ve built a group, rotate responsibility for reporting on a resource or ask each member to bring a new idea to each meeting.

6. Share progress and request help with challenges. Begin each meeting by sharing successes. Although the obvious success is a new client or matter, be sure to recognize smaller accomplishments such as completing a dreaded business development task or attending a networking event. At least once a month, each member should have 10-20 minutes to present a challenge that he or she is facing and to receive clarifying questions and suggestions from other members.

This structure will ensure that you build a high-accountability, high-support group that will help each member progress. Absolute confidentiality is required for success, particularly in an area as sensitive as business development. While the ideal is to arrange a group drawn from a variety of practice areas and preferably broad geography (to minimize the risk of conflicts and the perception of such a risk), doing so is difficult for a member-organized group. Instead, require airtight confidentiality memorialized in a signed agreement, and seek to include lawyers from a single firm or lawyers who know each other well.

Whatever relationship you choose to support the growth of your client development skills, remember that consistency is required, both in terms of meeting with your mentor, coach, or group, and in becoming a rainmaker.