Law Practice Today

Any attorney who has been making an effort to bring in new clients knows what a colossal commitment it takes. Let's face it, it's not often that a prospect shows up in your office with the intention of hiring you. Yet when a prospect is at the point he or she is ready to consider new counsel, many attorneys choke. Here are some tips if you really want to botch the job:

• Don't bother to research the company before the meeting. What do you care what they do, how much revenue they generate, or their standing in their industry? Why should you talk about relevant work you've done with similar clients?
• Don't send directions, biographies, or any other information about the firm beforehand.
• Let them stew in the reception area for a good 20 minutes or more. Don't have any magazines or firm brochures/newsletters to browse through and hire the most unpleasant receptionist you can find.
• Don't offer a beverage. What are you? A barista?
• Talk about yourself for most of the meeting. Make sure you mention your years of experience, your alma mater, and all those awards you've racked up. Don't worry about leaving time for the prospects to talk about their business. You want to leave them speechless!
• Never ask why they are shopping for new counsel, what issues they are wrestling with, or what they have planned for their business.
• You probably don't want to ask any of your colleagues who have expertise they might find useful to sit in or at least stop by and introduce themselves. You don't want anyone crowding in on your monologue.
• Show no enthusiasm.
• Don't ask when they are planning to make a decision or if you can provide further information. Appear as uninterested as possible in gaining them as a client.
• And finally, never, ever follow up after the meeting. Who has time to add them to the mailing list or send them an email? Why should you care if they don't choose you as their new counsel - that's their loss. You have nothing to learn from this.

Alright, I am being a little facetious. But interestingly, I recently attended a terrific seminar where the presenter, Wendy Nemitz of Ingenuity Marketing Group, LLC, had done some "secret shopping." She contacted ten law firms and 13 CPA firms, saying that she was looking for a new attorney/CPA and would like to meet with them. These bullet points may sound like jokes, but are actually taken directly from her experiences. In fact, only 2.5 of the firms met her standards and the handful of people who wowed her were under the age of 40 and not partners. That certainly gave me food for thought. How about you?