As a GC you get lots of lunch invitations from lawyers who want to start a business relationship. I turn most of them down because they’re generally a waste of time.
The other day I had lunch with a lawyer I used to work for when I was with The Big Firm(TM). It had been a while since we had talked. We hadn’t been particularly close, but I thought that maybe, just maybe, with all his experience, I could (for once) have lunch with a “pro” who knew how to make it rain. It would be fun to admire an expert in action, and share some of his better techniques in this blog. Unfortunately it didn’t work out so well and it was another wasted afternoon.
This lunch, like so many others before it, was the “blue plate special” of marketing lunches.
- Small talk before ordering
- How big the firm is
- Where our offices are
- Our practice areas
- My practice area
- Is there anything we can do for you? We’d sure like your business.
What’s missing from this list? Oh. Right. How about a question about MY company? What’s going on with MY industry? What’s on MY stay-awake list? Is MY staff sufficient to support the increasing demands from our internal customers?
That’s right, it IS all about me.
Let me let you in on a secret: We love talking about our company, our challenges, our successes, and our industry. Simply put, we like talking about ourselves.
Your job is to fill my needs. How will you know my needs without asking? Better yet, how will you help me discover my needs unless you probe the periphery? You should be doing no more than 50% of the talking.
Ask me about me, and then listen.
In House Rants 
I love this blog, which is why it’s headline feeds are included on Legal Marketing Reader. The law firm marketing world needs to hear more from you. Keep it up.
~Amy
Enjoy your posts and have been trying to implement them for more than five years. It is beginning to take, but progress is not as quick as we would like.
One quick observation: We have an ongoing challenge of getting meetings with clients to discuss **their** department or company goals for the coming year. And it’s not just one company or client or industry, it’s across the board.
How do we get to know you better if you and your peers are reluctant to meet to discuss your objectives? Reading the 10-K and the 8-Ks are great, but there is nothing like hearing it straight from the source.
Any thoughts?
Matt
I feel Amy is correct . she is true .. i like that too.
(Amy and employment law tribunal solicitor, thank you for your kind words)
Matt: Stay tuned for Part 4 or 5 (I’ve kind of lost count where the article sections are). Preview: Unless it’s something about you personally (bad breath, no deodorant), you might be going after the wrong person. Hint: try somebody who loves the sound of his own voice, who loves a free meal and is *not* a lawyer.
IHR