Marsha Redmon Communications » Getting Business

“Scientists Are Lousy Communicators…” and Lawyers?

M.R. — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:45:53 +0000

“Scientists are lousy communicators. They appeal to people’s heads, not their hearts or guts,” according to a recent Newsweek article. And quoting Randy Olson: “Scientists think of themselves as guardians of truth…once they have spewed it out, they feel the burden is on the audience to understand it.” Olson, who left a professorship in marine biology to make films about science, has authored the book Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style (2009).

Like scientists, lawyers often leave it up to their audiences to figure out what they meant. A lawyer’s failure to communicate is especially dangerous when talking to prospective clients – whether through the media or in person during meetings or pitches for new business. Most prospective clients — especially these days — will walk away rather than do the work of figuring out what the lawyer meant!

The key for lawyers who want to communicate better with clients and prospective clients is to analyze their audience before speaking. A lawyer who communicates well answers three questions before speaking:

What single thing will grab the attention of this audience?
What words communicate best with this audience?
What story or example can I use that this audience will identify with and immediately understand?

In this economy, lawyers cannot afford to speak from a self-centered perspective: What client wants to hire a lawyer who doesn’t bother to talk to them from a business perspective? Who would want a lawyer who talks about a new law or new regulation — but does not make clear IMMEDIATELY what the impact will likely be for the client’s business?

In the past, when law firms had a lot of power, lawyers sometimes got away with not communicating clearly. I think we can all agree — those days are over.

Marsha Redmon, mredmon [at] marsha [dot] com

Just starting competency based compensation?

M.R. — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 20:28:47 +0000

Long road to competencies!

Most law firm competency based compensation systems include business development and communication skills for associates and young partners.

How is your law firm putting a comprehensive competency based business development and communications curriculum into place quickly?

Marsha Redmon Communications’ Business Development and Communications Curriculum(customized to fit your firm’s competency system) covers those communication and client development skills that most competency based systems require.

Cost Effective: The curriculum is designed so that most courses may be taught live in all offices at once, so that multiple courses (customized for each level) may be delivered cost effectively. Some intensive skill building courses are delivered in person by our consultants.

Course Design: This business development and communications curriculum has four key areas:

Business development through skill- and relationship-building
Communicating effectively in every situation
Raising your profile in order to develop business
Optional: Client service “your way” — a highly customized workshop that is based on a firm’s particular culture of client service

The curriculum offers two levels of courses: core and skill-building. Each area has one core course that provides fundamentals and an overview of key learning. Various hands-on skill-building workshops are offered in each track to focus lawyers on applying the knowledge and getting comfortable with the skills needed to excel at business development and communications – at each level in a firm’s competency system.

Extra Options: Distance Learning Courses: Marsha Redmon Communications offers additional business development and communications courses in a distance learning (on demand) setting. Accessing the courses is easy. Participants take courses online individually – at a time that is convenient for each of them.

Online course offerings include:

Using Webinars to Get Business Now
Looking Like a Team in Presentations & Pitches
Staying in Touch to Get Business
Listening Skills for Lawyers

We are happy to create other on demand courses upon request.

To talk about our unique way of delivering a cost-effective and complete business development and communication curriculum customized to match your competency based system– contact us at info [at] marsha [dot] com.

Business Development

M.R. — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:19:02 +0000

Let’s Do Lunch — Business Development Your Way

How many potential clients have you taken to lunch – and never gotten around to talking about business?

Have you tried and rejected the “hard sell” business development model because you just can’t see yourself that way?

Sustainable business development happens when you can be genuine and authentic – while stepping out of your comfort zone a little.

We teach a realistic approach to business development for busy lawyers. In this practical session, you’ll learn what you can do now for more effective, targeted business development that flows from your natural style. Using the example of a business lunch, find out what works and “what not to do” to get business.

Topics include:

Making the switch: shifting the conversation to business
Two crucial skills that make all the difference
Choosing the right targets
How to ask for the business
Staying in touch without being annoying
Fitting business development into your life

This workshop can be conducted with small or large groups, for partners or associates or both. We also do a women-only program.

Over lunch, naturally!

Raising Your Profile to Get Business

This interactive workshop looks at how lawyers can successfully use public speaking, writing and media interviews to get new business. This overview of business development through profile raising explores in depth how the three activities can act as a catalyst to raise a lawyer’s profile to become the “go to” lawyer for a particular business issue or specialty.

We use case studies, demonstrations, checklists and interactive exercises to understand how profile raising works most effectively and to brainstorm ideas for participants. (optional) Each participant will leave with a plan to start raising her/his profile.

After this workshop, participants will know how to:

Choose a topic/issue that is newsworthy and will attract business
Understand and choose their best audiences for developing business
Identify the best publications, events, and conferences to get in front of their target audiences
Get their audience to come up to meet them after their speeches
Create handouts audiences will keep (and why that matters)
Get the most mileage out of articles and media interviews
Create valuable media relationships
Avoid typical lawyer mistakes in speeches, interviews and articles
Understand the writing style best used for articles and white papers

Team Presenting – How to Win RFPs and Pitches

This workshop focuses on what makes a presentation (or pitch) team “look” like a team and how to wow the audience (or decision makers) from the start. During the workshop we explore how to develop metaphors and illustrative stories that will drive home the most important points in a team’s presentation or proposal — for example — the team’s experience with similar legal work.

Participants will engage in interactive exercises using realistic scenarios appropriate to the level of the lawyers participating. Checklists for messaging and “looking like a team” are provided. (optional) Can be done with actual presentation teams or “future” teams.

After this workshop, participants will understand how to:

Look and sound like a team
Explain complex issues in a concise and compelling way
Stay on message
Manage the time with multiple speakers
Handle tough questions and score points at the same time
Leave the decision makers with a clear, positive message
Start and end the presentation with power

Public Speaking

M.R. — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:13:10 +0000

Do you know the one sure fire way to turn public speaking into a business development opportunity?

Can you grab the attention of an industry audience every time?

In our Public Speaking for Lawyers workshop lawyers will learn how to choose the right speaking opportunities, how to choose topics to get noticed and how to leverage speaking opportunities before and after speaking.

Oh yes, we also cover how to give a great speech and enjoy it!

Our workshops include videotaped speech practice with individualized feedback. Videotaping can be done in small groups or individually.

After this Public Speaking workshop, lawyers will be able to:

Grab the attention of any size audience
Use examples of their expertise to highlight their points
Provide useful information that engages the audience
Feel comfortable while speaking
Present with confidence and power
Handle tough questions
Connect with the audience