Client Development Change What You Think It Takes To Succeed

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers Client Development: Change What You Think it Takes to Succeed I want to share two stories with you about how changing what you think it takes to succeed can make a difference in your client development success. Years ago I coached a lawyer as part of a dozen lawyers in the coaching program at a well known regional firm. She was struggling with her client development, in part because she was not comfortable doing what the senior lawyers in her firm suggested that she do. She was not particularly optimistic that she could become a rainmaker. Fast forward: For several years now  this lawyer has been one of the top rainmakers in her law firm. This dramatic change was not because I was a great coach, it was because I was able to get her to change her idea of what it takes to succeed. My second story is about a lawyer I coached a few years ago. She was a young partner in her law firm at the time. She is now in-house with her old law firm’s largest client. At the end of our coaching program, each participant sent a report to firm leaders. Here is an excerpt from the lawyer’s report:  Cordell once told me: “I have to make you believe you can have a seven figure book of business.” He believed in me. It took quite awhile, but now I believe in myself. Not only as a quality lawyer, but also as a business developer. Prior to working with Cordell I secretly enjoyed not having to be responsible for attracting clients. Now it is my goal.   I enjoyed reading  Heidi Grant Halvorson’s book: Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals (a great book I have recommended to lawyers I coach). Near the end of the book Dr. Halvorson writes: Americans believe in ability. East Asians believe in effort. I suspect she is right. I know for sure that many lawyers believe client development is about ability and you either have it or you don’t. While a lawyer must be a good lawyer and must have some ability to communicate, client development is more about effort. Take a look, you might find this short video valuable. Before the coaching, each of the two women thought that ability  was the key to becoming a successful rainmaker. Each looked around her firm and concluded she did not have the same kind of ability she saw in the older lawyers (near my age), who were extroverted, great at networking, played golf with clients and took them to dinner and football games. During our coaching, a lightbulb went off. I convinced each lawyer that successful rainmaking is based less on  ability  and based significantly more on the level and quality of her  effort, and on using her strengths most effectively. Lawyers who believe client development success is based primarily on  ability  typically come to a point when they quit trying to develop business. Lawyers who figure out success can be obtained based on the level and quality of their effort persist until they succeed and constantly strive to get better. The very most successful are able to recognize their strengths and their ability and constantly strive to use them and develop them further. I practiced law for 37 years developing a national construction law practice representing some of the top highway and transportation construction contractors in the US.