self-expression and business relationships
Last week, I suggested that a "disconnect of self from self" – our losing sight of what sparks and supports our curiosity, interests and desires - is a root cause of the widespread lawyer discontent we regularly experience, read and hear about. I also shared how this disconnect impairs our ability to meaningfully connect with others in our business and personal lives. I understand that many people balk at the notion of self-reflection and self-expression as vital business skills. Some resist self-focus because it raises the specter of the robber barons of yesterday (and today) – people often pejoratively described as Self-Absorbed; Selfish; Self-Centered; and Self–Aggrandizing. Others dismiss it as the stuff of new age rhetoric and pop psychology. Then there are those who believe that there’s little to no self in healthy business relationships; it’s all about the consumers we serve and what we can do to help them thrive. This last view is memorialized in a recent Law Marketing Portal article on Delivering an Elevator Pitch. Launching from the premise that “[e]ffective networking starts with a great Elevator Pitch,” author Cheryl Barbato asserts that “in less than 20 seconds, you can effectively communicate how you offer value and benefit and open the door for business.” Describing the elements of the Pitch, she instructs: “When developing your statement, it is key to think in terms of your clients. Don't think about what matters to you [.] Your Elevator Pitch should not be about you, it must be about YOUR CLIENTS.” While creating passionate consumers is a great goal, I think Barbato misses the mark. Business relationships are as much about valuing and evincing our selves as they are about reaching and helping others. Both aspects (self and other) need to be expressed and honored to foster lasting connections for business success and satisfaction.
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http://www.legalsanity.com/
Last week, I suggested that a "disconnect of self from self" – our losing sight of what sparks and supports our curiosity, interests and desires - is a root cause of the widespread lawyer discontent we regularly experience, read and hear about. I also shared how this disconnect impairs our ability to meaningfully connect with others in our business and personal lives. I understand that many people balk at the notion of self-reflection and self-expression as vital business skills. Some resist self-focus because it raises the specter of the robber barons of yesterday (and today) – people often pejoratively described as Self-Absorbed; Selfish; Self-Centered; and Self–Aggrandizing. Others dismiss it as the stuff of new age rhetoric and pop psychology. Then there are those who believe that there’s little to no self in healthy business relationships; it’s all about the consumers we serve and what we can do to help them thrive. This last view is memorialized in a recent Law Marketing Portal article on Delivering an Elevator Pitch. Launching from the premise that “[e]ffective networking starts with a great Elevator Pitch,” author Cheryl Barbato asserts that “in less than 20 seconds, you can effectively communicate how you offer value and benefit and open the door for business.” Describing the elements of the Pitch, she instructs: “When developing your statement, it is key to think in terms of your clients. Don't think about what matters to you [.] Your Elevator Pitch should not be about you, it must be about YOUR CLIENTS.” While creating passionate consumers is a great goal, I think Barbato misses the mark. Business relationships are as much about valuing and evincing our selves as they are about reaching and helping others. Both aspects (self and other) need to be expressed and honored to foster lasting connections for business success and satisfaction.
http://www.legalsanity.com/
Step 1 is deciding what kind of law you want to practice based on who you are and what you value.
Step 2 is developing how you sell it to others. The elevator speech is about what you do but aimed primarily at your ideal client.
It is like two sides of a coin. But to figure out your ideal client, you have to sort out why you are in this business to begin with and what part of it puts you in flow.
This article was written under the premise that an attorney has already decided what kind of law they want to practice (based on their personal goals and values) and they are now looking to build their business -- a requirement for making partner, as well as being handsomely compensated. Frankly, after many years of working with more than 1500 lawyers at 3 different firms in 3 different cities, I can attest to the fact that potential clients really care about how someone's experience, skills and connections apply to them. If an attorney feels that they want to use their 20 seconds to just talk about what law they practice and why, rather than catch someone's interest by talking about something relevant, my guess is they are better off playing a lawyer on TV.