tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576163129774298049.post837710152573807618..comments2023-10-14T14:51:58.358+01:00Comments on thelegalbratblawg: "Hello - would you like to buy some legal services?"legalbrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08885387966127219569noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576163129774298049.post-19838197704768821332011-05-27T16:04:26.768+01:002011-05-27T16:04:26.768+01:00Tim,
Good post (and you have got great comments t...Tim,<br /><br />Good post (and you have got great comments too). Building up on what was said: little, frequent, 2 way interest in the relationship, value oriented (win-win)...<br /><br />The critical point is - as you mention - drawing the line between being wanted/interested and being bombarded. Having established a relationship should not always result on getting an instruction, but as you mentioned, you shouldn't start a relationship with someone you would never hire.<br /><br />I never get upset if I receive valuable information, that follows up on an already started conversation ...Gbilderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13174963590180153851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576163129774298049.post-60195527579752524642011-05-04T01:14:40.578+01:002011-05-04T01:14:40.578+01:00I nodded along to so many stories in this post... ...I nodded along to so many stories in this post... To add another in-houser’s perspective:<br /><br />In my experience outhousers can sometimes get uncomfortably clingy if they see a glimmer of a hint of a hope of a possible instruction, so I tend to wait until I’m fairly sure that we’ll get along before I agree to meet, even for coffee. What irks me is if I make the first move, and it’s ignored – and that goes beyond the switchboard. One way I like to test the waters is to attend training presentations at lawfirms. Absurdly, some firms require you to have a key contact before they’ll let you register. Because however trite it may sound to anyone with an ounce of commercial awareness, some outhousers still don’t understand that “anyone who’s not a client is a potential client” and will gleefully turn me away to drag my sacks of gold to another firm where I’ll at least make it through the door. If you can’t handle your core business in a sensible way, why should I let you loose on my commercial deals?<br /><br />As for clients / potential clients being ignored at events, that’s not just bad marketing, it’s bad manners – and it’s rife. Again, if you can’t behave properly on your own turf, how will you behave in front of my internal clients when things start to heat up?<br /><br />And that’s really the bottom line, outhousers: I’m not shopping for my own benefit. I’ve been there, I understand the pressures you’re under - the all-nighters, exploding printers and screaming partners - and if it were down to me I might cut you some slack. But when I pick you, I’m sticking my neck out and telling my people that I’ve hired the best team for the job: everything you do (and how you do it) will reflect on me, so I need to trust you from the outset. Don’t let yourselves down before I even get to know you.<br /><br />http://twitter.com/London_eagleLondonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17076021931415512138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576163129774298049.post-88243120285344811352011-04-28T11:42:44.417+01:002011-04-28T11:42:44.417+01:00What I find interesting, and encouraging, is that ...What I find interesting, and encouraging, is that tools such as Twitter allow these relationships to grow without necessarily relying on, at least as an opener, the tried-and-tested education or employment networks. <br /><br />As set out in the post, for me "little and frequent" over the long term is key. This mirrors simple psychology and applies not only to building new commercial relationships but to the formation of any human habit.<br /><br />What is also encouraging is the growing support for relationships as their own end, rather than as a direct means to more work. This need not be a naive viewpoint, if as Shireen points out, it turns out that the relationships are valuable in ways that are more indirect and difficult to quantify.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576163129774298049.post-10328537133022700772011-04-28T11:07:26.690+01:002011-04-28T11:07:26.690+01:00Really interesting post. But surely networking is ...Really interesting post. But surely networking is about much more than one party seeking work from the other? So I disagree with the idea that in-housers shouldn't 'waste time' or that of their private practice cousins "by playing out this form of dating game" if they have no intention of ever going on a proper first date. There could be all sorts of benefits to two people meeting for a coffee. They might learn something from each other, while extending their contacts at the same time. Life works in funny ways. You never know what the future might bring. You might even become colleagues or find your roles reversed. Also, there are benefits I could get from having a chat with you - for example, it might help me to better understand the market. If you have time for networking with others, you might learn something of benefit to you, or find you are able to offer a piece of information which has far more value to the other party, than the scrap of work you have no intention of giving them. So, IMHO it’s certainly not "unprofessional and unfair" to have coffee with an external lawyer whose services you do not intend to engage.Shireen Smith, Azrightshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00878214320196044240noreply@blogger.com