Check Out Our Top 10 Blog Articles!
Law Firm Suites provides blog content to help aspiring and established solo attorneys and small law firms alike. On this blog, we have gathered the top 10 must-read articles on law firm networking. Continue reading and see the benefit of this content.
I’ve Always Struggled with Networking for My Firm Until I Found a New Online Community | #FollowAttorneyAmanda
In-person networking can be quite daunting but trying to establish yourself within an online community can be just as nerve-racking, the key is stepping out of your comfort zone. If you want your firm to grow and obtain referrals from your peers, you have to network. Even if gaining referrals isn’t your goal, having an outlet of like-minded peers to glean off of will catapult your firm to another level of success.
How to Make Connections at Networking Events That Actually Lead To Referrals
For most solo lawyers, networking is the largest and quickest source of new business. The problem is that these interactions often require starting in large social engagements, which can be a challenge for introverts or people who don’t thrive in crowded environments. Social anxiety is a very real thing, and sometimes it would shock you to hear when someone isn’t comfortable in networking scenarios because they do such a great job covering it up.
How to Overcome Lawyer Networking Anxiety
For most solo lawyers, networking is the largest and quickest source of new business. The problem is that these interactions often require starting in large social engagements, which can be a challenge for introverts or people who don’t thrive in crowded environments. Maybe you envy people who can work a room with ease. Those people who have quick lines or funny anecdotes at the tip of their tongue. It’s a difficult skill to master. And as a result, networking events are often missed opportunities for some lawyers to rapidly expand their firm’s.
You Never Know When or Where you Might Make a Great Networking Connection
You never know where you might find a great networking connection. I’m going to start this story by saying I’m not someone who ever felt the need to go to a salon. I was perfectly content to let my mom help me even out my hair after I cut it. Myself. Some might cringe at that thought, but it’s worked for me for 33 years. That being said, I decided one day that, the first and last time I did go to a salon, I got caramel highlights. At the time I thought it was neat, but didn’t think much of it. It didn’t take long for people I knew to comment on how good it looked, and we struck up a whole conversation. I didn’t get the highlights for attention or anyone, it was just something fanciful I decided to try. But I was thrown through a loop by the amount of attention it garnered.
I Felt Like a Wallflower at Networking Events Until I Started Doing This
I like networking as long at it’s the one-on-one variety where you get to sit down and really learn something about the other person. I find that fun. But networking events…if you put me in a room with lots of other professionals and leave me to “mingle”, I feel like a gangly, awkward mess dressed in a nice suit. I envy people who can work a room with ease. Those people who have quick lines or funny anecdotes at the tip of their tongue. It’s not a skill I’ve mastered. I don’t enjoy doing it. And as a result, networking events have never been a big part of my law firm’s marketing mix.
Attorney Networking Tips: Does the Thought of Networking Make you Ill?
Attorney Networking Tip: By networking “organically”, that is finding ways to network as you go about your everyday business (for example in your law office space), you can grow your business without the hassle of attending those awful networking events.
How to Actually Follow-Up With Networking Contacts
I often preach about networking being the key to growing your law practice. But once you go to a networking event and come home with a handful of business cards, it can be difficult to know what to do next. Over the years I’ve developed a pretty good system for following up with networking contacts. And as a result, I have created many new referral sources.
My Creative and Ongoing Legal Networking Experiment
Some might say I’m wasting my time, and this is nuts. Not so. I still remember numerous stories from other attorneys talking about their adventures in networking. One such attorney talked about how they were in the barber shop one day, talking to their barber, and that same barber ended up referring clients to them. You really never know where clients will come from. I’ve been reading a lot of books about networking and mingling. One of them talks about doing new things and meeting new people. Hence, the random dance classes.
Master Your Law Practice: A New Kind of Networking Group for Lawyers
Every single lawyer will tell you that they should be networking more. For many lawyers, it’s their main and most effective form of marketing. But, your time is precious and for some, networking events in the past haven’t been overly beneficial. Lawyers that network often never meet anyone new and always wind up talking to the same people. We know networking events are time-consuming, so we wanted to share some info about an event that’s actually worth going to.
4 Reasons Why “For Profit” Networking Groups Don’t Work For Solo Attorneys
When an attorney decides to go solo there will always be one question that is top of mind for them: “where am I going to find my next client?” In terms of business development, what didn’t work for me (and many other solo attorneys) are “for profit” networking groups. Two big groups that come to mind are BNI (Business Network International) and the Bucks Business Network. Basically, the way these groups work is you pay a yearly fee to attend a weekly meeting. Each local group is filled with members from all types of professions, from insurance brokers and bankers, to florists and fashion designers. In theory, this sounds like a great idea! What a wonderful way to meet new people, share ideas and expand your network. Unfortunately, the actual implementation falls short of being useful for my estate planning practice.
