One Lawyers Response To Blog What Have You Learned And How Are You Implementing It

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers One Lawyer’s Response to Blog “What Have You Learned and How Are You Implementing It?” In response to my September 22, 2011 blog What Have You Learned and How Are You Implementing It, Thomas Grant shared with me the following and gave me permission to share it with you: What have you learned from reading the materials I post or listening to the podcasts? I regularly read your blog a few years ago and have just returned to it, after about a one-year hiatus.   Back then, I was at another firm billing 2500+ hours in a very busy practice group. What little time I had to market, I spent reading blogs and other materials on marketing. I thought I was making progress with doing my continued research and reading. I have learned the folly of my ways after spending years servicing someone else’s clients. About a year and a half ago I moved to another firm where I can build my own practice.   It’s been tough, but I have found that I often refer to points you made and lessons you teach, as well as the many good resources you quote and recommend. These have helped me stay motivated. I’ve finally started to get busy on marketing action items and actually do things rather than simply plan, read and prepare. I still seem to move in fits and starts. I realize that consistent and continuous action and accountability are my two greatest needs. Although I’ve learned a lot over the years from your posts, my “a ha” moment came when I heard your podcast with Travis Crabtree.   I’m a business litigator and  have a great interest in (and knowledge of) technology and had been flirting with the idea of concentrating my marketing in that area but had no idea how to start.   Travis said something to the effect of, “even though emedia matters were only about 5% of my practice, I just had to bite the bullet, put myself out there in that field and start doing things to become visible to potential clients.”   It made me realize that there’s no time like the present, and so I have started, as well. What changes have you made? Have you seen any results? Yes.  Consistent and Continuous action is still my challenge, but my efforts have led to some of my own clients and also enabled me to start making solid contacts in my target  area with potential clients.   The snowball is starting to form, though much more slowly than I would like.   Interestingly, even my little bit of progress has increased my confidence and enjoyment practicing law. I enjoy that I am finally building my own thing. My surge in confidence has allowed me to get more work, both internally at my present firm and from friends and contacts. What would you like for me to teach you? I want to learn how to keep working the plan and stay focused.   I’m no longer at a firm where I dedicated all of my time to developing others’ client relationships based on promises that  I would begin to share in billing credit. I have a great opportunity now and have no more excuses. I want to stay focused and always moving.   I see now that I can actually be successful developing business and the only real obstacle to my client development success is me. 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.