It’s week ten of lockdown in my state, and while there are some places that are entering a phased reopening, some countries have extended their border lockdowns and many of the firms I have talked to are planning to continue remote working for a while because it has proven so effective. As a result, we all continue to have to find new ways to network, build relationships, and yes, even in some cases, develop business.

I think we can all agree that at the moment, the only thing we should all be doing is finding ways to relentlessly deliver value, and if business comes from that, then great. One of the ways we can do that is through content. We’ve already covered the two biggest problems with legal content as well as how to really deliver exceptional content, so today, I’d like us to think more about how you can make your content about building relationships. It can often seem like it’s a one-way conversation – you write or say something, push it out into the world, and that’s it; your content lives there and does its thing, and hopefully it brings in some business for you. But what if you used it more strategically than that, particularly in this moment when it’s harder to have in-person relationships? Continue Reading In the Age of COVID-19, Make Your Content About Building Relationships

The ILN is proud to announce our latest firm of the month, Ahlawat & Associates, India!
Ahlawat & Associates (“A&A”) is one of the leading law firms in India, catering to domestic and international clients. Their services extend across diverse sectors of industry including assistance to facilitate foreign direct investments and business setup in India.

Continue Reading ILN Firm of the Month – Ahlawat & Associates, India!

This week’s Rainmaking Recommendation from expert & trainer Jaimie Field brings up a new concept, that of B2Me – read on to find out what she means.

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If you have been following me lately, you would know that I hate the term “new normal” to describe what the world will be like when we are finally able to release ourselves from quarantine.   Nothing will be the same as it was prior to January 30, 2020, when the World Health Organization declared that the Coronavirus outbreak a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)” Continue Reading Rainmaking Recommendation from Jaimie Field: B2Me Marketing & Business Development in a Post Pandemic World: One Size Fits One

We’re thrilled to announce that a few weeks ago, we debuted our new podcast, Law Firm ILN-telligence, where we bring you real intelligence from real law firms. The first episode, I interviewed Pal Jalsovszky, the managing partner of Jalsovszky Law Firm in Budapest, Hungary and a member firm of the International Lawyers Network. We talked about the importance of communication during this time of pandemic (both with colleagues and clients), why this is a marathon, and not a sprint, and best practices for managing a law firm in uncertain times.

Take a listen here. And please rate, review and subscribe wherever you love to listen to podcasts!

As I mentioned last week, it may not seem like the most important time to be digging into discussing content. But since many of us are publishing SO much of it right now, we want to make sure we’re doing it in a way that’s adding value and not detracting from it. Recently, I came across the “one content marketing question” that we should all be asking ourselves, and it really brought me up short. A reminder, when we talk about “content marketing,” we’re using that to encompass the universe of articles, blog posts, conference presentations, webinars, podcasts, informational videos, etc. – essentially all substantive content that is and can be shared with others.

These days, I think it’s safe to say that we’re pretty much all producing content. So what’s the one question we should all be asking ourselves?

Would anyone miss your content if you did not publish it?

Continue Reading Become the Beyonce of Legal Content with These Three Tips

In this week’s rainmaking recommendation, expert and trainer, Jaimie Field, reminds us about some key communication skills we should be building during this time of COVID-19.

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Business development, aka Rainmaking, has been and will always be about communication and trust.

You need exceptional communication skills to build trust and confidence in your abilities to help your clients and potential clients.  And never has this been truer than at this time in history. Continue Reading Rainmaking Recommendation from Jaimie Field: It’s ALWAYS About Communication

People have remarked that the word “unprecedented” is certainly having a moment right now. I think that’s something we can all agree on. And one of the things that is truly unprecedented is the sheer amount of content coming out of law firms. While firms have long been known for producing a variety of client alerts, articles, blog posts, and more, the amount of information that is pouring forth from legal minds around the world is quite a torrent.

We’ve already talked about it in recent weeks here on Zen, and it has me looking back to some of our previous discussions around content marketing, and its best practices. That may seem a bit superficial at a time that is a dire as this one is, but we’re going to delve into some content conversations over the next few weeks and I’ll tell you why I think they’re essential for firms at the moment:

  • Number one on every lawyer’s list right now is being their clients’ trusted business advisor. And if it isn’t, it should be. My saying that here isn’t news to anyone, and the engagement with each of your clients to best serve their current needs will be very individual.
  • As all of the chaos surrounding the initial lockdowns begins to settle and we either continue to remain remote, or we return to limited work, there will continue to be some slowdowns. Firms are expecting this. We know we can’t engage in the previous ways that we used to for knowledge sharing, like networking events, seminars, client lunches and dinners. But we can improve our content marketing and use it to stand out among the noise.
  • “Content marketing” isn’t a dirty word. When used well and effectively, it’s a targeted, smart method of adding value in a way that reduces the burden on lawyers while expanding their profiles and allows for relationship-building opportunities. Currently, those opportunities will remain virtual, but they still exist!

Continue Reading Fixing the Two Biggest Problems with Legal Content Writers Amid COVID-19

In this week’s rainmaking recommendation, trainer and expert, Jaimie Field, talks about throwing out the phrase “new normal.”

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My friend, Tim Baran, who is the Technology Innovator Manager at ProBono Net, posted something on LinkedIn that really resonated with me:

“Time to shift our mindset from “when this is over” to “new normal for the foreseeable future” and adjust our routines and plans and approaches to living accordingly.”

I hate the phrase “new normal”.  I think it is trite and overused.

Whenever there is a major event, a crisis if you will, the world changes and adapts to it.  After 9/11 we acclimated to new security measures and scrutiny when we wanted to fly.  After the Great Recession in 2008-2009, we had to adjust to new monetary procedures.

And, “new normal” also includes positive changes as well.  I remember when lawyers and law firms wouldn’t even think about using email or, God forbid, have a website.  The idea of any type of business development, marketing, and advertising was antithetical to what lawyers thought was professional.  We should only do good work and business will come, was the prevailing belief. But, we have changed our thinking to understand that just good work is not enough.  You need to let people know who you are, and how you can help them.

But as Tim wrote, we need to adjust our routines and plans and approaches.  We’ve all been adjusting to our new situations for the past 5 weeks. Well, it’s time to adapt your business development activities.

There isn’t a marketing or business development tactic that you can do in real life that you cannot do online.

I have always said there are only three things you need to do to become a rainmaker: Continue Reading Rainmaking Recommendation from Jaimie Field: It’s Not The “New Normal”; It’s Just Life

I’ve been ruminating on this post for a few days, as I struggled to decide what to blog about this week. This is a tough and heavy topic, but I finally settled on discussing it because it *is* so important, particularly at this moment in time when so many people are struggling and vulnerable. Why add my voice when so many others have already provided great resources and their own stories? Well, I hope I have something of my own to add, because of my own struggles with depression for the past twenty-plus years and because I think that we can never talk about it enough to break the stigma and ensure that people get the help that they need.  (Please note, **trigger warning** for this entire post).  Continue Reading It’s Okay to Breakdown

The ILN is proud to announce our latest firm of the month, Salloum & Partners L.L.C., United Arab Emirates!
Salloum & Partners LLC is a boutique law firm and a leading player in the Emirati legal world, with both local and cross-jurisdictional expertise. This year, the Firm celebrates 40 years of activity since it was first set up in 1980 as Samir A. Salloum Law Firm.

Continue Reading ILN Firm of the Month – Salloum & Partners L.L.C., United Arab Emirates