College football and attorney recruiting

The first Wednesday in February is known to college football fans as National Signing Day.

Being a college football fan I am amazed at the activity put forth by universities around the country to lure the players that can make the difference between a coach keeping his job or winning a title. Over the past few years this process has begun to mirror the process by which law firms bring on their 3, 4, 5 star talent. Mining data on candidate to identify trends. A battery of tests and evaluations to find traits that determine success.

Like college football you have your top firms. They have all of the resources, facilities, money, recruiting staffs, large expense budgets. Fly the top prospects in for the tour of the facilities. Discuss their development programs. Top it off with a nice meal or two. All in the hopes of landing the 5 star attorney.

The one with the body of work. Top grades from a top tier law school. Writes so well that Shakespeare would be in awe. Thinks well on their feet. Law Review and associations tell the story of how well they work with others.

Football recruiting they rank the top classes. Out of those classes there are usually just a handful of players that are the difference between playing for championships or staying home for the holidays.

Coaches are paid millions to find the right well rounded talent in hopes of a work ethic that makes them better, in the high hopes that they will stay for 4 years, win a lot, and make them and the university a lot of money. Some pan out, some don’t. Some choose smaller schools where they can be more than a star athlete.

Sound familiar?

I work with attorneys after they have made that first move from law school. I also work with law firms that tell stories of the 5 star talent they brought in that didn’t pan out for a variety of reasons. Maybe unrealistic expectations, talent didn’t match the resume, had always been treated like a 5 star player and didn’t want to work like one to stay there. As a fan, you pull your hair out at those types of players. Maybe you have seen or worked with them. All of the talent and “potential”.

I love the movie Rudy as much as anyone. Your typical 1 or 2 star player that works hard and ends up with a shot at a top program.

I enjoy placing those folks, but my work consists of working with the elite associates to help them find the program that best fits their career growth goals, and empowers them with the resources to do it.

Please let me know if you have an interest in making that move or know of anyone that may.

Andrew Wilcox, Wilcox and Hackett, LLC, Andrew@Wilcox-legal.com, 850-893-8984

Client Development aka SALES

Client Development aka SALES

So when you were approaching law school graduation, after pulling countless all nighters, eating lots of cold pizza, writing tons of papers, researching every nuance of cases you finally get to the big day.

You graduate and you tell your parents, “Mom and dad, I’ve worked so hard, made you so proud, what my real purpose in life is and what I am destined for is…SALES!”

Okay..probably not. Truth is, in effective organizations, you can call it whatever you want, but their life blood is sales. From the receptionist (some firms call, Directors of First Impressions..love that one), to the legal secretary, law clerks, associates, to the managing partners and support staff. They all play a role, whether it’s offering a cup of coffee to a waiting client, returning a call or email about an issue in a timely manner, or simply having a conversation to better understand their business issues.

In my seminar, I often hear terms associated with salespeople: pushy, liars, prone to exaggerate, insincere, not to be trusted. But, most people like to buy. So if people buy, but hate being sold to how does anyone make any money? How do salaries get paid?

Effective sales is not pushy or insincere. It’s where you facilitate the buying process by getting and staying in alignment with a prospective client with the outcome being you have helped them achieve a goal, satisfy a need, and/or solve a problem.

That’s the end result. First, you have to develop leads and a pipeline. Then, someone has to say, “tell me more”.

Next issue will discuss developing effective referral networks and qualifying opportunities in or out quickly.

Andrew Wilcox, (850) 893-8984, Andrew@Wilcox-legal.com