Page 15 - NC Triangle Vol 6 No 5
P. 15

How to Get (AND KEEP)
Clients
By Bob Friedman
LEGAL MARKETING WORKSHOP:
Your Corporate
“Your objective should not be to just get a corporate client but keep that client,” said Marvin Genzer, executive director of the Research Triangle
Area Chapter Association of Corporate Counsel speaking at the Raleigh Legal Marketing Association’s DIY workshop in July.  e workshop at the NC Bar Center was attended by roughly 30 Triangle area attorneys.
Genzer, who spent his legal career as an in-house lawyer, o ered the following mar- keting advice to the private practice attor- neys on “How to Get (AND KEEP) Your Corporate Clients”
No. 1: Learn the Business. Do back- ground checks, read industry reports from public sources and government sources
No. 2: Learn the Organization Chart. Know who is on the board of di- rectors and the make-up of the board. Un- derstand the organizational chart and the management structure. Learn about the people in the potential client’s law depart- ment.
No. 3: Give Business Advice. Cor- porate clients usually expect and appreciate getting business advice from their attor- neys. “ e typical mantra is that lawyers don’t give business advice. If you’re advising a business client, there’s a good chance you are going to be asked to do it, particularly if you’re acting in this capacity of a small company that is using you as a substitute for an inside lawyer because inside lawyers give business advice all the time.”
No. 6: Avoid the $10 Solution to the $5 Problem. Giving the client a $10 solution to a $5 problem is a major source of irritation for clients.
No. 9: Negotiate Representation.
No. 4: Learn to Communicate.
Use an agreed upon systems, such as phone, text, e-mail or written and communicate in a timely manner.
Write and speak clearly. Avoid legalese un- less you are talking to the legal department. Don’t tweet, text or use other social media to communicate unless you and the client have agreed to use social media.
No. 8: Don’t Go Over Your Client’s Head. Observe where your client repre- sentative  ts within the organization. Don’t relay on your other personal connections at the company. Discuss any need for “referral up” prior to taking any action.
No. 11: Don’t “Over-Lawyer.” Nego- tiate the scope of the project. Apply reason- able judgement to the project. Resist the temptation to view and analyze every case.
No. 5: Don’t Say “No.” No matter how hair-brained the client’s idea or how il- legal it is, don’t say “no”. Take the approach of, ‘Let’s try to accomplish your goals while minimizing your risk.’
No. 12: Plan the Work and Work the Plan. Estimate the job. Update fore- casts. Provide progress reports and make sure there are “no surprises.”
No. 7: No Surprises. Update your client frequently. Monitor their project. Report any potential changes to the client promptly. Stick to the agreed upon billing. Get the client’s approval when making any changes in the personnel at your  rm as- signed to their project
Agree on the fee arrangement, the estimat- ed time required and cost, scope of repre- sentation, progress reports and communi- cations systems.
No. 10: Return Communication.


































































































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