By Barry Schneider

Mr. Schneider is a principal with SAGE PDI, Inc. (www.sagelawyermarketing.com), and a veteran business development advisor for lawyers and law firms, as well as other professionals. He can be reached at bschneider@sageprofessional.com or 214-315-3212.

Our associate Rainmaker of the Year is Elizabeth L. Gunn, a bankruptcy lawyer serving closely-held businesses, their owners and executives. She works at DurretteBradshaw PLC, an 18 lawyer boutique firm based in Richmond, Virginia. In 2009 – just her third year at the firm – she could point to originations worth a third of her billings, and 10-15 new clients for the firm, including several substantial ongoing clients.

Young and Unknown

But she faced two big disadvantages when she moved to Richmond: “I was young, just 23, and looked it. And I knew no one in the law.”

She handled the first issue by distinguishing herself as capable and someone who could be valuable to a client. Especially in early meetings, she worked a bit harder to show clients and other lawyers she could take responsibility and work competently.

As for the second, she took action zealously. According to Elizabeth, “Knowing no one meant I had to make new contacts and connect with the right people in the bar. I couldn’t just wait; I was forced to get out and meet people.”

These two solutions – distinguishing herself through valuable contributions for clients and others, and zealous building of her network – formed the core of her marketing success, a “machine for bringing in new business” according to her peers in Richmond.

Or maybe it was the golf. She tells with some amusement about how she learned the value of being distinctive and take chances. “I think my best marketing investment was my golf driver. Early on at the firm, they had one of those client golf outings; though I was new, they pulled me into it. I had played some in high school and college, so for a girl, I wasn’t bad. Well, it turned out that I nailed my drives and won several of the long drive contests. From then on, I was the woman who could really drive the ball…and was in demand to play on teams. They got to know who I was.”

Driving to Success: 15 new clients referred in 2 days

Early on, Elizabeth saw the need for a referrals engine to power the machine: “No one wants to hear about possible bankruptcy, so you can’t approach companies and individuals via direct marketing methods. They just don’t want to think about that. So referrals were the key – from large firm lawyers facing conflicts our firm didn’t have or needing counsel locally, from satisfied clients and by building my reputation with peers.”

When the effort paid off, the results could be dazzling. Over a two day period in 2008 her referral sources handed her 15 new clients when omnibus hearings on leases relating to a local bankruptcy affected several hundred individuals and businesses around the country. As local counsel with few conflicts, she just had to answer the phone. Most of the work was small, but opened the door for some sizable matters and ongoing work she’s already booked.

To build the referrals engine, she activated three sources: clients, organizations and peers.

Clients:

According to Elizabeth, “I aim to do the highest quality of work and stay very responsive. That seems to keep clients turning to me. Given the responsibility, I make sure I treat them as well as possible. In some cases, the client has called me with a referral, not the senior lawyer I worked with.”

One key to her success is that she understands the work involves caring about what her clients are experiencing, whether a business headache or tough emotions. “These matters can be very traumatic,” she observed. “We’re moving through procedures that are scary for them. I understand the pain they’re going through and try to help them feel not so overwhelmed. That’s why I rarely adopt a bulldog attitude on their behalf, but rather keep the process comfortable. My attitude: ‘This is the bad news; we’ll do what we can about it.’”

For example, she helped a builder in a tough matter that came in through another senior attorney. Six months later colleagues of the builder called her with similar situations ultimately resulting in a total of three more builders as clients. At times, even though referred needs weren’t even in her practice, others in her firm did the work, but she got the credit.

Nor is she shy about asking clients to refer her business. When a matter is closed, she contacts them and asks them to consider her when others need her help. 
 

Organizations:

Elizabeth found that distinguishing herself in the right groups were both fun and productive for her.  “I’ve written articles, but haven’t really promoted them. Also, I’ve spoken at bar association meetings. But what really worked for me was taking active leadership in a few organizations.”

In that, she said, she had a big advantage: “I was a woman, with a strong female network to tap into. But I was also not a typical southerner, so I didn’t mind standing out a bit, being distinctive and getting noticed.”

Not that this was a natural option for her. “I don’t think of myself as an innate marketer. I had to become OK with handling networking situations – how to walk into a conversation, and how to walk OUT of one. I’m an econ major, a numbers geek, not a marketer. But I had to do it.”

As she points out, “The main thing though is that I committed to this as a priority, made the time for it, while others often don’t. Even after years of building connections, it’s still important to keep your face in the game.”

For example, for two years she has chaired the mentorship committee for the Metropolitan Richmond Women’s Bar Association, which puts together senior mentoring attorneys and mentees. As a result, she works closely with lawyers from diverse practice areas who have already proved excellent referral sources (family law specialists, for example), as well as those younger lawyers who will be advancing in the profession throughout the community.

Similarly, she found ways to distinguish herself within IWIRC (International Women's Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation), though she found no options at the local chapter. “The get-togethers and the golf were OK, but not what I wanted. Through a contact, I was able to join a sub-committee of the national group and took charge of a major forum at their convention. As a result, I was able to work closely with many women from large firms around the country, all great referral sources for work locally.”

Peers:

Though she was new to Richmond, she started building from friendships and other lawyers. “I formed a good group of friends from the bankruptcy bar and school when I started,” she notes. “We kept up and exchanged referrals when we could. Our small firm was often useful because we were not conflicted out. Then they kept coming back to me.”

Nor does she hesitate to let friends know what she does. “I’m often the only lawyer in a crowd, like the musical groups with which I perform, so I have to explain to them what I do. And then bankruptcy is not exciting like, say, criminal work, and can seem negative. But it’s a conversation starter that lets me show how I help people. By the time we’re into the conversation, they’ll be mentioning people they know who might need my help. I get many opportunities this way.”

Keeping the Network Fresh

Elizabeth understands the importance of keeping these sources close and aware of her. As she puts it, “I am to keep personal contacts ongoing via emails, lunches, and so on. I try to get in touch or send something to contacts every month.”

Lessons Learned

When asked about some lessons she had learned, she focused on her two pillars: distinguishing yourself in valuable ways and vigorous action:

• Seize opportunities: She said, “Make things happen by taking risks and diving in to help others, especially the unexpected opportunities that get you where you want to be. Sometimes the best exposure can come from helping out even with grunt work. For example, I was given the chance to appear with partners on a statewide conference mainly because I had prepared a lot of material for another lawyer’s appearance the prior year. Then, I took the place of a senior attorney for a panel at a gathering of our international network of firms, because he got sick. I was the only associate on the panel, and made connections with important resources internationally.”
  
  
• Planning: “Find what you like and what works, then keep doing it,” she says is the essence of her plan. She actually didn’t formulate a marketing plan for 2009 due to the boom in bankruptcy activity and the success of her efforts. “In 2008, I did the follow-ups after meeting people, took the lead and gained exposure in the women’s groups; I took the actions I thought necessary to being successful. Now I am just doing more of it, kind of maintenance mode, since it worked so well.”
  
  
• Commit to the time: “I am committed to taking the time for marketing, and fortunately the firm is supportive and budgets hours for that purpose, including all the organizations and events,” she affirmed. “And I’ll stay committed even with another big project coming up, my baby due in April.”
  
  
• Know your strengths and what you want, and follow those: As Elizabeth put it, “Be who you are, and it’ll work to your advantage. Who would have guessed that being a female golfer at an event would get me well known? Turns out they embraced the girl with the long drive.”

© 2010 PBDI/SAGE PDI. This article comes from the special February/March 2010 Rainmaker Issue of ORIGINATE!, the online monthly newsletter (with ongoing support resources) dedicated to helping individual lawyers develop business successfully in order to build their careers. Our September 2008 anniversary issue and September 2007 inaugural issue are complimentary; otherwise articles are usually available to subscribers only. Find out more about subscribing at www.pbdi.org/originate.