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By Mark Maraia
practical tools to market your services
without compromising your comfort zone
or your professionalism.
Let's
face it; if you want to become a real player in your firm, you have
to learn to sell. Whether you are an attorney or an accountant,
an engineer or an entrepreneur, the name of the game is making rain.
"Many professionals think that they have to act in unseemly
ways in order to become a rainmaker, but nothing could be further
from the truth," Maraia explains. "You can remain true
to yourself and still be great at selling and marketing. In fact,
the truer you remain to yourself the more effective your rainmaking
will be."
The methods for becoming a master marketer set forth in Rainmaking
Made Simple can work for everyone, regardless of how conservative,
shy or just plain reticent to sell you may be. By making relationship
development the impetus behind every marketing activity, Maraia
transforms seemingly onerous sales situations to ones that are not
only profitable, but usually enjoyable as well. Maraia redefines
"selling" by promoting a philosophy of marketing services
that emphasize value to the client and leaves the professional feeling
comfortable.
"I encourage professionals to live at the edge of, but still
inside of, their comfort zones," Maraia says. "Marketing
should be naturally integrated into every
professional's daily practice."
In Rainmaking Made Simple, Maraia offers readers hundreds of marketing
tools that are easy to follow and can be painlessly incorporated
into their busy professional lives. Following are just a few of
these tools:
* Avoid random acts of lunch. Never meet with a prospective new
client, even if it is an informal meeting over lunch, without taking
some time to prepare. You should, at a minimum, write out three
or four questions you can ask the client at your meeting. And be
sure you are asking, not telling. You want to demonstrate your interest
and curiosity. Telling is not selling.
* Say thank you for referrals early and often. When you do get a
referral, follow up with the referring party often. In fact, it
is appropriate to say thanks three or four times—once after
you make initial contact with the prospective new client, once after
you meet with the client, and again if the client engages you for
services. Even if the referral doesn't pan out, make sure to follow
up with at least a hand-written thank you note or even a small gift
of appreciation.
* Write down your Advances before the meeting. "Advances"
are the commitments to action in a definite time frame that you
want from the prospect. You may want to hear something like, "I
want you to meet with the President of the company on Thursday."
But you might instead get, "Let me think about it." If
that happens, don't assume that you have been rejected outright.
Always follow up non-committal statements with more questions, such
as, "We've covered a number of issues during our meeting, is
there anything in particular that stands out for you?" If they
say no, you might be getting the brush off. But a yes answer could
lead to further dialogue about your services and a greater chance
of realizing your Advances.
* If you hate asking for business, don't. The most common misconception
about asking for business is thinking you must ask for work in an
initial meeting or early in the relationship-building stage. It
is almost always inappropriate to ask for business during a first
or second meeting. If a relationship needs months or years to develop,
don't rush it. It's the equivalent of walking up to a total stranger
and asking her to marry you. Concentrate on developing a relationship
and when the time is right to approach a business proposition, you
will know it because it will feel entirely comfortable and natural.
* Never approach networking with a "WIIFM" mindset. "WIIFM"
stands for "what's in it for me?" Instead of thinking
about what people can do for you, think about what you can do for
them. Also, don't expect an immediate "quid pro quo" for
every favor you do for someone else. Networking is a long-term process.
Be generous with your time and advice and, eventually, others will
return the favor.
* Don't work the room; work for the room. The concept of "working
the room" suggests something distasteful. Instead, head into
the room with the mindset that you are there to put people together
for their mutual benefit, instead of immediately hooking up with
a new business opportunity yourself. If you think of networking
as an opportunity to help others, you will avoid the glad-handing
stereotype and will end up reaping relationship benefits yourself
without violating your comfort zone.
* Don't tell them what you do; tell them what you love. When someone
asks you, "What do you do?" be prepared with a short statement,
something you would say to your ideal client if he stepped on the
elevator with you on the first floor and got off at the 15th floor.
Instead of responding to the dull question about what you do, answer
as if you had been asked, "What is it you love most about your
work?" Your answer will be more memorable (and you'll be more
memorable), your answer will be filled with more energy and enthusiasm,
and you will draw the conversation into a deeper level.
* Don't speak to the audience, energize them to the point of taking
action. There are few marketing activities that deliver a higher
payoff than public speaking, if you know what you are doing. Contrary
to what many people think, it is not the speaking that will get
you work. It is the relationships formed from the speaking that
will result in new business. It is the energy you create. When considering
a speaking engagement, be sure to choose your audience wisely. It
should be teeming with clients and prospective clients, not colleagues
and competitors. Be sure to speak on a topic you are passionate
about and invite a dialogue with the audience to keep their attention.
Set a tangible relationship goal before you speak—perhaps
to meet five new prospects—and make follow-up phone calls
within 72 hours of your presentation to follow up on any issues
that arose during or after your talk.
* Use your bills as a marketing tool. Are you clear about how your
clients prefer to be billed and are you making sure the bills are
responsive to their needs? Are you vigilant about discrepancies
in your bills? Clients notice if a partner bills .75 hours for a
meeting with an associate who billed .5 hours. Do your bills convey
a detailed description of the work done and the value provided to
the client? Sending out bills is a huge opportunity to show the
client the value of your services. On your next bill, spend 15 extra
minutes trying to add words that convey value from the client's
perspective and see if you don't notice quicker payment and greater
satisfaction.
* Focus on keeping your current clients satisfied. One of the best
ways to gain repeat business and referrals for new business is simply
to pay more attention to the business you already have. Be sure
to return client phone calls promptly. Immediately address any outstanding
issues regarding fees or current projects and be sure to gauge your
client's satisfaction on a regular basis. Merely picking up the
phone to inquire if the client is getting everything he needs can
go a long way toward developing more business in the future. Everyone
needs to feel like he or she is your top priority.
You could also invest in some extra non-billable time just making
sure you are keeping up with your client's business and industry
so when you make informal contact, you can be prepared to talk about
issues your client is concerned about.
According to Maraia, most professionals form and maintain relationships
in a haphazard fashion and that is why marketing appears to be so
difficult. By following the methods set out in Rainmaking Made Simple,
anyone can become a master at making rain—and all you have
to do is add a little thought and organization to your approach
while being yourself.
About the Author:
Mark Maraia is a Colorado attorney who has enjoyed success as a
commercial litigator and as in-house corporate counsel for a Denver-based
brokerage firm. In 1990, he established Mark Maraia Associates,
a practice development coaching firm dedicated to developing the
skills of lawyers throughout the world. Maraia has coached thousands
of lawyers on how to develop selling and networking skills.
An accomplished and exuberant public speaker, Maraia has addressed
scores of lawyer audiences throughout the world. He has published
numerous articles on rainmaking for professionals and received an
award from the American Bar Association for his contributions to
the association's publication, Law Practice Management. Maraia is
an adjunct professor of law at the University of Denver College
of Law, where he teaches lawyers-to-be the "people skills"
they will need after they pass the bar exam.
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