| Something Different
|
October 2009
|
|
|
Welcome to the October issue of Something Different! This first full week of October (October 5-9) is Professional Legal Management Week so take a moment to thank those in legal management for all that they do.
I began the month in New York where I presented "The 6Ps of The Big 3: Using Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn for Job Searching" at St. John's University School of Law on October 1. The St. John's staff went above and beyond to make the program outstanding, as evidenced by the picture below. Their creative staff designed this poster to promote the event and it was the first thing I noticed when I entered the law school.
Texas Women Lawyers Fall Cocktail Reception
I will travel to Houston in a few weeks to attend the Texas Women Lawyers Fall Cocktail Reception on Friday, Oct. 23, 6-8 p.m. If you live in Houston or will be in Houston on Oct. 23, we'd love for you to join us at the reception. Email terri@burlesoncooke.com for more details about the reception or to RSVP.
I will end the month in Detroit where I will speak on a panel at a Halloween-themed career development event organized by the Michigan Network of the International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation -- "Surviving these Frightful Times: Career Development in the New Economy." Other panelists include Barbara Rom, Of Counsel at Pepper Hamilton; Terry Bean, founder of Networked Inc and Motor City Connect; and Laura Marcero, Partner at Grant Thornton. Click here for additional details about the event.
Holiday Card List Disorder & 6 New Cures
The topic of this month's feature article (below) is maintaining contact with your referral sources and six new tools to help you do so. It's applicable to a variety of legal professionals - not just attorneys seeking to grow their business through referrals. Law firm recruiters and HR professionals benefit from referrals if quality candidates initiate contact after hearing about an opportunity from a referral source. Job seekers at all levels - recent graduates, lateral associates, lateral partners, paralegals, etc - must network more than ever in their job search. Marketing to referral sources on a continuous basis can lead to referral sources contacting the job seekers when they hear of potential job opportunities. I hope you find a new tool to incorporate into your referral marketing strategy.
Coming Next Month: Law Firms Thank Associates & Staff
I normally don't preview the topic I plan to write about the following month (usually because I have not thought that far ahead) but next month is different. I need your input for the article. Since we celebrate Thanksgiving next month, my article will focus on firms that thank their associates and staff in different ways. I am looking for examples of creative and different benefits law firms provide so please email me if you have examples to share. To give you an idea of what I'm looking for, one of my friends is an associate at a firm that closes at 1pm every Friday. I will profile this firm in greater detail and would like to include examples from at least two other firms. Email me at amanda@aellislegal.com.
Something Different
Finally, I have two doses of "something different" for you this month. First, the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce launched what may be the first ever Social Media Ambassador Program established anywhere in the United States. The ambassadors are local professionals who will help promote GAHCC community initiatives through popular social media outlets. Congratulations to the GAHCC for launching the program! This move exemplifies steps the business community is taking to embrace social media.
The second dose of "something different" is a blog I helped launch last month in connection with the kick off of the NFL season ... CocktailSports ... sports talking points for cocktail chatter. If you know me well, you know that I have little sports knowledge so that's one reason this is different for me (second reason is I haven't blogged until now).
The idea for CocktailSports arose one weekend in early September when a friend in the insurance business wanted me to ask my brother what football scores she should know to engage in conversation with her male colleagues the following week. This request reminded me that sports is a popular subject when networking and novices, like me, need somewhere to turn to get some "talking points." So, I tapped my brother, a sports guru, to help me. My brother will provide most of the talking points and I'll share advice on how to incorporate the talking points with your networking. If you are a sports novice, perhaps you can learn from the site? As always, I welcome your comments and questions.
Amanda
|
|
|
|
|
Holiday Card List Disorder
& 6 New Cures
by Amanda C. Ellis, Esq. |
|
The holidays are around the corner, including holiday cards. Think about the referral sources on your holiday card list. How much contact have you had with them during 2009? Did they refer a client, attorney, job opportunity or lead to you? If you answered zero and no, respectively, then perhaps you fell off that contact's radar screen during 2009. How can you get back on the contact's radar in 2010? What new tools are available to keep in touch with existing and new contacts so they know what you are doing throughout the year and not just that you remember to send holiday cards each December?
An informal examination of my own referrals over a one-week period provides some insight and led me to address this issue. I received over ten requests for referrals last week - all for various positions within the legal industry. Why did I refer certain people over others in response to these requests? It's simple -- the people I referred were on my radar screen. They recently communicated with me and, thus, immediately came to mind.
Another common factor worth noting is the type of communication. While one person I referred was someone who had recently emailed me about a recent success she obtained for her company, nine of the ten people I referred were people who initiated and maintained contact with me through LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter rather than through traditional sources such as emails, handwritten notes, lunches, newsletters, etc. Caveat: many of the people I referred use the traditional sources as well; they just happen to also use LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook because they can connect and communicate with multiple people at once on these sites. Thus, it's easier to stay on the radar screens of multiple people.
I've outlined six ways you can also use the LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to maintain contact with your holiday card list and referral sources. Perhaps these are new tools that can help you reconnect with stale contacts on your holiday card list, maintain communication with them throughout 2010, and possibly generate referrals?
Method 1: LinkedIn invitations
Invite your holiday card list to connect with you on LinkedIn. Import contacts from Outlook (or from an Excel spreadsheet or other address book); you can also enter email addresses manually if you wish. Include a personal note on the invitation. Here's an example of a personalized LinkedIn invitation I recently received from a contact I haven't communicated with in at least nine months. You'll note that he recognized this and provided a brief update of his professional life in the LinkedIn invitation.
The above example is a great example of how to get started on LinkedIn. However, remember to continue to use this feature as you meet people at networking events or while doing business. After each event, conference or meeting (or anytime you receive business cards from new contacts), use the "invite contacts" feature to invite your new contacts. You can send the same invitation to multiple people yet personalize it by reminding the person where you met. For example, consider following up with people you met during on-campus interviews this fall or the last conference you attended and invite them to connect.
Method 2: LinkedIn status updates
LinkedIn allows users to add a status update on their profiles. In the last 3-4 months, I've seen an increasing number of legal professionals take advantage of this feature. For example, one of my LinkedIn contacts, a legal professional who works in HR in Arizona, posted an update that she was looking for a litigation paralegal. I happened to see the update in my weekly digest of LinkedIn updates and forwarded it to a friend who was looking in that market. The candidate is currently interviewing with the firm.
The key to the status updates working effectively is method #1 - inviting contacts. In order to communicate with your contacts via status updates, you must first be connected to your contacts.
Examples of professional status updates include:
- I will be a panelist at ___ event (include a link with more information about the event)
- I recently started a new career as ______; my new contact information is _____.
- Looking for a legal receptionist
- Preparing for a call with counsel for ____ in order to have my clients retained as postpetition professionals.
- Preparing presentations on Networking, Job Search 2.0, & LinkedIn professionalism
- Reviewing FL law regarding formation of non-profit organizations
- Seeking clerkship for summer 2010
Method 3: LinkedIn applications
The applications available on LinkedIn allow you to display information on your profile that you might normally share with referral sources over email, lunch, etc. The benefit is being able to share the information with multiple contacts at once. Plus, the information remains on your profile and is available for new contacts to review.
For example, you can share articles you've written/published.
You can also share slides from presentations.
There's even a travel application that displays where you are traveling and when.
Method 4: LinkedIn groups
By joining groups on LinkedIn, one can communicate with other members within that group even if they aren't connected individually. Members can start discussions on a particular topic, post links to news articles or blogs (including links to your own articles), or ask questions, including for referrals. This is another great way to get noticed by your peers and clients and remain on their radar screens.
Here's an example from a group of women lawyers on LinkedIn. You will note that one group member posted a link to an article about a law firm teaching its female associates to communicate 'powerfully' with clients and colleagues. Several other members commented on the article which resulted in a discussion via the LinkedIn group.
And, here's another example from a group of bankruptcy attorneys on LinkedIn. One of the members asked for referrals for a bankruptcy attorney in Denver.
Finally, here's an example from a job seeker who posted a note on a bar association group that he was seeking a job.
The groups on LinkedIn vary and range from law school classes and alumni groups to practice area groups and professional development groups. The first step is to determine which groups you should join to reach your target referral audience. Then, interact within the group so you remain on the group members' radar.
Also, note that in all three examples above you can measure one aspect of how well you connected with others. Look at the number of comments - 3 in the first example, 8 in the second and 0 in the third. If just 1 person comments, consider that a success - you connected with another user. You can measure this with Twitter and Facebook as well -- the number of comments (or re-tweets on Twitter) with respect to a statement you made, article you posted, etc. The more comments, the more you have engaged your contacts and remained on their radar screens.
Method 5: Twitter
Twitter is amazing because it's like an ongoing cocktail party where you can network with anyone - and, you don't have to know them. Thus, you can meet new contacts, communicate with them on Twitter and eventually meet in person. Last week, for example, I spent four days in New York City for business and met or hosted events with four people (all in the legal profession) I met on Twitter. The meetings and events resulted after several months of dialogue on Twitter.
You may not develop a referral directly from Twitter but you will likely build relationships (if you engage in dialogue) that will lead to referrals. For an illustration of the power of referrals through Twitter, read this blog about a couple who relocated from Chicago to Austin and needed to obtain an attorney to incorporate their marketing/PR business in their new state. They found an attorney through relationships formed on Twitter.
Method 6: Facebook status updates and links
Facebook is a great tool for keeping in touch with friends and family. Many people think Facebook is only for personal conversations. While that might be your primary use of Facebook, remember that friends and family can be a powerful referral source. Your best friend from high school could be married to the GC of a Fortune 500 company. Or, your college roommate's mother could be the hiring partner in a law firm.
Just remember that your friends need to know what you do in order to refer people to you. Thus, for Facebook to be effective in generating referrals one must be social on Facebook, interact with others by sharing links to professional articles or writing status updates and talking about what you do. If you don't share information with others and only check Facebook once a month, you fall off of your Facebook friends' radar screens.
For an example of talking about what you do, please refer to the August issue of Something Different where I profile one of my Facebook friends, an estate planning attorney, who frequently posts links to articles related to her practice area.
If you are looking for a job, share that information in your status update. One of my friends who is a lateral associate recently became admitted in another state and is looking for a job. She posted the following on her Facebook status last week:
- Got sworn in to practice in Mississippi yesterday & needs a job. Anyone have any contacts in Columbus, MS?
If you are looking to hire someone, announce it in your status update or send a message to select friends. Here's an example of a real estate company reaching out to Facebook friends and seeking referrals for two new agents to hire. This example is an excerpt from a Facebook message that the owner of the company sent to certain friends.
Conclusion
You now have six additional methods to add to your networking tool kit - six that are particularly helpful for maintaining contact with the potential referral sources on your holiday card list. The six new methods are not meant to replace traditional methods of keeping in touch with referral sources like lunches, handwritten notes or newsletters. Rather, they offer an alternate way to connect and communicate with multiple contacts at once. Also, keep in mind that not all referral sources are created equally. Some contacts may prefer a handwritten note while others (especially your tech savvy contacts) may prefer a status update on LinkedIn. Now, you are equipped with the tools to appeal to all types and keep the contacts on your holiday card list updated throughout the year and not just during the holiday season.
|
| ABOUT US |
 Amanda Ellis Legal Search was founded by Amanda C. Ellis, a former practicing bankruptcy attorney and an accomplished attorney recruiter. Amanda was previously with Special Counsel, the largest provider of legal staffing services to corporate legal departments and law firms nationwide, where she was the top producer for direct hire attorney placements. Amanda formed Amanda Ellis Legal Search to implement a focused approach to legal recruiting. Amanda Ellis Legal Search focuses on the placement of bankruptcy attorneys in law firms nationwide.
Inspired by the idea of doing something different or new each month in 2009, Amanda Ellis Legal Search launched Something Different in January 2009. The monthly newsletter outlines a new or different service or resource available to legal professionals in each issue.
Contact us:
www.aellislegal.com
214.361.0070 |
|
© 2009 Amanda Ellis Legal Search.
This material may not be reproduced, republished or redistributed in whole or in part
without the expressed written permission of Amanda Ellis Legal Search.
| |
|
|
|
|
|
