effective networking skills - primerus · effective networking skills pippa blakemore, bsc, pgce...

Primerus

Effective Networking SkillsPippa Blakemore, BSc, PGCE

Charleston, South Carolina

Friday 21st October 2011, 09:30-10:30

The PIF approach to networking

Follow-Up

Implementation

Plan

2

What is networking for Primeruslawyers and attorneys?

• Promoting yourselves to each other in Primerus: cross-referrals and reciprocity

• Promoting Primerus to potential clients and referrers

• Promoting yourselves and your own firm to your potential clients and referrers

3

Random contacts

Client

Referrer

Targeted events,

conferences,seminars,

meetings and visits

Meeting

2

Com

mun

ication

Review and

refreshAnd

continue

De-brie

fing

Initia

l meeting

expe

ctation

Meeting

1

Com

munica

tion and

contact

4

XING

Networking is about:

• Being interest – ed, in people

• Being interest – ing, about yourself

• Looking for ways to help

• Passionate about finding solutions

• Remembering everything you are told

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International Networking (Internal and External) for

Primerus Lawyers and Attorneys P-I-F

Step 1 – Plan

Step 2 – Implementation

Step 3 – Follow-up

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Step 1 -Plan

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Three essentials of your plan1. Identifying and researching your

potential clients and referrers

2. Clarifying what you offer: benefits of your own firm and benefits of Primerus

3. Understanding cultural characteristics and differences

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Identifying potential clients in your target markets

1. Who has the money?

2. Who will spend it?

3. Can they pay?

4. Will they pay... promptly?

5. What potential do they have?9

Research required on clients and referrers - dartboard

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Practical 1: Promoting yourselves to each other in Primerus

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Think of one to three words to “trigger” another lawyer or

attorney in Primerus to think about you when they are

talking to a client. Write on the card on your seat.

Rather than:

“Not our type of work …”

“Not my expertise …”

“Not our jurisdiction …”

Think“Who in Primerus can help?”

“Who in Primerus has helped me?

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For example

• “Dysneyland”

• “Florida”

• “Expanding to US”

• “Asbestos”

• “Bars”

• “Pubs”

• “Liquor stores” 13

For example

• “Patents”

• “Distributors”

• “Expanding a franchise”

• “Buying a hotel chain”

• “Selling off chains”

• “Litigation in UK/EU”

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Employment

• Bonuses• Redundancies• Tribunals • Discrimination (For example: sex, age) • Contracts and contract negotiations• Compensation arrangements• Golden parachutes• Unions• Senior management

Practical 1: Promoting yourselves to each other in Primerus

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Think of one to three words to “trigger” another lawyer or

attorney in Primerus to think about you when they are

talking to a client. Write on the card on your seat.

Cultural characteristics

• Geography, history, religion and regulatory regime

• Importance of business and personal relationships

• Business values

• Decision-making processes

• Power structures

• Language 17

Some cultural errors

• Differences in the meaning of time

• The meaning of “Yes”

• Presents: bribery or generosity

• Meals, food and alcohol

• Handshakes or bowing

• Business cards

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Business cards

• Ask for the other person’s first

• Look at it, read it, make a positive comment

• Hand over yours when asked, according to cultural requirements

• The right way up – easy to read

• Do not write on another person’s card

• Carry a handbag with two pockets

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People make judgments about you in:

15 seconds

Are your shoes clean?

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Are your shoes clean?

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Check your appearance is culturally acceptable

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Badges as a demonstration of the service you provide

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Badges as a demonstration of the service you provide

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Not on your pocket

Set yourself SMART targets

Simple; Measurable; Achievable; Results; Timebound

• Meet 5 new people

• Meet 5 people you know

• Push yourself out of your comfort zone

• Arrive early

• Stay late

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Practical 2: Targets

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Set yourself 2 SMART

targets for today

Step 2 -Implementation

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Read body language: identify groups to join

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How to remember peoples’ names

• Fight or flight• Looks like a celebrity• Rhyme the name• Similar to a friend• Repeat 3 times • Ask within 2 minutes• Read from business card at end

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What to say after you have said hello

• Ask “open” questions

• Prepare questions

• Use information you have heard or they tell you

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Use open questions to encourage people to talk

• Who?• What?• Where?• When?• How?• How much?• Why? • “How’s things?”

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Ask ice-breaker open questions at first

• Sport

• Transport

• Work

• News

• Sport

• Holidays

• Weather

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Ask well-informed questions

• Business

• Markets

• Economy

• World events

• If that’s what people

want to talk about

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What do you say when somebody

asks you what you do?

Practical 3: Write a 12 word summary of what Primerus does for your clients and referrers

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• You may need several of these for different occasions when meeting different people from different industries and sectors and jurisdictions

• For example: ”I am a lawyer and I do M&A” may have less impact than

• “I reduce the risk for my clients on any businesses they buy. “ (12 words)

“Primerus makes the world smaller – essential for globally expanding companies”

Three questions people ask:

•So what?

•Who cares?

•W.I.I.F.M? What’s In It For Me?

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How to leave a boring person

• “Who would you like to meet?”

• “Who shall we meet?”

• “Shall we get a drink?”

• “You were talking about...”

• “I do not want to monopolise you.”

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Find a Hook

Common interest

What you talked about

A reason to keep in touch

Can be work, hobby, tr

avel, family

Hook

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Make a Commitment

“I will email you a link to

the website...”

“I will send you a copy

of the article...”

“I will telephone you next week to

arrange...”40

Gain Permission

“Is that ok?”

“How does that sound?”

“How would that suit you?”

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Step 3 Follow-up

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Follow-up

• Ensure every contact is worthwhile

• Plan your follow-up as part of your planning and implementation

• Should be personal, systematic, persistent, imaginative and long-term

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Agree to keep in contact

• Do what you say you are going to do

• Allow time for it

• It’s an opportunity for you to show how you provide your services

• If you don’t follow-up, you are letting people down

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Keep record of what people tell you

Name of person

Date of last contact

Content of discussion

Action arising

Date to follow-up

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Keep record of what people tell you

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Personalise all communication

With whom are you

communicating?

What do they want to read/ hear/ see?

How?

Only for them and only from

you

Generate curiosity and satisfy need

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Action plan for structured and personal follow-up

• Remember everything people tell you

• Diarise commitments immediately

• Create a menu of options

• Be persistent

• Keep going 48

.The first person that a potential client or referrer thinks of

... is the last person they heard

from.49

Please do contact Pippa with any questions on:

• Email: pippa.blakemore@pep-partnership.co.uk

• Tel: +44 (0) 1189 310688

• Mob: +44 (0) 780 301 6238

• www.pep-partnership.co.uk

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Copyright 2011 by The PEP Partnership LLP

All rights reserved. No part of the PEP Partnership LLP notes may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from The PEP Partnership LLP

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