Inside the Bar
Career Development Conference - networking and educational event -
draws crowd
More than 250 members of the legal community attended the State Bar-
sponsored free Career Development Conference on Aug. 17 in
Milwaukee.
Fairley's five keys to becoming a successful rainmaker
1) Don't sell legal services - People hire lawyers
to solve problems and provide solid solutions, not because of specific
services.
2) Identify your ideal target market - Seek
out the person or company who is most likely to hire
you.
3) Emphasize your unique competitive advantage -
Answer the question: "Why should I hire from your firm
versus another firm?"
4) Use education-based marketing to set yourself apart,
generate more leads, and build a bigger client base - Educate
your prospects about potential solutions to their situation through:
workshops and seminars; free special reports, handouts, and checklists;
and free or low-cost audio CDs, booklets, articles, and books.
5) Use active marketing strategies - Go out and
actively
look for new business.
"Ongoing career development is the cornerstone of personal and
professional satisfaction for recent graduates and seasoned
professionals," says State Bar President Michelle Behnke.
"With that in mind, the goal of the Career Development Conference
was to connect members of the legal community with people and resources
they need to get ahead. I think we did that. More than 500 individuals
helped us to sculpt the topics by providing feedback during the
pre-registration process. This was a powerful networking and educational
event."
Presentation topics included: making a successful lateral move;
career and practice coaching services; benefiting from contract/project
legal work; and effective use of placement agencies.
A highlight of the evening was a presentation by Stephen Fairley,
best-selling author and president of Today's Leadership Coaching Inc. in
Chicago, a business coaching and leadership development practices
organization that helps legal professionals grow their practice and
advance their careers.
"Look behind every successful law firm and you will find a
rainmaker," said Fairley. "A rainmaker lands new accounts;
brings in money; and is constantly on the lookout for new clients and
opportunities. Hiring a lawyer is easy, but finding a rainmaker - now
that's the challenge of every firm."
"The key to unlocking the door to success is found in
discovering how to make rain. If you want to land offers from top firms,
if you want to start your own firm, or grow your current one, you must
develop your rainmaking skills."
The State Bar would like to acknowledge the Dane County and Milwaukee
Bar associations and the State Bar Young Lawyers Division for their
support of this event. The State Bar also thanks the panelists and
speakers who helped to make this conference a success.
Inside the Bar
