Why is networking important for lawyers?
Why is networking important for lawyers? And how do you learn how to network? The phrase ‘networking’ can strike fear into the heart of many otherwise completely calm and sane people, particularly lawyers, I’ve found. I understand it though. Many people see networking as an instruction to go into a crowded room and ‘meet people’. Indeed, at one of the law firms I used to work at, we were encouraged to go out to a popular wine bar and ‘meet people.’ We thought it was great – we drank all the wine, got hideously drunk and got the 8.00 pm train home for takeaway on many a Friday night. I definitely didn’t puke on my own shoes one night. But I digress, and actually whilst the above ‘tactic’ was an interesting one, it definitely didn’t result in any new contacts or business for the firm (not via me anyway). Instead, networking should be undertaken strategically and although strictly speaking it falls into business development rather than marketing or PR, it’s something that PR and marketing-savvy lawyers will be careful to do well. So, what is networking? At its heart, networking is about adding people to your network and developing existing relationships. It’s about building closer relationships with people you don’t know well and maintaining strong relationships with people you know already and want to stay close to. If you want to be a partner or own a law firm at some point in the future, then you are going to need a book of work. That will only come about by being able to network and build business. But… networking doesn’t have to be about joining a dreaded 5.00 am networking group where YOU MUST BRING AT LEAST TWO REFERRALS OR WE WILL THROW YOU OUT. It can be as simple as keeping an eye on who is interacting with your content on LinkedIn and asking if they’d like to meet for a coffee. It can be hosting or attending an event – a seminar, drinks or something else. It doesn’t really matter what you do, as long as you use the time to develop those key relationships. Read on for more simple ideas for building your relationships. But first… How do I develop my networking skills One of the first things to understand is why you need or want to network. This is key for any effective PR and marketing tactic (including networking). For most lawyers, it will be to try and generate new work for the firm. For you personally, it might be because you are trying to get a training contract, you’re looking for a new job, or you want to apply for a more senior role or put yourself forward to be considered for partnership. Whatever your reason, you next need to think about who you need to meet, in order to most easily meet your objective. If you are building a book of work – think in detail about who your best work typically comes from and consider building a few different personas of ‘perfect’ clients. If you get work from referrers, or you want to build a route for this kind of instruction then again, map out an ‘ideal’ referrer. If you are looking for a new role or promotion, who do you need to get in front of internally or externally in order to make a good impression and become liked and trusted as a potential colleague or new partner. Once you understand what you are looking for, you can start to think about how to get in front of these people and build relationships. The aim is to move from somebody knowing about you, to meeting you, to liking you and finally to trusting you. What networking do I need to do? There are so many different ways to network, and the following are just a few suggestions that hopefully give you pause for thought and the ability to start creating your own networking plan. Networking events: There are so many groups, often sector-based, geographically-based, role-based-, and gender-based, that it can be hard to choose which is the best for you. If you are happy in a room full of people, try a few and see whether you meet anybody fitting your target audience. As an alternative, if you know that somebody you want to know is attending, why not make plans to meet them there? This gives you the opportunity to see how you feel on the day about dipping your toe into the networking pool, but with a safety blanket of a pre-arranged meeting. Educational seminars or workshops run by law firms can be very effective and provide great opportunities to build relationships with existing or lapsed clients of your own and your colleagues’ from other teams. Other professional services businesses also run this type of informative event, so do your research and try a few out. Seasonal parties, drinks events, charity nights, lunches or meals to mark religious or cultural events. As above, great opportunities to build and grow relationships. Small, informal events with handpicked guests. A few people with shared interests meeting for a lunch, drinks, coffees, sport, spectating, music – whatever you like. This sort of thing doesn’t have to be expensive but can be very effective at building deeper connections. Meeting for coffee or lunch on a 121 basis. Another great way to build those deeper connections where a more in-depth conversation is more appropriate or will help you to reach your goal. Zoom or Teams call. A 121 Zoom or Teams call is a great way to meet somebody, but without the initial effort of getting out of the office. This type of meeting allows you both to see whether you can get along, have interests in common etc, which you can then move along to a face-to-face if appropriate. The downside to a call rather than face-to-face is that you don’t quite achieve the same level of connection, and if possible, it’s always