Client Development Clients Do Not Want Boring Lawyers

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers Client Development: Clients Do Not Want “Boring” Lawyers Over the holidays, I was doing some research on my novel, when I came across a Scott Ginsberg-My Name is Scott blog: 30 Ways to become the Most Interesting Person You Know. He began this way: Boring ideas lose. Boring people fade. Boring organizations fizzle. Then he offered a Seth Godin quote from a podcast interview: “If the marketplace isn’t talking about you, there’s a reason,” Seth says. “If people aren’t discussing your products, your services, your cause, your movement or your career, there’s a reason. The reason is that you’re boring.” Then Scott offers his 30 ways to become the most interesting person you know. I thought many applied to lawyers and law firms. Which ones do you think apply? Number 4 on the list was: Learn the principles of amazing storytelling. I believe that may have been one of the most important things I learned in my career. I used it in my writing and my presentations. I knew I had achieved that skill when after an hour long presentation to contractors attending a national Associated General Contractors (AGC), the President, for whom I had never done any legal work, told the audience. After that presentation, I feel like Cordell has spent the last 25 years in my office. Want to learn the art of storytelling? There are some great resources. First, take a look at Six Great TED Talks Explaining the Art of Storytelling. If you only have time to watch one, I recommend Andrew Stanton: The Clues to a Great Story. There are many other great resources you can find just by doing a Google search. If you are a trial lawyer, you will want to read an article I found some time ago: Discovering the Story, by Gerry Spence. I practiced law for 37 years developing a national construction law practice representing some of the top highway and transportation construction contractors in the US.