Serve. Speak. Succeed. How to Build Your Book of Business Using Community Service and Public Speaking

Law firms often ask their lawyers to engage in activities that will create relationships and generate new business – activities like community service or public speaking.  A few lawyers find it easy and natural to comply with this request.

 

Many more lawyers do not.  They want to comply with their law firms’ requests, but find it difficult and unnatural.  They would much prefer sitting behind their desks and interacting with documents to getting out of the office and interacting with people.  The truth is that most lawyers are unsure how to get “out there” and develop business.

 

“The easiest way to get started is to follow your heart, not your wallet,” said K.C. Veio, a lawyer who is very active in the Denver community.  “If you get involved with an organization because you are passionate about its mission, then you will do a good job.

 

“If you do a good job at something that really charges your batteries, you will impress others with your skills and commitment,” said Veio.  “For me, these areas are politics and the arts.  If you impress new acquaintances with your skills and commitment, they will be more likely to hire you or refer you to others.  It won’t happen right away – it can take years and years and years – but it will happen eventually.

 

“However, landing new legal work should never be the main reason that you get involved with a civic or community organization,” said Veio.  “Effective community service involves a considerable time commitment.  If you are following your wallet, without any consideration of your personal passions and interests and the needs of the community, you are almost guaranteed to lose interest and fail.  These are the lawyers who say, ‘I tried community service, and it just doesn’t work.’”

 

Veio participated on a panel that addressed community service and public speaking opportunities for lawyers at the monthly meeting of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association, held Oct. 11 at the Denver Athletic Club.

 

Veio is a partner with Kline Alvarado Veio (www.kvfirm.com), a law firm that has successfully leveraged community relationships into its business development efforts.  Other panel participants were Jackie Norris of Metro Volunteers (www.metrovolunteers.org), who was recently named as one of the top ten local nonprofit and foundation leaders by the Denver Business Journal, and Kim Rackley of CLE International (www.cle.com), a Denver-based provider of accredited continuing legal education programs throughout the United States and Canada

 

“If you are a lawyer who wants to engage in community service,” said Norris, “please be aware that your unique analytical skills are in high demand in the nonprofit community.  We are in desperate need of your services.  The Sarbanes Oxley legislation, for example, has placed new demands on nonprofit boards; they are eager to add lawyers who can help them comply with these demands.”

 

In addition, the Metro Volunteers “board bank” program can assess a lawyer’s skill- and interest-set and make a match with a nonprofit organization that is operating within the lawyer’s particular interest area. “If you have never served on a board before, don’t let that hold you back,” said Norris, “Metro Volunteers will train you in the techniques you need to become an effective and successful board member.”

 

Most of these board positions are with small- and mid-size nonprofits.  “It is a good idea to start small and do a few things well,” said Veio, “rather than taking on a project too large, or too many projects, and doing them poorly.”

 

Another area in which Metro Volunteers can be of assistance to law firms is by helping firms develop firm-wide community service sponsorships and programs.  “If your firm does not have a focused community-outreach program,” said Norris, “Metro Volunteers can work with you to determine what is important to the firm, its lawyers and its staff, and to build a focused program to further those goals.  If you are looking for a one-time, team-building project – we can help with that as well.”

 

Another way for lawyers to create relationships and generate new business is through public speaking.  “Public speaking is one of the best ways to get your name ‘out there’ as an expert in a particular field,” said Rackley.  “The best audiences are those that have been purposefully assembled to attract a significant number of people who might need the legal services you provide – rather than an audience of competitors who are just there to steal your ideas.

 

“Good audiences include industry organizations and CLE events that are attractive to your particular consumer market,” said Rackley.  “A good speech takes a good deal of your non-billable time to prepare, so you want to make sure it is worth the effort.  Contact the organization and ask for a list of presentations – past and future – and some audience demographics.  If it is a good fit, you can propose an appropriate topic.”

 

In addition, giving a speech should never be a ‘one-off’ event.  “There are many ways to re-purpose the hard work you put into a speech,” said Rackley.  “Make sure that your clients and potential clients receive an invitation to attend.  Do a press release and publicize the event on your web site.   Prepare written materials to be distributed at the event.

 

“In addition, you should spend some time networking in person before and after you speak,” said Rackley.  “Acquire a list of attendees and follow up with them to see if they have any additional questions.  Use your research on the speech topic to create articles that can be featured in your firm’s print and electronic applications.  Have someone attend the speech and write a review.”

 

When entering the arena of community service and public speaking, a lawyer should follow his or her passions.  Find an opportunity that sparks your natural interests, matches your personal style and exposes you to the right audience.  Start small, do a good job, be patient, know you are helping others – and build upon your success!