I ran across an article titled “Paying Good Deeds Forward” by Harry Max, a tech consultant & principal of Rubicon Consulting, at RainToday.
Subtitled “Some Silicon Valley Thinking For Your Firm,” Max calls the concept of giving gladly of one’s time and effort to colleagues and even competitors a time-honored Silicon Valley practice among tech start-ups, soon after a successful launch:
At that point, founders typically begin something – a search for what’s next. Like a sales “navigation” process, they investigate stories in the media and meet with respected mentors and colleagues. As areas of interest come into focus, they begin to call appealing companies, sometimes with introductions, sometimes without.
There is an expectation in the Valley, (and an unwritten rule), that, unless there is an awfully good reason, the intended “target” of the inquiry will respond graciously, offer to kick around some ideas, grab coffee, have dinner, or at least make the time to talk on the phone – if not at that particular moment, then in the not-too-distant future.
This is a great idea, not just for tech start-ups but for service providers, as well, and solos can implement it in two distinct ways.
The AIR Interview for Solos-To-Be
I advise my coaching clients to engage in AIR interviews at the earliest possible moment, as soon as a potential path reveals itself.
AIR stands for “Advice, Information, and Referrals” and it’s not unique to me. I give credit to Linda Laufer, formerly my legal career coach and now Director of Career Development at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, who also writes for NY Lawyer.com; I don’t know if it was original with her or had another source.
The premise of the AIR interview is quite simple: you pinpoint those folks engaged in the path you’re exploring.
If you’re thinking about launching a solo practice concentrating on family law matters, you look for a solo in your area who has a practice that mirrors your interests.
You call up the solo, ask for a half-hour of their time, and make an appointment. At the interview, you come prepared with intelligent questions and something to take notes on (or a tape recorder, if the interviewee consents).
Then you proceed to ask your questions, which you’ve carefully designed to elicit:
- Advice: what lessons did the other person learn during the process of meeting the goal?
- Information: what’s it really like to be in the position of having successfully met that goal?
- Referrals: Who else should you speak to in pursuit of your goal?
You must make it clear to the interviewee off the bat that you’re not looking for a job. (Of course, in the context of launching a solo practice, that ought to be obvious, and less of a concern.) And of course you send a handwritten thank-you note within 3 days.
To “pay it forward,” of course, you return the favor when the next escapee from Big Law calls you. But you can also share the information you’ve learned with others during your launch process.
Possible venues for such sharing include the Solosez mailing list, the comments section of this blog, and even your own blog (it’s become quite common now to start a blog to track your efforts during the launch of a solo practice, and I wholeheartedly encourage that endeavor as a creative way to journal your efforts, as well as share the information you gather with others who might need it).
Outside the Bar: Other Service Providers
Lawyers don’t work in a vacuum. Most of us utilize referral marketing programs, whether formal or highly informal, that rely on other service professionals to direct clients our way.
Estate planners and financial planners, personal injury attorneys and medical providers, business and corporate lawyers and bankers … we can all find interconnection between ourselves, our target clients, and other professions.
Think about the spiderweb of your own practice. See how things funnel and flow from “them” to “me.”
Now, reverse the flow. How can you help them? Next, broaden the river and create tributaries — how can you help others? Sometimes it’s as simple as getting a fresh perspective; looking at things in reverse can help you identify other potential targets for service.
Note I said “targets for service.” Not “sources of revenue.” Think about your referral marketing program in terms of creating relationships and being of service, not so much as a money-making stream of income.
It may very well — perhaps we can even say “it should someday — turn into a revenue source. But approach it first as an opportunity to share ideas, be of service, assist.
Developing New Practice Areas
Perhaps there’s no better use of the targeted AIR interview than for the solo branching out into a new practice area. You’ve got your office open, your systems in place, and you’re itching to explore a new professional challenge. Perhaps you’ve spotted a new opportunity in your market, or perhaps it’s something you’ve always been interested in but the timing was never right, and now, it just might be. A well-chosen and properly conducted AIR interview can give you the answers you’re looking for.
And it should go without saying that if you’re the one approached for this sort of give and take, don’t be like the cocky and rude CEO in Max’s article who brushed off the founder. You might find yourself on the short end of a return favor some day, and that’s no good.
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