I’m sitting here at my desk, trying to think of what to write about coaching, the subject of this month’s newsletter. Given that I’m not allowed to write, you know, a book, which is what the topic really requires, what is the most useful thing I can say about coaching? If I distill the entire…
To Develop Business, Start Somewhere, But Not Everywhere.
I coach a lot of attorneys, and one of the things I always try to do is get them to define a practice area, vertical or other domain, and as much as possible, own it. For one client, that means VR law — the emerging law related to virtual reality and augmented reality technology. For…
Networking is Giving … Up to a Point
In an interesting post on networking this morning by David Ackert, I read the following: The fact is that you often have to dedicate time, consideration, and referrals to your professional network long before you reap a monetary return. It’s a counterintuitive proposition, to be sure, but the rule of networking is: whoever gives more,…
Thought Leadership Part One: Escape Velocity
This is what it looks like to observe a space shuttle launch from above. Shot somehow from the International Space Station, this image depicts a space shuttle punching through the clouds that cover Earth, rocketing upwards, and inserting itself into a stationary orbit around the Earth. To do this, the thing has to reach a speed…
Great Branding: Liberty Mutual Insurance, and Actually Knowing What You’re Insured For
Branding, like sex, money or religion, is simple but not easy. To brand, you first have to understand what your customer cares about. They may not even know themselves, but you have to. Second, you have to explain how you address it — what do you do that solves a problem, or provides something they…
Powerpoint is Great for Hiding. Actually Communicating, Not So Much
I like to write, which is fortunate, since that’s how I make my living. It’s unfortunate, however, because I always have to defend the act of writing against people who believe one or more of the following: I should use PowerPoint instead of writing prose I should write less — I tend to write long…
Just Plain Great Writing
Every once in a while, I run across a piece of writing that is so good, I want to share it. This is completely unconnected with anything except the simple fact that I write for (part of) my living, and when I see great stuff, I want to share it. This is by John de…
What Outside Consultants Should Deliver (And What Firms Want)
I was having a conversation earlier this week with the CMO of an AmLaw 100 firm, and for some reason, I asked him why and how he brings in outside consultants (like me) to help his marketing team. His answer was interesting. “We almost never hire them. 95% of them are totally slinging bullshit.” That…
You Have To Provide the Thrust
Sometimes I think business development consists of about five concepts, repeated over and over. I was reading a printout today of a Powerpoint presentation that was part of a sales training program. One of the bullet points on one of the slides included a sentence that really struck me: Do not assume the prospect will…
When You Blog, Here’s How to Not Be Like the Chinese Hermit Poet Who Scratched His Poems Into the Sides of Cliffs
Not making this up. In the 9th century, deep in China, a man named Han Shen wrote incredible poetry that he did not intend anyone to ever read. To quote his Wikipedia entry, no one knows who he was, or when he lived and died. Little is known of his work, since he was a recluse…