Want More Clients Take A Lesson From Donald Trump

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers Want More Clients? Take a Lesson from Donald Trump What does Donald Trump’s increasing popularity in political polls have to do with your client development efforts? I decided to begin figuring that out by researching why he is becoming increasingly popular. Why is Donald Trump doing well in the Presidential polls? I found an opinion that resonated with me in an article written by Matt Latimer titled: Why Candidate Trump is Leading the Polls. I believe you will find the entire article interesting, but the one sentence answer will help you attract more clients: Americans long for a straight-talking businessman who can save the country from the political class that fouled everything up. Your business clients long for a straight-talking businessman who can save their businesses from the lawyers who foul everything up. In most of the legal work they have for you, they will value your business knowledge greater than your legal knowledge. During my career I went out of my way to not act like other lawyers. I knew contractor clients wanted to work with lawyers who understood their business and put the legal matter they were handling in the context of their business. When I spoke at national or state contractor association conventions I realized that no contractor got up and said: “Oh boy I get to go listen to a lawyer today.” I believe they did enjoy hearing me speak because my presentations were about their business, not law. After one program, the contractor who had introduced me told the crowd: I feel like Cordell has spent the last 25 years in my office. He understands what we do each and every day. Also, don’t forget the importance of straight talk. Clients may not always like what they hear, but they want their lawyers to talk straight with them. A client once told me: I think the common characteristic among lawyers who have done that well is that they were good listeners.  They wanted to hear and understand the facts before expressing opinions.  The other characteristic is they were honest, even if it meant telling me things I didn’t necessarily enjoy hearing. Listening, thinking like a businessman and straight talk can be a game changer for you as it was for me. 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.