As lawyers there are never any shortage of events to attend. Are you maximizing your results from attending these events? Here are a few tips to help you do that.
1. Ask for a list of attendees ahead of the conference. Look over that list to see if you know people. Circulate the list internally to other lawyers to see if they know people.
2. Make contact with those people and set up time to meet with them.
3. Ask the organizers of the event if they would make introductions for you at the conference.
4. Ask people you already know to make introductions for you as well.
5. Mingle and meet as many new people in your target area as possible. Have a list of questions prepared ahead of time that include but are not limited to: What brings you to this conference? What do you hope to learn or gain from being here? What has been your biggest challenge this past year? What has been your biggest success? From these, a natural dialogue will flow and you will start to learn a lot about them and where there may be opportunities.
6. Follow up with them within two days of returning from the conference referencing something you learned about them when you met them.
7. Find out how you can help them and not just how they can help you.
8. Begin to build relationships with them to fully understand how you may help.
These may appear simple because they are. And these steps work.
