Lawyers can be Social.

Inspired by Danielle Drummond-Brassington

I have had the pleasure of working with Danni and her awesome disputes team at CMS. It was great fun, I learnt a lot along the way. One key thing was that I had this assumption, that lawyers were not social - in the social media sense - and that they wouldn’t get it. And you know what. I was wrong. Lawyers are brilliant at being social - in the social media sense - well at least Danni’s team are. 

I had their engagement for all of the time we spent together, no one checking emails or popping out to make a call. We had great debate and conversation. We had disagreement and that is fine, that creates conversation and open dialogue, which is what this is all about. 

Social Selling isn’t a technology. It is a mindset. And what was great is that Danni gave her team the freedom and headspace to engage in this - a lot of leaders across all industries, but especially legal, could take a lead out of her book. What was evident is that her team were already engaging with social in some shape or form. All that was needed was some context, process and a framework to enable them to work in and the rest happens organically - or socially. 

There is a common belief that General Counsel or buyers of legal services do not use social networks or social to engage. You may well have read my earlier opinion piece on this. The latest count, using the premium version of Linkedin, Sales Navigator, shows this :

There are 1.2m profiles on Linkedin with “counsel”

53,000 changed roles in the last 90 days

2,400 where mentioned in some form of press release in the last 30 days

117,000 posted or published a comment, post or article on Linkedin in the last 30days

As of Nov 27th 2017

Notwithstanding research from Green Target & Zeughauser group shows that in 2017, US Counsel sees Linkedin as the 2nd most trusted source of Legal, Business & Industry news :

I have spent 10 years working in the Professional Services industry, across accounting, legal and commercial real estate. They are the perfect fit for social selling. Their product is knowledge and the ability to share and use their deep knowledge and learning in a meaningful way. And this primarily is what we all do when we go online, we are seeking information to help us answer a question. You go online, not to find a drill, but a solution to making a hole in your wall to hang a picture. The Same principle applies, I am not looking for a lawyer or accountant, I am looking for someone that can solve my problem or task that I need to undertake.

To that end, social is the best delivery channel for this knowledge dissemination into their trusted and referral networks. Yet so few seem to be doing this. If they are, it is in a random and out of context way. I believe that part of the problem lies with internal perception of what one is permitted or not permitted to do, for another blog.

So, a tip of the hat to Danni and her team. You taught me that lawyers are in fact social - in the social media sense - well, your team are. And the cat.