Dennis Coyne, BridgeTower Media Newswires
Often, I am asked about how best to pitch legal services. In the development of a practice, it is a recurring challenge. Recently, a lawyer shared his story of making another sort of pitch. There are lessons to be learned from his experience.
Jeff was given the chance to make the first pitch at a Twins game. His family, friends, and thousands of people would be watching. He would appear larger than life on the jumbotron. Jeff accepted the challenge and began to train.
Jeff assumed that he would not be given the chance to stand on the pitcher’s mound, but in front of it. He knew the distance from that point to home base, and practiced making the pitch over that distance. He preferred throwing a knuckleball and trained doing that. Over the weeks he became confident. Jeff knew the distance and he knew his throw.
Eventually, it was game day. He and his family walked onto the field. Thousands of others looked on from the stands. The jumbotron seemed even bigger than he had remembered it. He looked good wearing the Twins jersey that had been given him for this occasion.
Jeff was ready, or thought he was. At that moment, he was asked a question that proved to be a game changer. Would he like to make the pitch from the pitcher’s mound or from just in front of it?
Jeff had always thought he’d never be given a chance to stand on the pitcher’s mound. Yet, this was his chance to do what he had always dreamt of doing. The challenge, however, was that the distance of the throw would be longer and he hadn’t trained for that distance.
There was never a question of what Jeff would do if given the chance. With thousands looking on, he walked over and onto the pitcher’s mound. This was the moment to make the pitch he had practiced for so many weeks. He threw his knuckleball. The ball flew toward home base and then through the infield grass. Jeff’s throw proved to be a “worm burner,” landing just short of home base.
The team mascot, T.C. Bear, swooped in and seamlessly recovered the ball. The fans applauded and T. C. Bear gave Jeff a hug. As he walked off the field with his family, Jeff left with a sense of satisfaction. He was glad that he had made the pitch as he had, even if he had thrown a worm burner.
When each of us make a pitch, what lessons might be learned from Jeff’s experience? The answers to that question are many and varied, depending on who you are and the experiences you’ve had. For me, there are at least two take-aways.
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1. Define success for yourself
Jeff defined success in his own terms. For him, the prize was standing on the pitcher’s mound and making his best effort. Having done that, he left the field with his head held high. Pitching a worm burner was not his definition of defeat.
How do you define success when making a pitch? It’s a question seldom asked. Oftentimes, such a question is viewed as a no-brainer. It’s simply to get the prospective client to sign-up. Period. Yet, simply getting the new client at any cost can be problematic.
In making the pitch, the lawyer may become a chameleon of sorts — representing self in a way tailored to what the prospective client appears to want. In the extreme, the lawyer can misrepresent her/his style, temperament and past accomplishments.
Such behavior does not promote trust or instill confidence. In fact, the prospective client may become uneasy and sense that the lawyer isn’t genuine and can’t be trusted. Even if the lawyer is successful in getting the work under such circumstances, serving the client under an assumed identity or false narrative will likely prove problematic over the course of the representation, particularly in a contested matter when emotions and expectations will be tested.
Sometimes success is defined in terms broader than simply getting the work. For example, you may ask a younger lawyer to join you in the pitch to learn from the experience. Or, the pitch may simply be an introduction, a preliminary step to asking a prospective client for the work. Or the pitch may be a step in transitioning an existing client relationship to another lawyer. The point is that success varies from pitch to pitch.
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2. Practice, yet be ready to adapt
Jeff practiced for what he expected. Yet when he was surprised with a change of plans, he seized the opportunity presented to him. He knew what he prized. He also knew that the greater distance posed a risk for him. Standing on the pitcher’s mound, Jeff threw his best knuckle ball.
What is your experience when you’ve been surprised or your plans have been foiled? Have you been able to pivot and face the challenge and address the opportunity being presented? Or have you simply followed your playbook?
For example, having prepared for oral argument, lawyers sometimes simply recite what they’ve written.
With eyes glued to the text of the argument before them, a lawyer is unable to connect with the court or learn if the argument appears to be persuading the court. At best, ignoring (or wanting to ignore) what the court is thinking or asking is ill-advised. Being adaptive requires you to be awake and alert.
From where I stand, making a pitch is an art. It is satisfying and productive when you define success, train diligently, and remain attentive to changing circumstances. Success will vary from pitch to pitch. All of us have tossed an occasional worm burner.
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Dennis Coyne is an executive and personal coach who can be reached at dcoyne@denniscoyne.com.
