Canadian Lawyer

20 J U L Y 2 0 1 5 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m raditionally lawyers build business and relationships one client at a time. Success in the contemporary market, however, may require expanding the focus from a single client to include their entire family. In an aging demo- graphic, lawyers want to ensure spouses and children continue to turn to them for advice and counsel even after their original client has passed on. "Some lawyers focus entirely on the senior client, and that's short sighted," says Susan Van Dyke, a legal marketer in Vancouver. "Some non-billable time spent developing relationships with other key members is critical." Richard Niedermayer, an estate advis- er and corporate lawyer with Stewart McKelvey in Halifax, recommends a two- pronged approach to keeping a family within the firm. "Start by building a trust- ed adviser relationship with generation one. That is typically the first entrance. Going forward, bring in other generations for continuity. You want to manage the family on an ongoing basis." Reaching out to family members will require stepping into the client's world. It's about being visible and making connec- tions over time. That can't be done in your firm's boardroom; you need to venture into the clients' world. "Lawyers are now spending more time at their clients' offices than their own. That is relationship build- ing," says Warren Bongard, president of ZSA Legal Recruitment. Successful sales people have long understood the value of relationship mar- keting. Lawyers are more recently coming to appreciate its significance for their pro- fession, notes Cheryl Chappel, president and CEO of Think Marketing in Halifax. "Your name needs to be out there." She recommends lawyers build relation- ships with family members in small but substantial ways. Send a birthday card to the children each year, attend the funeral of a family member, refer them to other professionals as a courtesy. Being part of the family fabric, even on the sidelines, will reaffirm you are part of their network and that you have their best interests at heart. "It comes back to old-fashioned customer service," says Chappel. "You can't sit in your office and assume that will be sufficient." This may be particularly true if your client owns their business. "The deeper you work in an organization, the more indispensable you will be to the ongoing operations of the company," notes Van Dyke. "The ultimate working relationship with a family business is to guide them through their succession plan. That pro- vides you with unique insight and intel- ligence about the goals and challenges of the company going forward and how you can assist them in the long run." Bringing the family into your practice is smart business development, but it is not pro forma. Success rests on sincerity. This is about much more than the bottom line for the clients and their counsel. "What people don't like are disingenuous efforts," stresses Niedermayer. "If a client has become a L AW O F F I C E M A N A G E M E N T By donalee Moulton JEREMY BRUNEEL All in the family Becoming a trusted adviser to your client's other family members takes time and effort. T

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