A preview of our speakers and topics

Legal Sales Then and Now:  The State of Legal Industry Sales.

Legal sales maven Roberta Montafia has a brief overview of how far we’ve come since her report on the state of sales in the legal profession in 2003.  She’ll update what she saw back then and the progress we’ve made.

“I was surprised by the sophistication of what I found back then,” Roberta says.  “The industry was full of quick, smart people who have fostered the evolution from marketing to sales and more.

“They were in the early stages of a dramatic shift, which has opened a new front in the fight for the shrinking pie.  The changes I’ve seen since then offer several practical tools that fit just about any firm, anywhere.”

Roberta will speak during the plenary session of RainDance 2011.  You don’t want to miss it!
Roberta Montafia is a legal marketing and business development consultant.  She is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Legal Sales & Services Organization, a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management, past president of the Legal Marketing Association and member of the Legal Marketing Hall of Fame.

___________________________________________________

Keynote: The Power of Persuasion, Joel Smith, Trial Lawyer, Bowman and Brooke

Persuasion is the heart of a great salesman and the art of a great trial lawyer.   But while the rules of the court are very different than the rules of sales, many of the skills honed by litigators are directly applicable to the sales process:

• Doing your homework
• Establishing common principles
• Anticipating objections
• Using evidence to support your goal
• Asking good questions
• Listening carefully and clarifying the answers
• Appealing to interest as much as reason

Joel Smith is one of those rare lawyers who has mastered both arenas.  One of America’s most persuasive defense trial lawyers, he has found that the many of the same techniques used to win verdicts are those that win clients.

In his nearly 30 years of experience, Joel Smith has played a first-chair trial role in automotive litigation nationwide. He has defended many types of cases, including catastrophic injury claims involving roof crush, restraints, rollover, crashworthiness, and tire defects, among others. His experience in the pharmaceutical arena includes the defense of PPA litigation, where Joel was given a first-chair role. He also played a leading role in two MDL Daubert hearings. He was the principal examiner for all defendants in several preservation depositions of MDL experts. In addition, Joel was selected as trial counsel in Hormone Therapy cases and cases involving infant cough/cold products. Joel has taught trial advocacy at the University of South Carolina, and has lectured nationally on automotive, pharmaceutical and trial advocacy issues.

____________________________________________________

The Vision Thing:  Creating a Clear, Challenging and Compelling Vision

Facilitator:  Mark Beese.

Are you in your job to do something, or for something to do?  What would give your work real meaning and purpose, to inspire you to come to work every day full of energy and enthusiasm?

We admire leaders for their ability to be forward-looking and to cast an attractive vision of the future.  Yet, many struggle with how to craft and communicate an engaging vision.

In this one-hour, interactive workshop, you will create a practical vision statement to guide your leadership in your firm, your team and your personal life.  Together, we’ll explore ways to make your vision clear, challenging and compelling to others.  We will discuss strategies to engage allies, act on your vision and bring out your inner leader!

Mark is President of Leadership for Lawyers, LLC (www.leadershipforlawyers.com), and a seasoned business development and leadership consultant and coach serving the legal community.  He’s a former board member of the Legal Marketing Association and a highly-rated speaker at industry conferences, law firm retreats and legal networks throughout the nation.

___________________________________________________

Download Registration Form Here