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MASTERMIND GROUPS SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS |
Attention
Women Rainmakers Rainmaking is one of the most critical skills for any lawyer in private practice, and that's true now more than ever. Women bring unique strengths and skills to bear in client relations and business development. At the same time, women face some unique challenges and obstacles. Research suggests that women tend to excel in nurturing client relationships and in gaining a role as a client's trusted advisor, leading to increased client retention. Women frequently possess high levels of emotional intelligence, which translates into building strong client service teams. While men may exhibit similar skills, women have an opportunity to draw on these strengths in distinctive ways. However, conversations among women lawyers reveal that we sometimes feel less comfortable in rainmaking, because we may seek an unduly high level of technical proficiency to represent ourselves as competent (much less expert) in an area of practice, may be reluctant to make an overt request for business, or may face additional time pressures as a result of balancing professional and personal lives. Although none of these challenges is truly unique to women, female lawyers may seek different ways to resolve the challenges than our male counterparts might. And women are still subject to gender discrimination, which even when subconscious can undermine rainmaking efforts and can reduce the number of referrals women receive. Handling that discrimination requires a deft touch. Women lawyers sometimes feel isolated, with few opportunities to highlight what's going well and to solve the inevitable difficulties that arise in business development. Law is always a competitive field. Revealing fears, problems, and strategies outside a close-knit group of confidantes can be risky. Isolation brings its own challenges as well, as women may wonder whether they're doing something wrong or overlooking an obvious solution, when in fact they're facing obstacles common to other women rainmakers. Introducing
the Women Rainmakers This six-month program is designed to give you the edge that you need to succeed as a woman rainmaker. You'll have access to resources, brainstorming, supportive conversation, and mentoring so you can advance your client development skills. Women often report enormous benefit from conversation and mentoring among peers. These interactions assist in working through the difficulties and fully capitalizing upon the opportunities. Most importantly, dialogue among similarly situated women lawyers generates feedback from women who truly understand and offer the camaraderie that many female attorneys lack on a regular basis. (Curious about why this group exists? Click here for access to two "sneak preview" teleclasses I offered that explains some of the challenges that female rainmakers often face and a few strategies to minimize these challenges. During the Women Rainmakers Mastermind Group meetings, we'll discuss the specific challenges that members are confronting and devise personalized approaches to overcoming them.) What
is a mastermind group?
A traditional mastermind group brings together a small number of
like-minded individuals who support each other in attaining their goals.
Mastermind members offer feedback and demand accountability.
You operate in a safe, confidential space that allows you to share your
challenges and get help from people operating from a similar background and
different perspectives. You
will receive even more from the Women Rainmakers Mastermind Group.
In
addition to facilitating, I will offer resources that will assist your
development, I'll operate as a mentor/consultant by taking an objective look at
your strategies and tactics and suggest adjustments to get even better results,
and I'll offer on-the-spot coaching to help you through the difficult moments.
You'll get feedback from me as well as the group, and you'll get to work
one-on-one with me for a fraction of the investment that my individual clients
pay. You'll also have access to the
training that I've shared with individual clients and groups (including the
Georgia Association for Women Lawyers,
the
Center for Competitive Management, and
the
National Constitution Center). Your
participation in this group will help you to be a better rainmaker, and it will
operate to reduce the stress that may surround your client development efforts
today. The Women Rainmakers Mastermind Group offers the following benefits:
What
do you get as a mastermind member?
It's hard to talk about obstacles and problems with lawyers in your firm
even in your legal community but the mastermind group offers a
confidential, safe space to learn and to explore what's going right and what's
going wrong, without any fear of competition.
You'll get six months of group training, one-on-one interaction, and
accountability to help you to move forward quickly. 1.
Your
mastermind membership will begin with a one-hour consultation, in which we'll
develop (or refine) your business development plan,
based on your area of practice, your goals, and your strengths.
At the end of the hour, you'll have an actionable plan that you can begin
to implement right away. 2.
The
group will meet by telephone twice a month.
Each
meeting will center on a discussion of how women lawyers can excel in an aspect
of rainmaking (such as how to network effectively specific topics to be
based on the overall needs of the group and specific situations members are
facing). You'll also have an
opportunity to ask questions, share perspectives, and receive resources.
Each member will have a monthly opportunity to be on the "hot
seat." During your turn
in the hot seat, you'll present your progress and challenges, and you'll request
the group's help on a specific question or situation you're facing.
You'll get suggestions and ideas from the group, I'll offer on-the-spot
coaching, and you'll leave each call re-energized and ready to go. 3.
You'll
receive recordings of each call,
so even if you can't join the group live you'll get the benefits.
You'll also develop a library of calls to use as a resource as you move
forward. 4.
You'll
have access to a private forum where you can interact with the other members of
the group to seek feedback and suggestions.
If you
run into an obstacle between calls, you can post at any hour of the day and get
suggestions and support. 5.
You'll
have four 15-minute calls with me,
to use whenever and however you desire during the mastermind.
If you'd like to save the calls to prepare for a meeting with a potential
client, great. If you'd like to
combine them for a more in-depth consultation, that's fine too. 6.
I
will review written marketing materials on member request.
Have a newsletter you're starting or an article you'd like to submit for
publication? While I cannot do
substantive legal review, I'll review up to 10 pages of written material each
month and make suggestions on how you can tweak the material to be more
successful as a marketing piece. NOTE:
This program is not right for everyone!
Admission to the group is granted only by application.
Because we will have so much interaction among the members, it's critical
that the group be composed of high-achieving, determined, fast-acting,
resourceful women. If you're seeking
a slow and steady pace, or if you're looking for a forum to gripe about how hard
rainmaking is, this group will not be a good fit for you.
But if you're ready to grow your client development skills fast, to offer
and receive help on thorny client development situations, and to step onto a
fast-track of learning and action, you'll fit right in.
The
Women Rainmakers Mastermind Group will include women from firms of all sizes and
members will be expected to have an intermediate or advanced level of experience
in rainmaking. This group is not
intended for those who have no experience at all in client development
activities. Here
are the details on the When
does it start?
The mastermind group will begin in January 2009; group calls will take
place on the second and fourth Mondays of each month from 1 to 2 PM ET.
(Mark these dates on your calendar: January 12 and 26, February 9 and 23,
March 9 and 23, April 13 and 30 [note that April 30 is a Thursday, so we'll
diverge from the usual schedule], May 11 and 25, and June 8 and 22.) Where
will the group meet?
All interaction will be conducted by telephone and via an online message
board.
(You will
have access to the message board as soon as you're accepted to the group
even before the program officially begins.) Who should join? The group is open to intermediate to advanced rainmakers at all levels of seniority. Membership will be based on application. Applications will be approved on a rolling basis, and no more than 10 members will be permitted in the mastermind group. (If your application is received after the group is filled, I'll be happy to place you on a waiting list.) Click here to request apply now. (You'll access a PDF document to be completed and returned to me by fax or email.) Registration closes at 9 AM ET on January 12, 2009. What
can you expect as a member of the Women Rainmakers Mastermind Group?
Assuming you put in the necessary work, you can expect to make
significant strides in client development. I
can't predict specific results because so much depends on your beginning point,
your practice, and other highly variable factors.
You'll have a forum in which to focus on your own
rainmaking strengths and weaknesses, as well as on your plans and the obstacles
you encounter. The group will hold
you accountable, and experience shows that mastermind group members who
participate fully move forward rapidly. You
will become a member of a group of women lawyers who are focused on rainmaking,
and you'll receive the benefit of a variety of perspectives and the opportunity
to grow in a confidential and supportive environment.
Fee? Depending on your practice area and your compensation package, a new client might be worth several thousand dollars (or more). Your career advancement is likely to be valued in the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars over your professional lifetime.
The charter rate for the Women Rainmakers Mastermind Group is
significantly lower than the value of its potential benefits because I want to
make this opportunity easily affordable. (I
can't promise that future Women Rainmakers Mastermind Groups will be offered
with the same pricing.)
Money-back
guarantee: If
after the first month of the Mastermind group you conclude that you're not
completely happy with what you've received, I will refund your payment(s), less
a $50 administrative fee. No refunds
will be granted after January 31, 2009.
Click
here to apply for your spot with this Registration closes at 9 AM ET on January 12, 2009.
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