​Rainmakers: Born or Bred (2nd edition)

Selling is a dirty word. This short book considers what makes a good rainmaker, an American term meaning the lawyer in a firm whose main role is to bring in new work. They will not necessarily be the most senior lawyer, or even a partner, but will be in a senior position. Others actually do the work. 

The authors look at whether a lawyer can learn such skills and abilities or whether a certain type of personality is required. I suspect it is a bit of both. Not everyone wants to cold call, say how good they are, and spend unproductive time drumming up business. We are lawyers and love to practise the law. We were not taught how to market our organisations or sell, hence the expressions the ‘S word’ ‘or selling is a dirty word’.

A more traditional approach in this country, which prevailed until some years ago, involved a partner socialising and fostering contacts to bring in clients. Now there is more pressure on all fee-earners to do billable hours; time is generally recorded and the working lunch is a thing of the past. And in the post-Covid world, with more people working at home, socialising is challenging.

What skills are required to be a rainmaker? The authors explain you should be good at listening and should engage with a prospective client and show a genuine interest in their world. You could even offer to spend time in a prospective client’s working environment, ‘on my dime’ as it is put, meaning free of charge.

The book has a distinct transatlantic flavour. I like the term ‘Goldilocks advice’, which means giving the client three options: the most risky, the least risky and middle risk (like the beds). This book is mainly written for big commercial firms but there is plenty in it for every lawyer.

David Pickup is a partner at Pickup & Scott Solicitors, Aylesbury