Law Firm 4.0 Blog

What lawyers can learn from CBS Sportscasting legend, Verne Lundquist.

I’ve written a lot of posts that start with, “What lawyers (or law firms) can learn from …”  Search by that phrase on my blog and you’ll find posts about fabulous and lousy expensive restaurants, unexpectedly terrific hotel experiences, travel, dentistry, vacuum cleaners, brand launches and more.  It’s always grounded and practical advice – and the common theme is, to be a better lawyer, pay attention to the world around you. 

You can learn something about how to better serve clients (and ultimately how to better serve yourself) in the most unlikely places.  I have linked several of the most popular “What lawyers can learn…” posts at the bottom of this one.

But, today’s post is about CBS Sports legend, Verne Lundquist, and why lawyers of all ages should not just revere his storied and stellar 53-year career, but why you should understand who he is – a passionate, hard-working man who loves his job.  Nicknamed “the Golden Throat,” Verne is the envy of sports fanatics the world over, because he knows all the current and past luminaries in virtually every sport – and he knows them well.

Glen, my husband and I met Verne and Nancy Lundquist on a Baltic cruise in August.  Verne was on board as the “celebrity speaker,” a gig he has done more than a dozen times on luxury cruises – much to the joy of those on board these ships.  I have to be honest, I didn’t know who Verne was (I am really embarrassed to admit this) – in fact, Glen went to hear Verne, and I enrolled in a Black Jack tournament. 15 minutes in, Glen texts me and says, “Verne’s great – you must come.”  I wrote back, “I’m winning,” and stayed at Table 3 in the Casino. 

When I met Glen later over our customary afternoon champagne (I love vacation), he was giddy in his animated retelling – almost verbatim – of nearly an hour of Verne’s stories. Well, I didn’t win the Black Jack tournament and I felt completely cheated having not heard him.  I had to get to know this Verne guy.

The next day our ship was forced to skip docking in Skagen, Denmark because of huge swells, so we had another unexpected day at sea.  Verne was invited to do another program, and Glen and I sat in the front row.  He entertained the standing-room-only crowd with new stories, sharing tales about many of the 20 sports that he has broadcast over the last 50-plus years.

I was rapt – as was the mostly male crowd in the room. Verne approached even the most controversial topics (with professional sports figures, there is plenty of gossip and controversy to go around) with delicacy, humor, no vitriol or snark – he was ever the professional.  Whatever ego Verne has was checked at the door – actually, having shared several meals with him after this speech, he always has his ego checked. He is as interested in you as you are in him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone reading this who loves college football (especially Southeastern Conference football) knows and loves him, as Verne has been the play-by-play broadcaster for SEC football since 1999. (He has covered college football since 1974.)  Rabid SEC fans admit to being deeply emotional at the thought that this is Verne’s last season.  Every SEC team has honored Nancy and Verne with more his-and-her swag than they could possibly ever use or wear. But what a touching treat and an honor for him – for them both.

He and I have a lot in common:  born in Minnesota (check), lived in Dallas, Texas (check), loves to sing in the choir (check), is Lutheran (well, I am Methodist and Episcopalian, but I went to a Lutheran college in MN), he adores his spouse (check), he loves food and wine (check check).  Of course I am drawn to him.

So – what can lawyers of all ages learn from Verne?

1. Love what you do so much that you discover stories in your work that are universally appealing. I am not an avid sports fan, but Verne made me want to be one.  I want to belong to whatever club he is in.
2. Once you find your stories, tell them with such passion and enthusiasm that you set yourself apart. But don’t over-shadow others around you.  This isn’t about bragging – that’s the antithesis of Verne.  He is often self-effacing, and his stories combine both historical facts and his color commentary about the people and places he has encountered.  Too many people frame their stories with themselves at the center – don’t do that. Instead, be the observer, the play-by-play person who never forgets an interesting detail.  Humor. Grace. Class.  That’s how he’s always described.
3. Use fewer words and use the right words. Play-by-play commentary is riddled with high emotion moments – people win and lose. Over his entire career, Verne has famously said exactly the right thing – with just the right amount of words.  A favorite Dallas example is in Super Bowl XIII after Cowboys tight-end Jackie Smith dropped a touchdown pass in a painful 35-31 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers . . . Verne spontaneously blurted, "Bless his heart, he's got to be the sickest man in America!"  He has always been known for his genuine compassion and he showed it that day.
4. Learn something new every day that makes you a better lawyer. I said that Verne has covered 20 different sports – all in public arenas, on stage, on air and on television (i.e., there was no concealing what he didn’t know).  He modestly says that whether calling figure skating at the Olympics with Scott Hamilton, PGA golf at the Masters or NFL football with Terry Bradshaw, he was not the domain expert in the room. But, he cared enough to make sure he knew exactly enough to make CBS Sports look good – and to show respect to both the sports and athletes he was covering.
5. Don’t be a fake. Have the highest integrity, truest warmth and stay grounded in the values that you learned from your parents, favorite teachers and gifted mentors. He is always described as “What you see is what you get.” 
6. It’s never too early – or late – to start building your legacy. Verne has been inducted into several Halls of Fame and he won a Sports Emmy for Lifetime Achievement this past May. Treat yourself and take 30 minutes to watch this video of his introduction and remarks at the Emmy ceremony. You’ll learn a lot about how to build a memorable and successful career. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=verne+lundquist+emmy+youtube&view=detail&mid=61E3B4E44B9E5A869FC061E3B4E44B9E5A869FC0&FORM=VIRE
7. Surround yourself with people who can help you look and feel good – thank them often. And be a great spouse, friend, colleague and volunteer in return.
8. Finally, find joy in your work and exhibit it every day. Your clients and colleagues will notice and be drawn to you. Joy makes everyone more interesting and stimulating.  Have you ever heard Verne’s’ famous laugh?!  Let your laugh be infectious and legendary.

Our last evening with Verne and Nancy was at a terrific restaurant in Stockholm. I felt sad when we walked away from them after dinner. But I think of them often and know we will see each other again.  Certainly, I’ll see and hear him the next few weeks of college football – then we’ll just have to get their cruising schedule and make sure we’re on board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below are the other “What lawyers and law firms can learn” posts.

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2013/05/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-my-experience-with-the-strangest-dessert-in-san-francisco-maybe-the-wo.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2013/08/what-lawyers-can-learn-about-messaging-from-an-unlikely-source-dentistry.html (which includes one of my favorite lines I’ve ever written here:  Everyone is one tooth away from ugly.)

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2012/01/a-toast-to-differentiation-what-law-firms-can-learn-from-blue-hill-at-stone-barns.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2015/03/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-opentables-new-brand.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2014/01/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-our-new-years-eve-dining-experience-at-betony-in-new-york.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2012/02/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-my-wonderful-experience-at-davios-in-philadelphia.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2013/04/what-lawyers-can-learn-from-passage-des-crapeaux.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2012/05/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-dysons-think-vacuum-cleaners-anti-branding-slur.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2014/09/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-perfect-food-and-wine-pairings-at-beausoleil-in-baton-rouge.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2014/02/alice-died-last-week-what-law-firms-can-learn-.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2012/06/one-of-the-most-important-lessons-that-connected-lawyers-must-learn.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2012/07/back-in-america.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2012/02/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-my-disappointing-experience-at-del-friscos-in-new-york.html

To win more business, don't underestimate the value of visceral appeal.

For more than two decades we have known that corporate counsel and other buyers of legal services have two levels of decision-making. They make an intellectual decision when creating their short list, evaluating expertise, perceived technical skill, and other features that are important to them - geographical reach, depth, rates and more.

But when they are choosing the one lawyer or firm to hire, they make an emotional decision - formulating do I like this person, do I trust him, do I feel good about him.

Task-oriented lawyers (the overwhelming number of lawyers) struggle with this - they want to be hired because they are the smartest people in the room, not because they are the nicest.  They are frustrated when they have presented what they feel is the most compelling sales pitch about their relevant qualifications that they know are better than the competitors' quals . . . yet they lose to a "less-qualified" contender.

Three Belgian researchers completed a study that analyzed "The influence of ad-evoked feelings on brand evaluations: Empirical generalizations from consumer responses to more than 1,000 TV commercials."  You might wonder why I'm including this in today's blog post - I am, because it reinforces the point that emotion matters more than empirical data when it comes to someone feeling good about you.

If you watched the SuperBowl and stayed for the commercials, you know that the snarky, sleazy ads that have been so popular the last few years were mostly missing.  The feel-good ads that included puppies, horses, America, patriotic music, soldiers and children/families struck a chord with consumers - they made them go "awwww," made them laugh, or cry.

We like connecting emotionally to things, even if we don't want to admit it.  In a Booz & Company Strategy+Business article, The Power of Positive Advertising, the author writes about this Belgian study:   

The authors surveyed more than 1,500 Belgian consumers whose demographics were representative of the country’s overall population. The participants collectively weighed in on more than 1,000 commercials for actual products that were shown on national TV networks during a recent three-year time span. The ads covered more than 150 product categories, allowing the authors to test whether people’s emotional response varied depending on the type of product or service being advertised.

The Belgian study found:

Strikingly, the benefit of taking a positive approach in advertising persisted across industries and endured regardless of the product’s value to a consumer. Whether the commercial advertised a durable item (such as a refrigerator), a short-term product (such as soap or soda), a service (such as a cell-phone subscription or haircut), or merchandise (such as furniture or clothing), the findings were consistent. They showed that “compared to ads that elicit less pleasant feelings, ads that elicit more pleasant feelings may trigger more positive beliefs and thoughts about the brand, which, when integrated into summary evaluations, would result in more favorable brand attitudes,” the authors write.

Given how few business-to-business law firms engage in traditional advertising after the financial crisis, firms are relying instead on their websites, e-alerts and face-to-face business development activities (meetings, speeches, trade shows, etc.).  But few of the nation's largest firms tap into the visitor, listener or readers' emotion, regardless of the media.  Rather, they present a sterile summary of facts, figures, experience and other qualifications designed to land them on the short list.  This is important, by the way - your website must accomplish this.

But, on websites, and certainly in person, this is a missed opportunity to do more. Find ways to humanize your bio, breathe life into your stories and what you write about your practices and firm.  Identify ways to show that you're also nice to do business with. 

Being on the short list is terrific.  But you can only build a career if someone likes you enough to hire you.

 

What law firms can learn from Banana Joe

On Monday, February 11, no one outside the dog-show world knew of “Banana Joe,” the affenpinscher who won Westminster Dog Show’s platinum crown – “Best in Show.” Two days later,the five-year old super-pooch is ubiquitous, appearing on all the major networks and in every brand name online and print news publication.

Jason Gay, the popular sports writer for the Wall Street Journal, penned an article for the February 14 issue  in the style of a call-in radio show. The article, entitled “Longtime Listener, First-Time Barker,” scripts “calls” from listeners named Snickers, Biscuit and Peanut Butter, among others, who happen to be Labrador Retrievers. (These dogs made the point that Labs are the number-one most popular dog in America – the most owned and trusted canine among all breeds.)

The Labs are in an uproar about losing at Westminster year after year, especially in light of their dominance in the popular vote.  Dog after dog gets on the line whining about how unfair it is – they even wonder if they should hire Phil Jackson to help turn it around for them. 

Then Banana Joe calls and weighs in (a/k/a/ trash talks).  When asked by the radio show host, " . . . what do you make of this whole Lab controversy?” 

Banana Joe says, “Champions win. Talkers talk." . . ." I am sick and tired of the Labs just whining on Westminster. Same goes for the golden retrievers, too.  All they do is talk . . . “

So what can lawyers and law firms learn from this? There is more talk among lawyers about business development and rainmaking than there is actual rainmaking. I do advocate effective planning, and not going out willy-nilly to try to expand your client base. But, if lawyers spent more time doing it and less time talking about it, I know the success rate would be greater. And I am confident it would be more fun.

Too much planning and talking is paralyzing. It sabotages the self-confidence that a lawyer needs to effectively engage in a conversation that will matter to a client or prospect. Find out what truly concerns your buyer, what his horizon issues are - hear his opportunities and challenges.The best rainmakers know how to gently guide and facilitate this discussion – with very little talking – so the person making or influencing the buying decision senses the lawyer’s authenticity and sees her brainpower uniquely applied to his issues. 

Let the prospect do the talking and you get to be the champion.

 

Embrace Life - The most moving YouTube video

Today's post is not about marketing and business development technology, knowledge or experience management, websites, marketing strategy, lawyers or law firms.  It's to share a link of a remarkable and powerful advertising campaign promoting the use of seat belts. 

It could be one of the finest, most moving ads I've ever seen.  http://www.youtube.com/embed/h-8PBx7isoM

Readers, please buckle up and enjoy your weekend.

The Twitter logo: 2 years old and over-the-hill

Twitter leaders decided that the old bird was over-the-hill. And too fat.  No more tubby, toddler-appropriate tiny "Ts," either.  Logo refreshes aren't unusual, but they typically happen over decades, not months.

 

 

For example, take the evolution of the NBC logo (all the NBC logos below are the property of NBC):

             

Lightening Bolt logos - used 1931-1842.  (The NBC Chimes were first heard on the radio in 1927.)

 

           

 Microphone logo - used 1942-1953                   Xylophone logo - used 1954-1959

        

Original Peacock logo - used 1956-1962                   Original "snake" logo - used 1959-1975

                     

"Laramie Peacock" logo - special uses 1962-1975         The "Fancy Cut N" logo - 1976-1979

                             

"Proud N" logo - used 1979-1986      And finally, today's logo used since 1986

NBC has numerous variants you'll see, too - green for St. Patrick's Day, black/orange for Halloween, red/pink for Valentine's Day, the logo with a Santa hat for Christmas and donning a party hat to celebrate a New Year. 

Imagine if law firms fussed with their logos in this way, making them holiday-appropriate - a brand stewardship challenge for sure.

For now, adios little fat Twitter bird, and a warm welcome to the younger chick.

 

What law firms can learn from Dyson's (think vacuum cleaners) anti-branding slur.

British industrial designer, Sir James Dyson, is best known for his iconic bagless vacuum cleaner that he peddles on television. And among frequent travelers who wash their hands in airport restrooms, for the Dyson Airblade, which dries your hands as would the edge of a tornado.

But after a recent comment in which he said he didn't believe in branding - "We're only as good as our latest product. I don't believe in brand at all." - he is now famous for being the anti-branding guy.

Matt Straz, blogger of MediaPost's Online Spin, wrote yesterday, "Like a cat coughing up a hair ball, Dyson's comment caused a loud, involuntary response from the advertising world."

Let me give you some context: Dyson was speaking at Wired magazine's "Disruptive by Design" conference earlier this month. He responded to the question, "Does brand make the product or does product make the brand?" He said that "Brand was the only word that was banned at his company," then concluded with the statement above.

A Forbes.com article about his statement said, "A remarkable comment from someone who has stood in front of a camera for the last decade or more on behalf of creating his own eponymous brand of vacuum cleaners, and spending millions in the process."

The Forbes article suggests that Dyson may not understand what "brand" or "branding is, and it goes on to describe what it is. It talks about how successful brands create new rituals:

"Powerful brands have rituals. Much as Starbucks changed how we have coffee in the morning, and Ikea has changed how we interact with newly-purchased furniture, Dyson has changed the ritual of how we interact with our vacuum by handing us one that can be snapped together (or unsnapped) much like Lego blocks. The rollerball changes the way we move across the floor. The quick-open canister lets us dump right into the garbage can, rather than unleashing those nasty vacuum bags. And if you really want to get into it, there’s the ritual of innovation–and creating 5,127 prototypes, and more innovation."

I asked friend and colleague Norm Rubenstein, Partner and branding expert at the Zeughauser Group, about his take on Dyson's slur - and whether law firm leaders with an anti-branding bias might have new fodder to dispute its efficacy.  Norm says:

"There is profound irony in Dyson’s claim 'I don’t believe in brand at all.' Dyson’s company is reminiscent of Apple, a company whose followers buy products, often products they don’t need, because of their elegant marriage of form and content. In creating his high-end vacuum cleaner, Dyson has made it the ultimate status symbol: what greater triumph of brand recognition than to invest in a luxury good that lives in a closet with one’s cleaning supplies as opposed to on a desk or adorning one’s person? And once people got on the Dyson bandwagon, reinforced through traditional advertising that always has extolled the product’s innovative technology and consumer benefits, they suddenly found a need for Dyson’s chic fans, and one suspects, will require his future products in the same way as they are introduced."

Online Spin also points to Nike, who has significantly reduced its investment in traditional branding pillars, such as advertising.

"Having relied for years on mass branding messages like 'Just do it,' the company has now dramatically scaled back its investment in traditional branding. Nike has also reduced its emphasis on big brand athletes like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, and Lance Armstrong. Instead, the company has focused on creating software and gadgets like its new Fuel wristband that measures athletic output. Instead of marketing products, Nike is using products to market itself."

To that, Norm says,

"The truth is that brand development and brand maintenance, decidedly different stages in a product’s life cycle, are opportunities to employ different tools and tactics for reinforcing brand awareness and loyalty. Products and services require significant marketing focused on developing and raising visibility in their infancy: in their adolescence, assuming they come to enjoy unaided top-of-mind recognition as both Dyson and Nike have done, they can rely on satisfied customers to help sustain their brand equity."

Social media has changed the branding landscape in ways we couldn't have imagined even four years ago. It supports both mass customization and engagement at the most powerful of all levels - person to person. And the dollar investment is a fraction of the cost of traditional broadcast and print advertising.

Norm agrees,

"The emergence of social media makes it possible for a company like Nike to shift the extent to which it has to rely on traditional branding tools. In its previous marketing, which always has been advertising-intensive, Nike has made its 'swoosh' synonymous with the achievements of admired athletes. By creating ongoing demand for its products and aligning them with a promise of quality and performance, Nike now enjoys the benefit of extensive brand equity. As the marketplace shifts and consumers now have become their own product reviewers/marketers, the company theoretically can take advantage of marketing that shifts its focus away from admired role models (who often disappoint in real life) and place it on the traditional—might one say, the average, buyer—the buyer whose endorsement in the Zagat world in which everyone’s opinion counts—can begin to redefine its approach to the marketplace."

So, what does this mean for law firms? It's challenging for law firms, even the largest of the AmLaw 100 firms, to defend their brand positions as unique among all their competitors. Is it possible? Yes, absolutely, but it requires research, rigor and patience, plus a significant and consistent investment of time and money. Law firms can take advantage of all the media that Dyson, Nike and Starbucks use - but they often don't have the stomach for it or the budget to sustain it. It also requires leadership and vision constancy - meaning, firms whose Chair and Managing Partner positions are up for grabs every two or three years will have a harder time than those firms who invest in the same leaders year after year.

Norm concluded our interview by saying,

"... For a law firm to follow the lead of a Nike and begin to shift its marketing focus, say by taking greater advantage of new media as a critical component of its marketing mix, it needs to assess the brand equity it already enjoys, and if it is not an acknowledged market leader in the spaces for which its seeks to be known (defined not by the firm, but by the market), it will need to maintain or to develop a robust strategy that well may continue to require extensive use of traditional marketing tools (e.g., thought leadership and credentialing)."

I'd say that Dyson is all about branding, even if he doesn't call it that.