9 Tips For Client Meetings

Important advice from Biglaw partner turned in-house counsel Mark Herrmann on client relations.

dartboard pen inside straightI always feel like I’m just saying the obvious. But sometimes the obvious needs saying.

How should you handle a client meeting?

First: Show up.

Second: On time.

Third: Prepared.

I’m startled how many times people don’t expect me to prepare — or prevent me from preparing — for meetings that we have at corporations. (“Here’s the PowerPoint deck for the meeting that begins in two minutes. I’ll talk to you then.”) At law firms, that’s far less common. If you’re going to occupy the client’s time, you should be fully prepared for the event.

Fourth: Put away your iPhone.

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I’ve both heard about and witnessed lawyers responding to email messages while they’re attending meetings with clients. (One lawyer was responding to emails during a beauty contest.) This is very, very bad form. Leave your phone at home. (I know you feel naked without it, but you can do it.) Or leave it in your briefcase. At a minimum, turn the damned thing off.

The client matters. More than anything else in the world.

(Unless your house is burning. But someone will find you to tell you about that. And it’s too late, anyway.)

So give the client your undivided attention.

Really.

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Fifth: Listen.

The percentage of time that you should spend listening varies with the meeting. But people frequently speak too much. I attended a beauty contest (when I was in private practice) with two of my junior partners. We were making the pitch by phone. My two partners had prepared exhaustively and were intent on impressing the client with their great ideas. But a few times during the meeting, my partners insisted on reciting their gems of wisdom (which were really pretty good) when you could tell that the client was trying to speak.

I tried to intervene: “Joe, did you have something to say?”

This is hard by telephone; you can’t see the client’s reaction. But even during a telephonic meeting, you can always pause or solicit comments.

And I’ve seen the same mistake made during in-person meetings.

If you’re trying to impress someone, let that person speak. He may have something worth hearing; at a minimum, he’s the guy you’re trying to impress, so don’t interfere.

Sixth: Don’t interrupt.

It’s rude.

I know we do it often in casual conversations, but many people are insulted by being interrupted.

Just let the person finish what she’s trying to say.

It’s not so hard.

Seventh: Speak.

The percentage of time that you should spend speaking varies with the meeting (and your status). For example, senior people should (often) speak more than junior ones. But even junior people should generally speak. You were invited to the meeting. There was probably a reason for that. Unless you were meant solely to be a note-taker (or you were invited to be sure that you were kept abreast of issues), people are presumably interested in what you have to say.

Say it.

Eighth: Speak only to the group as a whole.

Don’t get into a side discussion with the person sitting next to you.

You were called together as a group for the meeting. The group should discuss the issue. If something comes up that you should discuss with only one person privately, then have that discussion privately — after the main meeting ends.

Nine: Don’t bad-mouth the competition.

I know that opposing counsel is “the kind of lawyer who always [whatever].” Or the other firm competing for the business has some terrible blemish. Or something else.

Restrain yourself.

If you’ll bad-mouth the other guy when he’s not present, then you’ll also bad-mouth me when I’m not present.

Or I might think so.

Unless you’re sure that I won’t have that reaction, don’t bad-mouth the other guy.

Is this all common sense?

Absolutely.

Is it commonplace?

You’d be surprised.


Mark Herrmann is Vice President and Deputy General Counsel – Litigation and Employment at Aon, the world’s leading provider of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human capital and management consulting. He is the author of The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law and Inside Straight: Advice About Lawyering, In-House And Out, That Only The Internet Could Provide (affiliate links). You can reach him by email at inhouse@abovethelaw.com.