Don't blow the dream date - how to impress a client at that first meeting

You finally got some face-time: a coveted meeting with the general counsel of a company you're dying to reel in as a client. But before you start fantasizing about the fees heading your way and that second home in Tuscany or St Tropez, are you sure you know how to impress the client at that first meeting?

There's no shortage of advice about wining, dining, golfing, and schmoozing your way to a client's heart. A lot of that comes from career coaches or lawyers at firms. But what do real live clients have to say?

Nino Cusimano (pictured below), the general counsel of Telecom Italia, writes candidly about what works - and doesn't - in Corporate Counsel magazine. He says that he's often shocked at how lawyers mess up the first meeting and blow their chance at getting business. "I am often left with the impression that close to zero preparation time has been put into the [initial] meeting," he writes. "Time after time, I find myself thinking, 'What a wasted opportunity these meetings can be.'"

To help you land that dream client (and maybe save a GC from enduring an excruciating pitch), Cusimano offers a helpful checklist of the dos and don'ts of the pitch. Here's a summary.

Contact the GC -  not the GC's boss. To start the ball rolling, "send a personal email to me directly, or call. Writing to my boss is not a good idea."

Research the client. Incredibly, says Cusimano, aspiring legal providers often show only the most rudimentary familiarity with his company, "which basically means no familiarity." He suggests a crash course on the company's filings, corporate governance policies, management, products, and market. "Research our interests, the current focus agenda for the legal department, all in a few easy clicks. Google us and read about the major litigations we are engaged in."

Disclose potential conflicts now. "Tell me up front if you act for one of my competitors. Up front means: right away, as we sit down to talk." He adds: "Let us decide if [the conflicts] are material. I have been very impressed with two firms that openly and voluntarily put this out on the table; it said a lot about the firms' integrity."

Be upfront about fees. "We will describe to you our legal-vendor rating process. I will look for constructive comments on it. Be frank. I would be happy to know what sorts of innovative fee structures you're using with clients - a few examples will come in handy."

Be picky about who's on your pitch team. The initial cast is "far more important than you might think." Cusimano adds that size isn't everything: "I am very impressed with those who bring the right mix and still manage to bring three or fewer people. If you staff the first meeting right, I will be inclined to think you do the same with legal matters."

Describe the firm's practice - but don't be tedious. Be sure there's a "structure" to the presentation. "Be pertinent - talk to me about stuff that matters. Using past experience is preferred, as long as it doesn't imply reviewing excruciating details about your case. Big-picture is enough."

Throw in a freebie. "This is the part where I ask you to share with me that nugget," says Cusimano. That might be a tidbit about a good compliance practice at another company, enforcement action trends, relevant cases, or experts. "Good outside counsel have such a privileged viewpoint that one or two of these tips can be a massive treasure for general counsel. Make sure you collect a few of those precious examples, and be ready to impress us."

Don't trash your competitors. "There are ways to convey the strong viewpoints you may have about the competition that can be very effective and yet won't embarrass you or the firm. Be diplomatic."

Ask questions. "Be sure to ask for our views, and show us that you can listen to the answers."

Be focused. "Some of the best-organized and best-conducted first meetings in which I have participated have been with diverse, smaller, leaner, and laser-focused firms."

Finally, Cusimano says "pack your best sense of humour." I take that to mean that you shouldn't load your team with a bunch of aggressive sales types and nerds. Don't forget to bring a charmer.

This article first appeared on The Careerist, a blog by the American Lawyer Media Group. Click here to follow Vivia Chen on Twitter.

Click here to read the full article from Corporate Counsel, a US affiliate title of Legal Week.

• For more, see What do you say to in-house counsel to make them want to give you work?