For years I’ve heard the mantra, “It’s all about relationships.” At the risk of casting an unwelcome pall in the middle of the holidays, bear with me while I gore this venerable ox, a quaint vestige of the 25-year seller’s market that ended in 2008. Clinging to it now is the equivalent of carrying a flip phone, which, like the relationship mantra, has long since ceased to be relevant.

Cat got your tongue? Our special two-week holiday series, “Connect the Dots: A Lawyer’s Guide to Networking,” continues today with good tips on starting and sustaining conversations. You’ve heard about the elevator speech, the 30-second intro to let people know the benefits of what you do. But then what?

Last spring at ABA TECHSHOW 2015, Philippe Doyle Gray presented his method for using Evernote to manage contacts, especially during events. For today’s installment of  “Connect the Dots: A Lawyer’s Guide to Networking,” we asked him to expand on how to do that. Networking demands human connections and lasting impressions. Only then does it become a firm foundation upon which to build a new relationship. Emotional engagement with strangers requires effort — the more strangers, the more effort. ... READ THE REST

Networking, the art of connecting the dots in a way that both builds your practice and helps people find solutions to their problems, is an evergreen topic of discussion among lawyers. From "I can't do all that glad-handing!" to "I feel so lucky to be blessed with such a wonderful collection of friends and associates," every lawyer has something to say about it. Today, continuing in the spirit of our holiday networking marathon, we draw your attention to five must-read posts from some of our favorite Attorney at Work contributors. READ THE REST

A busy travel schedule can be good for business development. Ruth Carter tells how she does it in today's installment of  “Connect the Dots: A Lawyer’s Guide to Networking." Looking over my calendar from 2015, I noticed that I spent 28 days on the road speaking at conferences and doing The Undeniable Tour. My travels took me all over the West Coast and to Las Vegas, Cleveland, New York and even London. One benefit of traveling is I get to meet and see people in person who I'd otherwise get to connect with only online. READ THE REST

Knowing it is against many of our natures to get out there and network, it is easy to see why many solos shirk the cocktail hour at the bar meeting, or slip into the back row of a CLE presentation and out again as soon as the hour is up. But if you think it doesn’t hurt anything to remove yourself, think again. Here are five benefits you miss out on if you leave networking to everyone else. READ THE REST

Dust off your dancing shoes: Our special two-week holiday series, "Connect the Dots: A Lawyer's Guide to Networking," begins today. Face-to-face contact remains the top networking tool to reach business clients and professional referral sources such as other lawyers. Just showing up at the Chamber of Commerce meeting or national convention of lawyers in your specialty and hoping business results is not a plan. Effective networking requires preparation. ... READ THE TIPS

Abacus Data Systems to Expand Infrastructure to Deliver Clients Compliance Ready, Private Cloud Technologies  Abacus Data Systems, Inc., leading provider of Single Source Fully Managed Technology Solutions (est. 1983), today announced a strategic majority investment by Providence Equity, a leading global private equity firm. For over three decades, Abacus has been acclaimed as the premier provider […]

When most people think about “branding,” the first thing that comes to mind is the visuals: logos, images, color schemes. But branding is much more than visual elements. It's the connection a human being has to a product, service or even another person — and it's the main factor influencing consumers to do business with that product, service or person. Essentially, branding is a huge reason why you give people money for stuff. The most effective branding focuses on the psychological and esoteric components — the root level, where the synapses that create the mental connection between a thing and wanting to give up your money for that thing actually form. Here are five things to get you thinking beyond the superficial, and more about branding on a deeper level for your law practice. READ THE REST

This fall, Attorney at Work collaborated with MILOfest to conduct the "2015 Apple at Law Users Survey," aimed at getting a snapshot of how law firms are using Apple products. The results are in, so we asked GlobalMac IT's Tom Lambotte to run through the numbers and point out the highlights. ... READ THE REST