It all starts in the womb. Not metaphorically — I was recently told that to get into premier schools in India, parents apply for admission immediately after conception. One parent was distraught at having missed out: his child was due in a month and he hadn’t applied.
“There are plenty of schools, I know,” he told me, “but in this one my child would have been able to study with X’s children — and think of it, several years down the line, so many influential contacts. It’s all about networking.”
Agreed. In India you compete with a sizable fraction of a billion people, and that pushes us to be competitive in every aspect of our lives. The only way to get ahead is to know the right people — to network.
But networking in India is not a fun thing to do. It is serious work, at least at networking events. With the INTA Annual Meeting — the biggest networking event for trademark lawyers — just around the corner, I found myself thinking about certain things I’ve noticed at these events with Indian lawyers. A silent, unwritten code, thus far, but quite discernible.
So I give you the Five Commandments of networking for, and with, Indian lawyers.
I. Thou shalt spread thy cards
Carry an enormous quantity of cards and practise dealing them out with the skill and ease of a blackjack dealer. Your goal is to distribute as many as humanly possible.
There is a prescribed method: hold the card with both hands and bow slightly while handing it over. Once the card leaves your hand, your mission is complete. Move to the next person. Collect as many as you can — but remember, it is more important to give than to receive.
II. Thou shalt know thy facts
When speaking to anyone, make sure you have memorised the facts about your firm — from the name of the dog the founder had, to the exact date the first client engaged your services.
Train your mind so that you can narrate the entire story of the business, the clients, the services you offer, and why you are better than the competition. You should be able to start and stop this at will, and steer every conversation back to work and the aforementioned facts. For heaven’s sake, do not talk about the weather, the political situation, or something as flippant as a film or a song.
III. Thou shalt guard thy contact with thy life
When speaking to a potential client of any importance, and you spot a colleague, former classmate, former friend, present competitor or fellow Indian approaching — become suddenly animated in the conversation, and using your peripheral vision, track the interloper until they are out of sight and earshot.
Do not, under any circumstance, introduce your contact to your competitor. In a group setting, where the contact and the competition are already assembled, minimise your contact’s opportunity to interact with anyone else. Edge them out if you must.
IV. Thou shalt not have fun
Networking includes the word ‘work’. This means you go out there, meet as many people as possible in the shortest possible time, collect as many business cards as you can within the confines of the conference room, and leave.
Perish the thought of meeting someone simply because you enjoy their company — going fishing with them, or on a hike, or doing anything you actually like. There is a separate time and space for business, and fun is not something you have with people you do business with. Business is business. Revere it.
V. Thou shalt show no mercy
If you spot a chap in a suit, or anyone within the confines of the conference area, strike up a conversation immediately.
Once talking, if it becomes apparent that the other person will not be giving you any business — on account of being old and retired, in a different line of work, or already working with other lawyers — leave immediately. You are not there to make polite conversation and listen to someone talk. So what if he fought in the Second World War and has interesting anecdotes? If he has nothing of business value to offer, leave.
Networking is serious business, and we take it seriously.
And for those on the receiving end
These are the top five commandments I’ve noticed. They are certainly not carved in stone, so if there’s something you’ve observed, let me know.
For those of you on the receiving end: the next time you’re at a networking event with a bunch of lawyers and someone presents you a card along with a narration of business history akin to the Iliad — remember, he is only following the commandments. Take the card and humour the chap.
The serious point, briefly
Every one of these commandments describes someone optimising for the wrong thing. Cards distributed, minutes spent, contacts hoarded — all measurable, and none of them the thing that actually produces work. Referrals come from people who like you and trust you to handle their client well. That takes conversations that go nowhere in particular, with people who have nothing immediate to offer, over a period of years.
Which is to say: the fastest route through the five commandments is to break the fourth one first.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the biggest networking event for trademark lawyers? The INTA Annual Meeting, which draws trademark practitioners and brand owners from around the world.
How many business cards should I take to a conference? Fewer than you think. The count of cards distributed correlates poorly with work received.
Should I introduce my contacts to competitors? Yes. Referral networks are reciprocal, and the reputation for being generous with introductions outlasts any single contact you might have guarded.
Is it acceptable to talk about something other than work? It is close to essential. People refer work to practitioners they like and trust, and neither is established by reciting a firm’s history.