Real connections in a virtual world can set lawyers apart

With no shortage of tools and resources for marketing online, nothing takes the place of real connections. Real meaning live and in-person.

For lawyers, relationships can make or break your firm. When a professional contact has the chance to look you in the eye and shake your hand, it helps you develop rapport much faster than any marketing tool.

Why?

Brain Wiring

As social creatures, our brains have developed over millennia to pick up on and respond to a variety of cues in communication. In a face-to-face exchange, our brains help us read nonverbal gestures. We also mirror the other person’s expressions and emotions, which helps the other party feel more comfortable and leads to a feeling of trust and empathy.

Even in a business setting, touch can also serve as a powerful relationship-builder. A simple handshake can deepen a business relationship as it activates the brain’s reward centers. Fast Company reported on this finding a few years ago:

“…researchers at the University of Chicago and Harvard found that negotiators who shook hands were more open and honest, and reached better outcomes. Shaking hands causes the centers of the brain associated with rewards to activate. You are literally conveying warmth.”

While you can conduct work and meetings virtually, make it a point to convene in person when possible. Your brain will thank you.

Better Flow

Entrepreneur Andrew Griffiths talked about why he prefers in-person interaction in a piece for Inc. His list of reasons includes a number of factors that we can sum up as “flow.” He writes:

“In face-to-face meetings the conversation is less labored and to the point, meaning it can tend to go in different directions more naturally, and from my experience, this leads to more opportunities.”

He adds:

“I find it much easier to engage with people when sitting across from them, face to face. We can laugh, hear each other clearly, make a comment about something in the office or something we’ve seen on the way in and so forth.”

While virtual meetings can save a lot of time and money, conversation and ideas don’t seem to flow as easily. Sitting down together can lead to more creativity, innovation and sharing that can lead to better solutions and even collaborations.

Striking the Balance

Many of our members have found just the right balance of working remotely and creating in-person connections. A shared office setting allows members to set their own schedules and use the office space when needed.

An environment like LawBank’s allows for the natural flow of ideas and conversation between members. That support network proves invaluable for independent practitioners who otherwise might feel isolated in a home office or remote setting. In addition, a physical office allows lawyers to meet with clients in person, which gives clients an added level of comfort and trust when choosing legal representation.

For most of us, work is about more than the hours logged on a case or project. As humans, we feel a need to connect with others more deeply, and work can serve as one of the places where we feel a sense of community and camaraderie. Solo entrepreneurs often lack that work community, but a shared office or coworking space can fill that need.

Larger law firms can also strike a balance by allowing associates to work “core hours” in the office and working remotely at other times.

As the modern workforce continues to evolve, the way we work will also change. However, our need for authentic relationships, in life and in business, will remain.

To learn more about the power of community and collaboration at LawBank, contact us. We offer a range of real estate solutions for both small law firms and large law firms.