The Rainmaking Podcast

The Rainmaking Podcast will help you to get more business, better business, and all the business from your clients. This podcast is for professional services firms, law firms, and professional sales people. Discover the secrets of the world's leading experts in client development, business development, sales, closing, prospecting, networking, negotiation, influence, motivation, and achievement. www.therainmakingpodcast.com

The Rainmaking Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Scott Love, with 381 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Scott Love hosts The Rainmaking Podcast, a business show with 381 episodes published.

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  The Rainmaking Podcast

  TRP 346: The Rainmaker's Voice: How Professionals Turn Expertise into Trust with Paul Marchegiani

  Oct 1, 202627 min

  Every two weeks, the business development tactics top lawyers use are free at therainmakingmagazine.com ---------------------------------------- You can have the best legal mind in the room and still lose the pitch. What separates the attorneys who win business from those who don't often has nothing to do with the quality of their work — and everything to do with how they show up. Paul Marchegiani is the founder and CEO of Vox Vera®, a performance skills consultancy that trains lawyers, executives, and public figures in presence, voice, and spoken communication. A former BigLaw litigator, 15-year Hollywood dealmaker at Warner Bros., NBCUniversal, Miramax, and Amazon Studios, trained opera singer, actor, and the only U.S. lawyer to hold a P.R.A. teaching certification from Patsy Rodenburg, Emeritus Director of Voice at the Royal Shakespeare Company — Paul brings a perspective on communication that no one else in the legal world can. What you'll learn: Why legal training produces brilliant writers and analytical thinkers — and what it costs them in a pitch room What clients are actually evaluating when law firms present (it's not just the law) Why introvert vs. extrovert is the wrong frame — and what to think about instead What Paul learned negotiating 1,000+ deals in Hollywood that applies directly to legal business development How tensions in the body become credibility leaks — and how to spot and release them What presence actually is (and why the Royal Shakespeare Company's approach changes everything) Why getting in your head about how you're coming across is the worst thing you can do while speaking The CEO nonprofit case study: one session, one board presentation, and feedback they'd never received before Why poetry has a place in the practice of law — and how working with heightened language makes you a better communicator 3 action steps to start developing your Rainmaker's voice right now Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/XRXsJ_maA7Y ---------------------------------------- If you are a successful law firm partner or law firm founder and want to hear about other options, please book a time on Scott Love's calendar here: https://calendly.com/scott-736/half-hour-phone-meeting-with-scott Or email Scott to connect with him at: scott@attorneysearchgroup.com ---------------------------------------- This podcast is sponsored by SurePoint Legal Insights (formerly known as Leopard Solutions)–turning legal intelligence into opportunity. For a free demo, visit this link: https://surepoint.com/legal-insights/ ---------------------------------------- About Paul Marchegiani: Paul Marchegiani ("mar-keh-JAH-nee") is a Los Angeles-based performance coach, former in-house entertainment lawyer and BigLaw litigator, and Founder/CEO of Vox Vera® — a premium performance skills consultancy that trains lawyers, executives, and public figures in presence, voice, and spoken communication. Prior to launching Vox Vera, Paul worked for over 15 years in Hollywood as a client-side studio executive at Warner Bros., NBCUniversal, Miramax, and Amazon Studios. He began his legal career as a litigator at Orrick and Morrison & Foerster after receiving his J.D. from U.C. Berkeley. Paul is an experienced stage performer and the only U.S. lawyer and senior business executive to hold a P.R.A. teaching certification from Patsy Rodenburg, Emeritus Director of Voice at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He teaches communication skills at Stanford Law School, Berkeley Law, and the University of Chicago Law School. Links: https://www.voxvera.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmarchegiani/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  The Rainmaking Podcast

  TRP 345: Lateral Partner Hiring & Integration with Shireen Hilal

  Sep 29, 202629 min

  Every two weeks, the business development tactics top lawyers use are free at therainmakingmagazine.com ---------------------------------------- Half of all lateral partner hires don't last. That's not a recruiting problem. It's a vetting, compensation, and integration problem — and most law firms are making the same mistakes at every stage. Shireen Hilal is the CEO of Maior and a former COO of a national law firm where she drove +20% revenue and +30% profits per partner. She's also a former AmLaw 50 litigator and has led strategy for a $1B division at KPMG. In this Sometimes Tuesdays episode, Shireen joins Scott Love to break down exactly why lateral partner hiring goes wrong — and what firms and candidates can do differently. What you'll learn: Why the LPQ (lateral partner questionnaire) is not enough — and what you need to do instead How to assess the real portability of a book of business (hint: headline revenue is the last thing to look at) Why cultural fit isn't a soft factor — and how to assess it with the same rigor as financials The "coloring in the lines vs. entrepreneurial" framework for diagnosing cultural misalignment before it happens What actually comes out at dinner vs. a 45-minute Zoom — and why in-person matters for expensive hires Why confirmation bias derails lateral hiring decisions — and a simple fix that adds real data What the onboarding vs. integration distinction means — and why giving someone a password is not integration The trend Shireen is hoping becomes standard: tying a sponsoring partner's year-end metrics to the success of their lateral hire What candidates should ask that no one thinks to ask — including talking to a recently acclimated lateral partner 3 action steps across vetting, comp, and integration to immediately improve your lateral hiring outcomes Free resource: Shireen's one-sheet of the right late-stage questions to ask — reach out to her directly via the show notes Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/z5ZdvcjrdA8 ---------------------------------------- If you are a successful law firm partner or law firm founder and want to hear about other options, please book a time on Scott Love's calendar here: https://calendly.com/scott-736/half-hour-phone-meeting-with-scott Or email Scott to connect with him at: scott@attorneysearchgroup.com ---------------------------------------- This podcast is sponsored by SurePoint Legal Insights (formerly known as Leopard Solutions)–turning legal intelligence into opportunity. For a free demo, visit this link: https://surepoint.com/legal-insights/ ---------------------------------------- About Shireen Hilal: Shireen Hilal is the CEO of Maior, where she helps law firms build better strategies and improve operations. Shireen founded Maior after two decades in law and professional services, including practicing as a litigator in AmLaw 50 firms, serving as the COO of a national law firm (+20% revenue and +30% profits per partner during her tenure), leading strategy for a $1B division of KPMG, and building change programs at BDO. Shireen also writes columns for Law360 and Today's Managing Partner. Links: Maior's website: https://www.maiorconsultants.com/ Shireen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shireenhilal/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  The Rainmaking Podcast

  TRP 344: Cross-Selling in Professional Services Firms with Rebecca Hnatowski

  Sep 24, 202628 min

  Most law firms say they want to cross-sell. Few have the internal foundation to actually make it happen. Rebecca Hnatowski is the founder of Edwards Advisory and a specialist in cross-selling strategy and lateral integration for law firms and professional services organizations. In this episode, she joins Scott Love to break down why cross-selling initiatives stall — and exactly what has to be in place before the first client conversation ever happens. What you'll learn: Why "let's cross-sell" without internal groundwork almost always fails The trust problem at the root of most cross-selling breakdowns — and how to fix it Why partners refuse to share clients (and how origination credit structures make it worse) How to build a manageable cross-sell target list from data your firm already has A gap analysis framework: how to identify which clients have unmet legal needs in other practice areas How to use AI (including Claude and ChatGPT) to research target clients and identify opportunities in minutes When to bring in an external consultant vs. handle cross-selling initiatives internally How a post-merger integration timeline affects cross-selling readiness — and when to wait How to turn a target list into actual client strategy conversations (including the perfect year-end ask) Why leaderboards and internal competition keep cross-selling initiatives alive past the first six months 3 action steps to start building a real cross-selling program at your firm today Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/7dBb6ypgRvU ---------------------------------------- If you are a successful law firm partner or law firm founder and want to hear about other options, please book a time on Scott Love's calendar here: https://calendly.com/scott-736/half-hour-phone-meeting-with-scott Or email Scott to connect with him at: scott@attorneysearchgroup.com ---------------------------------------- ️ The Rainmaking Magazine helps lawyers, consultants, and professional service providers build thriving practices through smarter business development. Subscribe to Rainmaking Magazine — free complimentary subscription: https://www.rainmakingmagazine.com ---------------------------------------- This podcast is sponsored by SurePoint Legal Insights (formerly known as Leopard Solutions)–turning legal intelligence into opportunity. For a free demo, visit this link: https://surepoint.com/legal-insights/ ---------------------------------------- About Rebecca Hnatowski: Rebecca Hnatowski is the founder of Edwards Advisory, LLC, where she helps law firms and lawyers turn relationships into opportunities for growth. Drawing on nearly 20 years of in-house legal marketing and business development experience, she helps firms put cross-selling into practice by strengthening internal relationships, identifying client needs, and connecting colleagues' capabilities to those opportunities. Through tailored strategies, interactive workshops, and coaching and accountability, Rebecca helps attorneys follow through — and helps firms make more of the talent and relationships they already have. Links: Learn more at: edwardsadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccahnatowski/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  The Rainmaking Podcast

  TRP 343: Can Trust be Measured? with Kim Bohr

  Sep 17, 202626 min

  Everyone says trust matters. Kim Bohr can prove it — with data. Kim Bohr is President and CEO of SparkEffect and the researcher behind the State of Organizational Trust™ — a national study that shows trust directly impacts revenue, reputation, and retention. In this episode, Kim joins Scott Love to answer the question most leaders never think to ask: can trust actually be measured? And if so, what do you do with the answer? What you'll learn: Why trust is a measurable, tangible asset — and how SparkEffect's Trust Performance Index proves it The 5 domains of organizational trust: strategic clarity, psychological safety, relational continuity, technology trust, and fairness Why 85% of organizations experienced a significant disruption in the last 24 months — and why most leaders aren't equipped to handle it The finding that will reframe how you think about change: disruption handled well can actually increase trust above baseline What micro-disruptions are — and why ignoring them is silently fracturing your team The difference between engagement surveys and real trust measurement (and why most surveys get it wrong) What "doing nothing" costs organizations in customer trust vs. those who respond well (91% vs. 30%) How one leadership team went from consistently low trust scores to an upswing — and what had to change first The 5 everyday practices that build trust on the ground, starting tomorrow 3 action steps for leaders who want to turn trust into a competitive differentiator Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/MRdQ5gmgzpU ---------------------------------------- If you are a successful law firm partner or law firm founder and want to hear about other options, please book a time on Scott Love's calendar here: https://calendly.com/scott-736/half-hour-phone-meeting-with-scott Or email Scott to connect with him at: scott@attorneysearchgroup.com ---------------------------------------- ️ The Rainmaking Magazine helps lawyers, consultants, and professional service providers build thriving practices through smarter business development. Subscribe to Rainmaking Magazine — free complimentary subscription: https://www.rainmakingmagazine.com ---------------------------------------- This podcast is sponsored by SurePoint Legal Insights (formerly known as Leopard Solutions)–turning legal intelligence into opportunity. For a free demo, visit this link: https://surepoint.com/legal-insights/ ---------------------------------------- About Kim Bohr: Kim Bohr is President and CEO of SparkEffect, where she leads the firm in helping Fortune 1000 companies and emerging enterprises navigate disruption without fracturing trust. With over 25 years of executive experience, Kim and her team partner with leaders, Boards, and CEOs on strategy, talent, and organizational performance. Kim is a published author, host of the Courage to Advance podcast, and a sought-after keynote speaker whose talks draw directly from SparkEffect's proprietary research on the State of Organizational Trust™. https://sparkeffect.com/rainmaking 2026 State of Organizational Trust report: https://info.sparkeffect.com/trust Kim's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimbohr/ Kim's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimbohr_sparkeffect/ SparkEffect LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparkeffect/ SparkEffect Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555355996682 SparkEffect Instagram: https://instagram.com/@sparkeffect_ SparkEffect YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WeAreSparkEffect Courage to Advance podcast: https://sparkeffect.com/sparkeffect-podcast-courage-to-advance/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  The Rainmaking Podcast

  TRP 342: [Legal] What Would Private Equity Do? With Brad Blickstein

  Sep 15, 202626 min

  Most law firm leaders reject private equity on principle. But what if you could use the PE playbook to grow your firm — without taking a single dollar of outside money? Brad Blickstein is a legal industry futurist, founder of Blickstein Group, and author of What Would Private Equity Do? Unlocking Value in the Law Firm You Already Own. In this episode, Brad joins Scott Love to break down exactly what private equity would do to professionalize business development, pricing, and accountability at a law firm — and why every managing partner should be asking this question whether or not they ever plan to sell. What you'll learn: Why you don't need a PE fund to apply the PE playbook — and what that playbook actually looks like Why pricing is the lowest-hanging fruit at most firms (and why too many decisions are made by instinct) What "eminence marketing" is — and why it's not the same as pipeline management Why law firm business development is still largely episodic and partner-dependent — and how to systematize it The heresy that will make some partners hit pause: "Clients are firm assets, not partner-owned" Why the origination credit model is the #1 structural barrier to cross-selling — and what to do about it How PE-backed portfolio companies manage their sales pipeline — and what law firms can learn from it Why "sales" is a capability, not a dirty word — and how one mentor reframed it forever What AI-native spin-off firms and firms like Pearson Ferdinand signal about where the market is heading 3 action steps for law firm leaders ready to start thinking like a PE-backed firm Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/_cYCbz0U1TU ---------------------------------------- If you are a successful law firm partner or law firm founder and want to hear about other options, please book a time on Scott Love's calendar here: https://calendly.com/scott-736/half-hour-phone-meeting-with-scott Or email Scott to connect with him at: scott@attorneysearchgroup.com ---------------------------------------- ️ The Rainmaking Magazine helps lawyers, consultants, and professional service providers build thriving practices through smarter business development. Subscribe to Rainmaking Magazine — free complimentary subscription: https://www.rainmakingmagazine.com ---------------------------------------- This podcast is sponsored by SurePoint Legal Insights (formerly known as Leopard Solutions)–turning legal intelligence into opportunity. For a free demo, visit this link: https://surepoint.com/legal-insights/ ---------------------------------------- About Brad Blickstein: Brad Blickstein is a legal industry futurist – he has developed a national reputation for his insight into the changing ways that legal services are being consumed and delivered in the modern marketplace. As the founder and principal of Blickstein Group, Brad focuses on helping legal service providers better understand and serve their clients while providing information about law departments and legal operations. Brad also helps clients see the future – educating them on the industry's evolution of legal services and their consumption, and helps position them for success by developing novel products, systems and solutions, which make the delivery of legal services more modern and efficient. A highly respected legal industry strategist and futurist, Brad has been responsible for multiple initiatives that have created a deeper understanding of—and driven change in—the market for legal services. Before most corporations even had legal operations departments, he launched his Annual Law Department Operations Survey, which remains the most comprehensive survey on the topic. He also conceived the long-running Annual Legal Spend Survey, the Legal AI Efficacy Report, and in 2020, the Annual Legal Pricing & Project Management Survey. Brad is a frequent speaker and writer who has contributed regularly to Above the Law and Legaltech News. He is a fellow in the College of Law Practice Management. He received his A.B. from the University of Chicago. Links: https://blicksteingroup.com/team/brad-blickstein/ Order Brad’s book: https://blicksteingroup.com/wwped/ linkedin.com/in/bradblickstein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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