by Jeffrey S. Davis

It takes more than traditional intelligence to be successful in sales, especially in the legal profession. Today, many law firms are trying to gauge more than just technical skills or education when building for the future. Instead, they are searching for effective sales people or 'rainmakers' who can utilize a powerful combination of personal awareness and interpersonal skills to secure accounts and make prospective clients feel comfortable and at ease.

The ability to consistently maintain healthy relationships and make a positive connection with people has been researched thoroughly and dubbed 'emotional intelligence' by many psychologists. The concept can be simply defined as the ability to understand and identify others' emotions while controlling your own. Emotional intelligence, which entered the mainstream with psychologist Daniel Goleman's book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (Bantam Books, 1995, 1997), has recently gained acceptance in the business community, especially in pro-fessions that require strong relationships and trust in order to be successful.

Initially, when psychologists began to analyze intelligence they focused on cognitive aspects such as memory and problem solving. However, many psychologists, including Goleman, identified other reasons for achievement in life, especially business success. After

years of research, it became clear that a person's ability to positively manage his or her emotions and develop strong interpersonal relationships was also essential to success in business settings. As a matter of fact, in study after study, IQ had little to do with important work-related outcomes such as individual motivation, closing sales or the ability to work with others.

Emotional intelligence is even more vital in the legal profession, where personal relationships and trust are paramount. Attorneys can often times succeed or fail based on their ability to interpret a client's emotions and feelings. Strong relationships with law officers, judges, clerks and peers and the ability to empathize with people and gain their trust is vital to securing new clients and building a successful law firm.

Unfortunately, barriers and trust issues can sometimes exist between attorneys and clients. Attorneys are often so busy developing their legal skills that they may forget how to develop interpersonal relationships. Today, strong attorneys must know how to connect with people, enabling them to secure more accounts and have better, more profitable relationships with their current clients. Much like the medical profession, which teaches 'bedside manner,' it is important for your attorneys to learn how to communicate with people in order to make them more emotionally comfortable and at ease.

Fortunately, these skills can be taught. By understanding a client's customs, language and emotions, your attorney's can be more successful in sales and in the courtroom. Getting your firm to focus on improving the following six skills is essential to enhancing overall emotional intelligence and creating powerful 'rainmakers' within your organization:

Self Awareness - Understand why you feel and act a certain way.

Self Discipline - Avoid destructive situations, conversation, relationships and actions.
Empathy - Identify other's needs, feelings and emotions.
Interpersonal Skills - Develop long-term, positive relationships with friends and colleagues.
Problem-Solving/Decisionmaking - Improve your ability to solve problems and make decisions.
Motivation - Develop a strong desire to achieve personal, professional and corporate goals.

By focusing on these skills, most psychologists believe that emotional intelligence can be cultivated. As we continue to accumulate experiences throughout our lives, our ability to manage our emotions and improve our overall emotional intelligence can improve. Sometimes we refer to this as mellowing out. Whatever the case, the potential for enhancing emotional intelligence is vast.

Coaching and mentoring programs are efficient ways to get the ball rolling and improve emotional intelligence throughout your firm. An objective coach can provide real-time feedback on how words or behavior impact others, as well as how your attorneys can accurately "read" other people and understand their responses. A coach can also help your organization handle stress by utilizing reflection, discussion and on-the-job learning. Savvy law firms are now using emotional intelligence to create renewed vitality and increase sales, which is maximizing the potential of their attorneys.

Jeffrey S. Davis is chairman and founder of Mage, LLC, a strategic, organizational development, change management and financial services firm. Mage is head-quartered in Needham, Mass. He can be reached at (781) 449-8366 or jdavis@mageusa.com