A book of business gives you power, clout and… a seat at the table. If you want to be a partner in any law firm, big or small, you must have a book of business. It’s as simple as that! I recently read an article from Altman Weil by James Cotterman… Who Should Be Partner … Continue Reading
I don’t know a lawyer that isn’t trying to squeeze more out of every single day… maximum productivity. We would all like to find a silver bullet… the answer to the demanding obligations we have in our lives. Jeff Haden contributor to Inc. Magazine wrote… 14 Simple Ways to Get Considerably More Done. It’s an … Continue Reading
Firm culture… It can foster business development or it can thwart it. Consider all the different aspects of your firm that your culture influences. Jeff Haden, contributor to Inc. Magazine, highlights Dharmesh Shah, the co-founder and CTO of HubSpot who knows exactly how valuable a strong firm culture can be to your success. 1. Culture … Continue Reading
The legal profession is evolving… are you? Granted change is tough. But the longer you put it off, the farther behind you fall, and the harder it is to get started. So, make the choice… take the first step! Harvard Business Review offers a great place to start…Three Ways to Help Your Company Snap Out … Continue Reading
If you are a frequent reader of my blog you know that I have a motto for business development… Do Something Every Single Day! Creating a business development habit is key to building a book of business. But along with that we must look at the habits that we have acquired along the way that … Continue Reading
Training your brain to stay positive is a tall order for lawyers. You are trained to look at the dark side of an issue. But when you are developing business that trait doesn’t serve you well. It blocks progress and inhibits confidence. Entrepreneur magazine contributor Nadia Goodman writes… How to Train Your Brain to Stay … Continue Reading
Few would argue that the core of legal business development is… relationships. How you build them, nurture them and value them is the difference between lawyers who are serious about building a successful practice and others who just give it lip service. Inc. Magazine contributor Minda Zetlin looks inside the success of Mobile Deluxe, a … Continue Reading
GCs are using social media to hire law firms. Could it be? The answer is YES according to John Cory, the founder of GreenTarget. The big takeaway is… blogs are a credible source of information, and Linkedin is a place to connect and create relationships. If you are focused on General Counsel, take the time … Continue Reading
No matter how good you are… you can’t do it alone. You need a team. The team could include staff members, colleagues, a contract attorney, freelancers and the list goes on. There is no question that you need a team to be successful. My question is how committed are you to your team… and how … Continue Reading
There are never enough hours in the day to get the things that have to be done… done. But everyday we waste more time in meetings than in anything else we do. So, what if you could reclaim that time? Inc. Magazines contributor Janine Popick has a great formula… The 30 Minute Meeting. Popick writes… … Continue Reading
Are you spending too much time on business development? What an absurd thought! If you are just going through the motions then maybe it is possible to be spending too much time. For instance… Do you call this networking? You arrive at a networking event with lots of business cards in your pocket, you scan … Continue Reading
Anyone who has heard me speak knows that I believe EVERY lawyer in a firm should contribute to the business development efforts of his or her firm… in SOME way. I know not everyone is suited to “working a room” at a networking event, but perhaps you can be the prolific writer of a blog, … Continue Reading
What can legal business developers learn from a consumer brand expert? Forbes Magazine contributor Patrick Spenner points out in his article that engagement is important however the new frontier in 2013 for consumer brands is… SIMPLICITY. As you know the legal profession is behind when it comes to adapting to trends… some lawyers are still not … Continue Reading
There are over 6 million lawyers on the planet. So how are you going to stand out and get business? How will you get the kind of clients you like working with, the kind of cases you like working on and the kind of business that affords you and your family a secure lifestyle? Be … Continue Reading
“Do something every single day.” If you are a regular reader you have heard me say this hundreds of times. Why should you do this? It fuels the fire of business development. SO… what happens if you don’t do this? You put the final touches on the file you are working on and look up to … Continue Reading
Master it! I can just hear some of you… “Easy for you to say!” It is easy for me to say because I believe it first starts with an attitude adjustment. Why SHOULD you develop a book of business? A book of business: puts you in control of your own destiny; you are not dependent … Continue Reading
Unproductive… I shudder at the thought! No one wants to feel that or admit it… but when it’s true there is no place to hide. No matter the size of your firm, every lawyer needs to contribute in some way to the success of the firm. I ran across a thought provoking article at Attorney At … Continue Reading
I believe the key to success in business development is to do something every single day… create a habit. As some of you know I wrote a book on the subject, The Little Black Book: A Lawyers Guide To Creating A Marketing Habit In 21 Days. When you plant seeds day after day… day after day, … Continue Reading
Sometimes it’s important to know and understand what NOT to do. Considering the deluge of information on social media it’s good to have the "Do NOT Do" list. Social Media Today ran an article by Brad Smith, The 3 Worst Ways to Use Social Media to Grow Your Business. I think his points will be very helpful … Continue Reading
Social Media… There is so much chatter that it is hard to separate the relevant from the not so relevant. But every once in a while we find a nugget of insight. My friend Tom Kane posses a thought provoking question in his blog Legal Marketing… Social Media: The Cure for Institutional Marketing Mentality? Tom is … Continue Reading
TJ McCue is a contributor to Forbes Magazine and in his column highlighted a book by Laurence Gonzales…Deep Survival, where Gonzales offers a list of "12 Rules of Adventure” I think it is an outstanding list to take to heart when working on your business development. First of all think of business development as an … Continue Reading
When I speak to lawyers about building credibility and visibility by writing articles, blogs and books there is always someone in the audience that will say something like… "I don’t have time for that, I think our firm should just pay someone to do Search Engine Optimization (SEO)." In my opinion that is like sending … Continue Reading
Clients hire lawyers they know and trust… So how could they possibly know you or trust you if you seem to be speaking to the masses? The other day I was speaking to a networking group of lawyers and I asked… "Who is your market?" Here are some of the answers. "Everyone who owns a … Continue Reading
Business on the go is just the way it is these days. Whether it is 5 miles from home or 5000. We have all established a few habits… some good and others not so good. We can all use a new perspective. Last month Attorney at Work published a great E-Guide for Mobile Lawyers. No … Continue Reading
