By: Kelly Margani
Sounds like a lofty goal, right? Well, as soon as you decide you want to focus on building a culture of Business Development Excellence, your brain is going to be looking for ways to move toward that goal. And we’re going to help you get started with the kind of thinking you need to do to make it a reality.
Did you know?
No lawyer we’ve ever worked with went to law school or chose law as a profession because they just couldn’t wait to get out there and sell their services. But the truth of the practice of law is that, as seller-doers, every lawyer is, in fact, selling the amazing work they do, and the specific way they do it that sets them apart from everyone else who does more or less the same thing.
So why do (most) lawyers cringe when they hear the words ‘business development’? The number one reason is that they don’t actually understand what business development is.
They immediately think something like this:
Ugh…selling is gross! I don’t want to ask for work, I want to practice the law.
People will know I’m just calling them/meeting with them/taking them out for lunch because I want something from them. Eww.
I don’t have time to do BD and I’ve never gotten a file at a lunch anyway so what’s the point?
I can’t bill for my BD time and I need to get my hours up!
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Of course there are a million other thoughts that cross the minds of those who just don’t understand business development, and therefore kind of avoid it altogether (or worse, do it wrong).
So how can you build and foster a culture of business development excellence in your firm when there’s a high probability that a chunk of the lawyers in it don’t love doing BD?
Flip the script.
What is true about nearly every lawyer we know is that they went to law school and chose the profession because they want to be of service in the very specific way that their training and experience lets them be.
Service.
So what if ‘selling’ turns into ‘serving’? What if asking turns into offering? What if acquiring a client or file turns into giving something of incredible value to someone who needs that very thing? What if the ask isn’t for work, but about what that person across the table or on the other end of the phone is challenged by or struggling with, or up at night thinking about? What if the focus was on relationships, full stop, rather than what the people in those relationships can give you?
What if…
…you could turn every lawyer in your firm into a deeply curious, service-minded, relationship-building powerhouse?
Well, the answer is, you’d have a firm with a culture of business development excellence.
In order to be of best service, every lawyer needs to understand what kind of practice they want to have, what success and fulfillment look like for them, and what kind of people are best served by the work they do, and the way they do it. Then they need to get out into the world and meet the people, do the things, talk about the work and share the value over and over again. They need to do great work, sure, but they also need to build the relationships that make that work mean so much more. With their clients, their referral sources, with colleagues and friends, and with every person they meet who ‘fits’. And they need to understand that not every person they meet will fit.
Once relationships and being of service become the focus, business development becomes part of the DNA of every lawyer who truly adopts the mindset. It’s woven into everything they do, not a separate function or task that has to be fit in. It becomes just part of who they are. They can’t not look for ways to be of service, to help, to share. And their practices become the embodiment of that mindset, filled with the kinds of people they want to do work with and for.
Here’s a little peek at what some of our firm clients have to say about the work we’ve done with them on changing their mindset about business development:
"Business Development often feels like a burden for lawyers, amidst the daunting workload. Yet, it’s an integral part of legal practice. The key is finding the BD approaches that suit you… You helped me realize that BD is about discipline, and that the continuous and repetitive act of reaching out and building relationships is no different than brushing my teeth. Do it every day, and over time, it will keep you healthy and strong.” - Lawyer 25 years-
“There are very few people who can do what you do, and we’re so grateful you did it with us! Everyone is talking about today’s sessions and how they think differently and can’t wait to put it all into practice. Thank you!” - Managing Partner
Here are some of our favourite books on business development, and how to do it successfully.
We hope you enjoy them!
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