This includes building new relationships and identifying new revenue streams and sales opportunities. Examples are cross-selling to existing clients and adding new practice areas to your firm. It might involve geographic expansion, or setting up procedures for your client intake team to follow up with prospects.

BD Tips for Deepening Relationships with Existing Clients and Prospective New Client Executives

Studies show that maintaining a consistent brand can increase revenue by 10–20% because people recognize and trust a business that presents itself uniformly. In practice, this means using the same firm name, colors, logo, and voice across your website, social media, and print materials. A clear and consistent brand identity makes your firm memorable and conveys professionalism. If you’re a young attorney with limited experience, teaming up with a senior attorney or industry expert can provide valuable mentorship and enhance your credibility. Collaborate on writing articles, co-presenting at conferences, or developing client presentations.

• You need to be able to understand what the results of each action taken are, and where to improve.
• Be prepared to spend evenings, weekends, and even airplane rides writing articles, preparing presentations, and networking with potential clients.
• Google their name and company, check their social media, and speak with the referral source to understand their background.
• This leads to the attorney offering free consultations without meaning to, and prospective clients not understanding the value you can bring them.
• As a result, you will become a more well-rounded lawyer for your paying clients.

Your expertise and relationships are the only things you can truly count on in this ever-changing legal world. If you’re serious about your future, invest in learning and refining these skills daily. Starting a meeting without building rapport is like trying to construct a skyscraper from the 50th floor. In our third and final law firm growth series live stream, we’re putting all the piec…

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With the competitive nature of today’s world, many in the legal profession are their own salesperson and marketer — on top of practicing law. Be prepared to spend evenings, weekends, and even airplane rides writing articles, preparing presentations, and networking with potential clients. Prioritize tasks that offer the highest return on investment, such as targeted client outreach and quality content creation. Remember, consistency is key—stay focused on your goals and keep pushing forward, even in the face of setbacks. A continuous focus on business development is essential for attorneys. Having a strong social media presence is an important aspect of business development for lawyers.

Corporate lawyers might target growing tech startups in need of IP protection. Being specific lets you speak directly to the needs of your ideal clients through your marketing and service offerings. Learn more about your clients’ industries by setting up an industry specific Google news alert, getting involved with industry focused organizations and attending industry conferences. This can be done formally through a designated CRM (Client Relationship Management) software, Outlook, or whatever contact management system works for you. Your contact list should include other lawyers (co-counsel, opposing counsel, etc.), existing and former clients, referral sources and law school friends. It should also include contacts from industry, civic and community organizations.

They note that networking events often share a list of attendees in advance, and this is an opportunity to seek out people you want to meet at the event. So, I targeted my online marketing efforts at that point in the debt cycle. I bought keywords like the names of common creditors and debt collectors, I published articles about them, about personal finance and negotiating debts, and so on.

Investing time and effort in networking and content creation is important for long-term success within the legal profession. Some states have laws and ethical rules regarding solicitation and advertisement practices by attorneys and/or other professionals. The National Law Review is not a law firm nor is  intended to be a referral service for attorneys and/or other professionals.

• The full recording of the live stream covers all the business development tips for your firm that you don’t want to miss out on.
• Whether it is a charity fundraiser, a local sports team, or a neighborhood festival, sponsorships get your name in front of the community in a positive way.
• These groups help you stay connected to like-minded individuals and are a great way to keep up to date on what’s happening in your sector.
• Handling basics like networking, social media posting, and even writing blog posts is doable without outside help.
• With the guidance of a mentor, you can learn new skills, create better goals, and build confidence in your career path.
• Regular attention to your online presence, just like regular client communication, builds trust and keeps relationships strong over time.

This is the language of business development, and, much like marketing terminology, it is not familiar territory for most lawyers. As much as I’m prone to preaching about the place for marketing in every law firm’s toolkit, business development for law firms is the other side of the coin. Before contacting you, many prospective clients will Google your firm and read reviews.

One of the reasons I started working in the legal industry was because I saw a massive gap in business development skills among lawyers. First impressions translate 10 business development tips for attorneys beyond that initial meeting — prospective clients can also make a judgment based on the technology you have or don’t have. With PracticePanther, you can have a seamless intake process with customized forms that you can put on your website or load up on your iPad in the office.

Traditional networking remains one of the most effective lawyer marketing tactics, especially for small firms. Building relationships in person – at local bar events, business mixers, or community gatherings – can lead directly to new client referrals. In fact, networking is often cited as the #1 marketing source for small law firms. By attending events and actively engaging (bring business cards and be ready with a quick introduction of your services), you keep your name top-of-mind among potential referrers. Over time, the contacts you make can turn into a steady stream of client referrals.

First, most attorneys don’t have a written marketing plan and rely on word of mouth or networking. They also don’t have set goals or metrics that are tracked and thus have no sense of urgency or control with prospective clients. This leads to the attorney offering free consultations without meaning to, and prospective clients not understanding the value you can bring them.

This way, you can feel more comfortable and make connections in a more relaxed environment. A tool like this goes a long way in addressing the top complaint clients have about lawyers, i.e. poor communication. Create a plan and set goals, but be specific and use deadlines to hold yourself accountable. Put it in writing; research has shown that you are far more likely to follow through with a written plan. However, one of the best ways to find your prospects is to start networking with individuals.

Lawyers must plug in to the details of their legal work to be successful advocates for their clients, sometimes at the exclusion of minding the fundamentals of running a profitable business. One of the keys to this financial success is maintaining a healthy pipeline of new business opportunities that will drive future revenue growth. It’s important to build a deeper level of trust with your prospects by doing your research on them and finding commonalities, rather than immediately getting into details of the business. Being liked by your prospective clients and adapting to their communication style can help increase the value of the relationship that you’re beginning to establish.