Copying the business development habits of successful BigLaw rainmakers can sounds great but more often what works for someone else won't work for you if all you do is directly replicate it. Taking clients to dinner, attending conferences, hosting events, sending client alerts, or playing golf may all be effective approaches, but how you execute on those or choose other ways of connecting may depend on your particular strengths, relationships, authority, personality, and goals. The more important question is not what another lawyer does to generate business, but why their approach works and what clients or referral sources actually value about them.
I explain how to build a business development approach around your own distinctive value rather than trying to imitate someone else's style. That starts with understanding what people consistently trust you to understand, judge, explain, or accomplish, and then determining what allows the right people to experience those strengths. I also discuss why visibility without a clear message can create attention without demand, how to evaluate whether certain opportunities actually connect you with the people who influence your work, and why some of the most effective business development approaches may come from interests and relationships outside traditional lawyer-centric channels. Ultimately, your goal is not to look like a another successful rainmaker. It is to make it easy for people to understand why they would choose you.
At a Glance
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01:20 Why copying successful rainmakers can lead lawyers in the wrong direction
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02:09 Why business development tactics only work when they fit what you are trying to build
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03:19 Why visibility does not help if people do not understand what you offer
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04:05 How to decide whether a conference is actually worth your time
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04:33 Why your business development approach should fit your life and working style
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05:25 How nontraditional activities can create valuable professional relationships
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06:12 Why the real lesson is the strength behind the rainmaker's behavior
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07:31 Why your best business development approach starts with knowing what you uniquely offer
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09:11 Why copying the activity does not reproduce someone else's advantage
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09:37 How to identify the specific value people already associate with you
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10:08 How to make your strengths recognizable to clients and referral sources
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11:07 Why successful business development ultimately requires answering why someone would choose you
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Interested in doing 1-2-1 coaching with Laura Terrell? Or learning more about her work coaching and consulting?
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www.lauraterrell.com
laura@lauraterrell.com
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Show notes: https://www.lauraterrell.com/podcast
