So many of the lawyers I work with tell me they just wish for a magic wand that would make clients appear.  Of course, we all know that isn’t going to happen! 

But I do have a magic wand of sorts: a simple system that helps lawyers to develop a strategic, easily implemented approach to business development. I’ll be sharing that system during a “can’t miss” 1-day workshop titled Effective Business Development Made Simple on April 6 in Atlanta.  Will you join me?

The day is designed around the Lawyers Business Development Blueprint™, a 7-step system that will show you how to take on activities that fit you and your practice, so you can bring in as much business as you need to build a successful practice.  We’re going to roll up our sleeves and get a lot of work done, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get feedback.  You’ll leave with a plan you can implement right away, along with tools that will keep you moving in the right direction.

The cost?  Just $97.  Far less than the benefit you’ll realize by landing even one small matter.  (By the way, I’m also throwing in a bunch of bonuses so you’ll have the tools you need to succeed!)

Get more information and register by visiting http://www.lifeatthebar.com/ATLWorkshop.htm.

That reaction is so common.  It’s so discouraging to work at something — especially something as important as business development — and to see no results.  But three mistakes often come clear when I talk with someone who has worked hard at rainmaking without meaningful results.

1. The lawyer is measuring the wrong thing.  Sure, new business is the clearest measurement of rainmaking success, but that’s like starting a diet and measuring success only by reaching goal weight.  There are all sorts of midpoints that indicate success: making new contacts, developing relationships, building a strong reputation in your field, and so on.  These “interim successes” indicate forward movement — assuming, of course, they’re measured as progress toward the ultimate goal of bringing in new business and not as an end in themselves.
2. The lawyer hasn’t brought in new business. . . Yet.  “Patience & perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish,” John Quincy Adams observed.  In other words, don’t give up before an activity has had time to produce results.  Networking is a key place where lawyers fall short here.  A single conversation is incredibly unlikely to generate new business.  Mere membership in a group, or attending a meeting once or twice, is equally unlikely to be successful in any measure.  Hopping from one activity to another generates a lot of motion but very little forward movement.  Choosing one or two marketing tactics is almost certain to bring better results — unless. . .
3. The lawyer is doing the wrong things, or doing them in the wrong way.  No matter how persistently the task is undertaken, if it’s fundamentally flawed, it won’t work.  Let’s take networking again.  If your idea of networking is attending meetings, talking incessantly about yourself, your skills, your qualifications, and your experience, plus pressing your business card on anyone who happens within an arms’ length, you are destined to fail.  That’s networking at its worst and it’s unattractive to just about everyone.  In the example that opened today’s post, the lawyer was doing a lot of good activities, but none of them involved actually talking with potential clients and referral sources.  Good activity done wrong does’t work.

Your task this week: are you making any of these mistakes?  Check to see how you’re measuring your success especially.  Because lawyers are trained to focus on the end game (here, landing the new business), this is one of the key mistakes that I often see among new clients.

Would you like to make 2010 your most profitable year in practice yet?  If so, perhaps you should consider joining the Lawyers Business Development Boot Camp, which begins next week.  You’ll get step-by-step directions on what to do to make your rainmaking successful, opportunities to have all of your rainmaking questions answered, and weekly office hours so you can schedule 1-on-1 appointments with me to get candid feedback and brainstorming.   The work you put in over the next 8 weeks will start your 2010 with power and ensure that you’ll be successful.  (Worried about the fee?  Don’t be.  It’s almost certainly less than three billable hours at your fee, and for the majority of readers, less than two.) 

The earlybird registration ($100 off!) ends at midnight ET on December 3 (that’s this Thursday) and seats are filling.  Don’t delay — visit this page or paste this into your broswer: http://www.lawyersbusinessdevelopmentbootcamp.com/  Questions?  Call 800.758.6214, ext. 3 or email info@lifeatthebar.com.

On last week’s call Business Development Made Simple, I introduced the Lawyers’ Business Development Boot Camp, a 7-week program that’s designed to harness the opportunities that come at the end of 2009 to propel you into your best year in practice yet.

The Boot Camp includes several components:

•  Four 90-minute teleconferences that will walk you through each step of my Legal Rainmaker System (plus recordings and transcripts of each call – 6 hours of content deivery)
•  The opportunity to ask questions and have them answered during the teleconferences, in writing, or during 1-on-1 consultations
• A series of worksheets and templates that you can use to simplify your business development activity – not just now, but for years to come
• Weekly progress forms to report your activity so you stay accountable
•  Weekly opportunities to schedule 1-on-1 consultations with me, so I can give you immediate feedback and ideas for your rainmaking activity
• Two tickets to a 2010 Rainmaker Live one-day meeting, in a city of your choice (the schedule currently includes Atlanta, Dallas, Washington DC, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, and Seattle; I’ll be adding New York and Chicago)

To make this program accessible to as many people as possible, your investment for the Lawyers’ Business Development Boot Camp is almost certainly less than your fee for three billable hours of your time. (It’s probably even less than your fee for 2 billable hours for most of you.) Using the strategies and tactics I’ll share in the Boot Camp, you’ll be able to generate a many-fold return on your investment.

Click here to get the details and to register. (Don’t wait – I can only accept 30 participants.  Seats are filling quickly, and the earlybird rate ends at midnight ET on Wednesday, November 25!)

Aspirin, anyone?  Or antacid?

What’s a bright lawyer to do under these circumstances?  Here are my top 3 suggestions.

1.  Focus on building relationships.  Building relationships both inside and outside your firm will help in several directions.  You’ll be known and you’ll build a reputation, and you may put yourself in a position to receive assignments you might not otherwise.  Because relationships are the key to rainmaking, you’ll be laying groundwork there.  And you’ll develop your network, which you’ll almost certainly need at some point.

2.  Build your skills, especially in business development.  If you’re slow now at work, take the opportunity to invest in yourself.  Attend CLE programs or read up on your area of practice, your clients’ industries, and business generally.  Write articles.  Seek out opportunities for business development training.  Get a mentor and get personalized advice on what you should be doing, given your level of seniority, your area of practice, your goals, etc.  While brief slowdowns are great for taking vacation, this slowdown is a different animal and should be taken as an opportunity to develop yourself.

3.  Keep your resume up-to-date.  We should all do this at all times, because there’s no telling when that “perfect opportunity” will arise.  Realistically, we’re usually caught up in other pursuits and have to scramble when it’s time to submit a resume.  In this environment, although many more lawyers will keep their jobs than be laid off, it’s wise to have a resume ready to go.

For most lawyers, I’d put rainmaking training and activities at the top of the list right now.  Relationship-building and reputation enhancement takes time, and regardless of whether you’re a first-year who’s never even thought about how to bring in business or you’re a sixth-year wondering if your skills will be adequate to permit you to make partner, rainmaking is a key skill you should begin working on NOW.  

If you’re an aspiring rainmaker without much experience, perhaps you’d benefit from joining the Rainmaker 101 Mentoring & Mastermind program.  The program begins in January and membership applications are available now.

Not to nag, but… Thank you for the survey responses that have been flowing in!  If you haven’t shared your thoughts yet, please complete the 2007 Life at the Bar survey today.  It’ll take less than 5 minutes.  You’ll be entered for a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card and you’ll guide me toward the topics you most want to read about.�

On occasion I’ll read something that will really stick with me and change the way I think about things.  Stephanie West Allen’s December 2006 “hot worms” blog post is one of those.  In that post and other related posts, she discusses the danger in prescribing a “one size fits all” work/life balance, especially for those “hot worms” who love what they do and choose to work more hours than “experts” consider advisable.  As I’ve written over and over, I’m uncomfortable with the idea of “work/life balance” because it implies that there is a single balance that everyone should attain, and that’s clearly wrong to me.  So, I took Stephanie’s post as more evidence that each person must find his or her own balance or, to use Cali Yost’s term, work+life fit.

I enjoyed practicing law, but I was admittedly not a “hot worm” lawyer.  Some of my clients are, though, and coaching them on work/life integration is interesting because it’s hard to reduce hours or attention to something that’s thoroughly enjoyable and nourishing.  The focus of the coaching is on finding what works best for the individual, and sometimes cutting back on work is necessary (though difficult) to achieve other goals.  The process is challenging and rewarding, and my clients generally end up with a lifestyle that pleases them deeply.  As I coached these clients, I came to discover something about myself.

I’m a “hot worm” coach. 

Perhaps that’s why I work so well with lawyers who are passionate about and devoted to their practices.

You see, I often wake up thinking about an article or a resource or an approach to use with a client.  I read constantly, and until last week, I’m not sure when I last read fiction or non-fiction that isn’t related to law or business.  I couldn’t sleep one night while I was out of town and I got sucked into watching Legally Blonde, not because it’s a good movie (in my opinion, it isn’t!) but because I was mentally drafting a blog post that would discuss Reese Witherspoon’s character and what lesson she might illustrate.  When I catch up with friends, I tend to talk about my business and the ideas I’m reading or hearing or creating — to the point that a friend recently asked if my husband and I had divorced because I hadn’t mentioned him!  (Sorry about that, honey.)  I’m not unduly frazzled or bedraggled; I just love what I do and choose to do a lot of it!  I am doing what I truly love, and it doesn’t feel like work.

And yet…

I get run down when I don’t sleep enough.  I get stiff when I sit all day.  Although I enjoy the work I do, I miss seeing friends.  And I know that I sometimes come up with more and better ideas when I’m working  physically (gardening, walking, whatever gets my body going and lets my brain wander) than I do when I’m sitting at my desk and intending to think. 

These are signs that it’s time for a change.

I started this blog in January 2006 and began writing regularly in March of that year.  This is post #365.  Although I never announced it, I’ve aimed to post three times a week, and I recently expanded to include a fourth weekly post.  Since I started the blog, though, things have changed in my business.  I have more clients (as well as some openings), I’m writing more articles for formal publication, I’m doing more speaking, and I’m doing more face-to-face networking.  I’m also traveling dramatically more. 

It’s time for a shift.

Change #1…  I plan to post twice weekly going forward, though I may include additional “shorts” posts that will offer links and brief news items, trends, or ideas. 

Change #2…  On January 15, I will be launching a new email newsletter, titled Leadership Matters for Lawyers.  Each issue will include a feature article on leadership development, a relevant book review, summaries of recent posts on the Life at the Bar blog, and information about upcoming programs and presentations.  Leadership is an important topic for every lawyer, whether it’s self-leadership, leading within a bar or civic organization, being a thought-leader in your practice area, or serving as a leader of a team, a practice group, an office, or a firm.  Leadership Matters for Lawyers will reveal insights, research, and resources that will help you to create and benefit from leadership opportunities for yourself and your practice.

And a request…  It’s always been my goal to present useful information and ideas here and to address the topics that matter to lawyers in practice who are working to establish their own best “life at the bar.”  To check on how I’m doing, and to ensure that I hit the right topics going forward, I’ve designed a short survey, which you can complete in less than 5 minutes.  Your input will make my posts better tailored, so please share your thoughts! 

With a small inducement…  As a “thank you,” I will enter every respondent into a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card, to be awarded on February 4, and each respondent will receive a complimentary subscription to Leadership Matters for Lawyers.

Please take just a few minutes and complete the survey by clicking here or visiting http://www.lifeatthebar.com/Menu2007Survey.htm. 

Thank you for your input — and happy new year!�

On October 11 at 1 PM EDT, I hosted and recorded a free teleclass titled Five Foundations of Time Management for Attorneys.  I shared some of these strategies and tips and provided tested resources for great time management skills.  (When you register for the teleclass, you’ll also receive several additional resources that comprise the Life at the Bar Survival Kit.)  You’ll leave the call with ideas and strategies you can implement right away.

Topics covered include:

*  The first, most critical step in managing your time, which doesn’t involve time at all.

*  How you can conquer procrastination.

*  Why one of the strategies you may have tried to increase your productivity is actually working against you.

To get your recording of the teleclass, please visit this sign-up page. 

I know you have many demands on your time, and my commitment to you is that I’ll do everything in my power to make the 60-minute call as valuable as it possibly can be.  I’ll be sharing the practical ideas and suggestions I wish I’d had years ago.  If you have an inkling that this is something you should do, please sign up today.