Stop Acting Like A Squirrel With Your Legal Business Development
I live in the suburbs of Chicago, which means I get a little more nature than I do downtown. There are trees, paths, birds, deer and apparently, a record number of squirrels.
And let me tell you something about squirrels. I’ve never hit one with my car, but I almost hit one all the time.
They dart down the road, freeze, second-guess themselves, run halfway, change their minds, turn back, then shoot forward again like they’re auditioning for a little action movie in the woods. They never seem fully committed to the decision. They are not looking both ways. They are not following a plan. They are just reacting.
I would feel terrible if I ever got hit, so I’m thankful I avoided it. But every time I see this chaotic little dance in the street, I can’t help but think about legal business development.
Because many lawyers act the same way.
They know they have to develop business. They know that having their own clients would create more independence, freedom, control and career security. They know that the best rainmakers in their firms have more options, more confidence, and often more satisfaction in the practice of law.
Yet they hesitate. They mock. They run to business development for a few weeks, then retreat back to billable work. They try LinkedIn, then stop. They attend a networking event, then disappear. They consider calling a referral source, then talk about it themselves. They read an article, listen to a podcast, get fired up for a moment, then go right back to the same unsustainable habits.
This is squirrel behavior.
And this is not a strategy.
Why do they need lawyers? THE CHECK THE The road
For many attorneys, especially service partners and senior associates, the biggest issue isn’t talent. It’s addiction.
When you don’t have your own clients, your career depends on other people feeding you work. You may have four, five or six partners above you who bring you into the matter. Then you may have 5, 10 or 15 clients who all need your attention. In a way, it can feel like you have 20 bosses and very little control.
This is not the path most lawyers dreamed of when they entered the profession.
Lawyers I talk to often tell me the same thing. They want more independence. They want more freedom. They want more control over their time, income, clients and future. These things rarely come from doing great legal work alone. They come from relationships, reputation and a book of business.
This is where the change in mentality has to happen.
Many lawyers hear the word “sales” and immediately imagine talking, persuading, chasing, or pushing someone into something they don’t want. No wonder they resist it. Most lawyers did not go to law school to become salespeople.
But legal business development is not about becoming a pushy salesman. It’s about matching problems with solutions.
Customers have problems. Lawyers have expertise. Business development is the process of building trust with the right people so that when those problems arise, you are the logical choice to help solve them.
This is not weak. This is the service.
Know where you are going before you run
The squirrel’s biggest problem isn’t speed. It’s direction.
Many lawyers have the same issue with business development. They are busy but not focused. They are active, but not strategic. They go to random lunches, random events, random conferences, and random online chats without a clear idea of who they are trying to meet, what problems they solve, or how these activities relate to income.
This is how lawyers lose years.
If you want to build a book of business, you must become a student of the game. You need to learn how rainmakers think, how they build relationships, how they stay visible, how they generate referrals, how they follow up, and how they turn belief into real opportunity.
This is one of the reasons I produce books, articles, videos, podcasts and host new ones Be that Community Advocate™. Lawyers don’t need more random marketing hype. They need a place to learn the craft of business development in a way that is practical, organized and in line with who they are.
When you study the game, you soon stop. You start to see the road clearly.
You know what relationships matter. You know where to spend your time. You know what to say. You know how to follow. You know how to create value without sounding needy or salesy. You stop treating business development as an occasional activity and start treating it as an essential part of your legal career.
That’s when the momentum starts.
Systems beat panic every time
Lawyers do not defend him when preparing for trial. They do not enter a deposit without a plan. They don’t draft complex agreements by guessing their way through every clause.
So why do so many lawyers approach business development as if they are making it up as they go?
Business development is a learned skill. There are systems, processes, languages, habits and metrics that make it easier and more efficient. The best rainmakers aren’t necessarily the most charming people in the room. Many simply have a repeatable way of building relationships, staying top of mind, identifying needs and moving conversations forward.
This matters because lawyers are busy. You don’t have unlimited time to waste on low-value activities. You need the biggest return for the smallest reasonable investment of time.
That’s why a proven system can change everything.
In my Sales-Free Selling™ system, the goal is not to turn advocates into salespeople. It is to help them develop the business without being noticed, persuasive, stalking or feeling awkward. When you have the right framework, business development starts to feel less like self-promotion and more like solving professional problems.
This is the difference between chaos and faith.
The lawyer trying to figure it all out on his own often ends up stuck in the same cycle of hesitation. A lawyer who follows a proven system has a much better chance of building consistency, building better relationships, and turning those relationships into real business.
Stop Darting AND Start deciding
If you want to stop acting like a squirrel with the legal development of your business, start with three decisions.
First, decide that building your book of business matters. Not because your firm says it matters. Not because someone told you to attend more networking events. Decide that it matters because it gives you more freedom, independence, control and satisfaction in your career.
Second, become a student of the game. Read, listen, watch, ask questions, join groups, find mentors and surround yourself with advocates who take business development seriously. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You have to learn how the wheel works.
Third, find a system you believe in and commit to it. Random action creates random results. A repeatable system creates momentum.
Whether your goal is to become an equity partner, build a million-dollar book, strike out on your own, or simply feel more confident in your current role, the path won’t appear by accident. You have to cross the road with purpose.
The good news is that the road isn’t as daunting as it seems once you know where you’re going.
So stop shooting. Stop second guessing. Stop spinning whenever business development feels uncomfortable.
Look both ways. Choose your path. Move with purpose.
This is how you stop surviving on the streets and start building the career you want.
For more information about coaching, training, Rainmaker roundtables and the BE THAT LAWYER™ community, visit BeThatLawyer.com. To speak with me directly, email (email protected).
Steve Fretzin is a five-time best-selling author, host of BE THAT LAWYER and Future Rainmakers podcasts, and a business development coach working exclusively with lawyers. For over 18 years, he has been helping attorneys build strong books of business without selling, advertising or tracking, using his proven approach of selling without selling. His clients consistently become top rainmakers and credit his training and systems for driving meaningful and measurable growth. Steve can be reached directly at (email protected)or through its website at www.bethatlawyer.com. Connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin. His ALL NEW BE THAT LAWYER community is changing the way lawyers develop skills never learned in law school. Learn more at www.bethatlawyer.com/community.
