How to find new clients (Part 2 of 2)

This list was adapted from my new book the Legal Business Development Quick Reference Guide.  Part 1 can be found here.

Step 5: Get more meetings through referrals 

• See the chapters in my new book on Referrals – How to get more referrals, and Referrals – A checklist of best practices for referral sources.  If this leads to discovering other people who would be good clients, add their names to your list of ideal clients

• If you know someone to meet with, but are unsure of how to proceed, ask others for help.  Your referral relationships are very valuable assets, and you must protect them.

Step 6: Get more meetings through cross-selling

• Do any people who need the services that you provide buy other legal services from your firm?

• Cross-selling sounds like a great idea, but it is a lot harder than most people think. The best way to succeed is to find a compelling reason why it is to the client’s benefit, not your benefit.  See Cross-selling – What works and what doesn’t to define next steps for your action plan.

Step 7: Get more meetings with other people you know

• Do you know anyone who works at one of the companies on your list, or who might know people at those companies?

• Do you know anyone you could take to lunch who could help you learn about these companies and/or their industry?  Who are the key players?  What are their concerns?

• Ask others at your firm whether they know anyone who could help

• Use LinkedIn and other online tools (see Social networking – How should you use it?) to look for possible connections to ideal clients through your law school classmates, former colleagues etc.  (Also see Re-connecting – Six steps to re-connect with past clients and colleagues.)

• Research background info on the web for key contacts at target companies.  Then look for an excuse to contact each, such as inviting them to speak on a panel at your firm or at a national convention.  Or interview them for an article you are writing, and be sure to quote them.

• Create a table listing people who could help you get meetings and how (e.g. introduce you to someone,  help understand the target industry or the target company or help identify the right people to talk to.) Prioritize the potential payoff from each, then set up lunches or face to face meetings with those people.

Step 8: Get more meetings through networking

• Do the people you want to meet belong to particular organizations or attend certain meetings?

• If the answer is yes or maybe, see Networking – How to increase results from networking and Networking – Three steps to prepare for a conference or networking meeting to identify possible action items for your plan

Step 9: Measure results

• Define realistic goals, and measure results

• Signing new business may take months or years, depending on your practice

• Therefore, in addition to measuring new business, you should measure leading indicators so you can see progress, or lack of progress, every week, such as:

  • Time spent on business development
  • Face-to-face meetings with potential clients
  • Client responses (including email and phone)
  • Client advances

• For more ideas, see Follow-up – Sample reports to improve tracking

• If you consistently fail to meet the goals you set, it may be time to re-evaluate your plan

• Does your niche have strong potential for new business?  If you now doubt this, go to Planning – Define your niche.

• Are you willing to reaffirm your commitment?  Every lawyer needs to master the skills to grow business with current clients, but not every lawyer has the time and ability to find new clients. 

• If you are making steady progress, go to the final step

Step 10: Don’t stop

• After you meet with ten people, meet with ten more

• Monitor your progress by recording the time you put in every week.  Keeping a written record will increase your chances of remaining committed to long-term follow-up. 

• Remind yourself: It will take time to find new clients.  But when you do, the payoff could be enormous.