What’s the first thing most lawyers do when they get to the office? They open up email, listen to voicemails, and begin tabbing through web browsers — often all at the same time. These types of activities are productivity killers.

There’s no one way—a single playbook—to build a practice that everyone must follow. However, there are not infinite options either. The choices you make, or don’t, related to the actions you take, or don’t, matter greatly.

Don’t get stuck trying to pick the perfect thing to do. Instead, go through a rapid series of actions and iterations to find what works best for you. Yes, this will be hard. But everything worth doing is hard—and, ultimately, that’s what makes building a practice so satisfying. 

New business opportunities are unpredictable. They arise when you’re in the right place, at the right time, and in front of the right people. The challenge is knowing when, where and who is “right.” In fact, I would argue that it’s nearly impossible, because legal problems arise unexpectedly—can you predict when a business you’re targeting for business development is going to get sued?

Positioning yourself as an expert in a narrow domain who can solve specific problems for specific clients requires less not more. In particular, it requires careful discernment and a tight, disciplined focus on one’s greatest strengths. In other words, it’s not about what can be added to one’s professional portfolio, but rather about what can be taken away.

In my experience, those who succeed at building a sustainable book of business 1) have a plan and 2) summon the discipline to execute the plan on a daily basis.

Attending a conference without a well-defined plan is like setting sail without a compass. Every year, countless lawyers flock to various conferences, only to return with a handful of business cards they’ll never use and a vague sense of missed opportunities. This scenario is all too common and a clear indication of a crucial oversight: the lack of strategic preparation.

This is where many lawyers struggle—they’re unsure about how to strike the right balance and not come across as overtly pitching their services, but also not appear passive. Thinking through how a conversation may play out is important.

The study identifies five distinct profiles that define how professional services partners approach business development. Four of the five are negatively correlated with performance. Only the Activator shows a positive impact on performance and revenue (and it’s a significant impact). The Activator does the following: commits to business development, connects with clients and colleagues, and creates value in relationships.

By prioritizing the client’s needs, asking the right questions, and tailoring solutions, “selling” legal services doesn’t feel like it—to you or to the client. The next time you have a chance to discuss your services, put the client at the center of the selling experience.