People often think of me as an extrovert, and they are not wrong. Put me in a room with people, and I will tell stories, ask questions, make connections, and probably enjoy having a little attention thrown my way.<\/p>\n
But as I have gotten older, I have also become a bit more curmudgeonly about the way traditional networking works. I am less interested in hopping on planes, attending crowded conferences, standing around at cocktail receptions, and shouting over a room full of lawyers with drinks in their hands. I would much rather develop meaningful relationships through focused conversations, often right from my home office.<\/p>\n
For many introverted lawyers, that preference has existed from day one.<\/p>\n
The thought of spending two days at a conference, forcing small talk with strangers, and trying to appear comfortable in a loud room can feel exhausting before the event even begins. Some lawyers would rather hide in their hotel room than work the exhibit floor, attend the reception, or insert themselves into circles of people they do not know.<\/p>\n
Here is the good news: You do not need to become someone else to become a successful rainmaker.<\/strong><\/p>\n I can absolutely teach an introverted lawyer how to attend events and conferences with greater confidence and purpose. But I also believe many lawyers can generate stronger results by leaning into a platform that allows them to network, build authority, and develop relationships in a far more controlled and comfortable environment.<\/p>\n That platform is LinkedIn.<\/p>\n Used strategically, LinkedIn is not a place to collect connections or post the occasional firm announcement. It is a relationship-building and personal-branding platform that can help introverted lawyers create opportunities without trying to become the loudest person in the room.<\/p>\n Here are five ways to make that happen.<\/p>\n 1. Turn Your Profile into a Book Cover People Want to Open<\/strong><\/p>\n Most lawyers have LinkedIn profiles that look exactly like every other lawyer\u2019s profile. There is a generic blue banner, a firm name, a job title, and very little that tells me why I should care.<\/p>\n Your profile is not simply an online resume. It is your professional book cover.<\/p>\n Imagine walking through a bookstore and seeing a plain white cover that only says, \u201cLawyer.\u201d You are probably not pulling that book off the shelf. The same thing happens online when a potential client, referral source, colleague, or prospect searches your name and finds nothing memorable.<\/p>\n Your LinkedIn profile should communicate who you help, what you understand, what separates you from others, and why someone should want to know you. Your headline, banner, about section, experience, recommendations, and featured content should work together to make you visible and credible.<\/p>\n This is especially important for introverts. Before you ever have to get on a Zoom call or attend a meeting, your profile can begin the relationship for you. It can make you familiar, relevant, and worth contacting.<\/p>\n 2. Stop Networking with Everyone and Find the Right People<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the greatest mistakes lawyers make in business development is assuming they need to know more people. In reality, they need to know the right people.<\/p>\n LinkedIn makes it possible to become highly focused about who belongs in your network. Start by identifying the people who already serve, advise, or interact with the types of clients you want.<\/p>\n For example, an employment attorney may benefit from relationships with human resources consultants, corporate attorneys, benefits professionals, business advisers, or executives who regularly confront workplace issues. An estate planning lawyer may benefit from connections with financial advisers, accountants, wealth managers, and insurance professionals.<\/p>\n The point is not to connect with hundreds of random people and hope something happens. The point is to create a targeted network of professionals who are naturally connected to the opportunities you want.<\/p>\n For introverted lawyers, this changes the game. Instead of walking into a room full of strangers and wondering whom to approach, you can identify the right people before the conversation ever begins.<\/p>\n 3. Build Relationships Before You Ask for Anything<\/strong><\/p>\n A connection request is not a relationship. It is simply permission to begin one.<\/p>\n Before reaching out, look at what someone is posting. Have they shared an article? Announced a promotion? Commented on an issue affecting their clients? Are they active in a field that overlaps with yours?<\/p>\n Engage thoughtfully. Comment on a post. Share something useful. Recognize an accomplishment. When you reach out directly, make the message personal and light.<\/p>\n It may sound something like this:<\/p>\n \u201cI came across your profile today and noticed that you work with many of the same types of clients I do. It seems like there may be natural ways for us to support one another. I would enjoy connecting here and, at some point, perhaps having a quick Zoom conversation to learn more about your work.\u201d<\/p>\n That is not a pitch. It is not awkward. It is not aggressive. It is simply a professional opening that allows two people to explore whether there is a meaningful reason to know one another.<\/p>\n Introverts often do very well with this approach because it gives them time to think, personalize, and enter the conversation with purpose.<\/p>\n 4. Build Authority by Being Useful, Not Promotional<\/strong><\/p>\n Lawyers often tell me they do not know what to post on LinkedIn. My response is simple: Stop thinking about what makes you look impressive and start thinking about what helps your audience.<\/p>\n You do not need to post awards, firm victories, or reminders that you are a Super Lawyer every year. Your network wants useful insights. They want clarity around problems they face, changes they should understand, mistakes they can avoid, and practical information they can apply.<\/p>\n An employment lawyer might share insights about common handbook mistakes. A commercial litigator might explain steps businesses can take before a dispute gets out of control. A family lawyer might discuss planning considerations for business owners who face divorce.<\/p>\n Artificial intelligence tools can help you brainstorm topics, shape drafts, and organize a content calendar. But the ideas, voice, judgment, and value must come from you. Your goal is not to sound like everyone else. Your goal is to become known for helping the people you want to serve.<\/p>\n For introverted lawyers, content is powerful because it lets expertise speak before personality ever has to carry the conversation.<\/p>\n 5. Show Up Long Enough for LinkedIn to Work<\/strong><\/p>\n There is nothing magical about LinkedIn when it is used once every six weeks.<\/p>\n A lawyer who updates a profile, posts twice, connects with a few people, and then quits after a month will probably conclude that LinkedIn does not work. That lawyer is wrong. The strategy did not fail. The lawyer failed to be consistent.<\/p>\n Business development requires traction. Traction requires repetition.<\/p>\n Set manageable goals. Share one meaningful post each week. Connect with five well selected professionals each week. Comment thoughtfully on posts from people in your target network. Schedule a few individual Zoom conversations every month.<\/p>\n Then keep going.<\/p>\n If you take those actions consistently over the course of a year, you will become more visible, more connected, and more credible with the exact people who can help grow your practice.<\/p>\n That does not mean you should never attend an event again. There will always be value in meeting people in person. But you do not have to make crowded rooms, expensive conferences, and endless cocktail receptions the center of your business development strategy.<\/p>\n LinkedIn gives introverted lawyers an opportunity to play to their strengths. You can be thoughtful. You can be targeted. You can prepare before you engage. You can build trust at your own pace. Most importantly, you can create meaningful relationships without wasting time, money, or energy on activities that rarely bring out your best.<\/p>\n Discomfort may always be part of business development. The answer is not to avoid it completely. The answer is to choose the discomfort that leads somewhere.<\/p>\n For many introverted lawyers, LinkedIn may be the most productive place to begin.<\/p>\n To learn more about how I help lawyers develop stronger relationships, build their brands, and grow successful law practices through Sales-Free Selling\u2122, visit BETHATLAWYER.COM<\/strong>, or schedule a conversation with me directly at fretzin.com\/letstalk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Steve Fretzin is a five-time bestselling author, host of the\u00a0BE THAT LAWYER\u00a0and\u00a0Future Rainmakers\u00a0podcasts, and a business development coach who works exclusively with attorneys. For more than 18 years, he has helped lawyers build strong books of business without selling, pitching, or chasing, using his proven Sales-Free Selling\u2122 approach. His clients consistently become top rainmakers and credit his coaching and systems for driving meaningful, measurable growth. Steve can be reached directly at\u00a0steve@fretzin.com<\/a>, or through his website at\u00a0bethatlawyer.com<\/a>. Connect with him on LinkedIn at\u00a0https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/stevefretzin<\/a>. His ALL NEW\u00a0BE THAT LAWYER Community\u00a0is changing how lawyers develop the skills never taught in law school. Learn more at\u00a0bethatlawyer.com\/community<\/a><\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n \n The post LinkedIn Is The Golden Goose For Introverted Lawyers: 5 Ways To Get Comfortable With Discomfort In Legal Business Development<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n People often think of me as an extrovert, and they are not wrong. Put me in a room with people, and I will tell stories, ask questions, make connections, and probably enjoy having a little attention thrown my way.<\/p>\n But as I have gotten older, I have also become a bit more curmudgeonly about the way traditional networking works. I am less interested in hopping on planes, attending crowded conferences, standing around at cocktail receptions, and shouting over a room full of lawyers with drinks in their hands. I would much rather develop meaningful relationships through focused conversations, often right from my home office.<\/p>\n For many introverted lawyers, that preference has existed from day one.<\/p>\n The thought of spending two days at a conference, forcing small talk with strangers, and trying to appear comfortable in a loud room can feel exhausting before the event even begins. Some lawyers would rather hide in their hotel room than work the exhibit floor, attend the reception, or insert themselves into circles of people they do not know.<\/p>\n Here is the good news: You do not need to become someone else to become a successful rainmaker.<\/strong><\/p>\n I can absolutely teach an introverted lawyer how to attend events and conferences with greater confidence and purpose. But I also believe many lawyers can generate stronger results by leaning into a platform that allows them to network, build authority, and develop relationships in a far more controlled and comfortable environment.<\/p>\n That platform is LinkedIn.<\/p>\n Used strategically, LinkedIn is not a place to collect connections or post the occasional firm announcement. It is a relationship-building and personal-branding platform that can help introverted lawyers create opportunities without trying to become the loudest person in the room.<\/p>\n Here are five ways to make that happen.<\/p>\n 1. Turn Your Profile into a Book Cover People Want to Open<\/strong><\/p>\n Most lawyers have LinkedIn profiles that look exactly like every other lawyer\u2019s profile. There is a generic blue banner, a firm name, a job title, and very little that tells me why I should care.<\/p>\n Your profile is not simply an online resume. It is your professional book cover.<\/p>\n Imagine walking through a bookstore and seeing a plain white cover that only says, \u201cLawyer.\u201d You are probably not pulling that book off the shelf. The same thing happens online when a potential client, referral source, colleague, or prospect searches your name and finds nothing memorable.<\/p>\n Your LinkedIn profile should communicate who you help, what you understand, what separates you from others, and why someone should want to know you. Your headline, banner, about section, experience, recommendations, and featured content should work together to make you visible and credible.<\/p>\n This is especially important for introverts. Before you ever have to get on a Zoom call or attend a meeting, your profile can begin the relationship for you. It can make you familiar, relevant, and worth contacting.<\/p>\n 2. Stop Networking with Everyone and Find the Right People<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the greatest mistakes lawyers make in business development is assuming they need to know more people. In reality, they need to know the right people.<\/p>\n LinkedIn makes it possible to become highly focused about who belongs in your network. Start by identifying the people who already serve, advise, or interact with the types of clients you want.<\/p>\n For example, an employment attorney may benefit from relationships with human resources consultants, corporate attorneys, benefits professionals, business advisers, or executives who regularly confront workplace issues. An estate planning lawyer may benefit from connections with financial advisers, accountants, wealth managers, and insurance professionals.<\/p>\n The point is not to connect with hundreds of random people and hope something happens. The point is to create a targeted network of professionals who are naturally connected to the opportunities you want.<\/p>\n For introverted lawyers, this changes the game. Instead of walking into a room full of strangers and wondering whom to approach, you can identify the right people before the conversation ever begins.<\/p>\n 3. Build Relationships Before You Ask for Anything<\/strong><\/p>\n A connection request is not a relationship. It is simply permission to begin one.<\/p>\n Before reaching out, look at what someone is posting. Have they shared an article? Announced a promotion? Commented on an issue affecting their clients? Are they active in a field that overlaps with yours?<\/p>\n Engage thoughtfully. Comment on a post. Share something useful. Recognize an accomplishment. When you reach out directly, make the message personal and light.<\/p>\n It may sound something like this:<\/p>\n \u201cI came across your profile today and noticed that you work with many of the same types of clients I do. It seems like there may be natural ways for us to support one another. I would enjoy connecting here and, at some point, perhaps having a quick Zoom conversation to learn more about your work.\u201d<\/p>\n That is not a pitch. It is not awkward. It is not aggressive. It is simply a professional opening that allows two people to explore whether there is a meaningful reason to know one another.<\/p>\n Introverts often do very well with this approach because it gives them time to think, personalize, and enter the conversation with purpose.<\/p>\n 4. Build Authority by Being Useful, Not Promotional<\/strong><\/p>\n Lawyers often tell me they do not know what to post on LinkedIn. My response is simple: Stop thinking about what makes you look impressive and start thinking about what helps your audience.<\/p>\n You do not need to post awards, firm victories, or reminders that you are a Super Lawyer every year. Your network wants useful insights. They want clarity around problems they face, changes they should understand, mistakes they can avoid, and practical information they can apply.<\/p>\n An employment lawyer might share insights about common handbook mistakes. A commercial litigator might explain steps businesses can take before a dispute gets out of control. A family lawyer might discuss planning considerations for business owners who face divorce.<\/p>\n Artificial intelligence tools can help you brainstorm topics, shape drafts, and organize a content calendar. But the ideas, voice, judgment, and value must come from you. Your goal is not to sound like everyone else. Your goal is to become known for helping the people you want to serve.<\/p>\n For introverted lawyers, content is powerful because it lets expertise speak before personality ever has to carry the conversation.<\/p>\n 5. Show Up Long Enough for LinkedIn to Work<\/strong><\/p>\n There is nothing magical about LinkedIn when it is used once every six weeks.<\/p>\n A lawyer who updates a profile, posts twice, connects with a few people, and then quits after a month will probably conclude that LinkedIn does not work. That lawyer is wrong. The strategy did not fail. The lawyer failed to be consistent.<\/p>\n Business development requires traction. Traction requires repetition.<\/p>\n Set manageable goals. Share one meaningful post each week. Connect with five well selected professionals each week. Comment thoughtfully on posts from people in your target network. Schedule a few individual Zoom conversations every month.<\/p>\n Then keep going.<\/p>\n If you take those actions consistently over the course of a year, you will become more visible, more connected, and more credible with the exact people who can help grow your practice.<\/p>\n That does not mean you should never attend an event again. There will always be value in meeting people in person. But you do not have to make crowded rooms, expensive conferences, and endless cocktail receptions the center of your business development strategy.<\/p>\n LinkedIn gives introverted lawyers an opportunity to play to their strengths. You can be thoughtful. You can be targeted. You can prepare before you engage. You can build trust at your own pace. Most importantly, you can create meaningful relationships without wasting time, money, or energy on activities that rarely bring out your best.<\/p>\n Discomfort may always be part of business development. The answer is not to avoid it completely. The answer is to choose the discomfort that leads somewhere.<\/p>\n For many introverted lawyers, LinkedIn may be the most productive place to begin.<\/p>\n To learn more about how I help lawyers develop stronger relationships, build their brands, and grow successful law practices through Sales-Free Selling\u2122, visit BETHATLAWYER.COM<\/strong>, or schedule a conversation with me directly at fretzin.com\/letstalk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Steve Fretzin is a five-time bestselling author, host of the\u00a0BE THAT LAWYER\u00a0and\u00a0Future Rainmakers\u00a0podcasts, and a business development coach who works exclusively with attorneys. For more than 18 years, he has helped lawyers build strong books of business without selling, pitching, or chasing, using his proven Sales-Free Selling\u2122 approach. His clients consistently become top rainmakers and credit his coaching and systems for driving meaningful, measurable growth. Steve can be reached directly at\u00a0steve@fretzin.com<\/a>, or through his website at\u00a0bethatlawyer.com<\/a>. Connect with him on LinkedIn at\u00a0https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/stevefretzin<\/a>. His ALL NEW\u00a0BE THAT LAWYER Community\u00a0is changing how lawyers develop the skills never taught in law school. Learn more at\u00a0bethatlawyer.com\/community<\/a><\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n \n The post LinkedIn Is The Golden Goose For Introverted Lawyers: 5 Ways To Get Comfortable With Discomfort In Legal Business Development<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" People often think of me as an extrovert, and they are not wrong. Put me in a room with people, and I will tell stories, ask questions, make connections, and probably enjoy having a little attention thrown my way. 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