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When you finish a big case or put the final signatures on a long-time-closing contract, things can get slow around your office. You might begin feeling a little panicky. It\u2019s dangerously easy at that point to slip into thinking you\u2019d take any old legal work you could lay your hands on just to keep the cash flowing. So sure enough, that\u2019s what you do: jump on your horse and gallop off in all directions looking for work. <\/p>\n
And, sure enough, you bring in \u201cany old legal work.\u201d <\/p>\n
Hold Your Horses<\/h2>\n
What if instead of panicking, you spent your less-busy times bringing in work you\u2019d\u00a0love<\/em>\u00a0doing?<\/p>\n And, since you are expending all that business development effort anyway, what if you focused on marketing tasks that would pay off over the long-term \u2014 and not just this month? Yeah, that\u2019s what we thought, too. <\/p>\n This article is dedicated to the proposition that you actually can draw a bead on exactly the kind of work you want to do. Open up a blank screen or notepad, and let\u2019s figure out the best way for you to begin closing in on new clients.<\/p>\n Take the following questions in order, and answer them thoughtfully. In some instances, you may need to pause and do a bit of research. <\/p>\n Perhaps you took a wrong turn a little ways back, taking case after case outside of your initial area of focus. Or maybe, over time, you\u2019ve learned that certain matters are like sandpaper on your skin, while others feel just right. Perhaps you have a driving passion to make something happen in the world and want to find paying legal work that furthers that goal. Well, now\u2019s a good time to get back on track.\u00a0<\/p>\n Just for the sake of illustration, let\u2019s say the work you really want to do can best be described as \u201cbusiness start-ups.\u201d <\/p>\n Right away, this question allows you to carve away a certain percentage of the market you might otherwise waste your time on. Your potential clients are certainly not in-house counsel with established companies. Nor are they injured individuals looking to sue. Grossly stated, the people who might hire you to do this type of work are people who are moving in the direction of starting a new business. (I know, duh.) But you can get a bit more specific: inventors, highly specialized professionals who want to bail out of corporate life, or B-school grads with a hot idea. <\/p>\n For our purposes, let\u2019s choose people who are tired of what they have to put up with to get a paycheck at Big Deal Co., and want to head out on their own.<\/p>\n (To get more formal and focused, this would be the time to define your unique value proposition, or EVP, and do some market research on your competitors. Read Karen and David Skinner\u2019s article on setting up systems for growth.<\/a>)<\/p>\n Assume Mr. Darcy, VP of Human Resources with x-Zooper Corp., wants to make his exit in a sophisticated and professional manner. He isn\u2019t going to randomly ask around for the names of lawyers who can help him. That could lead to an exit before he\u2019s quite ready. No, he\u2019s going to conduct his search for a lawyer in a very confidential fashion. So ask yourself (or ask Claude or Google): what do corporate HR directors read? What organizations do they belong to? What sites or social media platforms do they visit most frequently? <\/p>\n At the same time, you\u2019ll want to think about who might recommend you to Mr. Darcy. Whose opinion would he value on this question? This is challenging because of concerns about confidentiality. Still, there will be some people whose advice he will seek out \u2026 or whose recommendation he will value if he can receive it without tipping his own hand about his plans. The list starts with people who have, themselves, left the corporate world and successfully launched a business.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the payoff for all that research, and where your to-do list begins to develop. Understanding who<\/em> might hire you to do simple business start-ups, you can focus on what<\/em> to do. For example:<\/p>\n Participate in subreddits or LinkedIn groups.<\/strong> <\/p>\n (Look for small, moderated groups or private groups versus large public groups on LinkedIn.) Don\u2019t lurk. Actively post and participate in online discussions about topics related to the law and business entity creation. Remember, you want to be seen. And you want to be impressive on your topic. If you\u2019re not experienced with those types of groups, you\u2019ll learn quickly enough. (Read Annette Choti\u2019s article on social media for law firms<\/a> for tips.)<\/p>\n Identify a local publication likely read by HR professionals or entrepreneurs (smart people read about where they want to go) and pursue opportunities to write creatively on your topic. (If you live in Colorado, as I do, you\u2019d be looking at the Denver Business Journal.) Find out if there\u2019s a chance to develop a series of articles for publication or even a regular column. Be easy to deal with. Write well. Please the editors. They\u2019ll want you to write more. (For your purposes, don\u2019t spend time pursuing national publications or vanity publishers like Forbes. You don\u2019t need clicks, you need real prospects.)<\/p>\n Aspiring entrepreneurs are likely listening to business podcasts or watching on YouTube, and there are surely several in your niche. Reach out and pitch yourself as a guest. Or, look into starting your own podcast<\/a>. <\/p>\n Get involved with a local organization or university focused on training entrepreneurs and new business owners. Again, in Colorado, you might look at the University of Colorado\u2019s Deming Center for Entrepreneurship or Colorado State University\u2019s Center for Entrepreneurship.<\/a>\u00a0Or, you may live near one of these top 25 colleges for entrepreneurs.<\/a>\u00a0Talk, teach and write about legal issues related to start-up businesses. Do it right, and the young people you work with will come to see you as the<\/em> business start-up lawyer\u2014and call you when they start up their businesses.<\/p>\n Better yet, write a guide or pamphlet\u2014a downloadable one\u2014and make it available to anyone interested in starting a business. Maybe it\u2019s a \u201chow to\u201d or\u00a0\u201cpitfalls to avoid\u201d guide, or a \u201cnew business start-up checklist.\u201d Promote it via social media and offer it through your website or blog. While you\u2019re at it, offer a list of other free resources that are useful to new business owners.<\/p>\n (Read Tatia Troy\u2019s tips on self-publishing in \u201cLawyers, You Write for a Living, Now Write to Build Your Brand.\u201d<\/a><\/em>)<\/p>\n Pull together a list of people you have already helped to launch their businesses and schedule lunches and coffee dates. Find out how their business is going. Build relationships. Network. Introduce these people to others who might help them in their business. And, yes, remind them of your capabilities and ask them to share your name with anyone who may be looking for legal help for their own start-up.<\/p>\n There\u2019s more\u2014a lot more\u2014you can do, of course. Once you\u2019ve focused in on the best business development activities, you\u2019ll be surprised at how much simpler it is to build a reputation and a network to support getting exactly the kind of work you want.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s so much easier (and cheaper) than galloping off in all directions!<\/p>\n Photo by Xavier McLaren<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/small><\/small>. <\/p>\n Article updated from the original.<\/p>\n BY MERRILYN ASTIN TARLTON<\/p>\n The biggest obstacle to building a book of business (besides more time!) is knowing where to start. Getting Clients<\/a><\/strong> makes that the easiest part, with straightforward and knowledgeable guidelines, worksheets and the necessary sense of humor.<\/p>\nFive Simple Questions to Answer<\/h2>\n
1. What kind of work would you really like to do?\u00a0<\/h2>\n
2. Who hires lawyers to do that kind of work?\u00a0<\/h2>\n
3. Where do they get their information?\u00a0<\/h2>\n
4. Who do they listen to?\u00a0<\/h2>\n
5. How can you get in front of those people?\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Write locally.<\/strong> <\/h3>\n
Book podcast guest appearances, or start your own.<\/h3>\n
Volunteer.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Write a book.<\/h3>\n
Schedule face time.<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/a><\/figure>\nGetting Clients: An Essential Guide for Lawyers Starting Out or Starting Over<\/strong><\/h2>\n