Billable Hour Pressure Is No Excuse For Not Marketing

A great post today on Legal Marketing Blog.com about key business development ideas:

Getting the legal work completed. Getting those billable hours in. Important, of course. However, because you are busy is no excuse for not getting out there face-to-face with clients and referrals sources to ensure that work continues to flow into the law firm.

Not enough time is often cited as the reason lawyers don’t do more marketing and business development. But that may not be the whole story. There is a pretty good article that stresses the need for lawyers to have more face time to develop business on Dolan Media Company’s web site.

The article points out several reasons that may be at the root of the problem. Many lawyers are introverted, not comfortable networking and although very disciplined when it comes to a client’s matter, not so much when it comes to marketing in order to maintain their business.

Here’s eight keys to business development success gleaned from the article, and which I have also preached about many times:

1. Get out from behind your desk, and raise your profile by being more visible;
2. Cultivate desirable relationships;
3. Attend events where your clients and potential clients are likely to be;
4. Schedule lunch or breakfast dates;
5. Ask clients what keeps them up at night, then listen to them;
6. Visit your key clients (off the clock) to learn more about their business;
7. Ask for feedback, specifically ask what the firm could do better; and
8. Look for opportunities to write and speak to your intended audience.

Excuses won’t bring in more business.