You do not have a motivation problem.
Most lawyers who call me about business development already know what they should be doing. They have read the articles. They have sat through the firm retreat. They have a vague list of people they mean to call.
Then a file lands in week three and the list is the first thing to go.
That is the real failure, and it is not a character flaw. It is a planning problem. A business development plan that assumes a quiet month will not survive a busy one, and every month is busy.
Coaching fixes it two ways. The plan gets small enough to survive a bad week. And somebody phones you in two weeks to ask what happened.
What you have after 90 days
- A written BD plan built around your practice, your city, and the hours you actually have. Not a template.
- A short list of people worth your time, with a reason beside each name.
- A 12-month ask calendar, so you know who to contact in February without deciding in February.
- Sentences you can say out loud. How you describe what you do, tested until it stops sounding like a bio.
- The habit, which is the only part that keeps working after we stop.
Who this is for
Lawyers who are good at the work and uncomfortable selling it. Associates coming up for partnership who have been told to build a book without being told how. Lawyers who have changed firms, or cities, or practice areas, and have to start the relationships again.
Who it is not for. If you want more visibility rather than more work, this is the wrong service. If you are not going to do anything between calls, coaching will not save you, and I will say so on the first call rather than the fourth.
Two programs, and one for teams
One diagnostic session plus three working sessions.
- Written BD baseline
- Three goals, in priority order
- 90-day action plan
One diagnostic session plus six biweekly working sessions.
- Everything in Starter
- Full written BD plan
- Your target list, with a reason beside each name
- 12-month ask calendar
- Support between sessions
- Final review that sets up the year ahead
Individual diagnostics, group sessions, private check-ins.
- Scoping call with the partner
- A diagnostic for each lawyer
- Six group sessions
- Mid-point check with each lawyer, privately
- Written report at close
Prices in Canadian dollars for Canadian clients, US dollars for US clients. Invoiced half on signature, half at the mid-point. Your firm can be invoiced directly, and I will provide a scope document for internal approval before you commit.
How it runs
- Sessions are 60 minutes, by video or phone. Ninety minutes for the diagnostic.
- Fixed scope and a fixed end date, both in the agreement before we start.
- You get homework. It is small. The clock runs whether or not you do it.
- Everything is confidential, including from your firm, unless a firm is paying and we agree otherwise up front.
What I will not promise
I will not tell you how many new clients you will get. I do not control who calls you, and anyone who gives you that number is guessing.
What I guarantee is the work: the diagnostic, the plan, the target list, the calendar, the sessions, the review, delivered on schedule. One new matter that came from a relationship you built covers this several times over in most practice areas. If your average file is worth less than that, tell me on the first call and I will tell you so.
Where to start
If you are not sure this is the right piece, start with the free 50-point LinkedIn checklist. It takes fifteen minutes, it scores itself, and it will tell you whether your profile or your habits are the bigger problem.
If you already know, book a call.
Not sure which one you need?
Book a 20-minute call and I will tell you where I would start. If coaching is the wrong piece, I will say so.
Thirty-eight years in legal marketing has taught me that the lawyers who build books are rarely the most outgoing ones. They are the ones with a system small enough to keep doing on a bad week. That is what ninety days buys you.