Business Development for Lawyers: Six Strategies That Genuinely Save Time

Below, we summarise six concrete strategies with which lawyers can integrate business development into their daily routine in a realistic and sustainable way.

1. One Step at a Time

A common mistake in business development is attempting to do everything at once. Whoever tries to simultaneously build a network, produce content, attend events, acquire mandates, start a family and maintain private activities will inevitably become overwhelmed — and end up implementing none of it, or very little, in a sustainable way.

The better approach: start small, stay consistent.

Business development is not a sprint, but a marathon. Whoever builds one activity at a time and sticks with it will get further than someone who sporadically tries everything at once.

2. Be Realistic With Yourself

Successful business development strategies fit the life one actually leads — not the life one might perhaps like to lead. Someone who is, for example, currently starting a family has different capacities than someone without those commitments. Someone managing process-intensive litigation mandates lives in a different rhythm than someone in advisory work.

In concrete terms, this means: what networking contacts already arise naturally from daily life? Business development is most effective when it integrates naturally into one's own everyday life.

3. Categorise Business Development Activities by Time Required

Not every BD measure requires the same amount of time. That offers flexibility. It is helpful to divide activities into three categories:

Minutes: A LinkedIn post, a short e-mail to an existing contact, forwarding an article, etc. These things fit even into a period when a great deal is happening. And they can be done anytime and anywhere — including in the evening or at the weekend, if that suits better.

Hours: Lunches, networking events, coffee meetings, etc. These activities require a bit more time, but not a whole day. They belong in the weeks when there is somewhat more flexibility.

Days: A specialist conference, a presentation, a workshop. These formats take days and require lead time as well as planning.

The trick: during an intensive week before an important hearing, one takes care of the minutes activities. At the same time, a short e-mail can already arrange a lunch for a period when there is more breathing room. This creates continuity without overload.

4. Intentionality Beats Improvisation

Business development that happens "somehow" mostly doesn't happen at all. Whoever wants to remain consistently visible and active needs a rhythm.

Ask yourself every week: what can I realistically do this week?

Whoever does this consistently keeps an overview and does not lose sight of the goal — even during particularly hectic phases.

5. Make Better Use of Existing Content

Most lawyers underestimate two things at the same time:

1. how much knowledge they already have, and
2. how little of it has so far actually been made visible.

The good news is: every question a client asks is potentially a LinkedIn post, a blog article, or a newsletter contribution. Whoever starts capturing such questions systematically — for example directly after client meetings — quickly builds up a pool of relevant topics that never runs dry.

At the same time, it is worthwhile to consistently recycle and repurpose existing content. A blog post about the Coldplay kiss-cam "incident", for example, can serve as source material for several LinkedIn posts that each illuminate different aspects of the topic:

• What consequences does the CEO's behaviour have?
• What role does privacy play in the employment relationship?
• When are out-of-work activities relevant for an employer?

From a single piece of content, several independent, easily digestible posts emerge.

Going one step further is so-called "upcycling": existing blog posts that already generate organic traffic can be enhanced by a supplementary document (such as a practical checklist or a guide). Whoever makes this additional content accessible only in exchange for an e-mail address converts anonymous traffic into identifiable leads. The principle is simple, the effort manageable, and the benefit for business acquisition considerable.

Finally: it is generally underestimated how few people have actually seen a piece of content. A post on LinkedIn always reaches only a portion of one's own contacts. Repeating key messages (from different angles, for instance) is part of a good communication strategy.

6. Strategic Clarity as a Foundation

Many lawyers and law firms lose time because they lack strategic clarity. Whoever has to start from scratch every time they want to write a LinkedIn post (defining the target audience, developing topics, setting the tone, etc.) will regularly feel overwhelmed and shy away from the effort.

Whoever, on the other hand, has established once who they want to address, which topics are relevant, which channels are used and how frequently content should appear, can focus the next time on what really matters: the content itself. Strategic clarity is the foundation upon which efficient content and consistent business development first become possible.

Conclusion

Lack of time is rarely the real problem. Far more often, what is missing is structure, system and a realistic set of expectations. One step at a time.

The Attorney BizDev Podcast

Tobias from HeadStarterz and Bill Burns from Porter Wright Morris & Arthur discussed this topic on their podcast. Further episodes of the podcast cover the following subjects:

1. “How do lawyers successfully build business relationships?”
2. “Recognising clients’ needs”
3. “Closing for lawyers: From a good conversation to a won mandate”
4. “Business development for young lawyers”
5. "Referral Marketing for Lawyers"
6. "Personal Branding for Lawyers"
7. "Business Development for Lawyers: Six Strategies That Genuinely Save Time"
8. "Linkedin For Lawyers: Business Development on Social Media"
9. "Law Firm Brand and Personal Brand: How Lawyers Bring Both Together"