How attorney successfully build business relationships

In legal practice, the focus in business development is still often too strongly on self-promotion. However, lasting economic success in a legal career does not come from constantly repeating how cool and good you are. Successful lawyers are those who build trusting, resilient business relationships that have grown over time.

Business development is relationship building – not self-promotion

Mandates arise where there is trust. Trust, in turn, cannot be ‘pitched’. Anyone who sees business development primarily as a means of promoting their own expertise is missing the point: 

Clients are less interested in what a law firm can do and more interested in whether it understands their specific situation.

Most clients do not lack access to talented solicitors. Professional excellence is a prerequisite in the market. The expertise of a law firm or solicitor is therefore merely a guide, but not a distinguishing feature.

The paradox is that as experts, we tend to focus our conversations heavily on precisely this point. Talking about our professional competence feels good. It is safe territory, our ‘comfort zone’. Unfortunately, in conversations with clients, it is rarely effective in building a lasting relationship.

The difference arises when legal competence is combined with a genuine interest in the other person.

‘Will this person solve my problem?’

Clients hire you as a solicitor when they are convinced that you can solve their problem.

Of course, you may be pitching for a project that is not within your core area of expertise. In all other cases, if a client does not hire you, it does not mean that you are professionally unsuitable. In most cases, your competitors have been more successful in building a trusting relationship with the target. Your competitors have been more successful in understanding the client's goals, needs and challenges. They have managed to formulate a suitable offer.

Active listening is a competitive advantage

Legal training focuses on teaching argumentation, not listening. In practice, however, active listening is one of the most important skills in business development.

Those who listen attentively learn what really lies behind the legal issue or the wording of a request: time pressure, internal power relations, budget constraints, strategic goals, personal challenges, etc. This information is crucial for offering solutions that actually help and are therefore perceived as relevant. Therefore, the following applies:

Less speaking time – if you only talk about yourself, you'll miss out on the most important information! 

‘Why do you say that?’ or ‘Why is that important?’ When clients phrase things in an unusual way, hesitate or make unexpected subordinate clauses, it is worth asking questions. This is often where the real starting points for counselling – and for long-term cooperation – lie.

Those who perceive what lies between the lines, hear the details and recognise the essence will gain trust. 

Relationships develop in everyday life, not just over lunch

Business development is not just about the occasional invitation to lunch or drinks. With every interaction, you send signals that are perceived consciously or unconsciously. In legal practice in particular, trust is often built through reliability in everyday life.

Once you have agreed to something, you should definitely stick to it – or explain why you cannot do so in good time.

New enquiries often seem extremely urgent and put lawyers under pressure. This creates the impression that the problem must always be solved immediately. Often, a brief ‘I have received your message and will get back to you later’ is sufficient. This lets the other party know that you have acknowledged the enquiry and will deal with it with the necessary urgency.

Clients do not expect constant availability, but they do expect attention and commitment. In a market with many comparable professional services, this is precisely what sets you apart from the competition. 

Not every activity suits you

A common mistake in law firms is blindly copying successful colleagues. Those who force themselves to network even though they are not comfortable in these situations will neither be authentic nor successful in the long term.

Effective business development works when the chosen measures fit your own personality. This can be a small, personal format, a professional exchange in a manageable setting, or another form of relationship building. The decisive factor is not volume.

Authenticity is not a marketing term, but a prerequisite for long-term relationship building.

Long-term relationships beat short-term visibility

Building sustainable business relationships takes time. It cannot be automated, but with a little skill and greater awareness of the other party, relationships can grow better and faster. At the same time, this investment pays off in several ways: more stable mandates, higher referral rates and lower acquisition costs.

For law firms, this also means making a strategic decision: not to view business development as an additional task, but as an integral part of legal practice.

Those who systematically cultivate relationships not only build revenue, but also trust, reputation and economic stability.