Aristotle once said that “The law is reason free from passion.” In the 21st century, however, the law is also a business. To thrive in an unpredictable, competitive market, lawyers must do more than rely on their training. Solo practitioners and law firms must employ client-centric business development strategies. Essentially, lawyers act as legal problem solvers and trusted advisors, but a client centric attorney goes above and beyond. Beyond addressing a client’s legal concerns, an attorney must act as a strategic advisor who helps clients navigate the complexities of legal landscapes and long-term business decisions. Thus, the ability to practice the law successfully is not merely reliant upon an attorney’s training and intellectual prowess, but it is also reliant upon an attorney or firm’s ability to attract a consistent client base and nurture those relationships over weeks, months and years through successful business development strategies. Effective business development strategies for attorneys and law firms include nurturing client relationships, building strong referral networks, and leveraging technology to create a seamless client experience.
To build client centric practices, attorneys and firms must build an internal culture focused on meeting client needs and building strong relationships. Every employee within the legal practice or firm must view their job through a client centric lens. This should be executed in several ways. Client centric attorneys spend time getting to know their clients, can anticipate client needs, and are accountable to their customer base. In doing so, attorneys and firms can build strong professional brands rooted in a client centric ethos. An important aspect of having strong relationships with clients is spending extra time outside of one’s work duties learning about the unique challenges that clients face and the ways in which the firm or attorney can address these challenges.
Beyond pacing an emphasis on building client relationships and anticipating client needs, attorneys can also create opportunities that allow them to create value for their clients. Instead of taking one client out for drinks or dinner, attorneys can arrange an event with multiple clients who work in similar industries or travel in similar circles, allowing them to get to know one another, network, and perhaps engage in lucrative business deals down the line. In doing so, the attorney can leverage themselves as more than a confidant or a problem solver, but as a valuable asset that can bring their client monetary value. Engaging in this kind of networking is incredibly impactful, as the attorney has gone beyond their basic duties in the attorney-client relationship, now positioning themselves as an indispensable resource as it pertains to the client’s business goals.
Maintaining strong relationships is crucial to a law firm’s success, but building new relationships through strong referral networks is equally important to maintain and increase revenue. Attorneys must view everyone they interact with, ranging from current clients to former law school classmates, as potential referral sources. On a basic level, building strong relationships is foundational to creating and sustaining strong referral networks. Clients that feel valued and satisfied are more likely to refer their attorney or firm to friends, coworkers, or family members that require similar legal services, asking for client reviews and testimonials, especially those that can be published on blogs or websites, can also yield future referrals or new client inquiries. Additionally, client-centric attorneys are also able to set aside their ego and ask clients for honest feedback, and based on that feedback, attorneys should adjust their client interactions accordingly. Another way attorneys can yield referrals is by working with other attorneys who work in complementary areas of the law that do not compete. By collaborating with colleagues, attorneys can build new client relationships, building rapport with both the attorney they’re working with and that attorney’s client base. Looking outside of their specialized practice or firm allows attorneys to expand their client base, bolstering a strong referral network.
Of course, technology is paramount to any 21st century business’s success. As it relates to lawyers and law firms, technology can be utilized in a myriad of ways. Some of the most common ways that technology can be used to build and maintain client bases is through posting on the blogs, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Technology can also be specifically utilized to optimize the client experience through creating secure client portals and secure communication channels, ensuring that attorney-client privilege is supported and protected in every interaction, including digital ones.
Ultimately, lawyers and law firms have a myriad of business development tools and techniques that they can use to transform their businesses into client-centric models. To grow and succeed in an unpredictable, volatile legal market, attorneys must build their practices upon client-centric approaches through utilizing business development techniques such as nurturing client relationships, building strong referral networks, and utilizing technology to support their feral networks and optimize client experiences.
