The midyear BD reset: what’s worth keeping, what isn’t
July is a useful moment to stop and take stock of your BD. Not because anything has necessarily gone wrong, but because the habits and plans that felt right in January tend to look different six or seven months in – and H2 is long enough to make some deliberate decisions about how you want to use it. This isn’t about a full strategy review or setting new targets. It’s a simpler exercise: look at what’s been working, protect it; look at what hasn’t, and give yourself permission to let it go. Start with what’s actually been happening Before adjusting anything, it helps to be honest about what the last six months have looked like in practice. Not what you planned, but what you actually did — and what came from it.A quick audit doesn’t have to be formal. Three questions are usually enough: Which BD activities have you done consistently, even during busy periods? Which relationships have moved forward — deepened, become more relevant, produced something? What were you doing in January that you stopped, and does it still feel worth restarting? The answers tend to clarify things quickly. What survives a busy H1 is usually worth protecting. What dropped away without consequence is usually telling you something. What to protect The activities worth carrying into H2 are the ones that have been sustainable — not the ones that felt important in theory. If you’ve been having a monthly coffee with a key referrer and it’s been generating introductions, that’s worth protecting. If you’ve been posting on LinkedIn consistently and it’s keeping you visible with the right people, don’t let it slip when September gets busy. This connects back to what we explored in January around what ‘enough BD’ actually looks like — the idea that a small, realistic baseline maintained over time outperforms bursts of intense activity followed by long gaps. Midyear is a good moment to identify what your baseline actually is, based on evidence rather than intention. What to simplify or drop Most BD plans start the year with more in them than is realistic. By June, it’s usually clearer which initiatives are genuinely going to happen and which have been in reality deprioritised for five months running. Dropping something isn’t failure in our opinion — it’s editing. A BD plan that reflects how you actually work is far more useful than one that makes you feel behind every time you look at it. If a particular event series hasn’t produced anything worth following up in six months, it might not be the right use of your time. If a piece of thought leadership has been half-drafted since February, it’s worth deciding now whether it’s going to happen or not. The goal is to go into H2 with a shorter, more honest list — one where everything on it is something you can realistically sustain. A note on relationships One of the easiest things to overlook in a midyear review is the relationship dimension. Activity is visible and easy to audit; relationship quality is harder to assess but often more important. It’s worth spending a few minutes thinking about which relationships have progressed this year and which have drifted. Former clients you haven’t spoken to since a matter concluded. Referrers who were warm in January and haven’t heard from you since. Contacts you met at events and meant to follow up with. None of these require a significant time investment to revive — a short, personal message is usually enough — but they do require you to notice the gap first. Framing BD in your appraisal For associates, midyear also tends to mean appraisals — and BD is a topic that frequently lands badly in those conversations, on both sides. The most common problem is that BD gets assessed as activity rather than progress. A list of events attended, articles drafted, coffees had — without much examination of what any of it produced or where it’s heading. That kind of review is easy to sit through and easy to forget. A more useful way to frame it is to come prepared with a short narrative: what you’ve been focusing on and why, what’s moved as a result, and what you want to prioritise in H2. That’s a different kind of conversation — one that demonstrates commercial thinking, not just compliance with an expectation. Practically, that means being able to distinguish between BD activity and BD progress. Activity is what you did. Progress is what changed: a relationship that deepened, a contact who became relevant to a live matter, a piece of work that came in partly because you stayed visible. Both matter, but the latter is what partners are actually interested in — and it’s worth making it explicit rather than hoping they’ll infer it. If the honest answer is that H1 was busier than expected and BD took a back seat, that’s a reasonable position too. What partners want to see is that you understand the landscape, have a clear view of where you want to focus, and have thought about how to make it more sustainable going forward. That’s a far stronger appraisal conversation than a defensive account of everything you tried to fit in. The reset Midyear BD reviews don’t need to be lengthy. An hour of honest reflection — what’s working, what isn’t, what the next six months should look like — tends to be more useful than any amount of planning done under pressure in January. The aim is to go into H2 with less on the list, more confidence in what’s there, and a clearer sense of what progress actually looks like for you. That’s a good position to be in.
The big whale problem: why chasing new clients can cost you the ones you have
New clients feel like the goal. Visible wins, something to point to, proof that BD is working. It’s understandable — but it’s also where a lot of BD energy gets lost. Because while attention is pointed outward, existing client relationships tend to get left to drift. And that’s rarely a deliberate choice. It’s usually just what happens when there’s no plan pulling in the other direction. What the data actually says The O-Shaped Lawyer report, which looked at what clients actually want from their legal relationships, makes something clear that many firms still haven’t fully absorbed: clients don’t primarily want to be sold to. They want to feel known. They want their lawyers to understand their business, anticipate their needs, and be genuinely useful – not just technically excellent. That matters for how lawyers approach BD. Because what clients describe as valuable – proactive thinking, lateral awareness, someone who connects dots across their business – isn’t something you can deliver if your attention is mostly pointed at people you haven’t met yet. The most productive BD is often already in the room. Why existing relationships get underinvested Billing pressure means that time spent deepening a client relationship rarely has an obvious line on the timesheet. New-business activity, by contrast, has the feel of forward motion – pitches, introductions, events. It’s easier to point to. There’s also a pattern that shows up regularly when working inside firms: lawyers assume that cross-selling or introducing a new service line belongs to someone more senior. That it’s not their place to look beyond their matter. This costs firms a great deal of work that never gets asked for. And it costs lawyers an enormous amount of BD credit they could legitimately be building. What you can actually do Cross-selling has a reputation for being awkward — the transparent up-sell, the shoe-horned introduction. Done badly, that reputation is deserved. Done well, it looks nothing like that. It looks like curiosity. The starting point is “what else is going on for them that we probably don’t know about?” — rather than “what else can we sell this client?” A few practical ways to approach this: Reframe your client conversations. Regular contact with a client — even on a single matter — gives you licence to ask broader questions. What’s keeping them busy at the moment? Are there things coming down the line that they’re already thinking about? These aren’t sales questions. They’re relationship questions. And they’re the ones that surface need before it becomes a formal instruction. Learn the shape of the firm, not just your corner of it. Most lawyers know their own practice area well. Fewer have a working sense of what colleagues in other teams actually do, who they do it for, and what triggers a need for their advice. And that’s usually where the opportunity gets missed. Spending thirty minutes with a colleague in a different group — to understand, rather than to pitch — is genuinely useful BD preparation. Make notes, not just impressions. After a call or a coffee with a client contact, write down what came up. What were they worried about? What did they mention in passing? What surprised you? Over six months, those notes become a clear picture of where the relationship is, what’s changed, and where there might be an opening to do more. At appraisal time, they also become evidence. Use the access you already have. The friction that makes new-business BD feel hard — getting in the room, earning trust, demonstrating you understand their world — is already gone with existing clients. The question is whether that access is being used well. The opportunity most lawyers are sitting on Existing client relationships carry enormous untapped potential – not because firms aren’t capable of delivering more value, but because the system doesn’t naturally surface it. Lawyers are busy. Clients don’t always know to ask. The gap gets filled by inertia. Lawyers who make it their business to close that gap — even incrementally — are doing exactly the kind of BD that gets noticed. It doesn’t require a large network or a high-profile event. It requires paying attention to the relationships already in front of you, staying curious about what lies beyond your matter, and being useful in ways that go slightly further than what was asked. Pick one client relationship this month and ask yourself: do I actually know what else is going on for them? Start there.
What new partners wish they’d known
The best of the Making the Jump interview series May is promotion season. If you have just made partner, congratulations — and also, you probably have a longer to-do list than you anticipated. The BD part of that list tends to feel the most unfamiliar. As a regular segment of our Trifecta newsletter, we speak to partners across practice areas and firm types about the realities of making the step up. Their advice is practical and honest, and provides a real insight into this transition. Here is what the series has taught us so far. Nobody felt fully ready — and that turned out to be fine Ask almost any partner when they knew they were ready, and the honest answer is: they weren’t sure they were. The instinct, in the years before making partner, is to wait for absolute certainty, so that you feel fully equipped before putting your hand up. What our interviewees consistently described was something more gradual: a slow recognition, usually prompted by someone else, that they were already doing the job. The short answer is — no! When it was first mentioned to me that perhaps I would like to consider joining the Partnership I felt nothing but uncertainty. I thought I can’t be ready for this, surely?! I was pretty early on in my career in terms of post-qualification experience, and in my mind being a partner meant being technically excellent as a result of years of experience. — Holly Goacher, Partner, Cripps Holly’s experience is common. The instinct is to measure readiness against some imagined future version of yourself — more experienced, more certain, more authoritative. In practice, the lawyers who make the smoothest transitions are usually the ones who recognise they’re already performing the role before they have the title. For me, it was the moment when I no longer felt insecure about the thought of having the partner badge. It really came down to my client relationships and how those had developed — specifically how I was interacting with key clients and how they were looking to me as their trusted advisor and the first point of contact. — Rachel Davison, Partner, Taylor Wessing What’s equally worth noting is that the uncertainty doesn’t disappear once you make the step. Several partners describe imposter syndrome as an ongoing companion rather than something that resolves at a particular milestone. Having imposter syndrome is completely normal and actually quite healthy! You soon realise that even your superiors still feel imposter syndrome at times. — Rachel Holdaway, Partner, Cripps The advice that flows from this is practical: Holly keeps a note on her phone of things that have gone particularly well – moments that pushed her outside her comfort zone or that were well received by clients. On the days when confidence dips, she reads it back. It’s a simple habit, but the principle behind it matters. Evidence is more useful than reassurance. That uncertainty I described was alleviated as I thought more about taking that next step and talked it through with other partners, but it never really disappears. So long as I acknowledge and understand it, that’s part of what makes me hungry to always be improving. — Holly Goacher, Partner, Cripps The BD expectation shift is bigger than most people anticipate Several interviewees talked about the moment they realised how much their relationship with BD had to change at partnership — and how underprepared they felt for it. As an associate, BD is something you contribute to. As a partner, you own it. That shift in ownership can be harder to absorb than it sounds. There’s a lot more of an emphasis on BD as you move to partnership. I think really it’s fully taking responsibility for driving yourself in a way. You’re given the freedom to do whatever business development you want and what you think is appropriate. — Ben Willows, Partner, EIP For Ben, who spent several years in-house before returning to private practice, the gap was particularly visible. BD simply hadn’t been part of the role in-house, and coming back meant rebuilding both the habit and the mindset from scratch. Rachel Davison describes a version of the same realisation arriving earlier — as a mid-level associate, when she was told that technical excellence was only part of what partnership required. She wishes she’d internalised that message sooner. Most of our interviewees received little formal BD training before making partner, and a lot of new partners have to work this out as they go — including, as Matthew Briggs emphasises, learning to work with colleagues rather than in isolation. I slightly wish I’d taken advice given to me on board sooner. For example, the idea that being a good or hopefully an excellent technical lawyer is all there is to becoming a partner. I kind of wish I’d taken that on board sooner because I think the sooner you’re thinking more as a commercial person within the business, the better. — Rachel Davison, Partner, Taylor Wessing BD is all about building relationships, including with your colleagues, and you won’t be as effective at it working in silos. — Matthew Briggs, Partner, Irwin Mitchell Structure matters more than motivation Every partner we’ve spoken to carries a full case load alongside their BD responsibilities. The ones who describe BD as working well for them aren’t the ones who feel most motivated — they’re the ones who have built enough structure around it that it doesn’t depend on motivation. The fee-earning work will always feel more urgent. Without a plan, BD is what gets dropped. If you just give somebody two hours in their calendar to do some BD without a plan, it’s like, where do you start? You don’t fully appreciate that the journey can actually take several years. — Ben Willows, Partner, EIP Ben has introduced a planning framework in his firm specifically to address this – 90-day action points, broken into
The 10-minute BD myth: why “no time” isn’t the real problem
“I don’t have time for BD.” It’s the single most common thing we hear from associates (and let’s face it, partners too). And it’s understandable. Billable hours targets don’t often leave much time for anything else. Client demands take precedent. Deadlines arrive whether you’re ready for them or not. When your day is already spoken for before 9am, the idea of adding anything else to it feels absurd. But working with associates across law firms of every size has shown us that the ‘no time’ problem is almost always a perception problem – not a time problem. The image that’s getting in the way When most lawyers picture BD, they picture something big, like a polished thought leadership piece, a formal client dinner or a pitch that needs to be perfect before it goes anywhere near a client. That version of BD exists. But it’s not where most relationships are built, and it’s not where most new work actually comes from. The belief that BD requires a significant, uninterrupted chunk of time is one of the first things we work to dismantle in our Momentum training – because until that belief shifts, the time will never appear. It’s not that busy lawyers find the time for BD. It’s that they stop waiting for a mythical clear afternoon and start doing small things, regularly, instead. Small actions. Serious results. The most effective BD is often the simplest. Not because BD is easy – but because consistency beats intensity, every time. A short note sent regularly beats a polished pitch sent once. A warm relationship maintained over months opens doors that a cold introduction never will. Staying visible to the right people, in small ways, over a long period of time – that’s what builds a practice. And it doesn’t require hours. It requires habit. Ten minutes a week, done reliably, adds up to something real. BD in under 10 minutes — five things you can do right now Here’s what that actually looks like in practice. Send a useful article or insight to a contact. It doesn’t have to be something you’ve written — it just has to be relevant to them. A short note saying “thought this might be useful given what you mentioned last time” coupled with a suggestion of a coffee catch-up takes two minutes and keeps the relationship warm in a way that feels genuine, not transactional. Follow up on a past conversation. You met someone at a conference. You spoke on a panel together. You had a good call three months ago. Don’t let it go cold. A simple “it was great to connect, and would love to keep in touch” sent before the moment passes costs almost nothing and keeps the door open for a more thoughtful follow-up. Check in with a former client. Even just to say hello. People work with people they know, like and trust – and staying visible is a bigger part of that than most lawyers realise. A brief, personalised check-in keeps you in the back of someone’s mind for when the right moment comes. You’d be surprised how many times that check-in email results in a “I’m actually working on something that you might be able to help with”. Top of mind = top of the list. Book a coffee with a referrer. It doesn’t need an agenda. It doesn’t need to be formal. It just needs to happen. Referral relationships, like all relationships, need occasional contact to stay alive. Make an introduction. This is a powerful one. Getting in contact with any of the above? Take 1 minute to think of who in your network they might benefit from being introduced to, and tack the question onto the end of your check-in email, asking your contact if that would benefit them. Unsolicited offers of help like this breed goodwill that goes much further than any standard check-in and builds deep trust. None of these require preparation. None of them require a strategy document. They require ten minutes and the decision to actually do them. It’s about relationships, not hustle It’s worth stepping back for a moment, because there’s a version of this conversation that makes BD sound like a relentless drip of activity – always on, always selling, always performing. That’s not what we’re describing. BD, at its simplest, is about the people already in your network. Nurturing the relationships you have, staying front of mind. Making it easy for someone to think of you when the right opportunity comes up – not because you’ve been chasing them, but because you’ve been present and it makes sense. The goal is never to add more to your plate. It’s to make the things that matter most feel manageable enough to actually do. The only thing left is to start Pick one thing from the list above. Just one. Don’t plan it, don’t schedule a strategy session around it – do it this week.
What ‘enough BD’ actually looks like
BD often becomes harder than it needs to be because expectations are set in bursts. There are periods where activity ramps up, plans get made, and BD feels front of mind. Then work intensifies, capacity drops, and BD slips. Progress ends up being judged against short windows that rarely reflect how a year of legal work actually plays out. A more useful way to think about BD is over a longer cycle, and to be clearer about what needs to keep going even when work is heavy. This is particularly relevant for associates and senior associates, where time is limited and expectations can feel vague. ‘Enough’ BD isn’t about doing everything For most lawyers, ‘enough BD’ is mainly about staying active without burning out. That means shifting the focus away from everything you could be doing, and towards a small baseline that’s realistic even in busy periods. In practice, this tends to be a small number of activities that support visibility and relationships without requiring significant additional effort. For example: staying in touch with a handful of priority contacts, rather than trying to expand networks ensuring matters are followed up once they conclude, even if no new outreach is planned contributing to BD through client conversations, internal collaboration, or shared firm activity The emphasis is not on volume, but on continuity. Allow BD to ebb and flow without disappearing Over the course of a year, BD will naturally expand and contract. There will be periods where it makes sense to invest more time and others where maintaining a baseline is sufficient. Treating those quieter phases as part of the normal rhythm, rather than something to be corrected, makes it easier to return to more proactive activity when capacity allows. You maintain some form of momentum because BD never drops out completely. Be clear about what can pause Clarity about ‘enough BD’ also comes from being explicit about what doesn’t need to run continuously. Not every initiative has to be active at all times, and not every opportunity needs to be pursued immediately. Knowing which activities can pause without consequence reduces friction and simplifies decision-making, particularly during intense periods. For associates especially, this kind of permission matters. It removes the background guilt/panic that often sits alongside BD and replaces it with more deliberate decision-making. Look at progress over time, not week by week We know that BD is a long game in most cases. So it’s therefore best assessed over longer horizons. Reviewing progress quarterly or annually gives a far more accurate picture than judging activity week by week. When you define BD in this way, it becomes easier to maintain a steady presence across the year — without relying on ideal conditions or constant (and unsustainable) intensity. For many lawyers, that sense of “this is enough for now” is what makes BD feel doable in the first place.
BD habits that take under 30 minutes a week — and still deliver results
Small, consistent actions often beat big, ambitious plans When business development feels like something you ‘should’ do but never quite get to, it’s usually because it’s sitting on your list as a big, daunting task. But most successful partners and senior associates will tell you that’s not how they do it. The real secret isn’t carving out big chunks of time; it’s building small, manageable habits into the rhythm of your week. When done consistently, those actions build relationships, uncover opportunities and increase visibility — without ever feeling like a major extra job. The best part? Many of them take less than half an hour. Quick-win BD habits to try Below are five practical, low-barrier actions you can build into your week. They’re deliberately simple — but when repeated consistently, they compound into tangible business development results. 1. Send one ‘keep-in-touch’ email Pick one person from your network — a client, referrer, prospect or former contact — and reach out. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. A few ideas: Share an article or report that’s relevant to their sector. Congratulate them on a piece of news or a recent achievement. Ask a question about something they’re working on. The key is that it’s personal and relevant, not generic or sales-focused. Why it works: Staying front-of-mind is half the battle in BD. These small, thoughtful interactions make sure you’re the person they think of when an opportunity arises. And because you’re reaching out with value, not a pitch, it strengthens the relationship rather than straining it. Give them a reason to call you first. 2. Add substance to two LinkedIn interactions Scrolling through LinkedIn for five minutes isn’t business development. But contributing to the conversation — even briefly — can be. Aim to write two substantive comments each week on posts from clients, contacts or sector leaders. Go beyond “congratulations” or “great post” and add a perspective, ask a question, or link the topic to something relevant in your world. Why it works: LinkedIn’s algorithm rewards meaningful interaction, which means more people will see your name and profile. More importantly, thoughtful comments show credibility and curiosity — two qualities clients notice when deciding who to trust. Bonus tip: If you’re shy about posting original content, this is an excellent stepping stone. Regular comments build confidence and visibility without the pressure of drafting full posts. If you’re new to LinkedIn or just feeling uncomfortable with the visibility, send your comment through a direct message to the author and use it start a private conversation. 3. Choose one opportunity to move forward Every practice has conversations, proposals or prospects that have gone a bit quiet. Spend ten minutes reviewing them and pick one to move forward. That could mean: Following up on a proposal you haven’t heard back on. Sharing a new idea linked to an ongoing matter. Offering a short call to talk through next steps. Why it works: Business development often stalls because we’re waiting — for the right time, for the client to come back to us, for capacity to free up. Proactive follow-ups break that inertia. Even if the answer is “not now,” it keeps the door open and the conversation alive. And if it’s a “no”, this gives you a reason to focus your efforts elsewhere (and put the prospect on a ‘keep in touch’ list. 4. Share one useful piece of intelligence internally It’s easy to forget that BD isn’t just external — it’s internal, too. Some of the best opportunities emerge when colleagues know what you’re seeing in the market and where you’re building relationships. Spend a few minutes each week sharing a piece of useful intel with your team: a client development, a regulatory update, a new connection or a sector shift. You can do it by email, in a team meeting or on an internal channel. Why it works: It positions you as someone who’s commercially aware and proactive, and it encourages collaboration. Colleagues might spot cross-selling opportunities or bring you into their conversations — and that often leads to work you wouldn’t have won alone. 5. Book one future conversation Relationships fade when we don’t nurture them — and one of the simplest ways to do that is by scheduling conversations before they’re needed. Each week, pick one person you’d like to stay connected with and invite them for a coffee, lunch or quick call. Why it works: The best BD conversations are the ones that happen before there’s a specific opportunity on the table. They’re lower pressure, more authentic, and often more revealing about what clients or contacts care about. Over time, they build a pipeline of trusted relationships you can draw on when opportunities arise. Make it stick: build accountability Even with small actions, consistency is the hardest part. The solution is to make them routine — block a recurring 30-minute slot in your diary each week and treat it as non-negotiable. A few ways to make that happen: Block the time: A recurring 30-minute slot in your diary each week is far more effective than waiting for ‘when you have time.’ Stack the habit: Link it to something you already do — e.g. a quick BD check-in before your weekly team meeting. Track small wins: Keep a simple list of who you’ve contacted or followed up with. Seeing it grow is motivating and helps you spot where you’re building momentum. And if you know you’re more likely to follow through with accountability — many people are — structured support can make a significant difference. Regular check-ins, tailored strategies and someone to challenge your thinking all make it far easier to turn good intentions into consistent habits. Build momentum before year-end Our BD Coaching & Consulting packages are designed to give you that structure, strategy and accountability — especially useful if you’re keen to build momentum as the year wraps up. We work with partners, senior counsel and senior associates to design practical, achievable plans and keep them on track, so the small weekly actions add up to meaningful
Unlocking associate BD: three contributions you’re missing that could drive your 2026 targets
Most leaders agree associates have a role in BD — but too often it’s limited to pitches or directory submissions. With 2026 targets looming, it’s time to unlock their real contribution. Here are three overlooked ways associates can directly support relationships and revenue. 1. Targeted network activation: turning dormant contacts into live opportunities Your associates are sitting on underutilised networks, and not just university or peer contacts. They often have touchpoints with the next generation: rising in-house counsel, junior contacts at key clients or intermediaries, and a wide array of LinkedIn connections they’ve never thought to filter through a BD lens. What your team may be missing: Encouraging associates to map their contacts against your priority accounts or sectors. Run small, targeted outreach campaigns that associates can lead (e.g. ‘I thought of you when I saw this update on [X]’). Assigning client listening roles in relevant matters to foster contact-building early. Why this matters: Associates aren’t yet tied to billing pressure in the same way as partners, and clients are more open than ever to junior-level relationship-building. 2. Insight-led input: using associates to spot client themes before your competitors do Associates spend more time in the detail of legal matters than anyone else on the team. This proximity to the real challenges clients are navigating makes them a powerful (and often underused) source of insight when planning BD campaigns or developing content strategies. What your team may be missing: Asking associates what patterns they’re seeing in current matters (e.g. emerging risks, regulatory gaps, repeat negotiation hurdles). Including associates in BD planning meetings — especially when brainstorming content topics or issues clients care about. Encouraging associates to flag client trends informally via email, Teams, or even a quick comment after a matter update — so insights aren’t lost in the day-to-day rush. Why this matters: When BD activity reflects what’s happening in practice, not just what the partnership thinks clients care about, it’s often more timely, resonant, and useful. Associates can inject relevance and credibility into your campaigns in a way that stands out. 3. BD skill-building that pays off now — not just when they make partner Many firms approach associate BD training as an investment in future rainmakers. But you’re missing short-term return on that investment if it’s not geared toward practical involvement today. What your team may be missing: Embedding associates in live client development activities, like preparing for relationship reviews, helping shape credentials decks, or attending relevant client events alongside partners. BD goal-setting in annual reviews, tied to real team metrics — not just ‘demonstrates interest’. Pairing associates with partners or senior associates in visible BD roles alongside partners. Why this matters: Associates who understand how BD works are more commercially astute on client matters, more proactive with ideas, and more invested in client outcomes. That’s the kind of mindset that drives current-year performance, not just future-year pipeline. Final thought: don’t just empower — equip and expect Unlocking associate BD isn’t about handing over a CRM login and hoping for the best. It’s about building a culture where their contributions are expected, guided, and recognised. If you want to hit your 2026 targets with confidence, your associates aren’t just part of the plan — they’re a multiplier waiting to be activated.
Tech-driven BD: How lawyers can leverage digital tools to win more work
The days of relying solely on client lunches, printed brochures, and ‘hoping for a referral’ are over. Business development in law is evolving – and fast. With shrinking margins, growing competition, and increasingly savvy clients, lawyers are under more pressure than ever to generate work proactively. The good news – from CRMs to content automation and AI-powered intel, the right digital tools can transform the way lawyers win and retain clients. Here’s how to use them. 1. Use a CRM that actually works for you Let’s start with the backbone of any BD strategy: relationship management. The problem? Most lawyers don’t track it. At best, they rely on memory. At worst, they forget altogether. A simple CRM (Client Relationship Management) system changes that. A CRM allows you to track interactions and activities, manage client relationships, organise your pipeline and streamline communications, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. A solid CRM can help identify growth opportunities, keep you on top of follow-ups, and provide valuable insights into client behaviours. We particularly like tools like Dex and Folk – intuitive, visual, and built with networking in mind. What to track: Coffee chats and client catch-ups Key contacts within client businesses (not just GCs) Promised follow-ups or referrals Birthday or milestone reminders Business intel (e.g., ‘expanding into X market’) Pro tip: Set recurring reminders to check in with top contacts. 2. Turn LinkedIn into a BD engine Most lawyers are on LinkedIn, but very few are using it well. A strong LinkedIn presence isn’t about being an influencer. It’s about visibility, trust, and relevance. Here’s what to focus on: Optimise your profile (headline, ‘about’ section, and featured content) Post valuable insights relevant to your practice area or sector Engage with key contacts’ content (comment > like) Use search filters to identify people in your target client group Connect with a purpose – not just to grow numbers Use the intel to keep up with your short list – send personalised messages to your key targets to deepen relationships Pro tip: Spend just 10–15 minutes a week on targeted engagement. It’s low effort, high return. 3. Automate the admin (and stay top of mind) How many promising conversations have gone cold because of follow-up fatigue? Automation doesn’t need to be robotic. With the right tools, it can be human and consistent. Tools like Mailchimp, HubSpot, or even a smart Google Sheets + Gmail plug-in combo can help you: Send personalised follow-ups at scale Share updates or content with segmented audiences Create simple email sequences to stay visible after pitches or events And when it comes to content marketing – think beyond the firm’s newsletter. Personalised content from you (even a simple ‘thought of you when I saw this’ email) goes much further. Pro tip: Create a ‘light touch nurture’ list – people who aren’t ready to instruct you yet, but you want to stay on their radar. 4. Use AI to spot opportunities before they knock No, you don’t need to become a tech guru. But the AI available today can help you: Scan news or company updates for client intel (try Google Alerts + Feedly) Use tools like Clay or Folk to surface relationship prompts based on changes in your network Analyse engagement trends from LinkedIn to see what content resonates Draft initial BD content faster using tools like ChatGPT Pro tip: Set alerts for key clients or industries. Being the first to offer insight after a merger, expansion or hire = serious BD brownie points. Work smarter, not harder Technology doesn’t replace relationships. But it can make building and maintaining them a whole lot easier. If you’re: Struggling to stay on top of follow-ups Feeling invisible between matters Unsure how to build your pipeline while billing full time… Then digital tools aren’t a luxury. They’re a lifeline. Start small – choose one system, one habit, one platform. And if you need help building a BD approach that fits your practice and your personality – we can help. We’ve built tools and coaching plans specifically for lawyers ready to level up their BD. Book a strategy call
Keeping clients: how to stay relevant, useful and trusted
Winning a client is only the first step. Keeping them – year after year – is where the real work begins. Client retention isn’t just about being ‘good at the job’. It’s about staying relevant, proactive, and connected – even when things are going smoothly. We work with lawyers and BD teams across the UK, and we see the same pattern time and again:It’s not the dramatic missteps that cause client relationships to drift.It’s the slow fade. The missed moment. The lack of rhythm. Here’s how to avoid that – and build relationships that last. 1. Don’t wait for a problem to reach out Too often, communication is reactive – driven by instructions, deadlines, or issues. Clients want to feel like you’re thinking about them before they appear in your inbox. ✅ Schedule regular check-ins✅ Share a relevant article or update✅ Flag a change in their industry or a regulation on the horizon✅ Ask, “How are things going internally?” even when no work is on the table Reaching out before you’re needed shows you’re paying attention – and that you’re in it for the long haul. 2. Understand what the client really needs — not just what they asked for The best lawyers don’t just respond to briefs. They anticipate them. That means: Understanding the client’s business priorities – not just their legal ones Knowing how they’re measured internally Being clear on their pressures, board dynamics, and growth plans When you understand context, you can tailor advice, spot opportunities, and move from supplier to strategic partner. 3. Be consistent, not just brilliant One-off wins don’t build trust. Consistency does. The clients who stay are the ones who know what they’re going to get – in tone, quality, response times, and communication style. That might sound simple, but it’s easy to overlook. Especially when things are busy. Ask yourself: Are our interactions always clear and useful? Do we follow up when we say we will? Are we making life easier – or adding to their to-do list? Consistency builds comfort, and comfort builds loyalty. 4. Avoid the common pitfalls Here are some of the top causes of quiet attrition – and how to counter them:🚫 Lack of visibility: You only speak to one person at the client side.→ Action: Broaden your relationships across the business early.🚫 Too much ‘selling’, not enough listening→ Action: Make space for their concerns. Don’t just pitch – ask.🚫 No clear value between matters→ Action: Share insights, offer briefings, or invite them to sector events.🚫 Inconsistency after the initial engagement→ Action: Set and stick to internal service standards – even for familiar clients. In summary Client loyalty isn’t just earned through great advice. It’s built through trust, visibility, and value – delivered consistently over time.The lawyers and firms that retain clients for the long haul aren’t just technically excellent.They’re intentional.Proactive.And genuinely invested. If your firm wants to strengthen client retention – through training, BD planning, or coaching – we’d love to help. Book a strategy call Or explore how we support firms like yours here.