The Complete Lawyer

In the past few months, numerous law firms have either reduced staff or are slowing down, and that figure seems to be growing steadily. For those of you who still have your job, now is not the time to experience survivor’s guilt. Instead, you must be proactive and creative in your approach to remain essential.

Keep A Full Calendar Of Events

Naturally, your first goal is to exceed expectations in your billable work. But once you get out of your office, concentrate on realizing your business development potential. Start by checking your local convention center and reading business-oriented newspapers to identify upcoming programs. Look for events that interest you—whether it’s motorcycles or tourism—and plan on attending so that you will meet people who share your passions.

Law-related conferences are ideal places to exercise your self-promotion muscles. Consider striking up random conversations with vendors to test your ability to clearly describe what you do in a virtually risk-free environment. They are often interested in your feedback and have unique insight on industry trends.

The upcoming ABA Tech Show in Chicago, Legal Marketing Association and NALP events in Washington, D.C., and LegalTech West in Los Angeles are excellent examples of trade shows you belong at. Experiment with your message. The crowds at these events tend to be a mix of entrepreneurs and technophiles (particularly in the case of the tech shows), as well as other lawyers, talented marketers, dynamic training specialists and journalists.

Become An Expert

If you couldn’t care less about meeting people, attend these events to become a trend-spotter. Think of yourself as taking key information back to your office. As the person who knows the most about technology, marketing or professional development, you will become a valuable resource for your firm’s partners and sometimes even clients. People at the firm will come to rely on your knowledge and experience.

Now’s The Time To Travel

When evaluating potential opportunities, bear in mind that although business may be slow in one part of the world, it is thriving in another. Despite the staff cuts in the U.S. and the U.K., major firms are continuing to expand abroad. Many are still issuing press releases detailing the relocation of associates and partners to new offices in the Middle East.

In order to gauge the potential of other markets, including domestically, try to attend a conference outside of your traditional geographic location. Despite the expense associated with such a trip, you will exponentially increase your chances of meeting people in those cities and influencing your career progression.

Most professionals are unlikely to make a trip for an initial meeting, but they are quite happy to extend a trip they are already taking to meet with a prospect. List the prospects you would like to see in the city to which you are traveling and contact each one of them in advance. Ironically, those with whom you would like to connect are more inclined to meet with you, an out-of-town visitor, than someone local. By creating that opportunity, you will be rewarded with an interesting contact that may have great potential to grow.

It is a myth that great business developers are born with natural instincts for engaging people in discussion and sharing information. They are just more effective at placing themselves in situations where they can generate influence.