08 Dec 2021
The first sale you make is to yourself.
The first client you bring on is you.
People often come to us feeling shy, self-conscious, awkward about promoting themselves at conferences, LinkedIn. They feel like they’re being too pushy to ask for the sale.
There is no trick or hack to get past that feeling without consider the bigger questions.
What is the worth of your work? What is your vision for your work? How do you wish to serve your clients? Where do you thrive?
Answering these questions require honest self-reflection.
There’s a reason why for most of our clients, at least one session ends up sounds more like therapy than “BD coaching”.
You cannot fake it.
Without real answers to these questions, you won’t feel comfortable promoting yourself. Or asking for the sale. Or going after the work that you’re here to do.
Have you made this first sale to yourself?
This level of honest self-reflection requires a safe, honest, and open space. We’re proud to create that by carefully choosing small cohorts of partners, solo-practitioners, and senior associates in our flagship 8 week course. The next cohort starts in January (on 9th or 10th start dates)–a great way to start the new year! If you’re looking to expand your business development efforts authentically, it’s time to learn more and apply for The Authentic Business Builder cohort.
06 Dec 2021
We no longer live in (just) a service economy. We live in an identity economy.
Are you prepared for it?
One lesson we keep coming back to with the hundreds of conversations we have is this: people buy on emotion, then justify with logic.
People don’t just want great service from you. They want connection and understanding. They want to know your story, why you do what you do.
Unfortunately, we’ve learned to abandon that. We diminish our identity and story often. We hide behind the suit, tie, and degrees.
We hide behind stiff formal language that intimidates, bores, or exhausts our clients.
Yet, the CEO, or General Counsel, or the mom & dad who are about to buy their first house want more. They already know you’re competent. They want to know how you’re different. What moves you, drives you, motivates you.
Your identity is the currency of instant trust and rapport. It is the ultimate thing that cannot be replicated by others.
Can you share your identity unabashadely? Imagine your LinkedIn, your website, your posts, your talks all honed in with that. It’s what makes marketing and sales non-sleazy.
On the note of doing things authentically, we’ve been steadily filling up spots in our Authentic Business Builder cohort for January 2022. It’s focused on building your practice authentically, and it arms you with the tools, systems, and most importantly the voice to connect with others authentically.
There’s a substantial discount for those who apply and get accepted before the end of the month. And an even greater discount if you come with a friend. Click on the link to learn more, apply, and get your questions answered with a 1-1 call to see if it’s right for you.
One last note. We’re running a free live workshop in partnership with Nexl titled Making time for BD: a new look at time management this Thursday. If you’d like to learn more and sign up for this event, click here.
01 Dec 2021
Is business development part of the “soft” stuff in the practice of law?
Or is the hard stuff?
Attorneys often come to us asking us for quick tips/tricks/techniques to grow their book of business.
7 Ways to Make $7,000 in 7 Days!
A bit hyperbolic, but you get the point.
We usually stay away from such posts. There are millions of such posts on the Internet. Most of it doesn’t work. And it’s not the hard stuff.
What’s hard is:
- knowing how to sound human to your clients
- showing real interest
- creating trust and respect
- being creative with your strategy
- connecting your “why” to your work
- having the right beliefs to follow-up, experiment, try and try again…
- having conviction in your value to ask for their business
Ironically, these things are considered “soft”.
Without them however, the “hard” stuff will give you no results.
Have you spent time on the soft stuff today? What do you struggle with the most?
29 Nov 2021
Have you been waiting for permission?
The permission to send that email to a prospective client. Or host an event. Or claim that your brand is about that new practice area that excites you.
Most people wait forever. They imagine stories in their head.
“What if they think I’m a pest?”
“What if no one shows up when I host this event?”
“What if people find out no one gave me permission?”
“What if no one responds to my post?”
Imagined stories about a nebulous group withdrawing attention/love/business.
Of course those stories are mostly false.
We keep waiting for someone else to ordain us with the credentials, degrees, awards, the platform for us to put our stake in the ground.
A better approach is to tell yourself a different story. A story that gives you permission now.
All of these count: Your interest, your value, your passion, your enthusiasm, your curiosity. All these are reason enough to send out that email. To host that event. To make that post. To follow-up.
Will you give yourself permission today?
24 Nov 2021
Millions of people across America are celebrating Thanksgiving this week. You can too, no matter where are you in the world.
Not so much about celebrating the harvest before winter.
Rather, to celebrate three things:
First, to celebrate the people around us who support us in this hard-to-define work that has its fair share of challenges and complications.
Second, the chance to do something worthwhile with our lives. To solve problems for others, to connect people, ideas, resources, opportunities togethers. That’s what the authentic lawyer does everyday.
Let’s never forget that this is our real work and we’re making it happen everyday. It’s work that matters.
Finally, the commitment to growth. Not everyone wants to grow in this profession and transcend the broken cultural definition of an attorney. You are challenging that, and that makes all the difference.
On behalf of me and Aaron, thank you for doing this everyday.
What are you celebrating?
An aside: Registration for the January 2022 Authentic Business Builder is open. We’re running 3 cohorts for 8 weeks. The results so far have been incredible from the dozens of partners/senior associates/solo practitioners we’ve worked with. We are offering early bird pricing that saves you $500 if you get in by December 31st. You can learn more about the cohort & apply here.