A
few
days
after
a
fruitful
guided
fishing
trip
with
my
son,
I
told
the
story
of
our
bounty
to
my
friend
Rafi
Arbel
of
Market
JD,
who
works
with
law
firms
on
their
marketing.
I
explained
how
we
spent
the
morning
fishing
on
the
Chain
O’
Lakes
flipping
docks
for
crappies,
bluegills,
and
perch.
For
the
uninitiated,
flipping
docks
requires
precision.
You
fire
a
small
bait
and
bobber
into
tight
shadows
under
docks
to
get
to
where
the
fish
are
most
likely
to
lie
in
waiting.
When
you
hit
the
mark,
it
feels
sensational.
When
you
miss,
you
end
up
snagged
on
the
dock
or
having
to
recast,
which
can
get
frustrating.
Rafi
stopped
me
mid
story
and
asked
why
we
hired
a
guide.
Why
not
just
take
my
son
out
on
our
own.
The
answer
came
easily.
We
do
not
have
a
boat,
but
even
if
we
did,
that
is
not
why
we
brought
in
a
professional.
A
good
guide
changes
the
entire
outcome.
They
know
where
the
fish
are
and
what
bait
or
lures
have
the
greatest
probability
for
success.
They
position
the
boat
to
give
you
the
perfect
angle
and
move
on
quickly
you
when
the
spot
cools
off.
At
the
end
of
the
trip,
they
even
fillet
and
clean
the
fish
so
you
leave
with
dinner
in
the
cooler.
A
lack
of
guidance
on
the
water
is
incredibly
similar
to
the
challenges
lawyers
face
with
business
development
and
personal
branding.
Most
lawyers
are
on
the
“water”
every
week
with
no
clear
plan,
no
real
process,
and
without
an
experienced
guide
who
truly
knows
the
lake.
Lawyers
regularly
tell
themselves
they
can
figure
it
out
because
they
are
smart,
capable,
and
used
to
solving
complex
problems.
Yet
intelligence
does
not
replace
experience,
and
working
harder
does
not
replace
a
proven
system.
If
you
break
down
what
a
skilled
guide
does,
you
end
up
with
the
same
three
fundamentals
that
define
effective
legal
business
development
coaching.
First,
planning
the
trip.
Lawyers
often
jump
straight
into
activity
without
ever
defining
where
they
want
to
go
or
how
they
plan
to
get
there.
A
solid
plan
clarifies
the
targets,
the
strategy,
and
the
tools
needed
along
the
way.
This
includes
building
or
refining
a
marketing
plan,
tightening
your
LinkedIn
profile,
sharpening
your
infomercial,
identifying
the
targets
you
should
meet
with,
and
understanding
where
your
greatest
opportunities
actually
sit.
Most
lawyers
cannot
see
this
because
it’s
hard
to
read
the
label
from
inside
the
bottle.
An
experienced
coach
provides
that
external
view
and
turns
good
intentions
into
an
actionable
results-driven
direction.
Second,
following
a
real
process.
Fishing
requires
more
than
a
boat
and
bait.
It
requires
a
system
for
reading
the
water,
interpreting
conditions,
and
adjusting
to
what
is
happening
beneath
the
surface.
Business
development
works
in
much
the
same
way.
Without
a
proven
process,
lawyers
drift
into
random
acts
of
marketing
and
hope
something
eventually
sticks.
An
industry-focused
coach
brings
a
tested
framework
that
guides
who
to
meet,
how
to
qualify
opportunities,
how
to
lead
effective
business
conversations,
and
how
to
turn
relationships
into
real
work.
Not
every
coach
has
a
system.
Some
simply
react
to
your
ideas.
But
the
best
coaches,
like
the
best
guides,
provide
you
with
methods
and
language
you
can
follow
every
time.
Third,
feedback
and
evaluation.
A
fishing
guide
does
not
sit
still
when
nothing
is
biting.
They
change
tactics.
They
move
locations
and
constantly
evaluate
what
is
working
and
what
is
not.
Lawyers
need
the
same
level
of
course
correction.
An
effective
coach
reviews
what
you
are
doing,
identifies
where
you
are
drifting
off
the
mark,
and
suggests
adjustments
so
you
get
back
on
track.
This
is
where
long-term
success
is
built.
A
fun
question
to
ask
yourself
,
“Do
I
have
three
years
of
experience
in
business
development
or
do
I
have
one
year,
three
times?”
Think
about
that
for
a
moment.
Without
feedback,
lawyers
can
spend
hundreds
of
hours
a
year
on
business
development
with
little
to
show
for
it,
simply
because
no
one
is
helping
them
adjust
in
real
time.
The
broader
point
is
not
merely
about
the
value
of
coaching.
It
is
about
efficiency,
focus
and
clarity.
Lawyers
can
and
do
go
it
alone,
hoping
they
figure
it
out.
Or
they
can
work
with
someone
who
already
knows
the
water,
knows
the
patterns,
and
knows
how
to
accelerate
progress.
Fishing
with
a
guide
is
not
about
catching
one
fish.
It
is
about
learning
the
system,
so
every
future
trip
is
more
productive.
Business
development
works
the
same
way.
When
lawyers
get
the
right
plan,
the
right
process,
and
the
right
feedback,
the
results
come
faster
and
with
far
less
struggle.
If
you
want
to
explore
how
this
applies
to
your
practice,
I
am
always
open
to
a
conversation.
You
can
reach
me
at
[email protected]
or
visit
bethatlawyer.com.
A
guide
makes
all
the
difference
on
the
water.
The
right
coach
makes
the
same
difference
in
your
career.
The
difference
is
that
one
leads
to
fun
and
a
great
meal,
for
you
it
leads
to
control,
freedom,
and
independence
as
a
lawyer.
Steve
Fretzin
is
a
bestselling
author,
host
of
the
“Be
That
Lawyer”
podcast,
and
business
development
coach
exclusively
for
attorneys.
Steve
has
committed
his
career
to
helping
lawyers
learn
key
growth
skills
not
currently
taught
in
law
school.
His
clients
soon
become
top
rainmakers
and
credit
Steve’s
program
and
coaching
for
their
success.
He
can
be
reached
directly
by
email
at [email protected].
Or
you
can
easily
find
him
on
his
website
at www.fretzin.com or
LinkedIn
at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin.