Early
in
my
career,
I
thought
networking
meant
showing
up,
shaking
hands,
and
finding
a
way
to
turn
conversations
into
opportunities.
That
approach
led
me
to
a
lot
of
meetings,
a
lot
of
business
cards,
and
a
surprising
amount
of
stuff
I
didn’t
need,
from
financial
products
to
random
services
I
bought
just
to
support
someone
else.
At
the
time,
it
felt
like
the
right
move.
In
reality,
I
was
missing
the
bigger
picture.
What
I
eventually
learned
is
that
rainmakers
don’t
chase
business.
They
build
what
I
call
“karma
capital.”
They
invest
in
people,
relationships,
and
reputation
long
before
they
ever
see
a
return.
Over
time,
that
investment
compounds
in
ways
that
traditional
networking
never
will.
If
you
feel
like
you
are
putting
in
the
hours
but
not
seeing
the
results,
you
may
be
stuck
as
what
I
call
a
“professional
meeter.”
Busy,
active,
visible,
but
not
moving
the
needle.
The
shift
comes
when
you
stop
thinking
only
of
yourself
and
you
start
focusing
on
the
success
of
others.
Here
are
five
ways
to
build
real
momentum
by
climbing
Karma
Mountain.
1.
Stop
Selling
and
Start
Understanding
Most
lawyers
walk
into
a
meeting
thinking
about
how
to
position
themselves,
how
to
impress,
or
how
to
eventually
land
the
work.
That
mindset
creates
pressure,
and
people
feel
it
immediately.
The
better
approach
is
to
remove
the
agenda
of
selling
altogether.
Focus
on
asking
thoughtful
questions,
listening
closely,
and
showing
that
you
understand
what
the
other
person
is
all
about.
When
someone
feels
understood,
trust
builds
quickly.
That
trust
is
what
opens
doors,
not
a
polished
pitch.
There
is
a
basic
human
need
to
be
heard
and
understood.
When
you
meet
that
need,
you
stand
out
in
a
way
most
lawyers
never
will.
2.
Lead
With
Value
Before
You
Earn
It
One
of
the
fastest
ways
to
build
karma
is
to
help
someone
without
expecting
anything
in
return.
I
recently
saw
a
consultant
in
the
legal
space
launch
a
new
book.
Instead
of
waiting
for
an
introduction
or
thinking
about
what
I
could
gain,
I
reached
out
and
offered
him
a
chance
to
promote
it
on
my
podcast,
BE
THAT
LAWYER.
That
one
gesture
created
goodwill
immediately.
It
opened
the
door
to
a
relationship
that
started
on
the
right
foot,
not
based
on
a
transaction,
but
on
selflessness
and
being
of-service.
I
do
the
same
thing
when
I
meet
with
legal
marketing
agencies.
Many
are
strong
on
marketing
but
struggle
with
business
development.
I
will
spend
time
walking
them
through
better
ways
to
approach
conversations,
showing
them
how
a
sales-free
model
builds
trust
and
avoids
resistance.
I
am
not
billing
for
that
time.
I
am
building
karma.
That
is
how
relationships
get
traction.
3.
Treat
Networking
Like
a
Skill,
Not
an
Activity
Too
many
lawyers
treat
networking
like
something
you
just
go
out
and
do.
Show
up,
grab
a
drink,
have
a
few
conversations,
and
hope
something
sticks.
That
is
not
a
strategy.
That
is
guesswork.
Networking
is
a
skill
set.
There
is
language
that
works,
structure
that
creates
better
conversations,
and
a
process
that
leads
to
real
outcomes.
When
you
become
a
student
of
those
skills,
everything
changes.
You
become
more
efficient,
more
confident,
and
far
more
effective.
If
you
are
going
to
spend
100
to
300
hours
a
year
meeting
people,
it
makes
sense
to
invest
time
learning
how
to
do
it
right.
Otherwise,
you
are
just
staying
busy
without
building
anything
meaningful.
4.
Do
What
You
Say
You
Are
Going
to
Do
This
is
where
a
lot
of
lawyers
quietly
lose
ground.
They
make
commitments
in
meetings,
promise
introductions,
agree
to
follow
up,
and
then
let
things
slip.
Maybe
it
is
not
intentional,
but
it
is
noticeable.
People
keep
score,
even
if
they
never
say
it
out
loud.
Every
missed
follow-up,
every
late
arrival,
every
rescheduled
meeting
chips
away
at
your
credibility.
On
the
flip
side,
every
kept
promise
builds
trust.
If
you
say
you
are
going
to
connect
two
people,
do
it
quickly.
If
you
schedule
a
meeting,
show
up
on
time.
If
you
offer
help,
follow
through.
Karma
is
built
on
consistency.
Reliability
is
one
of
the
fastest
ways
to
separate
yourself
from
the
crowd.
5.
Become
Known
as
a
Giver
The
most
successful
rainmakers
I
know
all
share
one
trait.
They
are
givers.
They
walk
into
meetings
thinking
about
how
they
can
help
the
other
person,
not
how
they
can
benefit
themselves.
They
listen
for
opportunities
to
make
introductions,
share
ideas,
or
connect
people
who
should
know
each
other.
A
simple
but
powerful
habit
is
to
take
notes
during
a
meeting
and
identify
at
least
one
person
you
can
introduce
them
to.
It
might
be
a
potential
client,
but
more
often
it
is
a
strategic
partner.
Someone
who
can
expand
their
network
or
open
doors
they
could
not
access
on
their
own.
Then
you
follow
through
with
a
thoughtful
introduction.
Not
a
quick
email,
but
a
quality
connection
that
shows
you
understand
both
sides
and
why
it
matters.
That
is
how
you
build
a
reputation
as
someone
who
creates
value.
And
once
that
reputation
takes
hold,
people
start
looking
for
ways
to
help
you
in
return.
Climbing
Karma
Mountain
is
not
about
being
nice
for
the
sake
of
it.
It
is
about
being
intentional
in
how
you
build
relationships.
It
is
about
playing
the
long
game
in
a
profession
that
often
rewards
short-term
thinking.
When
you
combine
these
five
principles,
something
shifts.
Your
network
becomes
stronger.
Your
conversations
become
more
meaningful.
Your
opportunities
become
more
consistent.
More
importantly,
you
become
the
kind
of
lawyer
(and
human)
people
want
to
be
around,
want
to
work
with,
and
want
to
refer.
And
that
is
when
rainmaking
stops
feeling
like
a
grind
and
starts
working
the
way
it
is
supposed
to.
If
you
want
to
take
this
further,
email
me
at
[email protected]
and
I
will
send
you
a
FREE
copy
of
my
e-book,
The
Attorney’s
Networking
Handbook,
also
available
on
Amazon.
You
can
also
dive
deeper
into
these
strategies
on
my
podcast,
Future
Rainmakers,
or
explore
the
ALL
NEW
BE
THAT
LAWYER
Community
to
gain
access
to
all
of
my
content,
including
networking
best
practices
and
how
to
build
your
own
Karma
Mountain.
Steve
Fretzin
is
a
five-time
bestselling
author,
host
of
the BE
THAT
LAWYER and Future
Rainmakers podcasts,
and
a
business
development
coach
who
works
exclusively
with
attorneys.
For
more
than
18
years,
he
has
helped
lawyers
build
strong
books
of
business
without
selling,
pitching,
or
chasing,
using
his
proven
Sales-Free
Selling™
approach.
His
clients
consistently
become
top
rainmakers
and
credit
his
coaching
and
systems
for
driving
meaningful,
measurable
growth.
Steve
can
be
reached
directly
at [email protected],
or
through
his
website
at www.bethatlawyer.com.
Connect
with
him
on
LinkedIn
at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin.
His
ALL
NEW BE
THAT
LAWYER
Community is
changing
how
lawyers
develop
the
skills
never
taught
in
law
school.
Learn
more
at www.bethatlawyer.com/community