There’s
something
I’ve
been
seeing
a
lot
lately,
and
it’s
too
important
to
ignore.
Too
many
lawyers
are
out
there
networking,
attending
conferences,
speaking,
and
generally
hustling,
but
still
not
seeing
meaningful
results
for
the
time
invested.
On
the
surface,
it
looks
like
momentum.
But
when
you
dig
a
little
deeper,
something
becomes
clear:
there
aren’t
many
new
client
opportunities
coming
your
way.
For
countless
attorneys
putting
in
daily
effort
on
the
business
development
side
of
law,
the
problem
isn’t
effort.
It’s
growth
and
results.
Or
more
accurately,
the
lack
of
them.
Here’s
the
tough
question
I
ask
lawyers
when
we
start
working
together:
Do
you
have
10
years
of
experience
in
business
development,
or
one
year
of
experience
repeated
10
times?
This
question
tends
to
raise
a
few
eyebrows.
But
it’s
a
crucial
distinction.
There’s
a
huge
difference
between
being
active
and
actually
getting
better.
Just
because
you’re
doing
business
development
doesn’t
mean
you’re
improving
at
it.
Think
about
it.
Athletes
review
game
tape.
Chefs
constantly
tweak
recipes.
Musicians
record
rehearsals
to
catch
missed
notes
and
polish
performance.
Why
aren’t
lawyers
doing
the
same
with
their
business
development?
In
the
legal
world,
the
billable
hour
creates
a
dangerous
illusion:
if
you’re
busy,
you’re
successful.
But
real
business
growth
—
the
kind
that
builds
long-term
control
over
your
practice
—
requires
something
more:
deliberate
learning
and
consistent
improvement.
You
need
to
reflect,
evaluate,
and
course-correct
constantly.
Otherwise,
you’re
just
doing
laps
on
a
treadmill,
sweating
but
going
nowhere.
Meanwhile,
your
most
valuable
asset,
time,
is
on
the
line.
One
of
the
most
impactful
tools
I
introduce
to
my
clients
is
something
called
the
Success
Journal.
It’s
not
complicated,
but
it’s
powerful.
Here’s
how
it
works:
You
track
your
business
development
activity
daily
or
weekly.
Who
did
you
meet
with?
What
follow-up
did
you
send?
Did
you
ask
qualifying
questions?
Was
a
next
step
established?
You
write
it
all
down.
And
then,
here’s
the
key,
you
review
it.
With
this
simple
Excel
spreadsheet
completed
regularly,
patterns
begin
to
emerge.
Strengths
show
up.
Gaps
become
glaring.
For
example,
let’s
say
you
emailed
ten
people
to
meet
for
coffee,
and
only
one
replied.
Without
tracking
and
reflecting,
you
might
not
realize
your
outreach
needs
work.
Or
maybe
you
had
10
networking
meetings
this
month,
but
no
next
steps
were
created.
If
you’re
not
qualifying
the
right
people,
being
proactive
in
offering
value,
or
establishing
meaningful
follow-ups,
you’re
just
going
through
the
motions.
Without
a
proper
tracking
system,
it’s
like
hacking
your
way
through
a
jungle
without
a
map.
With
one,
it’s
like
turning
on
GPS.
Suddenly,
you’re
not
just
doing
business
development.
You’re
getting
better
at
it
strategically,
deliberately,
and
consistently.
Another
vital
element
of
improvement
is
the
art
of
debriefing.
Like
an
NFL
coach
watching
back
game
tape,
you
take
five
or
10
minutes
after
a
meeting
to
review
what
happened.
What
went
well?
What
could
have
gone
better?
And
most
importantly,
what
steps
were
skipped?
If
you’re
wondering
why
I
mentioned
“steps,”
it’s
because
yes
—
you
should
be
following
a
process
when
engaging
in
business
development.
Winging
it
is
not
a
strategy.
Here
are
a
few
debriefing
questions
I
share
with
my
clients
to
help
refine
their
networking
meetings:
-
Did
I
begin
the
meeting
by
establishing
strong
rapport? -
Did
I
set
a
game
plan
to
ensure
the
meeting
had
purpose
and
value? -
Did
I
learn
about
the
other
person
and
understand
their
goals? -
Did
I
identify
a
way
to
add
value
for
them? -
Was
a
next
step
created
to
advance
the
relationship
if
properly
qualified?
While
I
provide
a
detailed
forms
to
follow
for
my
clients,
these
questions
illustrate
the
intentionality
that
should
drive
every
meeting.
Most
lawyers
simply
have
coffee
and
wait
to
see
what
happens
next.
Spoiler
alert:
not
much
typically
does.
So,
ask
yourself,
what
is
your
time
investment
in
business
development
really
costing
you?
If
you’re
not
tracking
or
debriefing,
you
may
never
know.
In
many
cases,
when
digging
into
my
clients
past
habits,
we
find
millions
of
dollars
in
lost
time,
energy
and
opportunities.
There’s
a
saying
I
often
share:
“You
can’t
manage
what
isn’t
measured.”
And
I’ll
add,
you
can’t
improve
what
you
don’t
review.
Improvement
is
a
choice.
It’s
the
decision
to
pause,
reflect,
and
refine.
That’s
how
the
best
rainmakers
operate.
Not
just
with
hustle,
but
with
intention.
If
you’re
serious
about
owning
your
growth
and
becoming
not
just
a
good
lawyer,
but
a
confident,
organized,
and
skilled
rainmaker,
start
treating
your
business
development
like
your
billable
hours.
Track
it.
Debrief
it.
Learn
from
it.
Because
time
will
pass
either
way.
But
progress?
That’s
on
you.
Want
a
free
evaluation
of
your
current
business
development
habits
and
how
to
improve
them?
Let’s
talk.
Visit
fretzin.com
or
shoot
me
an
email
at
[email protected]
to
set
up
a
quick
strategy
call.
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.