My
wife
and
I
have
become
increasingly
skeptical
about
television.
I’m
guessing
you
have
too.
We’re
all
on
the
same
endless
search
for
something,
anything,
worth
watching.
It’s
not
just
that
so
much
of
what’s
out
there
is
junk.
It’s
also
that,
once
we
figure
out
a
show’s
formula,
we’re
out.
Spoiler
alert:
most
writers
follow
formulas
that
carry
a
series
from
one
season
to
the
next.
Maybe
it’s
the
“Problem-Solution
Cycle,”
where
the
core
conflict
resolves
just
in
time
to
reset
again.
Or
it’s
“Character
Arc
Plus
World
Expansion,”
where
the
protagonist
evolves
through
new
dilemmas
and
settings.
But
here’s
the
twist.
While
a
predictable
formula
might
ruin
a
good
show,
it’s
really
the
secret
weapon
for
lawyers
looking
to
grow
their
books
of
business.
At
the
heart
of
every
successful
rainmaker
is
a
formula,
something
they
created,
borrowed,
or
straight-up
stole.
For
me,
it
started
with
wasting
an
absurd
amount
of
time
networking.
I
had
no
direction
and
no
results,
so
I
had
to
develop
a
formula
out
of
pure
necessity
to
reclaim
my
time
and
drive
real
business.
In
my
second
book,
“The
Attorney’s
Networking
Handbook,”
I
opened
with
a
truth
bomb:
no
one
I
knew
had
wasted
more
time
networking
than
I
had,
and
that
still
holds.
So,
I
committed
to
fix
it,
get
efficient,
and
build
something
that
actually
worked.
For
lawyers
buried
in
billables
who
understand
the
value
of
their
time,
there’s
no
reason
to
reinvent
the
wheel.
A
proven
process
beats
winging
it
every
time.
While
I
can’t
share
every
formula
I
use
with
clients,
I
will
give
you
one
that
captures
the
core
of
them
all:
Planning,
Process,
and
Performance.
Planning
You’ve
heard
it:
failing
to
plan
is
planning
to
fail.
That
saying
exists
for
a
reason.
One
of
the
first
questions
I
ask
prospective
coaching
clients
is,
“Do
you
have
a
written
plan?”
The
most
common
answers?
Either
“No,”
or
“Yes,
the
one
my
firm
makes
me
write
every
year.”
Both
responses
usually
explain
why
they’re
talking
to
me
in
the
first
place.
A
real
plan,
one
that
works,
must
be
both
strategic
and
tactical.
It
should
clarify
what
you’re
doing
to
build
business,
where
you’re
spending
your
time,
and
list
the
actual
actions
you’ll
take
to
produce
results.
Without
it,
you’re
flying
blind.
Process
This
might
be
the
most
overlooked
piece
of
the
puzzle.
You’ve
got
processes
for
brushing
your
teeth
and
running
a
trial.
But
you
don’t
have
one
for
business
development?
That’s
a
problem.
I
get
it.
You
didn’t
learn
this
in
law
school,
and
you
probably
didn’t
sign
up
for
it.
But
here
you
are.
And
if
you
want
control,
freedom,
and
long-term
sustainability
in
private
practice,
building
your
own
clients
is
nonnegotiable.
The
key
is
to
become
a
student
of
the
game.
Read.
Watch.
Listen.
Learn
from
people
who
have
figured
it
out.
Doing
this
will
save
you
years
of
trial
and
error
and
build
long-term
wealth.
If
you’re
not
sure
where
to
start,
check
out
my
blog
at
fretzin.com/blog,
my
YouTube
channel
@stevefretzin,
or
any
of
my
five
books
on
Amazon.
I
give
away
plenty
of
secrets
and
processes
to
help
you
succeed.
Performance
Even
with
a
solid
plan
and
process,
execution
is
where
most
lawyers
fall
short.
Performance
is
about
showing
up
and
getting
it
done,
especially
when
things
get
busy.
From
interviewing
hundreds
of
rainmakers
on
the
“BE
THAT
LAWYER”
podcast,
one
theme
always
comes
up:
consistency.
Business
development
must
be
part
of
your
weekly
rhythm.
Block
time
on
your
calendar
for
lunch
meetings,
events,
or
even
just
LinkedIn
activity.
Stick
to
your
plan
to
avoid
falling
into
the
trap
of
“random
acts
of
marketing.”
And
don’t
forget
the
other
side
of
performance:
improvement.
Ask
yourself,
do
you
have
10
years
of
business
development
experience,
or
one
year
of
experience
10
times
over?
If
you’re
not
debriefing
after
calls
and
meetings
to
identify
what
went
well
or
what
tanked,
you’re
likely
repeating
costly
mistakes.
Case
in
point:
I
recently
evaluated
a
lawyer
who
wasn’t
asking
enough,
or
the
right,
questions
in
prospective
client
meetings.
After
some
quick
math,
we
realized
it
had
cost
her
millions
in
lost
originations.
Yes,
it
was
a
tough
pill
to
swallow,
but
we
agreed
that
the
past
is
the
past,
and
that
her
future
earnings
will
look
a
whole
lot
different.
There
are
formulas
all
around
us,
most
we
never
think
about.
But
when
it
comes
to
building
business,
my
“Three
Ps”
haven’t
failed
me
or
my
clients.
If
you
can
commit
to
planning
for
success,
following
a
process,
and
consistently
performing
and
improving,
business
development
becomes
second
nature.
And
if
you’re
looking
for
direct
help
applying
these
ideas,
shoot
me
a
DM
on
LinkedIn
or
email
me
at
[email protected].
I’m
here
to
help.
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/.