The Texas Lawyer had an interesting article called How Associates Can Blow the Business-Development Bell Curve. It has long puzzled me how little training is given to associates in fostering and encouraging their business development skills.
After only eight months as an associate, I remember a partner I worked for told me that I should begin thinking about how to bring in new business. The conversation left me with large saucer eyes as I scuttled back to my office to keep my head down and write a memo. I remember thinking, “Is he crazy? My knees still shake very time I enter a courtroom!” A more helpful tactic would have been to actually take me along when pitching new business, so I could see how it was done.
Business acumen and legal skills often do not go hand in hand. Why don’t more law schools offer a course on business development so that associates aren’t kept in the dark, only to realize as partnership nears, that things look grim, very grim.
Here are a few suggestions from the article to get you started:
Tap into your personal network (yes, you have one. I promise). Take a contact to lunch, keep it low-pressure, and mention that you’d love an opportunity to earn their business if the opportunity presents itself.
Ask partners for help and guidance. And do it early! Ask partners how they were able to develop business. And if you have a contact that you want to develop and feel a little out of your league, ask a partner to accompany you on the lunch.
You don’t have to move mountains, just start the climb!
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