One thing I have learned in my seven months of legal marketing is that "making it rain" is more than a line one can hear in a rap song. Attorneys love rainmaking, and the chief business development goal for many is to become a rainmaker.
So what's the silver bullet I took back to my attorneys on the right way for them to develop business and become a rainmaker? Unfortunately, there was none. But I did hear some invaluable advice from Felice Wagner on the models of business development. Brace yourself; There is no right way.
Felice hit the nail on the head with this LMASE pre-conference workshop. She stressed that business development is all about the personal strengths of your attorneys. Why make someone practice something he or she is simply not good at? Especially when statistics show that 70 percent of the attorney population is introverted.
The key is to find the model of business development that plays to your attorneys' strengths, and one that works with your attorneys' practice areas. Thought leadership through scholarly articles, building a profile through presentations, and excellent client service skills are all viable options for business development. Networking and rainmaking isn't the only answer, and it just simply doesn't work for everyone. It's our job to make our attorneys understand that.