Legal business development: how to determine whether a rainmaking expense is a cost or an investment (and why it matters)
I once talked with a client who was upset at the prospect of paying nearly $1,000 for equipment required for making a presentation to a group of her ideal clients. She confirmed my expectation that she’d be able to use the equipment again for similar presentations, and I suggested that she view the financial outlay […]
Leadership in uncertain times
I’ve been thinking about leadership quite a bit in the last several weeks. We see examples of good and not-so-good leadership every time we tune into the news, even when we may disagree with one another about which political leaders fall into those categories. More immediately, we see examples of leadership and have opportunities each […]
Coping with an economic downturn
The economic news is, to put it mildly, not good. Because so many businesses are on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, because others that are open are nonetheless starving for business, and because we are living in a time of massive uncertainty and economic markets detest uncertainty, we’re in tough times already and facing […]
Life and practice in uncertain times
Fleming Strategic serves a global audience, and it’s safe to say that wherever you may be in the world, we’re facing unprecedented challenges. From the fact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the panic that’s generating to working from home, self-isolating, and social distancing to the economic hit that appears to be underway, times are uncertain. […]
Legal Business Development: Do this & never compete on price again.
Warning: Being a fungible billing unit is bad for growing your law practice! I’ve written previously on finding your Unique Service Proposition, which distinguishes you from other lawyers (and non-lawyers) serving your ideal clients’ legal needs. In that article, I noted that if you are one of a pool of fungible practitioners, you’ll be forced […]
The powerful (marketing) message you should deliver daily.
The statement “I’ve got your back” is one of the most powerful business development messages there is. When you have someone capable and attentive on your side to offer assistance and cheer you on, you’re likely to be more willing to undertake new, difficult, or risky-feeling activity. Consider this: a child learning to walk or […]
Obvious but ignored: rainmaking success requires action.
New behaviors, especially those that play out in public for others to see, can be difficult. We lawyers especially, who tend to fall toward the perfectionist side of things, perceived a high risk in trying something new. What if we fail? What if we look stupid? What if we really mess up? Last Sunday, I […]