11 Ways Lawyers Can Broaden Their Client Base and Get More Business – JD Supra

I was talking to a lawyer recently who shared with me a story I hear too often. His client’s longtime in-house legal team changed when the general counsel left his role. My client was left odd-man-out when the new in-house counsel arrived and brought in his own favorite law firm.
Uunfortunately, this lawyer hadn’t developed close relationships within the organization beyond the legal team and his main contact, so there was no one to advocate for him to stay on. He was phased out, and as a result he had a difficult 2021.
It didn’t need to be like that. If only he had planned ahead.
Have you heard the saying don’t put all your eggs in one basket? Well, it’s especially true for business professionals, especially lawyers.
Diversification of your client base is crucial for lawyers. Don’t rely on one or two clients for all your work, because change happens within organizations and to organizations every day.
People leave companies, needs change, mergers happen. Companies go out of business. You just never know.
It’s so important to also make sure that you’re building relationships with many different people at your client organization – not just your main contact – because, again, if one person leaves the organization, you don’t want to be left in the lurch.
Although word-of-mouth referrals will always remain one of the most powerful means of attracting new clients, it is out of your control as to ‘when’ these referrals might happen.
This is exactly why I always say it’s so important to be marketing yourself and your business even when you don’t think you need it, because anything can happen.
This is also how LinkedIn can help you because it’s such a visible and free way of marketing your capabilities and expertise.
Speaking and writing can also help you, as well as networking and sending regular emails that are helpful to your clients and referrals. That’s how you keep them warm and that’s how you say top of mind with them.
Here are a few ways to broaden your client base:
If we’ve learned anything over the past two years it’s that anything can happen. So never stop marketing yourself or building relationships. And always be prepared – this is how you make sure all of those eggs don’t crack.
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Stefanie Marrone advises law firms of all sizes, professional service firms, B2B companies, recruiters and individuals on the full range of marketing and business development consulting services designed to enhance revenue, retain current clients and achieve greater brand recognition. She also serves as outsourced chief marketing officer/marketing department for small and mid-size law firms. Over her nearly 20-year legal marketing career, she has worked at and with a broad range of big law, mid-size and small firms, which has given her a valuable perspective of the legal industry. Connect with her on LinkedIn, sign up for her email list and follow her latest writing on JD Supra.
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