This is a complete listing of the 116 articles contained in Volume 1 of Originate! That includes articles published from September 2007, our inaugural issue, through August 2008, in the order of publication. They are divided here into Featured Articles and Best Practice Tips, just as they were published.

You can search the articles by keyword, author, etc. using your browser's "Find on this page..." function. OR you can search these and all other articles from the past using the Search box at the upper right of the page.

All articles are available to subscribers; some are open to the public and are marked [public] at the end of the title.

Featured Articles

Mind Over Matters: Case Study of How to Build the Mindset You Need to Become a Rainmaker [public]   Michael G. Cummings argues that most lawyers can become adept at business development by makin just one fundamental change: how they think and act on a daily basis. He profiles one successful lawyer to show how you can make the shift in attitude that spells success.

Associate Interview: A Business Developer from His First Day [public]   Adam August, Esq., an Associate, is an entrepreneur at heart. In this interview with Mike Cummings, hear from him about the eight essential lessons he has learned for success at business development and client relationships.

Self-Help: Rate Your Personal Marketing Performance for 2007 [public]   Barry Schneider advocates a look-back at this year to start improving results for next year. But for real improvement look past bottom-line results (like fees). For long term success, you have to focus on improving HOW you market and sell.

The Moveable Object: Generating Leads by Finding Buyers in Trouble [public]   Larry Bodine, Esq. challenges us to recognize that a prospect without problems or the willingness to deal with them is an unmoveable object. So look for leads among the troubled and ask questions to diagnose what you can do for them.

Driving It Lazily: What Corporations Can Teach Lawyers About Gaining from Mergers [public]   Paul Herrmann explains how law firms and individual lawyers often fail to gain from mergers, in terms of client/market perceptions of its value. Corporations demonstrate some valuable lessons for firm and lawyers about taking control through early, effective marketing.

Seeding Clouds: Turning Associates into Effective Rainmakers [public]   Martin L. Camp, Esq. underscores why firms cannot afford to let one of their most valuable assets, their new hires, learn by trial and error. Here are modest training investments that pay handsome rewards to the firm.

Capturing the Voice of the Client [public]   Charlie Miller, Deputy Managing Partner, and Ronna Cross, Director of Business Development, at Patton Boggs understand it's vital for lawyers to "capture the voice of the client" if they want to serve their clients ably and profitably.  Here they examine the what, why, when and how of doing so.

Unlocking the Potential in Your Practice (New or Old)   Are you returning to private practice and need to build your client base from scratch? Have you just moved to a new location or office? Or do you just want to raise the quality of your current practice? Larry Bodine, Esq. suggests how to start opening your potential.

From the Ground Up: How a Diverse Attorney Built a Leading Practice from Scratch   Michael G. Cummings summarizes the lessons learned by a rainmaker who had to build a client base from almost nothing. He took the initiative, picked his shots, and leveraged his heritage appropriately to complement his efforts. Don Prophete's story demonstrates what an enterprising lawyer can do.

The Six Biggest Excuses Blocking Your Success...and How to Remove Them   According to Barry Schneider, lawyers find a lot of excuses for inaction in business development. Fear, uncertainty and a feeling of being so unknowledgeable about marketing – all these play a part. Here are six excuses you can start removing now.

Business Development Advice from the Chair of the ABA Commission on Women [public]   Pamela J. Roberts, Esq. discloses how she brought in the business for her firm, and built a thriving practice. Her story illustrates how other women lawyers can do the same, according to Larry Bodine's case study. And her thirteen questions at the end of the article can stimulate your own success story.

If You Had a Hammer: How to Break the Glass Ceiling through Rainmaking   Larry Bodine, Esq. recognizes the power of rainmakers to control their destiny at a firm. He directs attention to what women lawyers (and lawyers of color) themselves can do to generate new business and get more clients, for these are the means to hammer away at the glass ceiling.

In Her Own Words: What a Top Corporate Attorney Can Tell Us about Rainmaking   Hear what Lisa Landy, a top corporate attorney, can tell us about rainmaking, with a half dozen audio clips and other good advice. Michael Cummings draws several conclusions from her experience, particularly on how to leverage Industry Groups and Trade Associations...in the Right Way.

Pushing the Right Button: Delivering an Elevator Pitch   Cheryl Barbato examines how to introduce yourself quickly and concisely when you meet someone. This self-definition, sometimes known as the Elevator Pitch, can make or break an opportunity. Even if you're already producing business, you can elevate your impact by hitting the right buttons in introducing yourself to new people.

Scary Marketing: What We Can Learn from Creature Features   You couldn't turn around in October without bumping into a frightening movie. It's great fun to be scared when it's not actually happening. But it's eerie, as Barry Schneider found out, how much you can learn about real world business development just from watching those movies carefully...very carefully.

Rainmaking Lessons from a Top Woman Litigator [public]   Sharla J. Frost, an accomplished and well respected rainmaker and litigator, details how she has successfully built relationships with clients, as well as how she gets in front of the prospective clients she wants. Part 1 of 2.

Market Maker: Plaintiff Lawyers in Demand for Corporate Commercial Cases   Larry Bodine reveals that corporations are retaining plaintiff law firms to pursue their cases and hiring them on a contingency basis.  The change in attitude by corporate America has opened a new avenue to lucrative fees for plaintiff lawyers.

Fast Forward: An Integrated Accelerator for Business Development   CMO Jill S. Weber describes an integrated program she developed to accelerate firm originations at Leonard, Street and Deinard. The initial result was a 50-fold return on investment in terms of fee growth.

Your Marketing GPS: Avoiding Dead Ends in Your Business Development   Persistence is ordinarily a good thing in business development, but you must recognize when you’re making progress in the right direction or just arriving at a dead end.  Larry Bodine offers seven tips to avoid shoppers, not buyers.

Rainmaking Lessons From a Top Corporate and International Trade Attorney - Lisa A. Landy, Esq. [public]   According to Lisa Landy, leveraging 1-2 premier industry and trade associations has been central to growing her practice. She itemizes six marketing mistakes that lawyers make when they join membership organizations, and how you can avoid them.

Rainmaking Lessons from a Top Woman Litigator   Sharla J. Frost, an accomplished and well respected rainmaker and litigator, details how she has successfully built relationships with clients, as well as how she gets in front of the prospective clients she wants. Part 2 of 2.

Change Your Losing Ways in Your Proposals   Lawyers and law firms all too often make avoidable mistakes when pursuing proposal opportunities, especially the big competitive ones. As a result, they waste so much time and effort in these proposals, and end up losing more than they should. Michael Cummings sets out how you can turn this losing behavior around, and win 3 out of 4 instead.

Podcast Tips on Business Development   In a 34 minute podcast, Larry Bodine offers advice on a wide-ranging set of business development issues. Get a host of tips from this audio feature, as he is interviewed by Cole Silver, Esq. of The Silver Group.

Look for the Silver Linings: Marketing in a Downturn   There's a lot of bad news in the air, stormy forecasts for the economy and for legal services. But bad times can be good times in the upcoming year, notes Barry Schneider, for those who are marketing-savvy. Here are some of the silver linings among the clouds, and how to take advantage of them.

Making Cross-Selling - Yes, Cross-Selling - Work   It can look so simple, and turn out so tough. You just have to connect with the clients of your firm, and you’ll be able to sell more services. Most lawyers realize how many obstacles can stand in the way of realizing that simple idea. Larry Bodine suggests how you actually can succeed.

7 Principles of Client Development: Making Their Bottom Line Yours [public]   Darryl Cross sees 7 key principles in successful client relationships and client business development, whether you're an individual, part of a small firm, or in a big city one.  The attorney's bottom line gains from focusing energies on improving a client's bottom line.

Generating Business: Doing What Does NOT Come Naturally   Most of us assume that rainmakers are fundamentally different from them, that they enjoy natural advantages we can only marvel at. The truth is very different, according to Michael Cummings. Most attorneys simply have to leverage their personal strengths and their existing professional skills in new ways. Learn from one non-natural rainmaker how you too can succeed in getting business.

Memo to Senior Partners: Motivate Younger Lawyers for Your Business's Sake   Motivating younger lawyers to get business is possible, says Larry Bodine, if you take some simple but powerful steps. Start by recognizing how much their world and their experience differs from their seniors in the firm. Then mentor and involve them so you stir their interest and build their capabilities. The result will be rewarding for both the firm and the individual lawyer.

Marketing Partner of the Year: What Does It Take?   In January, Mark A. Long, managing partner and head of marketing at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, earned recognition as Marketing Partner of the Year at the Marketing Partner Forum. What he did to merit that accolade was not revolutionary; mainly he did some important things well. Barry Schneider reviews what it took, and what you or your firm can learn from this example.

Ten Most Effective Marketing Techniques for the Little Guy   Larry Bodine presents a brief and pointed podcast in which he identifies the ten most effective marketing techniques for solo lawyers and small firms. Learn what your priorities should be and what it takes to get results, even if you're a small part of a big firm.

They Say They Want a Revolution: Reconnecting Legal Costs to Value Delivered   Amy Spach reports on the sparks generated by a new initiative from the Association of Corporate Counsel, one that aims to narrow a perceived gap between billings and value received. Hear now what your clients may be telling you soon about your worth to them.

Case Study: How an Associate Succeeded through a Marketing Alliance   Michael Cummings shows how one associate, Jennifer Zimmermann, turned as entrepreneurial as her clients by building a team of allies – and successfully seizing a service opportunity for her and her firm through effective cooperative marketing. Her experience reveals how most lawyers can do the same by following similar steps.

No More Reluctant Rainmaker: Face Your Fears & Set Your Course   You can overcome the very common aversion to marketing, says Lisa Grafstein, Esq., by facing the fears that stop you cold, and then gaining control by putting a plan in place to organize your marketing efforts. Here's how to stop being a reluctant rainmaker.

Case Study: How Three Rainmakers Bring In New Business   Larry Bodine profiles three rainmakers who don’t have much in common except an uncommon ability to bring in the business. Each exhibits his own special approach to the challenge of personal marketing. Yet they share some important traits that all successful business getters should learn from them.

Small Talk Makes a Big Impression: Success with Casual Conversation   “Each and every casual conversation is an opportunity for success,” says consultant Debra Fine, according to this report by Janet Ellen Raasch. Whether you're at an event meeting strangers, or establishing rapport with those you already do business with, here are some of the skills you can use for building relationships.

April's Lead Article: Hyper Teams: Big Returns from Deepening Relationships [public]   Would you be interested in an investment that yields $18 for every $1 you put into it?  Larry Bodine asked Beth Pearson, National Business Development Manager for Bryan Cave, how they achieved such results. In his report on their interview, she explained how their “hyper teams” succeeded – and how you can do the same.

Better Connections: Improving Your Ability to Network   Unquestionably the network of productive relationships you build can support you in both your professional and personal lives. One powerful way to get better at building relationships is to understand better how you interact with others, according to speaker and author Sarah Michel. As reported by Janet Ellen Raasch, Ms. Michel discusses how to diagnose your own (and others) interactive style, and how to use that understanding in your relationship building.

Models of Excellence...and How You Can Do the Same   Amy Spach and Barry Schneider look behind-the-scenes at six firms recently honored by the Legal Marketing Association for excellence.  They demonstrate what you can learn about business development from these marketing leaders, and how you and your firm can spark your own award-winning year.

Anatomy of a Lost Client Opportunity   Every large client relationship is precious to you and your firm. But clients are switching their lawyers ever more rapidly. Are you at risk? Will you get their next piece of business? Michael Cummings dissects a lost opportunity with a client to show you how to prevent this in the future. He highlights the 12 big mistakes you can make in these situations, and the best practices to adopt instead.

Virtual Law Firms: Making the Little Guy Big and Efficient   Virtual law firms – where the lawyers connect with each other and with clients online – are a striking new phenomenon for serving and attracting clients in the internet age. Instead of a bricks-and-mortar office, observes Larry Bodine, lawyers in a virtual practice put their law firm on the web. In this way, they can increase their reach and resources, offer round-the-clock access, lower their costs and travel, as well as build their practice efficiently. Learn what lawyers have done in two virtual firms.

How to Target and Land a Large New Business Client [public]   Drawing from the successful experience of two excellent lawyers, Michael Cummings draws out the blueprint for how to choose important target clients, assess the best ways to pursue them and then secure legal work from them.

Good News, Bad News: How to Gain from Media Relations   A deftly handled public relations program can build your reputation at lower cost than many other forms of marketing. In this report from Janet Ellen Raasch, PR specialist Cheryl Bame reviews the practical nuts-and-bolts ways that lawyers can use the powerful tool of media relations to their advantage.

Back on Track: Better Results from Your Marketing Before the Year Runs Out   Finding that you’re not keeping up with the marketing program you set for yourself a few months ago? It’s quite common to find lawyers getting busy with their files, and just not finding the time to make things happen in their marketing. Barry Schneider offers a half-dozen ways to turbo-charge your efforts so you can get back on the track that will assure your success.

Pieces of Gold: What To Do When You Get a Business Card   Too many lawyers treat the business cards they receive like scrap paper, barely touched after a meeting or event. Larry Bodine argues that we should make the most of those little pieces of gold, and takes us through four steps to mining that gold in our business development.

Lead Article: Case Study - Growing Your Business with Teamwork [public]   As managing partner at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt since 2000, Mark Long, Esq. encouraged his attorneys to form Strategic Marketing Units (SMUs), a key reason the firm doubled its revenues. He examines the ins and outs of effective client or industry marketing teams, examining what works best and how to form your own successful SMUs.

Cultivating Client Relationships for Your Benefit: Six Key Initiatives   The most important lesson for any lawyer who wants a thriving practice is this, according to Michael Cummings: you need to continually cultivate your relationships with your top clients, and the key is becoming the “go-to” resource for them. Here he tells what you need to know about the six initiatives that successful rainmakers take to get there.

Rocking Your RQ: Relationship Intelligence Builds Real World Careers   What’s your RQ? If you’re a lawyer, your IQ is probably quite high. But it’s your RQ, your relationship savvy, that can make your career thrive according to Arnie Herz, Esq. as reported by Janet Ellen Raasch. Here he examines three core principles on which to build your RQ in the real world of today’s law practice.

Cancel That #*$%! Expensive Yellow Pages Ad   When he sees all the money being wasted on Yellow Pages advertising, Larry Bodine sees red…or at least red ink. He explains why he’s so negative about this expenditure for most firms, but airs other points of view as well. And he underscores the best way to decide for yourself.

Lead Article: Top 40 Hits - A Lesson in Business Development [public]   He was not charismatic and he was known for weird marketing schemes. But this tax attorney became one of the highest compensated lawyers in the firm because he knew how to develop business by building a vital network of relationships. As Mark Beese recounts it, this is his story; and it can be yours too.

Ten Danger Signals in a Client Relationship...and How to Fix Them   Want to avoid being fired by your client? With a lot of lawyers looking for your client’s business, Larry Bodine, Esq., advises how you can by keep your current clients and get more files from them, but only if you know how to avoid the perils. Here are the ten danger signals in a client relationship, and what you can do about them.

Case Study: Moving through the Business Development Cycle   When done right, business development works much like a pleading in court: it’s a precise, results-oriented procedure. The key is understanding the four stages of the buying cycle and then, mainly by interviewing the prospect or contact, guiding you both toward specific commitments in each stage. Michael Cummings gives us a real life example of how this worked for one attorney, and how it can work for you.

How to Use Your Marketing Dollar Wisely and Well   The recent online survey by the Law Marketing Portal gives a wealth of insight into how much – and, more importantly, how wisely – lawyers are spending money on their marketing. What Barry Schneider found was a lot of questionable spending among firms large and small, but some valuable insight from big spenders on what to do differently.

Lead Article: What General Counsels Want: How You Are Assessed for Corporate Work [public]   In comments made at the Chicago Bar Association, two general counsels, Carolyn H. Clift and Verlyn Suderman, give the inside scoop on what they expect from outside counsel and why. They set out seven criteria lawyers need to know in order to qualify for work with them and what outside counsel must do to deliver the kind of service they value.

Competitive Intelligence: What Other Firms Are Doing in Marketing/Business Development   Do you know what other law firms are doing to keep their clients and compete for more? Barry Schneider assesses what a recent 2008 ALM Research Survey Report tells us about your competitors’ commitment to marketing, where they’re putting their effort, what they expect from their partners and how they’re making results happen. Plus how you might improve what you're doing to build business.

Case Study: Thriving in the Face of a Downturn   Michael Cummings looks at how to thrive in spite of a fall-off in business conditions. He finds a good role model in one lawyer who has weathered some of the worst times in his practice. Here are the valuable lessons this Real Estate lawyer learned from that experience and why he is enjoying a record year in his business development.

Better Than a Perfect 10: Managing Your Prospect Pipeline Can Make You More Successful   Andy Havens examines how prospects and clients progress through different stages as a result of your marketing and selling. Recognizing these stages can show you what you must do if you want to make measurable progress in your business development.

Best Practice Tips

Think Small, Act Big: Limiting Your Targets for More Impact [public]   According to Darryl Cross, the client world can seem a very big place with unlimited opportunities. But that’s exactly what makes it so hard for lawyers to generate new business. Instead, think small...and act big.

Flexing Your Relationship Building Muscle - for Women Attorneys [public]   Christine Cartwright Baker notes how women can get better business development results if they push themselves when using their characteristic strength of developing and nurturing relationships.

Tech Tip: Track Clients, Competitors, and Industry Hot-Spots – for Free [public]   Larry Bodine uncovers opportunities right on your desktop. Here's a simple, free, but powerful way to keep up on clients and industry news so you can become a more savvy marketer. Or listen to his audiocast: click here.

Tapping the Barrel: How to Make Revenue Flow from Your Existing (and Unique!) Client List   Darryl Cross finds that too many lawyers fail to use their own unique asset for capturing the next sources of revenue. Here’s how to tap into your own data so you can find, win and keep profitable clients.

A Practice Group Can Make Perfect   Sandra Napoli-D’Arco shows how practice groups can get started successfully in business development, founding their effort on a few basic principles and involving all group members based on their strengths.

Listen Up: Be a Lawyer, Not a Predator, When You’re Talking Business   Larry Bodine answers concerns from lawyers who feel like predators when trying to develop new business from people they know. The way to avoid this is to not treat people like prey, not to be selling.

What Comes Naturally: How Women Lawyers Can Capitalize on Innate Skills   Christine Cartwright Baker, Esq. comments on the value of women's innate skills in building a practice or retaining clients. Multi-tasking can be your secret weapon!

Tech Tip: Does Your Web Site Ring In or Wring Out Prospective Clients?   Too many law firm sites and lawyer bios fail to address what prospects seek from your site. They demonstrate an inward-looking character even while claiming that they are dedicated to client-centered service. Larry Bodine uncovers where most go wrong, and how to fix it.

You're About to be Fired by Your Client!   What's the chance you'll be fired by your client soon? Very high, it turns out, according to The BTI Consulting Group's latest research.

Mini-Managing: Why the Size of Your Network Counts   Darryl Cross says, "Enough!" to maxi-managing, going for breadth of contacts to make your business development successful. Instead, try these recommendations in the next 30 days to make a better mini-network for yourself and to activate it quickly.

Marketing Tip: Making an Association Your Practice Cornerstone   Sandy saw the housing bubble burst, and her client base with it. How did she turn her practice around? Michael Cummings shows how the right organization can be a cornerstone of your practice...if you build it like Sandy.

Inquiring Minds   Instead of asking for business from people you meet, Christine Cartwright Baker advocates asking about their business. Women attorneys, she finds, are well suited to the art of asking questions to uncover information about others...and listening carefully for what to do about it.

Marketing Hot Spots for Litigators   Larry Bodine mines the latest survey of the trends in litigation, research published by Fulbright & Jaworski. With this market knowledge, you can get an advantage in building up your litigation business.

Emerging from the Cave: A More Contemporary (and Useful) Version of a Marketing Committee   Often a committee approach to marketing is merely the best way to ensure that every idea is discussed, but nothing gets done. If you want something a bit less prehistoric, and a lot more useful, consider this alternative from Darryl Cross.

Marketing Tips: A Few Whys and Wherefores   Christine Baker underscores why it's important to put business development in the forefront of your attention...and curry the most important asset you have as a lawyer, your relationships with your clients.

Ask, Don't Tell: Four Key Questions You Need in a Selling Situation   Prospects judge your capability based on the quality and depth of the questions you ask. So be a good interviewer, says Barry Schneider, and always be prepared to ask these four questions when you're in front of a prospective client.

Six Simple Ways to Stay in Touch   A holiday card is not the only way to stay in touch with a client or good contact, and not even the best way. Here are some ideas from Darryl Cross of how to bring the holiday spirit to your best relationships all the year round...and gain some business for yourself.

Advice for Associates...and Veterans too   In starting your business development, you face several challenges. Based on her own experience, Christine Cartwright Baker shows what any associate can do to start bringing in business - and perhaps more importantly early on, sharpen the reflexes for marketing.

Business Development is the Key to Happiness   Lawyers often stay unhappy in their work because they find they have little control over the type of client and quality of work they do. That’s why just a few smart business development activities can make such a difference, according to Larry Bodine. Try these and see.

Marketing Tip: Turn Your Clients into Your Sales Force   What is the best way to build your reputation among the kinds of clients you want.  Michael Cummings shows you how to tap into the most powerful business building asset, your client base, and get the word of mouth referrals you need.

Case Study: Nothing Succeeds Like Your Clients’ Success   Charlie Miller, Esq., Deputy Managing Partner of Patton Boggs, recounts two specific stories that illustrate how the firm wins by helping its clients win.  Here’s how their lawyers actually listened to the Voice of the Client, how they put themselves in position to gain new work and how they actually landed two major new clients.

A Day in the Life of a Rainmaker...and How You Can Do the Same   Are you missing out on Business Development opportunities today? Definitely, unless you heed the simple guidelines that rainmakers set for themselves. Michael Cummings looks at the day-to-day life of some rainmakers you can emulate for your career success.

A Shout out to Younger Lawyers: Business Development is the Key to your Destiny   Larry Bodine shouts this message from the rooftops, telling his tale of how younger lawyers must and can take charge of their own destiny.  Don’t let your career just happen to you; get into the arena.  Seize on the work that you want, make strong contacts, and do what it takes to become the captain of your own destiny.

Relating through E-mail: Talk to Your Clients, Not at Them   E-mail newsletters and alerts can be a great way to communicate with clients, and complement other business development activities. But Darryl Cross laments that too many lawyers lose a great opportunity by delivering the equivalent of junk mail. Here are some hard facts about using e-mail effectively, and what to do about it.

Make Your Garden Grow: 10 Ways to Invigorate Your Referrals   As in cultivating a thriving garden, there are no "secret shortcuts" to generating referrals. Clients and colleagues most often refer business to lawyers they know, respect and trust - and such relationships take time to cultivate.  Carolyn Elefant, Esq. offers ten tips you can use though to nurture future business from referrals.

Market Beat: Hildebrandt Report Warns of Services Downturn   In its first downbeat client advisory in 10 years, Hildebrandt warns that law firms are in an economic downturn that has not been accompanied by the usual upturns in litigation, bankruptcy or reorganization.

Who Said That? - Quote of the Month   "A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider of our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so."

Marketing Tip: How to Jet-Propel Referrals   Business relationships are the fuel that can propel your success, but you need to light that fire. This tip from Mike Cummings details how you can get more and better introductions to potential clients – whether you’re a veteran partner or new associate – and rocket your practice to new levels of growth.

On Your Mark, Get Set...: What to Do Before You Make a Speech   Speech-making is a frequent choice for lawyers in their marketing programs. Too many, however, fail to get much out of them in terms of results. Just never forget, suggests Barry Schneider, that marketing is a contact sport. With some smart advance work, you won’t lose out on effective ways to stimulate meaningful contact.

Tech Tip: Get in the Know with Market Intelligence   Rainmakers always aim for a strong game plan, and they make it stronger by garnering market information to form a good offense for targeting prospects or competitors and a good defense for delivering to their own clients or adding services. Larry Bodine profiles three leading info tools that can make your plan stronger.

The 3 Biggest Mistakes Women Make in Selling...and How to Cure Them   Looking at what distinguishes women who are successful at making the sale from those who struggle at it, Allan Boress has observed three big selling mistakes women make that cost them business they otherwise would have won. If you have trouble closing the deal, see what you can do to improve what you do.

Back to Basics: Getting Yourself in Good Marketing Shape   Darryl Cross finds that lawyers collect new-fangled marketing tools and philosophies like many of us collect gym equipment. What’s needed for good marketing health, he argues, is not the next fad, and certainly not the illusion of shortcuts, but a good dose of basics.

Who Said That? - Quote of the Month   "A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of."

Throw Out Your Blender!: Stirring Up a Better Mix of Clients   Darryl Cross illustrates how your standard billing rate – and undifferentiated marketing – can serve up a less palatable blend of clients for you. And he offers six simple ways to get the more rewarding kind of business you really want.

Passion Play: Making Business Development Fun...and Useful   You have a lot of options for building up your legal business, according to Michael Cummings. The best choice is to play off your passions. Here’s how you can successfully mix business and pleasure in your personal marketing.

The Four Big Advantages Women Bring to Selling   Looking at the characteristics demonstrated by women who are successful at selling and marketing, Allan Boress notes four powerful advantages for women, advantages that men rarely exhibit. The challenge is to use these gifts in business development, not just in delivering legal services.

Tech Talk: Help Yourself with the Latest from TECHSHOW   Don’t fall off the technology curve! Ride the wave with Larry Bodine as he highlights hot web sites and acronymic buzz from the ABA TECHSHOW in March, featuring free software, conferencing and other tools you can use.

Who Said That? - Quote of the Month   "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."

Accelerate Uphill: Succeeding in the Tough Times   It’s not so hard to grow legal work and profits in the good times. But what do you do when the tougher times hit? Darryl Cross takes a tip from competitive cycling and Lance Armstrong on how to win when the going gets tough. The advantage is to the nimble and the adaptable as long as they accelerate up that hill.

Tech Tip: What Matters...Offering Technology that Clients Want   With all the technology available to lawyers now, which options are those that give clients what they want and value? Larry Bodine reviews some basic, practical applications that deliver the goods.

Selling Tip: Getting An Unfair Advantage Over Your Competitors   As the selling process unfolds, savvy lawyers find a wealth of opportunities to influence the sale on their behalf, and beat out their competitors. Michael Cummings offers 6 proven methods to swing the contest in your favor so you get the client.

Small Fish in a Big Pond: Getting Something from Networking Events   Most networking events fail to give us good ways to meet potential clients, observes Carolyn Elefant, Esq. They may seem to offer large ponds, but sadlly too few fish to catch. Nonetheless, there are a number of ways to make the most of such events, if you choose carefully and handle them deftly.

Who Said That? - Quote of the Month   "Asking the right questions has always been less important than listening to the answers."

Presenting Like Your Client’s Life Depended on It   Ladies and gentlemen of the bar, I am here to speak to you about the rules of law, the ten rules for presenting your case whether you’re making the big pitch to a client or building your network at a conference speech. If you don’t apply these rules, pleads Darryl Cross, you should be found guilty.

Beyond Networking: Doing the Personal Follow-Up Meeting   How do you make the most of an opportunity you gain from networking? It’s excelling at a personal meeting with your prospect outside of the group setting. Carolyn Elefant, Esq. shares her tips to make these one-on-one meetings more productive.

Tech Tips: The Best 15 Tips for Bringing in New Business   There are a lot of ways you can put technology tools to work for you in really adding more business to your practice, and a lot of ways to misuse them or go wrong. Larry Bodine, Esq. reports on fifteen top ideas you can profit from now, and how to get value from them.

A Supreme Achievement: What Put Thomas Goldstein, Esq. on Top   At age 35, Thomas Goldstein went from a three-man law firm run out of his home to heading up the Supreme Court practice group at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. Michael Cummings observes the eight things he did right, and shows how you can push your own practice to greater heights.

Who Said That? - Quote of the Month   "Never mistake motion for action"

Your Networking Blueprint   Most networking is a complete waste of time. As Michael Cummings explains, what works is building relationships with the right people in the right way.  Follow his 13 point blueprint for networking, and you’ll be building a strong relationship network for yourself.

Good, Fast, Cheap: Pick One...to Get Your Marketing Right   Andy Havens always gets asked what marketing lawyers can do to bring in business "right away". Mainly you need a mindset adjustment, since “fast” does not sit well with "good" or "cheap" and so brings along with it a whole lot of other problems you don’t need.

Activity vs. Results: How are You Keeping Score?   It’s easy to measure your marketing efforts by the quality of the event or brochure. But professionals are just kidding themselves, notes Darryl Cross, if they believe that a high quality activity is a goal to be rewarded. Aim for specific measurable business results from your efforts, and celebrate those...or you’re liable to find that a lot of time and money was diverted from you really want.

Market Update: Litigator Opportunities Abound   There's always good news and bad news in the market for litigation, with the potential for some firms to be big losers and others big winners. In this overview, Larry Bodine, Esq. shows you where you can gain some business if you know what to seek out, or where you might lose if you don't pay attention to trends.

Who Said That? - Quote of the Month   "If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone; one should keep his friendships in constant repair."

Leaders of the Pack: A Summer Reading List   Summer is about half-over, and many of us are heading off for a week of R&R. Mark Beese reviews some books you may want to stash in your luggage for an enjoyable read, and a bit of self-improvement - from upping your leadership skills to turning over exemplary last words.

You Are What You Write: Record Your Efforts for Better Results   What can lawyers learn from dieters about improving their business development? As Darryl Cross observes, a simple motivator can make a huge difference. That motivator is keeping a record of what you do in business development each day. Simple and effective.

Cross-sell…or Lose That Client   Ron Paquette, an analyst for the Redwood Think Tank, discusses research with Larry Bodine that proves that cross selling is essential for a lawyer to keep a client. And the time to act is now because there is a frightening chance your client is liable to leave within two years and revenue from all existing clients will decrease 12% per year.

Becoming the “Go-To” Resource for Your Clients...and Gaining the Invaluable Benefits of Doing So   Those who bring in business over and over again from their clients share an open secret. To stay successful, you want to be the first professional that a client thinks to call when looking for advice and solutions. Michael Cummings shows what you can do right now to get into the relationship business, and gain its benefits.