What I tell clients who have plenty of contacts and no book

You are feeling the pressure to bring in business. You attend conferences, firm dinners, and speak on panels. 

But often, nothing comes of it. Why?

When I ask my clients about it, more often than not, this truth is revealed: they are waiting to be noticed. Haven't so many of us been there?

You are respected. You have a powerful network. You have standing. So why is this happening?

You are not asking, or you are not asking often enough.

The ask is a separate skill set, and it's the one your firm won't teach you, because some lawyers were raised to go out there and chase what they wanted, and don't need any training to claim what they want.

Others were raised to be demure. I know I was. 

The reframe I give those who hesitate because they don't want to sound 'salesy':

Center the client's problem, not your business development goal, in your mind. You are offering to help them solve a problem with the best of what you have.

Addressed this way, an ask doesn't feel icky. It feels helpful. You're doing the client a service by making it easy to hire the right person for the job. You already know are the right person. So you need to tell them that.

Why I can't write this on LinkedIn:

LinkedIn's algorithm punishes references to an uneven playing field. The platform champions a storybook definition of "leadership," and the fable of a meritocracy is vital to that storyline. The real story stays hidden. 

So let me say it plainly here: a portable book is career insurance, because partnership candidacies are not judged equally. And it starts with asking (at all) and then asking again, regularly. 

A book protects you, and that's true regardless of your merit as a lawyer.

That's one of the five shifts we cover live on July 30.

Two seats left before I close registration.

→ Reserve your seat here: interconnectedus.com/masterclass