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Every lawyer who wants to build their practice goes through stretches where they feel like they’re not really making progress.
You write a plan in January. Set some goals. Block time in your calendar.
But then real life kicks in—client emergencies, deadlines, kids’ soccer practice—and BD gets pushed to the side.
It’s frustrating because you want to grow. You know you need to be more consistent. But motivation ebbs, priorities shift, and it starts to feel like you’re constantly starting over.
If that sounds familiar, here’s something that might help:
A few simple principles—call them “laws”—that can guide your approach and help you build real, lasting momentum in business development.
Let’s walk through them.
1. Kidlin’s Law: If you write down a problem clearly, you’ve already solved half of it.
This is one of those deceptively simple ideas that applies directly to BD.
Most lawyers don’t fail at business development because of a lack of ambition. They fail because their goals stay vague and abstract.
“I want to grow my practice.”
“I should write more articles.”
“I need to get better at following up.”
Those aren’t goals. They’re not strategies. They’re intentions that need more specificity.
The moment you sit down and write something like, “Today: Reach out to Sarah at Acme to check in and share the new article we published,” you go from thinking about business development to actually doing it.
Try this: On Monday morning, write down 1–3 specific, concrete BD tasks you want to accomplish this week.
2. The Progress Principle: Small wins create powerful momentum.
Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer studied motivation at work and found that the biggest driver of engagement wasn’t compensation, perks, or praise. It was simply the feeling of making progress on meaningful goals.
You don’t need a big client win every week. What you need is a system that helps you stay in motion, and a way to see that you’re making progress.
That might mean sending a follow-up note after a conversation, commenting on a client’s post on LinkedIn, or drafting the first paragraph of your next article.
Tiny steps. But they matter.
They give you a sense of accomplishment. They keep the BD flywheel spinning. And they build your confidence.
Try this: Keep a “Weekly Wins” list—just a running log of the small BD things you did do. You’ll be surprised how much you get done once you start noticing what you did.
3. Dunbar’s Number: You can’t stay in touch with everyone. So focus on the few who matter most.
You’ve probably heard of Dunbar’s Number, the idea that we can maintain about 150 stable social relationships, and only 20–30 meaningful ones.
The same holds true in business development. You don’t need to build a giant audience. You need to build a small, strong network of trusted relationships.
And relationships need maintenance. That means staying top of mind with decision-makers and referral sources who already like and trust you, and showing up with value—insights, introductions, encouragement—on a regular basis.
Try this: Build a Key Contacts List of 25 names. People who could hire you, refer you, or help you get in front of the right audience. Reach out to at least ten each month.
Building Momentum
Business development doesn’t have to feel like pushing a boulder uphill.
Clarity (Kidlin’s Law) gets you started.
Progress (The Progress Principle) keeps you motivated.
Focus (Dunbar’s Number) makes it manageable.
And the combination of those three things—done consistently, week after week—builds the most powerful force in business development: momentum.
When you’re in motion, everything gets easier. You have more conversations. You build more confidence. And you experience more growth in your practice.
Jay Harrington is president of our agency, a published author, and nationally-recognized expert in thought-leadership marketing.
From strategic planning to writing, podcasting, video marketing, and design, Jay and his team help lawyers and law firms turn expertise into thought leadership, and thought leadership into new business. Get in touch to learn more about the consulting and coaching services we provide. You can reach Jay at jay@hcommunications.biz.