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Want to eat better? Track your diet.
Want to get more fit? Track your training.
Want to develop more business? Track your business development efforts.
We tend to do what we track. I know I’m far more likely to get my 10,000 steps in when I’m wearing my Apple Watch. Once something is visible, we pay attention. What we pay attention to tends to improve.
That’s why I’m a big believer in tracking business development activity—not just outcomes, but effort. Why? Effort is the only thing we can control in the BD process.
Most lawyers track billable hours with incredible precision. BD, by contrast, often gets lost in the shuffle: vague intentions, good weeks followed by long gaps, and a sense that “I should be doing more,” without much clarity on what that actually means.
In my experience, when lawyers start tracking their BD activity, three things happen: They do more of it. They get more intentional about where they spend their time. They get better at it.
A simple 3-step framework
1. Decide what to track (what actually moves the needle).
Not all BD activity is created equal. Start by getting clear on the actions that really matter for your practice—things like meaningful outreach to key contacts, follow-up conversations, client check-ins, content creation, or targeted networking. The goal isn’t to track everything. It’s to track what leads to relationships and opportunities—not what merely fills time.
2. Take the action.
Once you’re confident about which activities matter, execution becomes easier. You’re no longer guessing or defaulting to low-impact tasks. You know what a “good BD week” actually looks like, and you can aim for it.
3. Track the action.
Keep it simple. A spreadsheet. A notebook. A notes app. At the end of each day or week, record what you did.
Try this for the next 30 days. Then reflect:
- Which activities generated the most promising leads, relationships, or positive feedback?
- Where did you spend time with little return?
- What would you refine or do differently next month?
You don’t need a perfect system. You just need a system. When you track your business development the way you track your billable hours, you start treating it as real work. And that’s when progress tends to follow.
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.