Business Development : Navigating business development as an attorney and caregiver 

By Randi Rosenblatt

The days are, simply, packed.  

Calls, emails, meetings, negotiations, and research coupled with appointments, carpools, groceries, cooking, and scheduling.

In addition to meeting the demands of being an attorney, caregivers have an additional load requiring their time and attention. Whether they are looking after children, parents, or siblings, caregivers have hours filled with obligations and expectations.

So, when we talk about attorneys who are caregivers finding more time to build a practice, it often feels impossible – because it is. How do we find time for networking events, coffees, lunches, conferences, sporting events, and all the things we think of when we brainstorm how to develop business, when our schedules are beyond full? They are jam-packed with things we need to do but also things we want to do – watch baseball practice, go to a dress rehearsal, take a parent food shopping, attend a sibling’s appointment to address concerns and determine next steps. 

Perhaps the solution is that we don’t look for more time. Rather, we make better use of the time we have – leveraging our “sideline network” and utilizing quick BD strategies – because, anyway, business comes from strong relationships, not from pricey dinners and box seats.

The sideline network

As caregivers, we often have access to a new and different network of people. Maybe we run into the same person in the doctor’s office waiting room regularly, or maybe we see the same parent on the sidelines at Saturday morning games. Maybe we run into the same person at the grocery store, or maybe it’s the pick-up and drop-off waiting line at school where we smile and wave each day. We think of these people in the role in which they sit within our lives – caregivers, like us. But why must they exist in that silo? Just like there’s more to us, there’s more to them.  

Being a caregiver offers a unique network that grows and evolves over time. The network is built on our personal lives – on what we do outside the office while caring for others. But with so much time spent in this role each week, it’s a network we should leverage to serve double duty, letting it dabble in our professional lives.  

Who’s in the sideline network?

No two sideline networks are the same. That is the beauty of it. Our sideline network consists of those we meet on the “sidelines” – the actual sidelines of kids’ ballfields – along with planes, trains, grocery lines, carpools, waiting rooms, etc. 

Often, we may be hesitant to blur the line and bring them into our professional orbit. That hesitation rests on an irrational expectation – that this isn’t supposed to be a professional relationship, that they don’t want to talk about work when they’re not at work, and that lawyers shouldn’t sell. This isn’t for us to decide and until we are told otherwise, we should assume the network is open for development. As caregivers, we spend hours on the sidelines with professionals navigating transactions, problems, resources, and so much more. Just like us. Let us be ready to lean in.

Consider showing up to the sidelines with a bit of a BD mindset. For example:

• Share an experience you are having at work to open the conversation (and to give you an opportunity to ask about their work).
• Invite your sideline network to an upcoming event you’re hosting or attending. 
• Connect your sideline network with resources they may find beneficial.

The next steps

Developing the sideline network doesn’t mean wearing a suit to every soccer game. And it’s also not meant to encourage trying to build professional relationships at the expense of personal relationships. The idea is for us to be willing to, and interested in, building multi-faceted relationships with a network that is developing around us based on our non-professional role of caregiver.  

The ability to develop the sideline network requires a few things:

• Having the ability to answer the question, “What kind of work do you do?” in a succinct and informative way that encourages a longer discussion.
• Being alert to conversations that are shifting into the professional realm and being willing to engage in them.
• Understanding when opportunities arise to showcase your expertise.

If you show up to the sidelines prepared and willing, your conversations will be more elaborate and your relationships more substantial, all leading to a further development of the sideline network.

Engaging in thoughtful ways

On the sidelines, we’re not trying to force conversations or be tone deaf to those who simply aren’t interested. Rather, we’re working to engage, in thoughtful and meaningful ways, with those who are interested in talking more; in transitioning the personal conversations (or the meaningless conversations about the weather) into something deeper.

As you engage in conversations on the sidelines, keep top of mind:

• Using the information you have to tailor the conversation; if they are talking about a tax matter, don’t focus on your environmental law experience.
• How can you add value – do you have relevant expertise, did you read something you should forward, do you have useful intel that would be beneficial?
• Opportunities where you can demonstrate your skills by sharing stories, rather than listing skills. Did you handle cases or transactions with similar factors?

Meeting and developing your sideline network is both enjoyable and efficient and can result in new relationships, new opportunities and new business.

Quick business development

Building relationships doesn’t require endless money and endless time. It does not have to consist of two-hour lunches, four-hour sporting events, or weekends on a golf course or ski mountain with industry colleagues. And while all those things are enjoyable, the smaller, more frequent and personal touch points are also impactful. (Sometimes, perhaps, even more impactful.)  

Consider the activities that might already fill your days or those you’ve wanted to find time for – daily walks or runs, self-care, volunteering, playing local sports, watching sports, table games, reading, music, etc. Now consider if a prospect or client might also enjoy the activity. Can you invite him/her for a regular run? A manicure or facial? A volunteer project? A local sports league? By engaging in activities with prospects or clients who also enjoy them, we are utilizing existing time and bonding over a commonality, leading to natural opportunities to connect over shared interests. These connections are genuine and form a strong foundation for what’s next.

Occasions to serve as a resource create a web of connections. Can you introduce them to other individuals who they should know? Can you share information to which they might otherwise not have access? Can you invite them to an event from which they might benefit? 

The attorney/caregiver combination is a recipe for schedule overload. But, while our time is limited, our network is both broad and unique. Leveraging the time we have and the people we meet can be an opportunity to bring our businesses to the next level.

 

 

Randi Rosenblatt is the Founder & CEO of Upward Stride. She focuses on business development training, coaching and consulting for lawyers and law firms. She can be reached at [email protected].