One of the most common things I hear from lawyers about business development is that they want to stay in touch with people, but they don’t always know what to say. They’ve had the introductory meeting, connected on LinkedIn or followed up after a conference. A few weeks or months go by, and reaching out starts to feel awkward because they don’t have an obvious reason to do it.
Paying attention to someone’s business gives you more to work with. When you understand what’s happening at a company and what matters to the person you know there, you’re more likely to notice an article worth sharing, a useful introduction or a question that could lead to a substantive conversation. The information becomes more valuable when you connect it to something you’ve discussed or explain why it made you think of them.
Start With the Relationships You Want to Develop
It’s difficult to keep up with every client, prospect, referral source and former colleague. Start with a manageable group of people and companies you’d like to spend more time getting to know. Your list might include existing clients, companies you’ve been hoping to work with or people you met at an event. For each relationship, think about when you last spoke, what you discussed and what you’d like to understand better about their business.
Keep a few notes about those conversations so you have something to return to when you’re preparing to reconnect. If someone mentioned hiring a general counsel, expanding a service or looking for an introduction, that information can help you recognize a useful opportunity to follow up. Share that context with your business development team as well. Knowing why a company matters to you and what you’ve already discussed helps them identify relevant information and connections.
Think About What a Development Means for the Business
An acquisition, a new executive or an expansion into another market can give you a reason to reconnect. Before reaching out, spend a few minutes thinking about what that development might mean for the company and the person you’re contacting. A company entering a new market may be working through hiring, commercial agreements or operational questions. An acquisition may create integration work that continues well after closing. Your experience can help you identify a relevant question or resource while leaving room to learn more about their situation.
For example, your message might say, “I saw the announcement about your expansion into Texas and remembered our conversation about hiring. We recently published a piece on an issue that comes up when companies build teams in new markets, and I thought it might be useful as you plan.” Connecting the news to your earlier conversation explains why you’re reaching out and gives the recipient something relevant to their work.
Look for Reasons Beyond Company News
Something in your own work can also give you a reason to reconnect. A question at a conference might relate to an issue a client raised, or a colleague may have experience that would be helpful to someone you know. An article, industry discussion or professional association event may bring a particular person to mind. Think about why the connection is relevant and include that explanation in your message.
Events are especially useful for this. After a program, think about the clients and prospects who couldn’t attend, as well as the people you met there. You might write, “A discussion at our pharma services symposium brought me back to the question you raised about preparing a business for sale. There were a couple of points I thought you’d find useful, and I’d be happy to share them.” This gives you a timely reason to contact someone and extends the value of the program beyond the people who were in the room.
Use Research Tools to Make Preparation Manageable
Keeping up with companies and people takes time, particularly when information is spread across websites, news coverage and LinkedIn. Through my work with Gatsby, I’ve been looking at how law firms can make that preparation a more consistent part of business development. Gatsby Intel provides research on demand for situations such as meeting, pitch or introduction preparation. Gatsby Aware monitors selected clients and prospects to help teams keep up with developments between conversations.
There are practical applications for both. Before a conference, you can research the companies whose executives you’d like to meet. Before a client meeting, you can review what has changed since your last conversation. Between meetings, you can follow priority accounts and look for developments that connect to your experience or something a contact has mentioned. Your knowledge of the relationship helps you decide which information matters and whether you have something useful to contribute.
Make the Message Specific to the Person
A useful outreach message explains why you thought of the person and makes it easy to understand what you’re offering. If you’re sharing an article, point to the part that relates to their business. If you’re offering an introduction, explain why the two people might benefit from knowing each other and check that both are interested. If you’re suggesting a conversation, give it a purpose that connects to something the recipient cares about.
For someone who has taken on a new role, that might sound like, “Congratulations on the new position. You mentioned wanting to get to know more people working in this area, and a former colleague came to mind. I’d be happy to introduce you if that would be helpful as you settle in.” Keep the request proportionate to the relationship and the reason for reaching out. Sharing a useful resource can be enough on its own, while a call makes sense when there’s something specific to discuss.
Coordinate With Your Colleagues
Before contacting someone at a priority company, check who at your firm already knows them and what conversations are underway. A colleague may be able to add context, make an introduction or help you understand which person is best placed to reach out. This is particularly helpful when several practices work with the same company or different lawyers know people within the business.
You can also bring specific opportunities to client team meetings. Explain the development, why it may matter and what follow-up you propose, then agree on who will take responsibility and what support they need. Your business development team can help with research, draft outreach, relevant materials and coordination. Giving them the background from your conversations helps them connect that support to the relationship you’re trying to develop.
Build a Routine You Can Maintain
Set aside time each week to review a manageable group of relationships, look at relevant developments and revisit your conversation notes. Include anything you offered to do, such as sending an article or making an introduction, so those commitments become part of your follow-up. Keep track of what you sent and what happened next to help you prepare for the next conversation.
The next time you’re unsure what to say to someone, go back to your last conversation and spend a few minutes looking at what’s happening in their business. You may find an article that relates to something they mentioned, a colleague they’d benefit from knowing or a useful question to ask. That preparation helps you write a more personal message and gives you something specific to talk about when they respond.
How to Put This Into Practice
- Choose five clients, prospects or referral sources you’d like to reconnect with and review your last conversation with each.
- Look for something relevant to share, such as a company development, an article, an event takeaway or an introduction.
- Ask your business development team to help research those companies and identify connections within the firm.
- Write a personal message explaining why you thought of the recipient and how the information relates to their business.
- Offer a call or meeting when there’s a specific topic to discuss. If you’re sharing a resource, explain which part you thought they’d find useful.
- Set aside time each week to follow up on replies, make the introductions you offered and stay current on those relationships.
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