I open my book, “The Attorney’s Networking Handbook,” with a confession. No one I’ve ever met has wasted more time networking than I have.
Over the years, I’ve attended countless networking events, joined groups, served on boards, and had more coffees, lunches, and cocktails than I care to remember. Some of those experiences were incredibly valuable, while others were a complete waste of time and money.
The good news is that I eventually figured out what works, what doesn’t, and how lawyers can become significantly more effective at networking without making it a second full-time job. Those lessons became the foundation of a book that many attorneys have come to rely on as their guide to networking more successfully.
Here’s something I’ve learned after working with lawyers for nearly two decades. There’s a tipping point in networking that most attorneys never seem to reach.
They’re constantly attending conferences, meeting new people, following up with contacts, and looking for their next opportunity. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of that, the problem is that many lawyers continue this cycle indefinitely, never realizing that the ultimate goal should be to network less while generating more business.
I believe that by following three specific strategies, lawyers can potentially reduce their networking time by as much as 80% while improving their results. This isn’t something that happens overnight, but with the right approach, you can build a powerful network that produces business without requiring hundreds of hours of your time every year.
Here’s how to get there.
1. Apply The 80/20 Rule To Your Networking
Most lawyers start networking by spending nearly all their time meeting new people. They attend events, exchange business cards, connect on LinkedIn, and schedule follow-up meetings with anyone who seems remotely interesting.
The problem is that these people are largely unqualified, untested, and essentially strangers. You don’t know whether they have the right relationships, whether they understand your practice, or whether they’re ever going to refer business to you.
This is where the Pareto Principle, commonly known as the 80/20 rule, can change everything.
Your goal should be to identify the relatively small number of relationships that can generate the majority of your referrals. Instead of constantly adding hundreds of new contacts, focus on developing a strategic partner dream team of five to 10 people who know you, trust you, understand your ideal clients, and consistently look for opportunities to help one another.
As these relationships develop, your networking priorities should shift. Ideally, you’ll eventually spend 80% of your relationship-building time strengthening proven partnerships and only 20% meeting new people.
Imagine the difference between chasing hundreds of contacts who barely know you versus investing in 10 strategic relationships with proven friends who are actively looking for opportunities to bring you in on deals.
That’s where networking becomes much more efficient, enjoyable, and profitable.
2. Become A Professional Qualifier Of Your Time
One of the biggest mistakes I see lawyers make is attending networking events without really knowing where to go, why they’re there or who they should be meeting.
Being a professional qualifier of your time means having a clear understanding of your ideal clients and the people who already have relationships with them.
Start by identifying the industries, company sizes, geographic markets, and decision-makers that make up your best potential clients. Then ask yourself who else works with those same people, but in a different capacity.
For example, if you’re an employment lawyer representing midsized businesses, you might develop relationships with HR consultants, commercial real estate lawyers, accountants, or other professionals serving those same companies.
Boutique and specialized law firms can be especially valuable strategic partners because they may work with your ideal clients without directly competing for your area of practice. On the other hand, referring to a full-service firm that already handles employment matters may not be the best use of your relationship-building efforts.
Once you understand who you’re looking for, the next step is figuring out where those people spend their time.
For example, I’m involved with ProVisors, a professional networking organization with approximately 11,000 members, roughly half of whom are attorneys. If you’re a lawyer looking to meet other lawyers who might become referral partners, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to find some worthwhile relationships there.
The same thinking applies to industry associations, conferences, professional groups, and boards. Rather than attending everything that comes across your desk, focus on organizations where your ideal clients or referral partners are already spending their time.
The objective isn’t to meet as many people as possible. It’s to identify the right people, qualify the relationship, and determine whether there’s a legitimate opportunity to develop a mutually beneficial partnership.
When you become more selective about where you go and who gets your time, you’re much more likely to build that dream team without wasting years on relationships that never go anywhere.
3. Build A Personal Brand That Eventually Does The Networking For You
Of the three strategies, this may be the most important for lawyers who eventually want to spend less time networking and more time practicing law, enjoying their families, or simply having greater control over their schedules.
For years, much of my business came from networking, introductions, and personal relationships. While those activities still matter, I’ve significantly reduced the amount of traditional networking I do because I’ve invested heavily in building my personal brand. Writing for Above the Law is the perfect example. I mean you’re here with me right now working ON your business and learning some new efficiencies.
Through podcasting, writing books and articles, creating useful content, and maintaining a presence on LinkedIn, I’ve been able to develop a level of visibility and credibility that allows people to find me rather than always having to find them. Occasionally, someone will even say to me, “I feel like I’m talking to a celebrity.” While I certainly don’t see myself that way, it’s hard to ignore what that kind of recognition says about the power of building a strong personal brand.
Lawyers can do exactly the same thing.
If you’re a business attorney who becomes well-known for working with manufacturing companies in Chicago, or an estate planning attorney who develops a strong reputation in your local market, you’re going to have a significant advantage over equally capable attorneys whom nobody knows.
This doesn’t mean you need to write five books or host a podcast. It might mean publishing useful LinkedIn content, speaking at industry events, writing articles for trade publications, or becoming a recognizable resource within a particular industry or geographic market.
The key is to start building that visibility now, even if the payoff is several years away.
Think about where you’d like your practice to be in three, five, or 10 years. Would you rather continue attending networking events every week, hoping to find your next client, or become the person people already think of when they need someone with your expertise?
When your relationships and personal brand work together, networking becomes something you choose to do rather than something you feel obligated to do.
The Real Goal Is To Network Less And Generate More Business
I want to be clear that I’m not suggesting lawyers stop networking altogether. Relationships will always be essential to business development, and there will always be value in meeting new people and exploring new opportunities.
What I am suggesting is that networking should become more strategic and less time-consuming as your practice develops.
By applying the 80/20 rule, becoming a professional qualifier of your time, and building a strong personal brand, you can gradually move away from endless networking and toward a more predictable, referral-driven practice.
You may not see an 80% reduction in networking time next year. However, over the next three, five, or 10 years, the difference can be substantial.
The lawyers who understand this aren’t necessarily working harder than everyone else. They’re investing their time in the right relationships, showing up in the right places, and building a reputation that attracts opportunities long after they’ve left the room.
And isn’t that ultimately what we all want? To build a successful book of business without sacrificing every evening, lunch hour, and weekend to get there?
Build your book. Own your future. BE THAT LAWYER.
Steve Fretzin is a five-time bestselling author, host of the BE THAT LAWYER and Future Rainmakers podcasts, and a business development coach who works exclusively with attorneys. For more than 18 years, he has helped lawyers build strong books of business without selling, pitching, or chasing, using his proven Sales-Free Selling™ approach. His clients consistently become top rainmakers and credit his coaching and systems for driving meaningful, measurable growth. Steve can be reached directly at steve@fretzin.com, or through his website at bethatlawyer.com. Connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin. His ALL NEW BE THAT LAWYER Community is changing how lawyers develop the skills never taught in law school. Learn more at bethatlawyer.com/community.
The post When Should Lawyers Stop Networking? 3 Ways To Do Less And Get Better Results. appeared first on Above the Law.