This list may initially include law school classmates – who will eventually become referral sources, perhaps judges and possibly in-house counsel – and will continue to expand with clients, co-counsel, accountants, real estate agents, bankers, neighbors, fellow association members and, in some situations, opposing counsel.

What to do with these lists: Start by identifying a handful of local contacts on your list and set up coffee or lunch meetings. Be a great friend and business acquaintance to these folks and through the years it will pay off. Depending on whom the contact is, and your relationship with them, this might mean asking them to describe their perfect client or a case they would like? Then keep your eyes and ears open to refer a client or matter their way. You might ask them what challenges and opportunities they see ahead. Really listen, then follow up and try to help them get new business or overcome some hurdle they face by introducing them to someone you know, helping them line up a new secretary, paralegal or other outside resource.

A valuable lesson: People may forget what you have to say and what you do, but they will never forget how you make them feel. So be thinking of ways to make your contacts feel like you genuinely care and that you are a valued friend and resource. Be there for people who matter to you. This will take that awkward salesperson feeling away and replace it with the good feeling that you’re doing someone a favor and truly helping them out. In time, it will come back around.

Scour newspapers and industry periodicals: Look for helpful news items you can send to your contacts. You need to have your name in front of someone at least 7 times a year for them to remember you. Stay on their radar – don’t be obnoxious about it just be respectfully consistent so that you’re not forgotten.

Author your own newsworthy material: Identify opportunities to publish a byline article for a local or national legal, business or industry publication or website. You can then request permission from the publications to reprint your article so you can disseminate it to your list of contacts and post it on your website or link it to your bio. Consider developing a specialty practice or industry blog or submitting regular posts to an existing firm blog. Perhaps you could create and disseminate an HTML e-communication mailing (like the one you’re reading right now). They are very cost-effective, extremely simple to create and provide many tracking reports about the list of recipients.

No excuses: Your firm likely has a client contact database system in place for which you can regularly feed information about new contacts, prospects and referral sources. If you’re not sure about how your firm maintains this data, contact your IT Director and have a conversation with that person about the process that’s in place for collecting, managing and sorting this valuable information. Then, begin building your list, using your list and enjoying the fruit your efforts will eventually bear.

As law firms wake up and recognize the potential of social media networking, law firm leaders will begin to pay closer attention to this rapidly growing online resource.  Being well informed of social networking mediums is simply a smart strategic marketing move by law firms.

Online networking will never replace face-to-face business development but it is changing the face of the way many conduct business and this includes the legal industry.  Many lawyers and law firms argue that social media/networking is of questionable value and further say they do not believe their clients and in-house counsel contacts are using these tools. Surveys indicate differently; they are being used by clients, in-house counsel, referral sources and competitors. The world of Facebook, Twitter and Linked In may become irrelevant someday – predicting advances and the direction of technology and the Internet is close to impossible – but for now, they are relevant and we should all be paying close attention to what’s relevant in today’s market.

With this evolutionary networking medium comes many opportunities as well as many challenges.  It’s important that law firms be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities as well as be fully prepared to face the challenges.

If your firm does not already have an internal Social Media Policy then it is definitely time to establish, and further ensure that every firm employee agrees to it with their signature.  This policy should become a part of every law firm’s new employee packet and stack of documents to be signed during the initial orientation process.

Online networking sites, web sites and online discussion forums generally consist of commentary on a defined subject and frequently include links to other sites pertaining to the same subject.  While online networking sites can serve a useful function, if improperly used, they can result in unintended attorney/client relationships being established, sensitive information being disclosed and defamation and copyright issues being created.

This appears to be common practice for many lawyers and the third time, in the past 30 days, a similar scenario has been shared with me.

NEWS ALERT…regardless of your experience, years of practice or knowledge of a particular industry or area of law, there is no such thing as an informal meeting with a prospective client.  You need to approach and prepare for every prospective client meeting in the same way you would approach and prepare for a presentation to a large audience.  They should never, under any circumstances, be treated differently.

Extensive due diligence should be conducted in advance of every meeting.  This includes extensive Internet research and phone calls or emails to those you know who might have a connection with the prospective business or person(s) whom you’re meeting.  You should have a written outline or list of talking points that you’d like to address during the meeting as well as a list of key informational gathering questions.

You should also never forget to send an email out to all attorneys and staff internally asking if anybody knows or has an existing relationship with your prospect.  In this regard, I’m not referring to a relationship that would be flagged in a conflicts check but one outside of the firm – are they somebody’s neighbor, banker, realtor, kids’ soccer coach?  Come to the meeting with all possible information you can collect and then surprise and flatter them by saying, “So how long have you been coaching?”

You should spend the majority of your time at the meeting listening and learning about the prospect’s business and their needs but, as it becomes relevant, you need to have your talking points lined up and your questions ready to fire.

A brand is a promise that a law firm makes to clients to deliver particular services at a certain level of quality. Over time, the brand becomes a summary of how well the firm has delivered on that promise. It’s also a promise that the experiences of the past will be fulfilled in the future. A “strong” brand provides a positive experience. A brand considered “weak” has not consistently delivered its promise–or worse, it telegraphs a negative experience.

A brand must constantly reinvigorate itself to keep up with changes in clients and prospects tastes and the evolving marketplace. Standing still is not a good way to keep a law firm viable in today’s competitive environment. Many law firms have and continue to fail because they simply choose not to adapt to changes in the marketplace and their brand becomes stale or non-existent. The competition is fierce and firms that choose to idle, relying on an outdated brand, will simply not succeed.

If a law firm’s brand remains stagnant, it runs the risk of becoming irrelevant and out-of-touch with the changing times. Your firm may think that its brand is strong and able to sustain, as it is, long-term. It doesn’t really matter, however, what the firm’s management or leadership thinks the firm represents in the minds of its buyers. The only thing that matters, is what the firm’s brand represents in the minds of clients, prospects and referral sources.