By the time someone contacts you about working together, they may already know quite a bit about you. They’ve looked at your LinkedIn profile, read an article you wrote, asked a colleague about you or attended a program where you spoke. You’re having your first conversation with them, but they’ve already spent time learning about your work.
This is why I encourage lawyers and other business professionals to stay visible even when they’re busy. Someone who has no immediate need for your services may still be paying attention. What they learn about you now can help them remember you when they need advice or someone asks them for a recommendation.
LinkedIn recently highlighted research from Factors.ai looking at more than 50,000 closed deals across 850 B2B organizations. One finding was that buyers began exploring possible solutions roughly four months before speaking with a seller. The research also examined the role of multiple contacts in purchasing decisions and the relationship between paid advertising and organic LinkedIn activity.
These findings come from a broader B2B context, so I wouldn’t use that timeline as a prediction of how long it takes someone to hire a lawyer or adviser. What interests me is what we can apply to professional services: how we show up before an opportunity becomes visible, who we build relationships with and what we give people to help them understand our work.
Link to 1. Give People Reasons to Know You Before They Need You 1. Give People Reasons to Know You Before They Need You
If someone only hears from you when you’re asking for a meeting or promoting your services, they have relatively few opportunities to learn from you. Publishing useful content and participating in conversations gives them a chance to become familiar with your experience over time.
For a lawyer, that could mean explaining an issue clients are starting to encounter, sharing practical preparation tips or discussing a question that came up during a recent presentation. For a consultant, it might mean walking through a common business challenge and the factors that affect how you approach it.
Think about the work you’d like to be known for and whether your recent activity reflects it. If you want more opportunities in a particular industry, share information that’s useful to people in that industry. Help them understand what you know through the subjects you address and the way you explain them.
Link to 2. Build Relationships With More People Around the Client 2. Build Relationships With More People Around the Client
A strong relationship with one person at a company is valuable. There may also be other people whose responsibilities intersect with your work and who would benefit from knowing you.
An employment lawyer might work closely with in-house counsel while also developing relationships with HR leaders. A corporate lawyer advising a growing business may have relevant experience for the founder, CFO and people responsible for acquisitions. The connections will vary based on the client and the work.
Start by learning who does what and where there’s a useful reason to connect. Ask your existing contact whether a colleague would benefit from an upcoming program or a resource you’ve developed. Bring the right colleagues from your own organization into those conversations too.
These relationships take time and coordination. Keep the client’s needs at the center of your outreach so each introduction has a purpose and people understand why you’re connecting.
Link to 3. Make Your Content Useful to Someone Who’s Still Figuring Things Out 3. Make Your Content Useful to Someone Who’s Still Figuring Things Out
A prospective client may spend time trying to understand an issue before deciding whether to hire anyone. They might be identifying a risk, preparing for an internal conversation or working out which questions to ask.
Create some content for that person. A business owner thinking about a sale may want to know what records to organize or which advisers to involve. An HR leader may need help recognizing when a recurring employee issue warrants a closer review. A new general counsel may be learning how to evaluate outside firms.
You can help by explaining what typically happens, what people often overlook and what information is useful to gather. Draw on the questions you hear in your work, and write in language your audience uses. That gives readers something practical while helping them get to know your approach.
Link to 4. Help Your Contacts Explain Your Value to Other People 4. Help Your Contacts Explain Your Value to Other People
Sometimes the person who knows you needs to introduce you to someone who doesn’t. Think about what you can provide that would make that introduction easier.
A clear bio, a relevant article or a concise description of your experience can help a contact explain why you’d be worth speaking with. If your materials are vague, that person has to do more of the explaining themselves.
For example, after a conversation about preparing a company for an acquisition, you might send an article outlining the issues you discussed. Your contact can use it personally or share it with colleagues involved in the process. Include a brief note connecting the resource to the conversation so its relevance is clear.
Review your materials with this in mind. Someone who forwards your article or bio is putting your work in front of a new audience. Give that audience enough context to understand who you help and where your experience fits.
Link to 5. Give People a Sense of the Professionals Behind the Firm 5. Give People a Sense of the Professionals Behind the Firm
A firm’s LinkedIn page can introduce its capabilities, programs and people. Individual profiles give those people an opportunity to explain their work in their own words and participate in conversations with their networks.
I encourage lawyers and business professionals to add context when sharing firm content. If you’re posting an article, explain which issue you found particularly relevant. If you’re speaking at an event, tell people what you’ll cover and why it matters to the audience. If you’re sharing a colleague’s work, describe what readers can learn from it.
That extra thought helps your contacts understand why you’re sharing something. It also gives them a better sense of your interests, experience and perspective. Work with your marketing team to identify useful material, then take a few minutes to make the message sound like you.
Link to 6. Pay Attention to Conversations That Happen Outside the Comments 6. Pay Attention to Conversations That Happen Outside the Comments
Some people will read your content without reacting to it. Others may mention it in a private message, bring it up at an event or send it to someone you’ve never met. You won’t see all of that in your LinkedIn analytics.
When someone reaches out, ask what prompted the conversation. If they mention an article or presentation, find out what they found helpful. Keep track of introductions, invitations and meetings that relate to your marketing activity.
This can help you understand which subjects are resonating and where your content is supporting relationships. It also gives you useful feedback for what to create next. A question someone asks after reading an article may be the starting point for another piece.
Link to 7. Build a Routine That Continues When Client Work Gets Busy 7. Build a Routine That Continues When Client Work Gets Busy
Staying active is easier when you have a manageable process. Save content ideas as they come up, keep a few useful resources handy and schedule time to check in with your network.
You might write one substantive article a month and develop several LinkedIn posts from the questions it addresses. You could set aside time each week to read contacts’ posts, respond thoughtfully and follow up with people you’ve met. Choose a pace that fits your workload.
For firms, marketing teams can help by organizing topics, interviewing professionals for content and preparing materials around upcoming events. Agree on who’s responsible for reviewing, publishing and following up so useful work doesn’t stall once everyone gets busy.
Link to A Business Development Checklist for Building Familiarity Before Clients Reach Out A Business Development Checklist for Building Familiarity Before Clients Reach Out
Use this list to review how you’re helping people learn about you before there’s an immediate opportunity.
- Identify the types of matters, projects or clients you want to attract.
- Check whether your bio and LinkedIn profile clearly reflect that work.
- Write down the questions people ask before deciding to hire someone in your field.
- Develop content that helps them understand those issues and prepare for next steps.
- Get to know other relevant people at client organizations through thoughtful introductions.
- Add your own perspective when sharing firm articles, announcements and events.
- Maintain a realistic schedule for publishing and participating on LinkedIn.
- Ask new contacts what prompted them to reach out and record useful feedback.
- Follow up with relevant information when a conversation gives you a reason to do so.
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