Rainmaking Recommendation #148: Groundhog Day

In the famous 1993 movie, Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s character seems doomed to relive the same day over and over until he gets it right.

While this is a comedy, there is nothing funny about the fact that, as a lawyer, you are probably living the same day over and over again.

Think about this.  We are a bundle of ingrained habits.  We wake up, we go to the office, we get home, we go to sleep.    We wake up, we go to the office, we get home, we go to sleep.    We wake up, we go to the office, we get home, we go to sleep.   Are you getting the idea?

Sure, there are days that are slightly different.  Maybe you are going to court, maybe you are conducting a deposition, but how many times have you done that?

Stop living the same day over again.

For business development purposes, this means you have to do something different.

• If you are eating lunch at your desk every day, then start eating lunch with a colleague out of the office and talk about how you can help each other with your client development.
• If you haven’t seen your client since the day they signed your engagement letter, meet with them for coffee. Catch them up on their case, and then talk to them about anything else.  Find other ways to help them that doesn’t include your legal expertise.
• Write that blog or white paper you have been putting off because you are afraid no one will read or download.
• Find an organization where your ideal clients are and ask to speak at a conference.
• Send out a newsletter or contribute to your firm’s newsletter.

This list is by no means inclusive.  In fact, there are hundreds of things you can do differently that will change how you get new clients.

Additionally, if your life (and not just your legal practice) has become routine, shake it up.  Take up a new hobby, or become more proficient at the one in which you are involved (and binge watching Netflix does not count as a hobby).  Many of the hobbies you choose can also become business development activities – the people you meet could become clients, or they could become referral sources.

Spoiler Alert:   Bill Murray’s character has an epiphany about his innate nature, becoming a better man and ending the time loop that kept him in the same day over and over again.  You can have the same realization about your business development habits and become a better rainmaker.