You’ve met someone at a networking event who has strong relationships with the types of clients you want to reach. You had a good conversation, exchanged contact information, and talked about staying in touch.
Then you got busy, and nothing happened.
This is a common problem. You attend networking events, connect with people on LinkedIn, and steadily expand your network, but those connections rarely lead to new business. Over time, you get discouraged and may even stop attending events altogether.
But networking isn’t necessarily the problem. The problem is confusing making connections with building relationships.
As I discussed in my recent article about making your business development time count, activity alone isn’t enough. What matters is how you follow through on the connections you make.
Set Realistic Expectations for Networking
Not everyone you meet at a networking event will be a potential client or referral source, and that’s okay. The goal isn’t to turn every conversation into a business opportunity. It’s to identify mutually beneficial relationships worth pursuing.
Before committing to an event, consider who typically attends. Are these the types of people and companies you want to connect with and could they introduce you to people who might need your services?
If the answer is yes, attend with purpose. This isn’t about collecting as many business cards as possible; it’s about having meaningful conversations and identifying people to follow-up with.
Help People Remember You
We all meet a lot of people over the course of a year. But simply meeting someone doesn’t mean they’ll remember you or understand how you might be helpful to them.
Before attending an event, prepare a short and conversational explanation of what you do, whom you work with, and the problems you help solve. Describe your work using language that makes sense to a business audience, with a memorable phrase that helps people understand the value you offer.
When you meet someone, ask questions and listen closely to understand their work, priorities, and potential needs. It’s tempting to use every conversation as an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise, but one-sided interactions can leave a negative impression. Instead, look for common interests or areas where you might be helpful. Share some information about yourself, too, but don’t feel the need to demonstrate everything you know in one conversation. Your goal is to help people understand what you do and see you as a useful resource, giving them a reason to remember you and a foundation for a future conversation. That’s what follow-up is for.
If there is no alignment, move on politely.
Make Staying in Touch Part of Your Routine
One of the biggest challenges in business development is patiently nurturing relationships.
Look for natural ways to reconnect over time. For instance, follow up on a professional milestone or something you discussed when you last spoke, share an article that relates to their work, make a useful introduction, or invite them to an event.
You don’t need a major reason to get in touch. Sometimes, a simple note asking how things are going is enough to restart a conversation.
The key is consistency. Regular, relevant contact helps people get to know you, understand your practice, and remember you when a need or opportunity arises.
Focus on Long-Term Relationships, Not Just Immediate Results
Business development is a long game. Someone you meet today may not need your services for months or years. A referral source may also need time to understand your work and style before feeling comfortable recommending you.
Rather than treating every interaction as a step toward getting work, focus on building familiarity and trust. Learn about the other person’s business, share your perspective when it’s helpful, and look for ways to support their goals.
Over time, you’ll have a better sense of whether there’s a genuine opportunity to work together. When the time is right, you can have a more direct conversation about how you might help or ask whether they know someone who could benefit from your services.
The point isn’t to avoid asking for business. It’s to first build a relationship so that conversation feels more natural and relevant.
Build on the Connections You Already Have
Meeting new people is important, but don’t overlook the relationships you’ve already established. Aim to devote roughly 80% of your relationship-building efforts to strengthening existing relationships and 20% to developing new ones.
Identify people you want to get to know better, reconnect with, or engage more consistently. Consider former colleagues, past clients, referral sources, and people you’ve met through professional or community activities. Then make a plan for staying in touch. A little additional attention to the right relationships is usually time well spent.
Building and maintaining relationships is essential to developing a successful law practice. Success isn’t measured by the size of your network, but by how well you develop and maintain relationships that lead to the work you want to do.
As you plan your business development activities, don’t just ask yourself whom you need to meet. Ask yourself which relationships you need to build and what you’ll do to move them forward.
To learn more about how I help lawyers develop business, build visibility, and strengthen their practices, visit scaringimarketing.com.