Musings on Legal Marketing & Business Development

Law firm professionals discussing a sustainable business development strategy during a team planning session Business Development
September 24, 2026

Building a Sustainable Business Development Culture in Law Firms

By David Freeman Quick Answer: A sustainable law firm business development culture is built through three connected elements: structured training with accountability, consistent reminders and activity tracking, and revenue-focused leadership.…
Taras Mendela
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Hands holding a glowing AI icon Business Development
March 20, 2024

AI and the Future of Client Development for Lawyers

Artificial intelligence is changing client development by making legal expertise more accessible while increasing the importance of human relationships. Lawyers who combine AI-powered research and insights with exceptional client service,…
David Freeman
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Playing the fame game Business DevelopmentCultureLaw Firm Management
February 21, 2023

Playing the Fame Game

In a prior article in which I described three power tips for building a great book of business, we discussed the importance of becoming “famous”. In this piece, we dive…
David Freeman
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5 Essentials for Your Business Development Toolkit Business Development
February 15, 2023

5 Essentials for Your Business Development Toolkit

Here’s how small to midsize firms can buffer the economy’s impact. So … Many … Hats! How chief operating officers, administrators, and executive directors in small and midsize firms handle…
David Freeman
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A better way to teach business development Business DevelopmentCross-Selling Articles for Law Firms
December 12, 2022

A Better Way To Teach Business Development

For decades, I’ve helped my clients change. Now it was my turn. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to clone myself—to create a twin that could bring…
David Freeman
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How Small Law Firm Lawyers Can Use Their Business Development Muscle to Compete for Bigger Clients Business Development
November 21, 2022

Winning Bigger Clients From a Smaller Law Firm

“Those larger firms have well-known brands, and no one really knows us.” “We don’t have the staff or the budgets they do.” “We don’t know how to compete against them.”…
David Freeman
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Here’s How to Use Metrics to Build an Extraordinary Law Practice Business Development
November 17, 2022

Here’s How to Use Metrics to Build an Extraordinary Law Practice

Lawyers looking to build a thriving practice should focus on key measures that will get them to their end game, explains attorney, author, and consultant David Freeman. He provides some critical…
David Freeman
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Five secrets to becoming a Mega-Rainmaker Business Development
November 17, 2022

Five Secrets to Becoming a Mega-Rainmaker

It’s the rare few who win the lottery by becoming heir to a giant book of business. If that’s you, feel free to skip this article and go admire your…
David Freeman
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Three Power Tips Business Development
November 16, 2022

Three Power Tips

It can feel like there are a million ways to market legal services. But like anything else, when you dive deep and look at the core elements underpinning great truths,…
David Freeman
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Video Conferencing Business Development
May 12, 2022

Best Practices for Delivering Remote Meetings

Accelerated Learning Through Crowd-Based Facilitation On May 21st, 2020, the Professional Development Consortium held a first-of-its-kind virtual brainstorming event entitled: "Collecting Best Practices for Designing and Delivering Engaging Virtual Training…
David Freeman
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Two colleagues celebrating at a desk Cross-Selling Articles for Law Firms
March 31, 2022

The First Sale in Cross-Selling: Your Own Lawyers

Why the First Sale Is Always Internal One of the core tenets of sales is to build trust and comfort in the buyer. The buyer serves as the gatekeeper for…
David Freeman
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Chalkboard drawing of vision, target and strategy Cross-Selling Articles for Law Firms
January 15, 2022

Cross-Selling Strategies For Law Firms During Pandemic

During this pandemic, most firms have understandably focused on playing defense by engaging in cost-cutting, decreasing pay, and reducing headcount. But defense represents only half of the game. Rather than…
David Freeman
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Finding Law Firm Clients Hot Buttons Cross-Selling Articles for Law Firms
January 6, 2022

Finding a Law Firm Client’s Hot Buttons

For 27 years, I’ve trained and coached thousands of lawyers on how to build exceptional books of business. One of the core principles is to go where the action is…
David Freeman
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How to grow Law Firm Profitability Revenue-Focused Leadership
January 5, 2022

Growing Revenue at Your Law Firm

When it comes to business development, law firm leaders often feel hamstrung. While it's blindingly clear how important growing revenue is to the health of a firm, one of the…
David Freeman
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Law Firm Retreat Ideas Retreats
January 5, 2022

How to Lead Law Firm Retreats for Growth

A Well-Designed Law Firm Retreat Can Elicit New Ideas, Provide Focus, Make Key Connections and Drive New Revenue How do you distinguish an ordinary law firm retreat from one which…
David Freeman
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Lawyer Business Development Business Development
January 4, 2022

Using Gamification to Drive Lawyer Business Development Performance

It’s time for “that” meeting again. Yes, the one where the Managing Partner, Executive Committee and other top leaders complain about weak rainmaking efforts from a big chunk of the…
David Freeman
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Cross-Selling law firm Strategies Cross-Selling Articles for Law Firms
January 3, 2022

Mastering Law Firm Cross-Selling

In a recent Altman Weil survey of 81 managing partners at firms with 50 or more lawyers, 74.4 percent of the law firms were determined to be "poor" at effectively…
David Freeman
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Leadership In Law Firms Revenue-Focused Leadership
January 2, 2022

Developing Effective Lawyer Leaders

If there’s one thing I’ve learned having trained and coached thousands of lawyers for over two decades, it’s that implementing new initiatives requires engaged and proactive leadership. This begs the…
David Freeman
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Law Firm Retreat Agenda Ideas Revenue-Focused Leadership
January 1, 2022

Transform Your Law Firm with High-Impact Retreats

Here’s the scenario: You’ve received the mandate from leadership to conduct a retreat for your law firm. You have a date, the venue, and a retreat committee charged with developing…
David Freeman
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Cross-Selling Culture Cross-Selling Articles for Law Firms
December 31, 2021

Lawyer Cross-Selling Culture Champions: Brian Cromwell

How Brian Cromwell Structures Cross-Selling Brian Cromwell, a partner at Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein in Charlotte, NC, hopes to avoid too many repeat clients. According to him, “if your…
David Freeman
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Cross-Selling Best Practices Cross-Selling Articles for Law Firms
December 30, 2021

Creating a Law Firm Culture of Cross-Selling

As a law firm leader, you are regularly consumed with finding ways to get your lawyers to pursue their development opportunities, with the best of the best often found through…
David Freeman
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Setting Up a Virtual Law Firm Revenue-Focused Leadership
December 29, 2021

The Show Must (Remotely) Go On: From Live to Virtual Law Firm Retreats

The word of the day is “disruption.” This pandemic has unleashed seismic ripples that have created a new world of lawyers and staff working from home, trials over Zoom and…
David Freeman
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Remote Law Firm Retreat Revenue-Focused Leadership
December 28, 2021

As Law Firm Retreats Go Virtual, Here’s How To Keep Them Effective

Losing the ability to meet in person doesn’t mean firms must lose the ability to bring their people together. In many firms, the main differentiator is culture, which is built…
David Freeman
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Improving Law Firm Culture by gamification Business Development
December 27, 2021

Get Your Law Firm Gamification On

Gamification is more than just a buzzword. When implemented correctly in law firms, it can help you achieve your strategic goals. You’ve certainly had your fill of articles that open…
David Freeman
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Cross-Selling Culture Cross-Selling Articles for Law Firms
December 26, 2021

Lawyer Cross-Selling Culture Champions: Brian Trinque

How Brian Trinque Builds Cross-Selling Relationships In this column, we highlight “Cross-Selling Culture Champions,” those who step up and proactively engage in behaviors that encourage more, and better, cross-selling activity.…
David Freeman
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Impact of Technology on Law Revenue-Focused Leadership
December 23, 2021

Harnessing the Power of the Pandemic for Law Firms

The ongoing specter of COVID sets the stage for very uncertain times. It triggers thoughts and feelings that set amygdalas on high alert, hijacking our ability to think rationally and…
David Freeman
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BD & Law Firm Business Development
December 18, 2021

What ‘Hamilton’ Can Teach Lawyers About BD

Ever get a song stuck in your head? Have you ever felt inspired by exceptional composition, powerful lyrics or the virtuosity of a vocalist or musician? Personally, I check all…
David Freeman
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Law Office Branding Revenue-Focused Leadership
December 14, 2021

Stand Out in a Sea of Sameness, Creating Law Firm Culture Change

In an increasingly competitive international marketplace, law firms must consider what it takes to truly differentiate themselves While differentiation is a process, a solid culture is the defining characteristic of…
David Freeman
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Law Firm Client Relationship Management Systems Business Development
December 12, 2021

Keep Your Friends Close and Your Prospects Closer

Techniques for Staying Connected to Important Targets Ask any salesperson, and they’ll tell you same thing — selling is a full‐contact sport. For high‐level engagements, where trust is a cornerstone…
David Freeman
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FindLawFirmClients Revenue-Focused Leadership
December 10, 2021

How to Find and Keep Law Firm Clients

Right up front, can we agree that for most law firms to be successful, their lawyers must sell? Despite being in a “profession,” the brutal reality is that we must…
David Freeman
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Law And Leadership Revenue-Focused Leadership
December 7, 2021

Outcome-Focused Law Firm Leadership

There is no shortage of approaches for becoming a successful leader. A quick search on Amazon.com for books with leadership in the title yields a mind-boggling 60,000+ entries! Given the…
David Freeman
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Law Firm Business Strategy Business Development
December 1, 2021

Best Practices in Lawyer Business Development

It is no secret that the current market may be the toughest that many lawyers have ever faced. Business development approaches that worked for years, even decades, no longer generate…
David Freeman
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Law Firm Marketing Retreats
November 29, 2021

Rev the Revenue: The Marketing Focused Law Firm Retreat

Tear the roof off most any major law firm and what do you see? Massive amounts of unfocused marketing energy. From this 30,000 foot, leaders-eye view, responsible stewards of their…
David Freeman
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Strategic Planning for Law Firms Revenue-Focused Leadership
November 14, 2021

Why Strategic Planning Doesn’t Work for Law Firms

Where did strategic planning go wrong? Strategic planning within law firms is subject to unrealistic expectations it can’t deliver. Strategic planning is not the end game — it’s merely a…
David Freeman
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Law Firm Revenue/Profitability Revenue-Focused Leadership
November 12, 2021

Culture Shift: A Whole Law Firm Approach for Growing Revenue

Every business has two major management responsibilities – minimizing expenses and maximizing revenue. Law firms can cut costs, but that’s the easy part. The greater challenge is mobilizing their lawyers…
David Freeman
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