Lex I: Corpus omne perseverare in statu suo quiescendi vel movendi uniformiter in directum, nisi quatenus a viribus impressis cogitur statum illum mutare.
In case your Latin is rusty:
Law I: Every body persists in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force impressed.
- Sir Isaac Newton
Inertia is the Enemy
A lucky few are born-to-network, becoming true rainmakers. They move "uniformly straight forward" toward their goals and success. The rest of us "mortal" beings sometimes find ourselves stuck in the middle of Newton's Cradle - hoping that someone or something will motivate us to change our habits and be like our rainmaker idols.
Can one move to the end of Newton's Cradle and actually be the source of energy that drives
others forward?
Inertia, in fact, can be defeated! It takes a little bit of thought and some discipline to compel actionable change:
Step 1:
Where have your best business opportunities come from over the past couple of years? Trace each opportunity back to its original source, i.e., Joe the Accountant is my best referral source; I originally met Joe at an alumni event.
Action item: Attend more alumni events.
Step 2:
How do you spend your time on business development? Jot down your activities, i.e., 4 hours at XYZ networking event; 6 hours entertaining clients at Dodger games; 8 hours lunching with referral sources.
Action item: Compare how you are spending your time to resulting business (from Step 1). Adjust your activities to eliminate those that don't yield results.
Step 3:
Each week, identify 3-5 people (clients, prospects, referral sources) who you want to get to know better.
Action item: Each morning, call one of these people with the objective of setting up a meeting. If you leave a message, make a note on your calendar to call back in 3 days (just in case the person doesn't get back to you before then).
Step 4:
Don't just "show up."
Action item: Before attending a networking event or entertaining a client, prospect or referral source, establish an objective, i.e., to meet 2 new lawyers at a networking event, or to find out who you can introduce to a referral source.
Step 5:
Follow up after each marketing activity.
Action item: Upon returning to your office, schedule a follow up activity to carry forward the momentum. Hopefully, your firm's marketing department or your assistant can help you.
By following these simple steps, your business development plan will gain momentum and you can move to the head of Newton's Cradle.
As my golf instructor advised, just keep the ball moving in the forward direction! If you have questions about overcoming inertia or business development tactics, please click here to get in touch!
Fondly,
Mary
September 2, 2023