by Karen Kahn

Most lawyers I work with claim that time is their biggest impediment to developing business/relationships. Their claim becomes even more pronounced with they relate, with very punctuated voices, that they can’t focus on business development because: “I’m IN trial,” “I am SWAMPED with DEPOSITIONS,” or “I’m NEGOTIATING A BIG DEAL.” While the pressure on lawyers to provide immediate and stellar client services may be constant and significant, inserting 5 seconds of personal contact into their substantive days will not only expand their quality of service to clients but also contribute to the also important business/relationship development momentum. Here are a few 5 MINUTE (tops) ideas:

• Ask opposing counsel what kind of work he/she most enjoys.

• Ask a client about exciting trends in his/her industry.

• Utilize Linked In to find out about the current activities of a client with whom you have not been in touch with for awhile. Make a plan to contact them to ask for updates on what they are doing and learn how you can support them.

• Cut and paste an interesting article from a business journal and send it to four people with whom you have been cultivating a relationship. Add two personal sentences to the beginning of the e-mail about the relevance of the article and a note about your last conversation.

• Employ your firm’s intranet find out about a recent project that a partner has been working on. Send a note or drop by his/her office and inquire how it is going or what you can do to help.

• Notice pictures in a colleague’s office that reveals people and activities important to him/her. When you pass by the office ask a quick question, such as “How is your son doing at Cornell?” to let him/her know that you care and are interested.

• Drop a note to a peer in another office to plan a “virtual cup of coffee” to discuss ways you can help each other.

• Go on to the website of an “ideal client” to discover current information that might be relevant to your work or colleagues in other practice areas. This information can be used to reach out to a relevant contact person to begin a conversation.

Business/relationship development momentum requires consistent action. It need only take 5 minutes to send an e-mail, research the whereabouts and/or news about someone or a company, or stop by a colleague’s office for a brief “hello” to keep relationships fresh, relevant, and growing. Take action NO MATTER WHAT.