Do you have the discipline and focus of an Olympian?

           

 In the past few days, I have been enthralled, amazed, and truly inspired by the Olympic games.  I love watching the competitions, learning the athletes’ stories, and watching each Olympian earn his/her spot in history.  The story lines are beautiful and the entertainment superb.   However, I am struck by the sage business advice found in each Olympians’ story.  This morning I shared an article that spoke to the wisdom of branding on the global stage. Tonight’s article is on focus and discipline.

As I watch the Olympians, each one is focused on the physical challenge at hand.  Whether a dark horse trying to put together the perfect performance to earn a medal or the strong favorite expected to dominate the event-the Olympians have the discipline of focus.  These extraordinary athletes know that yesterday’s performance, whether good or bad, is in the past, and today’s success depends on having the discipline to focus.  In business, you also need the discipline of single-minded focus.

Think about your own practice.  Do you truly have single-minded focus on the challenges of today?  Too often, professionals rob themselves of the gift of focus by worrying about the past. Every second you spend thinking about what you did wrong yesterday is a second you cannot spend doing it better today.  You have to trust me on this one, it doesn’t matter if you made the biggest bone-headed mistake of your career five minutes ago, it is time to forgive yourself, learn from your mistake, turn the page, and move on.  If you don’t, you rob yourself of the discipline of focus needed to succeed today.

Are you thinking this is a lesson you don’t need?  Let me give you the most common scenario that I encounter in my coaching practice.  I work with type A, high achievers, who routinely take on way more than they, or anyone else, can achieve in a day.  I call this the helium hand syndrome.  This willingness to take on the world serves many of my clients very well.  Until it doesn’t.    At some point, the over- scheduling catches up and something has to give.  Whether it is having to say no to new projects, turning in projects late, or feeling like they are being forced to compromise quality to meet deadlines, the helium hand-syndrome eventually catches them all.  

There is no shame in being caught by the helium hand.  It is the response to being caught that tends to separate the field. 

Some of my type A, high achievers come up with an aggressive plan to work through the helium hand crisis.  These folks focus on the projects that need to get done first.  They prioritize.  They use militant calendar discipline and laser focus to check off the items they must do today.  They do not look backwards.  Instead they focus their attention on the next project, the next project, the next project until they work through the crisis and feel in control of their work and lives again. 

Others, go a different route.  Others choose to keep repeating old patterns, taking on more and more even when they haven’t finished today’s priorities.  At some point these folks learn to hate all forms of organization.    They give up on calendars, throw files around their desks, and pretty much attempt to use disorganization to attempt to hide from the ever-growing pile of work.  These folks rob themselves of the ability to focus on the present because they spend their time worrying about what projects they should have done or what dead line they might miss.  Eventually these folks reach a point where they cannot sleep through the night because the never-ending to do list wakes them every night with the regularity of an alarm clock.  They cannot enjoy time off because they are worried about the what if.  This lack of focus wreaks havoc on their psyche and single-handedly steals the joy of achievement while the lack of discipline deadens the satisfaction of a job well done. 

If you are reading this, it is probably safe to guess that you too are a type A, high achiever.  Kudos!  It is  a great club.  I am proud to be a member.  But, remember, even we type A folks, make mistakes from time to time.   If you happen to find yourself in the throes of the helium hand syndrome, resist the temptation to beat yourself up for getting there in the first place.  Instead, remember these Olympics.  Let go of any would have, could have, or should haves and attack the situation with the discipline and focus of an Olympian. 

About Jonelle- Jonelle Vold is a business coach that is passionate about your success.  A mother of twins, former Assistant Dean at a tier-one law school, attorney, and seasoned sales professional, Jonelle understands the challenges of high-level professionals.  Her coaching philosophy is every person has the ability to be a rainmaker by cracking their own personal code and doing business with intention.  You can reach Jonelle at jonelle@jonellevold.com or www.jonellevold.com.  

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: Walking the tight rope. Your life, your work, and...

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: Walking the tight rope. Your life, your work, and...: Lately, I have had a lot of conversations about the concept of work/life balance.  What I find fascinating about each conversation is th...

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: Walking the tight rope. Your life, your work, and...

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: Walking the tight rope. Your life, your work, and...: Lately, I have had a lot of conversations about the concept of work/life balance.  What I find fascinating about each conversation is th...

Walking the tight rope. Your life, your work, and your balance.

Lately, I have had a lot of conversations about the concept of work/life balance.  What I find fascinating about each conversation is that many people seem to think balance is a single event.  Somehow you make dramatic changes to your work schedule, your care-giver, or your daily routine and this dramatic change somehow pulls your world into perfect alignment.  While this idea is appealing, I have never experienced or witnessed it in the real world.

In my view, work/life balance is more like walking a tight rope.  Picture someone walking across the tight rope holding the long stick with their arms to maintain their precarious position on the wire.  With each step they must adjust to keep their weight balanced.  If they begin to lean a little too far to one side, they adjust the stick to counter-balance and regain their center.   Each step is an adjustment and the tight rope walker must always be conscious of their movement and their ultimate goal of remaining in balance.

I am the mother of two amazing seven year olds.  I also own my own coaching and consulting business.  I am working on a tech start up.  And, oh yes, I recently made the decision to take on half-time employment at my alma mater to help the institution through a particularly precarious situation.  So, to continue the circus metaphor (after all I do have two 7 year olds) I have a lot to juggle.  In fact, I probably drop more balls than I catch.  Yet, most days, I believe I have balance.

At this point you probably think I am simply delusional.  I have a sense of balance because in every area of my life, I have clear priorities and rules that I have created that allow me to feel in control of my time.  For example, dinner time is very important to me.  Monday through Friday we eat at the table, as a family, every night.  My husband and I share the cooking.  Dinner is never anything fancy but always includes the requisite amount of fruits and vegetables.  As a family, we all know this time is sacred and we honor this time.  With one exception, on Wednesday nights I travel for business.  So, on Wednesday my family eats without me, often joined by an Aunt or Grandparent.  Yes-I called the time sacred and told you that once a week I choose to skip out on this scared time.  I also feel great about both statements!

Wednesday nights while I am away from my family, I enjoy my time away.  I do not waste time, energy, or mental capacity feeling guilty that I am not home.  In my head, I have created a “rule” that one week-night away from the family is a perfectly acceptable arrangement.  Occassionally, business requires more than one night away.  When this happens, I pull out my work/life balance stick and begin navigating my way through.  Sometimes this means, I leave the office early one afternoon to make up for the dinner I am going to miss.  Sometimes, I make a mental commitment to get up early on a Saturday morning and cook breakfast in an effort to recapture that time around the table that I hold so dear.  Sometimes, I make the decision that multiple nights away is just fine and there is no need to adjust.  The point is, regardless of the time commitments thrown my way, I have created a system that allows me to remain in control. 

Like any tight rope walker, occasionally there is an event that pulls me too hard in one direction and I fall off the rope.  This school year, my children enjoyed 15 bouts of strep throat between them.  All of those sick days pulled me off the tight rope and temporarily toppled my work/life balance.  During a recent consulting engagement I had a client whose CFO was embezzling from her.   This discovery and the resulting work required to deal with it, pulled me off the tight rope.  In both cases, once I found myself out of balance, I re-evaluated, took the required action, and got back to work creating balance.

If you are feeling like the term work/life balance was created to torture you, it is time to re-evaluate your rules.  Chances are you have created rules in your head that set you up to lose the balance game.  Take a hard look at your work life and your home life.  What do you want to more of in each?  What are you willing to give up to get it?  If your children are babies, perhaps you want more awake time.  If so, can you alter your work schedule to allow you to be home from 4-7 even if it means working again once the baby is asleep?  Do you need to leave the office early three days a week to get through baseball season?  Rather than approaching work/life balance with the idea of making dramatic changes to miraculously pull yourself into alignment, start small.  Maybe all you need is 4 nights home for dinner to make you feel like you have balance?  Just like the tight rope walker, stay focused on your end goal and make small adjustments.  Don’t beat yourself up when you fall out of balance.   It will happen.  Stay aware and keep adjusting.  Work/life balance is absolutely possible.  But it requires conscious and constant effort to get there. 


About Jonelle- Jonelle Vold is a business coach that is passionate about your success.  A mother of twins, former Assistant Dean at a tier-one law school, attorney, and seasoned sales professional, Jonelle understands the challenges of high-level professionals.  Her coaching philosophy is every person has the ability to be a rainmaker by cracking their own personal code and doing business with intention.  You can reach Jonelle at jonelle@jonellevold.com or www.jonellevold.com.  

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: Who has time for that?

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: Who has time for that?:              It is Friday!   Hopefully, many people reading this blog are wrapping up loose ends, planning for next week, and preparin...

Who has time for that?

            It is Friday!  Hopefully, many people reading this blog are wrapping up loose ends, planning for next week, and preparing for a relaxing weekend.  Unfortunately, I suspect that for many of you, Friday feels less like the end of a productive work week and more like a nagging reminder of all the things you still need to do.  If so, it is time to take a long hard work at the way your managing your time.

            Several times a week I hear someone tell me, I didn’t have time for that.  My answer is always the same-“Actually, you did have time, you simply made a decision (conscious or unconscious) that this item was low priority.  As you can imagine this answer infuriates just about everyone who hears it.  But-it is the truth.

            Here is the tricky thing about time-we all have the exact same amount.   You cannot create more and you cannot get it back once it is gone.  Unfortunately, it is also very easy to lose control of the way you spend it.  So, how come some people seem to be able to get it all done and others, are constantly busy, but never seem to catch up?  One word-priorities.

 I think of my time like money.  There are endless amount of things I would like to do with my money.  Yet, each week, I have a finite amount of money to spend.  I have a few key priorities (food, shelter, etc.) that must be taken care of.  With the rest of my money I make conscious decisions on where to spend it.  Sometimes the decisions are easy: pay my mortgage or blow the mortgage payment on a weekend of debauchery.  Most of the time, the choices are much more difficult: put extra money toward retirement or my child’s education fund, take the family on a vacation or buy a new family car, etc.  In my household these decision are decided in advance by following a budget that reflects our families values and financial goals.

Your time works the same way.  You have a finite amount of time and endless amount of options of how to spend your time.  Each week, there are a few key priorities that you must handle.  After that, you get to make decision about how to allocate your time.  Sometime the choices are easy-go to work or stay home and watch TV. Most of the time the choices are difficult.  When you face difficult choices on how to spend your time, you should be turning to the governing documents that spell out your priorities-your business plan, your mission statement/vision statement, or marketing plan. 

You have exactly the amount of time you need to get all of your key priorities accomplished.  The trick is-do you REALLY know your key priorities.  If you are struggling with time management, stop blaming the calendar and take a hard look at your priorities.   Need more help?  I highly recommend,  Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”

About Jonelle- Jonelle Vold is a business coach that is passionate about your success.  A mother of twins, former Assistant Dean at a tier-one law school, attorney, and seasoned sales professional, Jonelle understands the challenges of high-level professionals.  Her coaching philosophy is every person has the ability to be a rainmaker by cracking their own personal code and doing business with intention.  You can reach Jonelle at jonelle@jonellevold.com, 520-225-9053, or www.jonellevold.com.   

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: Know Your Numbers

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: Know Your Numbers:             A few years ago the medical industry launched a preventative health campaign about the importance of knowing key numbers rel...

Know Your Numbers

            A few years ago the medical industry launched a preventative health campaign about the importance of knowing key numbers related to personal wellness.  If memory serves right they focused on things like blood pressure, cholesterol, and optimum body weight.  The idea behind the campaign is to take charge of your health before it is too late.  

           I think as lawyers, we can learn a lot from that campaign. The health of your law practice depends upon a few key numbers.  Just as the medical industry wants us all to know our health numbers while there is still time to do something about it-my goal is for lawyers everywhere to learn their key numbers before it is too late.

            So, what key numbers am I talking about?

1.     Your overhead

2.     Your profitability

3.     Your size of your portable book of business.

Your Overhead

As we all learned in contracts, there are costs to doing business.  Yet many great lawyers glaze over the importance of getting very granular on your overhead costs.  It is very difficult to make strategic decisions without understanding what it actually takes to keep the lights on.  And, just in case you are sitting there thinking, this paragraph is not for me because I am at a firm, this paragraph is for everyone.  Whether you are the writing the check for the utilities or practicing at a big firm where someone is paid to write the check, you HAVE to know what your overhead is.  

Your Profitability

I know, I know, I am not playing fair.  I told you there were three key numbers you needed to know and at this point you have probably realized that to know your profitability you have to know some other numbers as well (your billing rate, your collection rate, your overhead, etc)  Sorry, but at the end of the day the health of your practice depends on whether or not you are profitable and how large that margin is.

Your Portable Book of Business

When I first entered the legal industry people called a book of business a “book of business”.  However the last three years have taught many people that not all books are created equal.  To gauge the health of your law practice, you must know how many of your clients would move with you if you decided to house your practice under a different roof.  If you are a solo, it is an easy equation-your entire book of business.  If you are an attorney at a big firm, it is much more complicated.  Often the clients of big firm attorneys have multiple and complex contacts at the firm.  So, if you left your firm how many of your clients would actually leave with you?  Keep in mind, it is unethical to reach out to your existing clients about potential moves.  A little scary-huh?  Actually, it shouldn’t be, if you know your critical health numbers, you will have all the facts to evaluate your current practice situation and all the tools to advocate for the best deal. 

            While many of us missed the “how to run a law practice” class in law school, the stark reality for every lawyer is that the law is a business.  You will be fine as long as you know your critical numbers and run your law practice like the business it is.

About Jonelle- Jonelle Vold is a business development coach that is passionate about your success.  A mother of twins, former Assistant Dean at a tier-one law school, attorney, and seasoned sales professional, Jonelle understands the challenges of high-level professionals.  Her coaching philosophy is every person has the ability to be a rainmaker by cracking their own personal code and doing business with intention.  You can reach Jonelle at jonelle@jonellevold.com or www.jonellevold.com.   

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: Thinking of starting your own firm? 10 tips from ...

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: Thinking of starting your own firm? 10 tips from ...: The current legal market has many people considering leaving the comfort of big firm practice to hang their own shingle.   If you are ...

Thinking of starting your own firm? 10 tips from a lawyer hack

The current legal market has many people considering leaving the comfort of big firm practice to hang their own shingle.  If you are one of those folks wondering about making the leap to a firm of your own, you are probably desperate for the guidebook, checklist, or white paper that will tell you how to successfully start you own practice.  Well-you are in luck, several of those resources actually exist.  Of course, these books and lists are written by people who may have different skills, different ideas, and a different definition of success from yours.  Thus-there is no perfect guide for you.  Business ownership is a very personal journey.  Your success and happiness in this journey will be directly correlate to your ability to reach your vision of success.  So, read the books, listen to experts, but recognize from the outset that this is YOUR journey, take only the ideas that resonate with you.  After all what does the author know about you and your vision of your practice?  And before you form the question-Yes-of course this advice applies to anything I write as well.  After all, I earn a living as a consultant to law firms not running a law firm.

Now that we have called a spade a spade, lets get down to business.  If you are thinking of making the leap from employee to entrepreneur, here are ten tips to help you get your ducks in a row before you make the leap.

1.     Do an honest evaluation of your skills and your situation.

a.      Can you truly tolerate the risk of running your own business? 

b.     Will your family situation allow for the roller coaster of business ownership?

c.      Do you have the discipline to be your own boss?

2.     Create a business plan.  Take a hard look at the numbers and create your WRITTEN business plan for success.  There are several free services available that will help you put together a business plan including the Small Business Administration.  Go to a free workshop, attend a seminar online, do whatever you need to do to learn how to write a business plan.  After all, you may be the best lawyer on the block but if you don’t have a plan to turn those skills into a sustainable revenue stream-you are going to wind up back as an employee at someone else’s law firm.

3.     Create a business development/marketing plan.  When you are a solo-you are a solo.  You are solely responsible for every facet of your business.  If you don’t have a plan and a strategy for when and how you are going to bring in new business, it won’t happen.   I could spend MANY MANY pages writing all the things that need to be in your business development plan.  For now, just recognize that you must have a plan.  Your business it too important to trust to serendipity and wishful thoughts.  You need to understand where your clients will likely come from and what you need to be doing on a regular bases to create new clients.  The key is consistent and strategic actions. 

4.     Sharpen your time management skills.  Before you jump from the safety of being an employee, become an expert in time management.  For many the most difficult part of running your own show is creating the time to practice law and run a law office. If you let it, your business will swallow every second of your time.  You have to understand how to create time for the critical functions.  This means having a laser sharp focus on your priorities and practicing every day with intention of what you need to achieve rather than in reaction to whatever the world throws your way. 

5.     Talk to those who have already made the leap.  Talk to your friends from law school and your former co-workers.  Ask them the hard questions.  Find out what tools and resources they are relying upon.  You are going to need to know everything from what time and billing system are they using to who created their website and everything in between.  Start these conversations now, take notes, write down their ideas, and begin your due diligence.

6.     Build a knowledge network.  If you are practicing in a big firm you have the luxury of access and brain power of the other members of the firm.  Once you jump, it will be just you and perhaps a partner or two.  Either way, it is very unlikely that you will have the immediate access to the knowledge that is currently within your firm.  Instead build a network of attorneys that you can call with questions and use as a sounding board.

7.     Do not over spend.  New business owners are easy targets for unscrupulous vendors.  Buy only the essential things you need to get started.  You can add software, research services, and everything else later when you really understand what you need.  Most attorneys need only a few essential services to open up shop. 

8.     Double your budget and multiple your time.  Inevitably in the beginning everything cost more than you think and takes more time than it should.  Don’t fight this-just plan for it.  Whatever budget you have come up with to start your law practice, double it.  If it costs less-good for you.  If the unexpected costs arise-you are prepared.  Likewise with your time.  You will be amazed at how long it takes to call the insurance broker, meet with the landlord, set up the phone system, etc. etc.   Give yourself ample time for the initial administrative issues. 

9.     Do one more gut check.  Why are you starting your own practice?  Is this really your dream?  What does success look like?  How big do you want to grow?  Can you handle the solitude of solo and small firm practice?  Is your family ready for this?

10. Go for it!  If this is really what you want and you have done your homework-go for it with gusto!  Trust yourself.  You have been successful up until this point in your life.  Why would that suddenly change?  Believe in yourself and in your abilities.  Being a business owner means you will have some ups and downs-the successful business owners recognize that both are short-lived and the real joy is in the process.   Go for it!

11.  And a bonus tip-surround yourself with positive people who will keep you motivated, help you work through any issues that come your way, and provide you with the occasional push to keep you moving in the right direction. 

If you still think you want to hang your own shingle, here are some great resources to help you make the transition.

http://www.soloinminneapolis.com/category/start-a-law-firm-2/

http://freedomisthenewrich.com/vlo101/

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/podcast_monthly_episode_22/

About Jonelle- Jonelle Vold is a business development coach that is passionate about your success.  A mother of twins, former Assistant Dean at a tier-one law school, attorney, and seasoned sales professional, Jonelle understands the challenges of high-level professionals.  Her coaching philosophy is every person has the ability to be a rainmaker by cracking their own personal code and doing business with intention.  You can reach Jonelle at jonelle@jonellevold.com or www.jonellevold.com.   

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: The Truth Will Set You Free

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: The Truth Will Set You Free:               Recently, I was meeting with a prospective client.   Having spent her entire legal career in government practice, she was ...

The Truth Will Set You Free

         

   Recently, I was meeting with a prospective client.  Having spent her entire legal career in government practice, she was reluctant to engage in any form of business development.  As we talked through business development and all the different tools for building relationships with strategic partners and those folks who might actually have problems you can solve (e.g. clients), a light bulb went off for her.   Suddenly she realized that her magic formula for finding new clients is her former career in government. 

During the conversation we talked through the concept of an Ideal Client or someone who you are uniquely situated to serve because you have the exact knowledge or strengths to solve their problems.  We discussed referral relationships and how important it is for others to understand who to refer you.  Finally, we discussed how her background is unique and has afforded her expertise and situational experience that her competitors do not have.  The light bulb went off when she realized that her business development plan could and should reflect who she is, what she brings to the table, and her unique background and abilities.  Further, her business development efforts should center around anticipating and solving problems for her Ideal Client!

 The look on her face as she savored this new found knowledge was priceless.  Somehow somewhere along the way she had come to believe that business development was about gregarious interactions with total strangers as you shamelessly sell a skill set you don’t actually have.  As I explained to my new client, there are 100 ways to build relationships, your business development plan should reflect those things that you do well and are willing to do lots of.  The key to business development is taking consistent and strategic actions while finding ways to add value or be of service to your potential clients.  Just like snowflakes, no two business development plans will be exactly the same. 

The realization that she could develop business by being exactly who she already was and leveraging her strong regulatory background was a huge relief for my client.   So much so that it has me wondering how many other professionals are out there thinking that to build a book of business they should abandon all the successful things that have brought them to this place and follow some prescribed business development method that is not a good fit for them? 

The moral of today’s story is a simple one- the truth will set you free.  Business development is not something you do once or twice a year to satisfy your boss.  Business development is part of the way you practice and run your business.  YOU are the key to a successful business development plan.  Your plan should be a truthful an accurate description of YOU filled with strategies and activities that play to YOUR strengths and solve problems for the clients YOU are uniquely qualified to help.  We are all potential rainmakers. Some of us are just further along in the process.

 If you are struggling to bring in new business-chances are your strategies are not aligned with your strengths.  Need help creating an effective business development plan that works for you?  Well-call me of course!  My strength is seeing your potential and developing business development strategies that work for you.

About Jonelle- Jonelle Vold is a business development coach that is passionate about your success.  A mother of twins, former Assistant Dean at a tier-one law school, attorney, and seasoned sales professional, Jonelle understands the challenges of high-level professionals.  Her coaching philosophy is every person has the ability to be a rainmaker by cracking their own personal code and doing business with intention.  You can reach Jonelle at jonelle@jonellevold.com or www.jonellevold.com.   

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: The Fortune is in the Follow up

The Monsoon- Making Rain in the Southwest: The Fortune is in the Follow up:             When I think about the best business generators in the business, they all have one thing in common: Follow Up.  These folks und...

The Fortune is in the Follow up

            When I think about the best business generators in the business, they all have one thing in common: Follow Up.  These folks understand the value of a connection and how to maximize it.  True rainmakers are masters of creating a methodical, strategic, and consistent way to stay top of mind.  They understand the fortune is in the follow up!

            Luckily, anyone can learn to master follow up.  In fact, I believe follow up is more about discipline than skill.  If your follow up leaves something to be desired, here are some easy tips to super charge your efforts.

#1: Make notes on the back of every business card you receive.  Write down the date, location you met, and any interesting tid-bits you learned.  As soon as possible (ideally by the next day) transfer this information to your database.  Note-every rainmaker needs a database.  If you are at a big firm, you likely have a robust database.  Even if it is just you, you need a place to store this critical information.  Your database can be as simple as contacts in Outlook.  Somehow you need to and store your networks critical information.  The stack of business cards in your desk drawer represents dollars that could have been in your pocket.

#2.  When you meet someone, determine when you meet someone what role he or she is likely to play in your business development efforts.  Are they a prospective client?   Strategic partner/Referral source? Future collaborator? Then determine, how often they need to hear from you for you to stay top of mind.  Monthly?  Quarterly?  Weekly?  We are all busy so many of us have a tendency to avoid frequent follow up because we do not want to become a bother.  Resist this temptation.  Instead, make a commitment to provide your contacts with value.  If you are contacting someone once a week and providing him or her with information that solves a problem, you will not be viewed as a bother.  Conversely, even if you only reach out once a year but your contact is pure solicitation with no value for your contact, you will be seen as a nuisance.  Do not be a nuisance. 

#3.  Let your calendar do the heavy lifting.  You are going to meet lots of people.  You cannot possibly keep all the information straight in your head.  Do not try.  Instead put the critical information into your database and use your calendar to remind you when it is time to follow up.  Do not forget to schedule adequate time on your calendar every single week, possibly every single day, to engage in follow up.  Whether it is a hand-written note, an email with a meaningful article, or a phone call to schedule lunch, follow up requires focused, dedicated time.  If you don’t schedule this time in advance, you will be tempted to skip the follow up. 

#4.  Be a connector.  One of the most effective ways to stay top of mind and provide value is to connect members of your network.  Schedule time on your calendar to regularly scan your database and look for people who you can connect.  When you meet someone new find out whom he/she wants to meet.  Be generous with your connections.  Connectors play a valuable role in saving members of their network time and providing expertise.  In the process, they build a reputation for themselves as being the person in the know.  Make a commitment to make a minimum of five introductions per week and watch your network explode!

#5.  Utilize social media.  Many people are still struggling to determine how to use social media in their business development efforts.  An easy way to use social media is to promote members of your network.  Even if you are not ready to begin posting blogs, tweeting, or running facebook campaigns, regularly look for opportunities to promote the members of your network who are.  When you see a network member post something valuable, re-post it, share it, like it, email it, and otherwise contribute to its viral success.  You will look like a social media expert, the original author will appreciate your help, and, if you choose only topics/posts of value, the receiving members of your network will also appreciate it.   You also get bonus points for exponential follow up as you can send to multiple people.

We are in the people business.  People do business with those that they know, like, and trust.   Follow up is the key to building meaningful and lucrative business relationships.  The next time you are invited to a networking event, make a commitment to yourself that if an event is worth your time, then the people you meet are worth your follow up.  After all, we all know, the fortune is in the follow up!

About Jonelle- Jonelle Vold is a business coach that is passionate about your success.  A mother of twins, former Assistant Dean at a tier-one law school, attorney, and seasoned sales professional, Jonelle understands the challenges of being a high-level professional and developing a book of business.  Her coaching philosophy is every person has the ability to be a rainmaker by making strategic choices that play to their individual strengths and skill sets.  Jonelle regularly works with individuals and law firms on business development programs.  You can reach Jonelle at jonelle@jonellevold.com or www.jonellevold.com.   

Women's MasterMind group Are you a woman in business that would benefit from having a personal board of directors?  Do you need a wolf pack surrounding you as your hunt for new business?  The Women's Mastermind groups are open to women from all industries who are looking for peer support and accountability.  Groups meets regularly and work together to propel each other to success.  New groups are forming on a regular basis.  To register: 

Seven ways to fall in love with business development- Yes, LOVE!

Seven ways to fall in love with business development- yes LOVE!  

1.     Take the pressure off of yourself and focus your efforts on being of service to your prospective client rather than on bringing in new business.   If you provide value-the business will come.  

2.     Make it a game.  Keep yourself motivated by creating fun challenges for yourself.  How quickly can you make 10 phone calls?  How many meetings can you schedule in an hour.  All of you brilliant rainmakers know that the key to business development is persistent strategic action. Enjoying the process is essential.  You are much likely to keep at it when it is fun.

3.     Take baby steps.  Do one things business development related each day.  Meet one new person each week.  Learn one new thing about your client’s industry each month.  You get the idea-client development should not be a nebulous task that you dread like the dentist.  It is a series of very concrete and strategic actions.  A little easier-huh?

4.     Give first.  Find out who your potential clients and strategic partners need to know and spend time actively searching your contacts and making introductions.  Trust me-they will be happy to return the favor.

5.     Let your creativity show.   Spend some focused time thinking of fun and zany ways to get in front of the right people.   I know a financial broker who decided to host a jam session for professionals.   You can bet anyone who receives her invite, especially if they play an instrument, will pay attention.  I am going to guess she will get a few attendees who come just out of curiosity.

6.     Find a hunting partner.  Like most things in life, business development is more fun when you do it with someone else.  Find someone you can confide in that will help you brainstorm ideas and hold you accountable to your efforts. 

7.     Focus your efforts on your existing clients.  Many professionals,  hmm, hmm-attorneys, I am talking to you, think business development means going out and meeting new people.  There is nothing wrong with that approach, but if the thought of a networking event gives you hives, skip it and take an existing client to lunch instead.  Not only are your existing clients great referral sources, they are chock full of detailed information you can use to attract your prospective clients.  Find out what keeps an existing client up at night and you will have the key to finding more clients just like him/her.   Pretty fun-huh?

About Jonelle- Jonelle Vold is a business coach that is passionate about your success.  A mother of twins, former Assistant Dean at a tier-one law school, attorney, and seasoned sales professional, Jonelle understands the challenges of being a high-level professional and developing a book of business.  Her coaching philosophy is every person has the ability to be a rainmaker by making strategic choices that play to their individual strengths and skill sets.  Jonelle regularly works with individuals and law firms on business development programs.  You can reach Jonelle at jonelle@jonellevold.com or www.jonellevold.com.   

Women's MasterMind group Are you a woman in business that would benefit from having a personal board of directors?  Do you need a wolf pack surrounding you as your hunt for new business?  The Women's Mastermind groups are open to women from all industries who are looking for peer support and accountability.  Groups meets regularly and work together to propel each other to success.  New groups are forming on a regular basis.  To register: Yes-I am interested in the Women's Mastermind Group