Selling Your Expertise

CHAPTER 8Success Upon Success: When You're Uncovering Additional Needs

Chapter 8: Success Upon Success: When You’re Uncovering Additional Needs

Once you've been engaged by a client, your business development efforts don't stop there. Chul Pak, Anti-Trust Partner at the law firm Wilson Sonsini, reminds us that, “at this point, doing the work is stressful and it consumes a lot of time, of course, but you need to at least devote a certain amount of time to what you might call critical business development.” Pak continues, “I'm always thinking about the pipeline, as a partner in particular, because it's one thing to do the work, but you've got to think about what the revenue stream is going to look like two, three, or even four years out.” Though you're regularly pulled away to deliver on the work you've sold, you still need to carve out time to continue building your book of business.

For those who are just shifting from doing the work to selling the work, Pak suggests focusing on existing clients. He notes that for associates in a law firm, “the likelihood of generating new business outside on your own, particularly at a big law firm, is extremely slim.” Every interaction with an existing client provides an opportunity to uncover other needs you may be able to address. Since you'll be spending a lot of your time with your clients while you're delivering the work, existing client engagements offer numerous chances to help you fill your pipeline. If you serve your current clients ...