How to find your next small law firm client

Many independent lawyers focus on delivering great work for current clients and don’t have extra time or resources for extensive traditional marketing. You need clients to grow, but growth requires visibility. So, how do you find your next small law firm client? Creating a sustainable client pipeline requires strategy and the right environment. 

A multi-faceted approach to finding law clients

This legal services provider defines the problem:

“Pipeline building requires consistent activity during busy periods, which is exactly when most attorneys stop doing it. When caseload is high, business development is the first thing to be deprioritized. The result is a predictable cycle: busy period produces no pipeline activity, pipeline activity absence produces a slow period, slow period produces urgent marketing, urgent marketing produces inconsistent results, and the cycle repeats.”

There’s no single path to a full client roster, but you need to understand where and how your clients find you. 

The core client acquisition channels include:

  • Referrals from existing clients. Often your highest-quality leads and lowest acquisition cost.
  • Referrals from other professionals. Accountants, financial advisors, real estate agents, insurance brokers and other service providers who encounter legal needs daily.
  • Network relationships. Peers, former colleagues, bar association connections, industry groups and fellow independent lawyers.
  • Search and online presence. Google searches, legal directories, your website, social media.
  • Niche visibility. Speaking, writing, community involvement and/or expertise in a specific practice area or industry.
  • Direct outreach. Cold calling, email campaigns, or face-to-face networking.
  • Reputation and word-of-mouth. The cumulative effect of doing excellent work. 

Which of these areas stand out to you as ones you might have neglected? Start there as a way to grow a new channel of client development. 

Finding the right people 

People hire lawyers based on recommendations and reputation. If no one in your target market knows your name or your expertise, client attraction will become a huge hurdle. You don’t need to be famous—you just need to be known in your niche or community.

Practical visibility strategies:

  • Become the expert on something specific. Choose a narrow focus and own it. Write about it, speak about it and answer questions about it to create authority and makes you memorable.
  • Speak at industry events or bar associations. Even a 20-minute presentation positions you as knowledgeable and gives you credibility.
  • Write and publish. Publish blog posts, articles in industry publications, LinkedIn posts, or guest articles on relevant topics. 
  • Join relevant professional associations. Get involved beyond membership. Volunteer for committees, attend events and take on leadership roles.
  • Get active in your community. Serve on boards, volunteer for causes you care about, and join civic or business organizations. People do business with those they know and like.
  • Ask for testimonials and reviews. Display client feedback prominently on your website and in directories as a powerful form of social proof.
  • Maintain an online presence. A professional website that clearly explains what you do and who you serve; active and helpful engagement on LinkedIn or relevant social platforms; accurate listings in legal directories and Google Business Profile.
  • Be accessible and responsive. Return calls quickly, respond to inquiries and show potential clients you take their needs seriously.

You will notice a theme: Finding clients requires more than delivering excellent service. You need to share your expertise and have a presence where clients can find you. 

How to cultivate referral relationships

Referrals are the lifeblood of small firm practice, and they don’t happen by accident. They come from relationships where people know you, like you, trust you and remember you when a relevant client need comes up. Approach relationship-building as an ongoing practice and not a one-time event.

Your office environment offers one way to develop long-term, authentic referral relationships. Rather than choosing a home office or a traditional office – both of which isolate you from any potential in-person networks – you can opt for a shared office setting. 

A shared office or coworking space allows you to: 

  • Get to know fellow professionals in a more authentic way, over the course of weeks, months and years. 
  • Connect with people on both a personal and professional level. 
  • Offer mutual referrals and two-way business advice and support.
  • Collaborate on larger cases with fellow lawyers in complementary practice areas.
  • Stay in touch with industry news and market best practices as you bounce ideas off coworking space members.
  • Maintain a distinct line between work and personal time by using dedicated office space.
  • Access regularly scheduled professional development and networking events.

As an independent lawyer, your time has tremendous value beyond the hours you devote to client work. Investing in smart and efficient ways to build your professional network and attract new clients pays off in many ways. While marketing should remain on your list of strategies, opting for in-person visibility and relationship-building can bring bigger returns for less investment of time and resources. 

Looking for a place to build your professional network as you grow your law firm? Look no further. LawBank offers coworking space to lawyers at two central Denver locations. Reach out today.