Networking is a word that is often met with some amount of disdain. The idea of having to meet with other people and form a working relationship with them is not something that everyone is going to like or see the point in doing.   

But, the truth is, when it comes to building a law firm, networking can prove to be rather important.   

Don’t believe me? Here are some of the main inescapable reasons that networking for law firms is vitally important to do.   

It builds and sustains professional relationships  

When you work within a law firm, one thing that you are going to very quickly realise is just how important professional relationships are. The very nature of law means that you are going to need to rely on the relationships that you build and them making the difference between winning or losing a client (and even a case too).   

Networking, in the first instance, allows you to make a start on those all-important relationships, however, it goes even further than that, and, over time, it can also be a way to keep on building and working on those relationships.  

It provides professional opportunities  

The legal world is fast-paced and always moving, this means that you are going to want to do whatever you can to move along with this flow. One way that you can take advantage of networking, is to use it to help you to develop a range of professional opportunities for yourself.  

You can utilise networking to help you shift roles or to form new partnerships and potential mergers in the future. It might not always be something that you are looking to do straightaway, but with networking, it could become something that you want to achieve in the future.    

It can help with referrals  

Once your law firm is established, you are going to want to make sure that you think about business development and what the future may look like for your firm. Once you have an idea of where you would like to be in the future, then you can use the power of networking to help you to get there.  

Not only does networking help you to move forward, but it also gives those who can make referrals about your firm, access to other potential clients to pass on their thoughts on what you can do.   

It allows you to share knowledge  

Laws can change and evolve. This means that legal practices and procedures that you may feel that you know incredibly well, can flick and change in the blink of an eye. Taking the time to network with other legal professionals is going to give you the chance to share knowledge that you may have (as well as learn new things that you didn’t know about).   

“I am just too busy for networking”   

This is something that many people running a busy law firm are going to find themselves saying, and I do understand why this may be the case. But, the truth is, we all need to do whatever we can to make time for networking, especially when it can prove to be useful for us.   

There are plenty of ways that you can try and work networking into a busy schedule, you just need to think about what is going to work best for you.  

The first thing to do is to prioritise. 

If you make it so that networking is seen as something that needs to happen for your firm to grow, then this means that it is going to get pushed higher and higher up the list of priorities.   

Next, you need to recognise that technology is there to help you to network in whole new ways. 

Of course, face-to-face networking remains the classic way to do things, however, technology can help to make networking that little bit easier.   

An example of this is LinkedIn, which allows you to communicate and engage with other professionals, participate in much wider online forums and even join virtual webinars if they fit with your particular part of the industry. This makes it even easier to attend networking events, even if you have a busy diary to contend with.  

You can also make time for networking by combining it with other activities that you may need to plan. 

There are plenty of things that can slot together, such as a client visit or an important legal conference. If you can bring in networking as an additional part, then this will help you to feel that it is even more worthwhile doing.  

It is also a good idea to set yourself some networking goals. 

Think about what you want networking to achieve for you. Not only is it good to have these plans written down, but it also gives you something to focus on and push for. Sometimes this can be all you need to encourage yourself to make time for networking in the future. 

As you can see, there is no excuse not to get out there and get networking. Even the busiest of law firms can make time for networking and feel all the great benefits that this simple act is going to bring to them.   

Take a look at some of my other blogs you may be interested in:

How client surveys can help your B2B firm

Strategic business development for your professional services firm

Need help?

If you would like help with your marketing then bringing on a marketing consultant with a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference. I work with B2B businesses and professional service firms in London, Kent, UK and Europe as well as specialising as a Legal Marketing Consultant. Please get in touch or book a free 30-minute consultation.