Client Development Tip Practice Doing What Is Less Comfortable

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers Client Development Tip: Practice doing what is less comfortable Are you staying inside your comfort zone? I hope not. I recently read a Seth Godin quote: Discomfort brings engagement and change. Discomfort means you’re doing something that others were unlikely to do, because they’re hiding out in the comfortable zone. When your uncomfortable actions lead to success, the organization rewards you and brings you back for more. I know many lawyers who are focused on results rather than focused on striving to get better. They fear failure to such a degree that they are unwilling to get outside their comfort zone. They are not learning about how to become better at client development. Instead they are focused on what they have been comfortable doing. When their efforts do not produce results, they give up. What should you do instead? Work on getting better at things that are outside your comfort zone. If you want to learn how to network, go to events where you can practice. In fact, go to a networking event and approach strangers and introduce yourself. If you want to become a better public speaker, speak in public. Consider joining a Toastmasters International  Club, or starting your own speaking club. If you want to become a better writer, write and have someone review it and offer a critique. There are plenty of retired editors and senior lawyers, who would gladly critique your writing. Beyond getting outside your comfort zone, think about a Napoleon Hill quote: Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success. I practiced law for 37 years developing a national construction law practice representing some of the top highway and transportation construction contractors in the US.