Why do some lawyers win major clients while others, despite their technical competence, struggle to develop business?
We tend to put it down to contacts, the firm’s prestige, business development skills or the time devoted to winning clients. All of these may play a part, but there is an earlier, deeper difference: the way they think.
Before developing particular skills, lawyers who attract major clients have developed a different understanding of their profession, their value and their relationship with those who place their trust in them.
They do not think about selling
Many lawyers still equate business development with selling. Those who win major clients rarely take that approach.
They do not think about selling legal services. They think about solving important problems, offering sound judgement, reducing uncertainty and giving clients peace of mind.
When the priority shifts from securing an instruction to sincerely helping the client, the way they relate to that client changes too, and the difference is felt.
They think in terms of relationships rather than transactions
A lawyer focused solely on the matter tends to ask how to win a new client. A lawyer who builds a portfolio of major clients asks a different question: how can I build a relationship of trust that will last for many years? Their outlook does not end with the signing of an engagement letter. That is only the beginning.
They therefore devote time to getting to know the person, understanding their business, taking an interest in their goals and staying in touch even when there is no immediate legal matter.
Strong professional relationships rarely emerge from a single transaction. They are built over time. Trust takes time, and a solid reputation is the result of hundreds of small, consistent actions.
They think like the client
There is a decisive shift in perspective. Many lawyers analyse situations exclusively through a legal lens. Those who win major clients first seek to understand how the business owner thinks.
What concerns them? What risks do they perceive? What goals are they pursuing? What decisions do they need to make? Only then do these lawyers apply their legal knowledge, because they know that clients do not spend their lives thinking about rules. They spend them thinking about their businesses.
This ability to see things from the client’s perspective allows lawyers to understand better what the client really needs and to offer value that goes beyond a legal answer.
They think in terms of trust
Major clients rarely choose a lawyer solely because they know the most. They choose the professional they trust the most.
That is why lawyers who develop the best relationships do not devote all their energy to demonstrating their knowledge. They also cultivate their ability to listen, communicate clearly, honour their commitments and remain calm in difficult situations.
They understand that trust is one of the most important assets in any professional career. They also know that offering value must often come before receiving it: sharing a useful insight, flagging a risk, making an introduction or being available when the client really needs them.
They think in terms of influence rather than visibility
Lawyers who win major clients do not need to be known by everyone. They need to matter to the right people.
They write, speak at conferences, share knowledge and build their personal brand. They should not do so simply to increase their visibility, but to offer value and become a credible authority in their area of specialisation. Visibility may attract attention; influence builds trust.
They think as advisers rather than service providers
A lawyer who wins major clients stops seeing themselves solely as a provider of legal services. They see themselves as an adviser.
Their work is not just about answering questions. It is about helping clients make better decisions, anticipate risks, understand complex scenarios and protect the future of their businesses.
This also requires working on oneself: understanding one’s own unconscious needs and motivations, learning to listen and communicate, recognising one’s strengths and limitations, and understanding the biases that can shape decisions. Why? Because a lawyer’s main working tool is not just their knowledge. It is who they are as a person.
It all starts with the way they think
We often look for new techniques to win clients. They can be useful, but no technique can replace a particular understanding of the profession.
Major clients are not simply looking for the most brilliant lawyer. They are looking for someone who understands their reality, helps them make decisions as uncertainty grows, and offers sound judgement and peace of mind.
That is why the difference between a lawyer who occasionally wins a good client and one who builds outstanding professional relationships throughout their career lies not only in what they do.
Above all, it lies in how they think.
© Francesc Domínguez, professional development mentor and legal marketing consultant
