Positioning yourself as an expert in a narrow domain who can solve specific problems for specific clients requires less not more. In particular, it requires careful discernment and a tight, disciplined focus on one’s greatest strengths. In other words, it’s not about what can be added to one’s professional portfolio, but rather about what can be taken away.

In my experience, those who succeed at building a sustainable book of business 1) have a plan and 2) summon the discipline to execute the plan on a daily basis.

Attending a conference without a well-defined plan is like setting sail without a compass. Every year, countless lawyers flock to various conferences, only to return with a handful of business cards they’ll never use and a vague sense of missed opportunities. This scenario is all too common and a clear indication of a crucial oversight: the lack of strategic preparation.

This is where many lawyers struggle—they’re unsure about how to strike the right balance and not come across as overtly pitching their services, but also not appear passive. Thinking through how a conversation may play out is important.

The study identifies five distinct profiles that define how professional services partners approach business development. Four of the five are negatively correlated with performance. Only the Activator shows a positive impact on performance and revenue (and it’s a significant impact). The Activator does the following: commits to business development, connects with clients and colleagues, and creates value in relationships.

By prioritizing the client’s needs, asking the right questions, and tailoring solutions, “selling” legal services doesn’t feel like it—to you or to the client. The next time you have a chance to discuss your services, put the client at the center of the selling experience.

Clients buy legal services from lawyers, not law firms. Firms invest heavily in their brands, but primarily for the purpose of empowering their attorneys to develop business themselves. Law firms lay the foundation. Individual lawyers need to build.

Selling legal services is relational not transactional. It takes time. It requires consistency. Unless you’re selling a commodity, which means you’re competing on price, you need to invest in relationships to attract and keep clients.

In their book, The Go-Giver, Bob Burg and John David Mann explain that, “All things being equal people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust.”