Joining an Association is a relatively painless way to Enhance your Book of Business
Business development, like exercise, is a vague and ominous expression. We are all familiar with the ultimate benefits, but taking the first endorphin-free steps can be intimidating. Trick yourself into business development by joining an association (or reviving a stale membership). As workout partners and trainers are to exercise, an association is to marketing and business development. They encourage you to stretch outside your comfort zone and eventually flex your business development muscle. Some thoughts to stimulate your journey:
Expand your Kingdom of Expertise. Associations offer something for everybody. Not only is it easy to find an association that matches your personal or professional interests, but within that association you are likely to find a volunteer commitment that suits your strengths OR allows you to further develop an aspect of your character. Association work is a great way to cross-train, add life to your resume and keep you engaged with a pool of professionals that can ultimately deliver referrals or transition into straight business contacts. When selecting an association think about the particular skills or network you are looking to develop. At the gym, you might consider doing curls to strengthen your biceps. In a similar fashion, you might look to the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms or California Minority Counsel Program if you are keen on learning more about diversity as it relates to the legal industry.
Bar Associations are a great place to start and offer a variety of groups linked by geography (i.e. Bar Association of San Francisco or State Bar of California), specialization (i.e. American Intellectual Property Law Association) and cultural identity (i.e. Charles Houston Bar Association or Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom). Consider branching out into a specific industry, personal passion or curiosity that interests you. Don’t limit yourself to your resume. Try it until you like it, leave it if you don’t. Associations are not permanent and allow you to explore personality traits outside of your current professional experience. Search around on LinkedIn and Google or ask your colleagues, friends or clients for recommendations if you get stuck.
Quick Wins and Positive Reinforcement. Without participations, associations die. Therefore, successful groups are designed to encourage participation from the get go. You will likely be offered a volunteer opportunity or welcomed to an upcoming reception/meeting shortly after joining, DO IT! Later on in your tenure you can be more selective and carve out a position that suits you. The first few months of your membership should be dedicated to meeting the membership in order to figure out whether or not it’s a fit. Just because a pair of gym shoes looks great on the shelf, doesn’t mean they will feel good on your feet. Devote as much time as you can to attending social activities and meetings in the first few months. Seek out opportunities to write (most groups have a monthly newsletter or magazine with someone who is always looking for content), attend networking groups and mixers, attend the programs and be certain to take advantage of registration time to get a little networking in, find out if they hold an annual event and if attendance is within your budget, consider speaking on a panel.
Active participation early on will positively reinforce your business development goals and allow you to get a sense of the group, learning about the personality and organizational structure of the membership. In order to achieve a sustainable program, you must think strategically about how you allocate your time. After all, you joined the association to help with your professional career, not to supplement your personal calendar. But for now, your motto is try it, try it, try it!
The shortest distance between two points is a curvy line. While the ultimate goal of association work is to develop your book of business and sharpen your skill set, the path is never linear. A hard sell won’t work unless you join replete with sponsorship-lined pockets (a different matter entirely). Association work is a long-term commitment and the dividends are greatest for those with stamina.
Associations are team oriented sports. You are part of a group and your personal needs come second to the needs of the group. Many associations have rules that strictly regulate solicitation and, generally speaking, you’ll have an easier time making connections by staying on point. Get to know people (who they are not how they can help you) and offer your services (not on an hourly rate) to others. This is the best way to gain acceptance in an association. Once you’ve earned the trust of your peers, they will likely seek out ways to help you achieve your goals…but as a newbie, you aren’t there yet.
You get what you give. Although late-night pitch men make it seem otherwise, scientists have yet to perfect a pill that will slim you down and tone your muscle. They haven’t developed a magic pill for marketing yet either. Returns are greatest for those who put in the work…then get up the next day and do it over again. By selecting the right association, putting in the time to determine whether or not it’s a good fit and extending yourself to participate, the “work” in working out will transform into something invigorating.
Associations to consider:
Consumer Attorneys of California
Legal Marketing Association
National Association of Women Judges
Women in E-Discovery
Forensic Expert Witness Association
California Lawyers for the Arts
There is absolutely a need for articles like this (10 items for your law firm marketing to-do list), this (10 ways to optimize your LinkedIn profile) and this (marketing your law practice with a blog). However, how often does an attorney successfully complete even half of the proposed 10 steps without being interrupted? 
