Recently, when I was seeking out Ask Friday! questions, Cordell Parvin suggested that I answer the question of "What would you recommend busy lawyers be reading on business development and what will they get from it?"

Nothing immediately popped into my mind, and Cordell was nice enough to share his list with me, as well as what’s on his Kindle. Then, coincidentally, the same question appeared on the Legal Marketing Association’s listserv.  Those who responded were gracious enough to be included in my post, so without further ado, here is the recommended reading straight from legal marketers and business development coaches!

Beverly Loder of Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery in Chicago says: 

For associates, I always recommend The Law Firm Associate’s Guide to Personal Marketing and Selling Skills by Beth Cuzzone and Catherine MacDonagh.

For introverted or otherwise reluctant lawyers, Selling In Your Comfort Zone by Bob Kohn and Larry Kohn is a good resource."

Jeffrey Silber of Silber, Vasquez & Associates in San Francisco says:

The best law firm Business Development books I have seen beginning in legal marketing in 1994 as an international life coach and BD coach for lawyers, are two new books by fellow LMA member David King Keller. The first is titled, 100 Ways to Grow a Thriving Law Practice which recently won an LMA Bay Area Chapter Practice Development Award.

Also, I’ve seen an advanced copy of his 2nd book, which is being published by the American Bar Association’s book division in August, titled, The Associate As Rainmaker, Building Your Business Brain To Grow Law Firm Revenue. It’s a perfect complement to his first book, and includes a foreword by LMA’s President-elect Alycia Sutor with lots of contributions by Partners, CMOs, BD Directors, Client Relation’s Managers and people like Cherie Olland, Global Director of Business Development and Communications for Jones Day.

My own article, Legal Marketing from the Inside Out, will appear in the August issue of Strategies and as you will see David’s philosophy and approach to BD are entirely in sync with my own, which is why I am recommending his two books."

Michael Zolno of Zolno Consulting in Phoenix says: 

 These are items I have read & personally use. This is not a starting point or basic reading list. It is a "thinking-person’s" bibliography. Not so much "How to" but "Why, what and for whom."

I would highly recommend starting with the items noted by **

** Baker, Ronald J. Implementing Value Pricing. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2011

** Dahut, Henry. Marketing the Legal Mind, LMG Press, 2004.

Derrick, John. Boo To Billable Hours. Podia Press, 2008

** Dunn, Paul & Baker, Ronald J. The Firm of the Future. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2003.

Durham, James A. & McMurray, Deborah (Editors). The Lawyer’s Guide to Marketing Your Practice 2nd Edition. ABA Law Practice Management Section, 2004.

Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. Little, Brown and Company, 2008 (Especially chapter 5).

Grella, Thomas C. & Hudkins, Michael L. The Lawyer’s Guide to Strategic Planning. ABA Law Practice Management Section, 2004

Iezzi, John G. Results-Oriented Financial Management – A Step-by-Step Guide to Law Firm Profitability, 2nd Edition. ABA Law Practice Management Section, 2003.

** Kotler, Philip, Hayes, Thomas & Bloom, Paul N. Marketing Professional Services, 2nd Edition. Prentice Hall Press, 2002.

Lenskold, James D. Marketing ROI. McGraw – Hill, 2003.

Schmidt, Sally. Business Development for Lawyers: Strategies for Getting and Keeping Clients. ALM Publishing, 2006.

** Susskind, Richard. The End of Lawyers? Oxford University Press, 2008"

Thanks to everyone who offered their excellent recommendations – what books would you recommend to lawyers for business development (they don’t have to be industry books!) and why?