Confidence remains one of the biggest barriers to business development among law firm partners. Recent BTI research reinforces what many firms already observe: a meaningful percentage of partners do not feel confident in their ability to generate work.
Key findings include:
• 21.9% of women partners report a lack of confidence in their business development skills
• 22.1% of male partners indicate limited confidence
• 10.9% of equity partners report minimal confidence
• 37.0% of income partners report little to no confidence
These findings matter because lawyers face a classic doer-seller dilemma. When choosing between work they feel confident doing, for example, billing hours, and activities that feel less certain, such as business development, lawyers typically default to the former. Over time, this pattern limits both individual growth and firm revenue. The issue is not just personal. It is structural.
To expand the number of attorneys who contribute to revenue growth, firms must first shift how lawyers define effective business development. Many partners operate from an outdated, too narrow view of what “success” looks like. They assume being a rainmaker requires fitting a traditional rainmaker mold.
In practice, the most effective rainmakers do not rely on charisma or force of personality. They succeed because they are consistent, intentional, and disciplined in how they leverage their strengths and they recognize there are many ways to build a book of business.
Our research shows that every lawyer can contribute to revenue generation in a way that aligns with their individual strengths. The challenge is not about harnessing potential, but about shifting how we develop rainmaking skills. Lawyers need to see how to succeed, not just be told that they should.
Building Confidence Through Structure
Mindset alone does not drive behavior change. Confidence grows from clarity and repeatable structure. For many lawyers, business development remains vague. Expectations are high, but the path forward is unclear.
GrowthPlay addresses this through a six-phase Revenue Acceleration Framework that provides a practical roadmap:
- Target Prospects
Identify and prioritize the clients, industries, and opportunities where growth is most likely. - Build Relationships
Develop connections with decision-makers, influencers, and referral sources through consistent, value-driven interactions. - Identify a Transition
Recognize when a relationship conversation can shift toward a business opportunity. - Execute the Sales Pursuit
Engage in focused dialogue about client needs and how the firm can help. - Close the Business
Advance the opportunity toward a clear next step and formal engagement. - Elevate the Client Experience
Deliver service that strengthens trust and generates future opportunities.
In our experience, a defined method demystifies the process of business development. It shows lawyers how small, consistent actions build toward meaningful outcomes. Over time, this results in both competence and confidence.
Reinforcing Confidence Through Practical Mechanics
Structure becomes more powerful when paired with practical tools and clear mechanics around simple behaviors and best practices. Firms can accelerate progress by defining a core set of language and tools. Examples of core mechanics GrowthPlay utilizes include:
- Using a G3 Analysis to identify priority relationships
- Having Headline Messaging to stimulate better conversations
- Using the Core Four to prepare for conversations
- Using the Six Qualifiers to gauge an opportunity’s probability to close
Language and tools translate strategy and process into actionable behavior. They reduce ambiguity, create momentum, and give lawyers a repeatable way to engage in business development with purpose.
Redefining Success and a Structural Opportunity
A final shift involves redefining how firms measure business development success. Most systems emphasize outcomes—new matters opened, revenue generated, clients won. These are lagging indicators, as they appear late in the process.
But growth starts earlier, in behaviors that often feel uncomfortable: reaching out, initiating conversations, testing messages, and building new relationships. This phase is inherently awkward, yet it is where learning happens.
To move through this stage, lawyers need reinforcement and encouragement. They need to see progress before results materialize. Yet most firms do not measure or celebrate early actions. As a result, lawyers abort their efforts before they compound.
A more effective approach balances lagging and leading indicators. It tracks and reinforces the behaviors that drive outcomes—meetings initiated, relationships expanded, opportunities advanced. When firms recognize and reward these early signals, they normalize the discomfort of growth and build momentum faster.
All meaningful development includes a period of awkwardness. The firms that grow most effectively are those that support lawyers through it; by making progress visible, reinforcing effort early, and aligning metrics with how business actually develops.