How law firms can win more new business
In episode 18 of Osprey Approach’s Empowering Law Firm Leaders podcast, Matt Dixon, co-author of The Activator Advantage and a leading authority on sales, marketing, and client experience, speaks to Amy Bruce, marketing director at Osprey Approach, about how firms can reimagine business development, overcome loyalty challenges, and win more work.
Drawing on research with nearly 3,000 partner-level professionals across various firms, including law firms, Matt explains what sets the most successful rainmakers — the “activators” — apart from their peers, and how firms can foster this mindset across their teams.
Five profiles of business developers
Matt’s research has identified five business development profiles: experts, confidants, debaters, realists and activators.
- Experts: theyrely on reputation and technical expertise but can be reactive.
- Confidants: the most common among lawyers, they focus on deep client relationships and delivering excellent work. “Their view is that if I deliver great work, I’ve built a moat around my client,” Matt says.
- Debaters: they enjoy reframing client thinking.
- Realists: they value honesty and transparency.
- Activators: they stand out as proactive super-connectors who constantly bring new ideas and draw on the full capability of their firms.
“Activators see business development as an integral part of their role,” Matt explains. “They’re collaborative, generous, and consistently proactive.”
The three key behaviours of activators
Matt believes that activators succeed because they exhibit three core behaviours — they commit, connect, and create.
Commit: activators carve out consistent time for business development, treating it as part of their weekly rhythm. This builds resilience in a market where client loyalty is less certain.
Connect: they strengthen both external networks and internal firm ties. “Activators know the stickier relationship is the one where you shift the focus of loyalty from loyalty to me, as a partner, to loyalty to the “we” of our firm,” Matt explains.
Create: activators deliver value proactively, often before clients recognise the need. That might be through fresh insights, introductions, or unpaid groundwork that paves the way for future work. As Matt notes, activators recognise that “billable work pays my bonus this year. It’s the unpaid work that lays the groundwork for my bonus next year.”
Building stronger networks
Activators are deliberate about networking across three levels. Externally, they grow diverse professional connections across industries, staying informed and spotting opportunities; internally, they collaborate closely with colleagues to bring the best of the firm to clients; and within client organisations, activators build “zippered” connections at multiple levels, protecting relationships against turnover and strengthening long-term ties.
This multi-dimensional approach ensures firms deliver more holistic solutions and become indispensable partners.
Creating value for clients
True client loyalty stems from more than great legal advice. Activators focus on three types of value. Business value involves providing tangible benefits that directly impact the client’s bottom line. This could include cost savings, efficiency improvements, or revenue growth.
Trust value is built through consistent, reliable performance and transparent communication. Activators are honest about what they can deliver and set realistic expectations. Matt notes that, “clients appreciate when you are upfront about potential challenges and costs. It builds trust and shows that you are looking out for their best interests.”
Personal value involves understanding what is important to the client beyond the scope of paid work and finding ways to support their personal and professional goals. This might include offering career advice, making valuable introductions, or providing resources that help the client succeed in their role.
The role of generosity and curiosity
Two qualities underpin activator behaviour: generosity and curiosity.
Generosity is about creating goodwill without immediate return — helping clients, making introductions, or celebrating their successes. These gestures strengthen trust and cement partnerships.
“Curiosity is about asking the right questions and really listening to the answers. It’s about understanding what makes your clients tick and what their biggest challenges are,” Matt shares.
“Activators are quite comfortable with saying, ‘This is not my area, but tell me a little bit more about that, because I’m pretty sure there’s somebody in my firm that will have a perspective on this’. They are confident to know the admission that they are not the expert in that area actually builds a lot of trust and credibility with their client.”
Leveraging the activator approach
Activators’ three critical behaviours — commit, connect, and create — along with a generous and curious approach, help them build an engaged and trusted network that is strategically worked and nurtured.
By combining activator individuals with a supportive environment that encourages their behaviours and mindsets, law firms can enhance their business development efforts, build stronger client relationships, and achieve greater success in the future.
Watch the full interview with Matt Dixon now to discover more advice and guidance on adopting the Activator Advantage to level-up your business development. You’ll also hear Matt’s exclusive advice on building an activator firm and the key steps needed to level-up your business development.
