By Allan Colman, CEO the Closers Group

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2013 - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IS RARELY SIMPLE OR EASY

Growth in a free market is there to be gained. Firms can always find ways to use growth as a powerful marketing asset. But for firms that finally recognize the need to pursue legal business development, two questions need to be asked: First, how can your firm exploit the current marketplace? And second, what long term strategic and pragmatic business development lessons can you learn, firm size not withstanting, from the modified knowledge that has driven legal services purchasing during the past 4-5 years?

Business development is rarely simple or easy. But marketplace fluctuations raise problems for clients as well as for law firms. Those who prepared contingency plans, or learned from the past 4 years, are now prospering. They are the "it" as in Hide and Seek's "tag, you're it." They are out from behind the trees and actively pursuing new business. And 2013 will be no exception for them.