Business development can sometimes feel like walking through a haunted house, especially in the high-stakes environment of big law. Just as you think you’re making progress, opportunities seem to vanish, conversations go cold and the outreach you thought was vibrant appears to drift into the business development graveyard. For legal marketers and lawyers, keeping outreach efforts alive is essential to sustaining growth and client relationships. Here’s how to avoid the dreaded graveyard and keep your business development initiatives breathing with life.

1. Banish the “Ghosting” Habit: One of the biggest obstacles in business development is the eerie silence that follows promising introductions. Ghosting – where you don’t hear back from potential leads or contacts after initial outreach – can stall relationships before they even begin.

To avoid ghosting, establish a structured follow-up system. Acknowledge new connections within 24-48 hours with a brief, personalized message. From there, maintain momentum by scheduling regular check-ins. Even if a lead doesn’t immediately convert, consistent communication can make a lasting impression and keep the door open for future opportunities.

2. Bring Consistency to Your Outreach “Spells”: A sporadic approach to outreach can send your efforts to the business development graveyard faster than you can say “boo!” Consistency is the key to building genuine relationships and staying top of mind for potential clients.

Consider setting aside dedicated time each week to focus on outreach. This can include updating LinkedIn connections, sending personalized notes and revisiting past leads. Using a CRM tool can also help track contacts and follow-up activities, ensuring your outreach doesn’t slip into the forgotten shadows.

3. Personalize Every Interaction to Keep It Alive: One-size-fits-all messaging is a surefire way to make your outreach feel lifeless. Clients are inundated with emails and messages, so taking the time to personalize your approach can set you apart and keep your connections from going cold.

Before reaching out, do a quick review of the contact’s LinkedIn profile or website. Mentioning a recent post, accomplishment or area of expertise shows that you’re genuinely interested. This kind of attention can make your outreach memorable and keep the relationship alive.

4. Make the Most of LinkedIn: Your “Anti-Graveyard” Tool: LinkedIn is more than just a networking platform – it’s one of the most effective tools to keep business development efforts fresh and ongoing. However, simply having a profile isn’t enough; regular engagement and thoughtful content creation are essential.

To leverage LinkedIn fully, aim to post or engage at least a few times a week. Share relevant articles, comment on others’ posts and write your own content. By staying active, you remind your network of your presence and expertise.

5. Avoid the Curse of Overly Formal Messaging: Stiff, overly formal language can make outreach feel transactional rather than relational. In a field like law, professionalism is crucial, but that doesn’t mean every message has to read like a contract.

Adopt a more conversational tone, especially in initial outreach. A message that feels personal and approachable can make the other party feel valued and can keep the connection from feeling dead on arrival. For example, start with something like, “I enjoyed meeting you at last week’s conference—let’s keep the conversation going!” instead of the standard “I’m following up on our recent meeting.”

6. Breathe Life into Your Content Strategy

Content is a powerful way to engage prospective clients without direct outreach. An active content strategy—whether through blog posts, LinkedIn articles or webinar presentations – keeps you visible with the people who can hire and refer work to you, and builds credibility over time.

For lawyers, producing content that speaks to current industry challenges, legislative updates, client pain points and practical tips can be particularly impactful. Not only does it keep you top of mind, but it also allows prospective clients to engage with your insights, setting the foundation for future conversations.

7. Create a Follow-Up Timeline to Avoid Being Forgotten: If you’ve ever had a promising conversation with a lead that fizzled out, you know how easy it is for contacts to slip away. A follow-up timeline ensures you’re reaching out at regular intervals without overwhelming your prospect.

For instance, consider a “three-touch” approach after an initial meeting:

Day 1-2: Send a thank you email that references your conversation.

Week 2: Share a relevant article or update that relates to their interests.

Month 1: Check in with a short, friendly message to see if there are any updates on their end.

This structured approach keeps the relationship warm and top of mind without being overly aggressive.

8. Use CRM Tools to Keep Contacts from Slipping Away: Many legal marketers and lawyers aren’t leveraging CRM tools to their full potential. A CRM can help track interactions, categorize contacts and remind you of follow-up dates. When a contact reaches a certain milestone, such as six months of no interaction, a CRM can prompt you to re-engage. By systematically using these reminders, you can avoid the “graveyard” effect of letting valuable contacts fall into the background.

9. Resurrect Relationships Through Client Appreciation: Nothing brings a connection back to life like showing appreciation. By sending a personalized thank-you note, a holiday greeting or acknowledging an important milestone, you can rekindle relationships that may have cooled. Consider organizing a client appreciation event, such as a virtual seminar or an in-person networking gathering. This gives you a chance to reconnect with clients on a personal level while offering them something of value.

10. Turn Referrals into Living Connections: When someone refers a new contact to you, it’s easy to send a quick thank-you and leave it at that. However, nurturing referral sources can be one of the most effective ways to grow your network. Build a habit of checking in with key referral sources every few months. Sharing updates or simply reaching out to see how things are going can turn a single referral into an ongoing, mutually beneficial connection that keeps giving.

11. Host Events to Engage Your Audience: Whether it’s a webinar, a panel or an industry-focused Q&A, hosting events provides opportunities to connect with potential clients while showcasing your expertise. Not only does it allow you to interact directly, but it also opens up avenues for further engagement. For example, you can follow up with attendees afterward to thank them and ask for feedback, helping to keep the relationship alive long after the event.

12. Keep Outreach Human, Not Automated: While automation has its benefits, relying solely on automated messaging can make outreach feel impersonal. Use automation strategically to remind you of follow-ups, but keep your communication as human as possible. When contacts feel that a real person is reaching out, they’re more likely to respond warmly and view the interaction as genuine, which can prevent the connection from slipping into a “dead zone.”

Keeping Business Development Out of the Graveyard

With a thoughtful, consistent approach, legal marketers and lawyers can prevent their business development efforts from drifting into the business development graveyard. By focusing on personal connection, ongoing engagement and smart use of tools, you’ll keep outreach fresh and make lasting impressions on potential clients. After all, the only thing scarier than a cold lead is a promising one that got away!