For the last several years, there is one recurring question lawyers have been asking me: "What is the secret behind rainmaking?" After having served two long-term tenures as a chief marketing officer, first for Debevoise & Plimpton and more recently for 14 years at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, I left to write a book to try to refine the answer. I've gone on to observe what works in trying to win business, and I've seen what does and what doesn't.

Find and Focus on Your Passion

There are lawyers who develop a genuine curiosity and passion for a practice area or an industry, and then they take another step and dive deep into the area, cultivating expertise beyond the law. Enthusiasm, when combined with in-depth knowledge, has a unique value. By having a goal of being the best possible practitioner in a practice or industry, and knowing the key players as well as the legal nuances, lawyers of all ages become more than legal experts to their clients; instead, they become subject-matter experts, with an ability to identify trends before they happen and strong personal connections to others in the field. These are the lawyers to whom clients remain connected, even when there isn't an active litigation matter or a deal to be handled. Clients call them to discuss business strategy, ask for introductions to others in their industry and connect when they need career advice. These rainmakers have the essential tools to handle a legal matter, but in addition, they are authentically interested in the area of practice.