In the early days of the Roman Empire, the Romans lost a war because they couldn’t support and resupply their armies in the marshlands between Rome and their allies in Capua. Thirty years later, when hostilities erupted again, the Romans had learned their lesson. This time, they built a road to Capua, enabling them to support and supply their armies effectively. This strategic move led to their victory. Recognizing the value of roads, the Romans constructed over 50,000 miles of them before the Empire’s end, linking captured cities to Rome. These roads allowed their military to move swiftly, outmaneuver enemies, and respond rapidly to uprisings. Understanding the roads’ critical importance, they began building these networks in newly conquered territories long before they were needed, ensuring future military and commercial success.
Andrew Sobel and Jerold Panas draw a comparison between Roman road-building and business development networks in their book Power Relationships. They advise, “Build it before you need it, and all sorts of unexpected opportunities will come your way.”
I couldn’t agree more. The optimal time to seek help, ask for introductions, or request an audience is after you’ve laid the groundwork, built trust, and established solid relationships over many years. Approaching someone cold without any prior relationship is always more challenging. Think ahead. Be like the Romans. Build your roadways and connections now.
Sobel and Panas provide a method for developing a network that closely aligns with the approach we teach our clients at Gladstone. Here’s a summary of our approach:
Gather – Compile names of critical contacts from your databases (Outlook, LinkedIn, firm CRM databases, etc.), and supplement these with names from the following categories: clients, past clients, targets, and referral sources (including related professionals, friends, firm alumni, school alumni, lawyers both within and outside your firm, and other relevant social and family contacts).
Prioritize – Identify the most important contacts. “Important” in business development means those who can bring you closest to your target market the fastest. This is determined by a combination of their influence and the strength of your relationship with them.
Divide – Split the list into two parts: those you will actively pursue this year for specific work (pipeline) and those crucial to your network requiring regular communication but not part of an engagement you are actively pursuing this year (touchlist).
Sobel and Panas recommend further dividing this latter group into three subgroups: “The Critical Few,” “The Middle Few,” and “The Many.”
The Critical Few: Engage with this group two to three times a year, stay in close touch, and invest time to understand their needs.
The Middle Few: Communicate periodically, at least once a year, using personalized methods like cards, letters, personal emails, and phone calls.
The Many: Utilize “one-to-many” communications such as article mailings, blogs, and newsletters.
More important than the exact method of gathering and structuring your list is the act of doing it—and doing it now. Like the Romans, having a network of relationships in place will pay off in the future, whether you need to conquer the next market or just get a foot in the next door.