Clients come to law firms because they need help finding and implementing solutions – each employee is in essence a legal solution provider and a problem solver. And in a crowded and the unpredictable business climate of today, it is more important than ever to embrace and anticipate changes to meet the shifting needs of clients. Most importantly, we always need to put our clients first and ensure that every employee embraces a client-centric mindset.

Being a great lawyer doesn’t guarantee you a solid book of business anymore. Neither does having a law degree from one of the top schools in the country. None of these fancy credentials matter if you don’t have the right people skills (or emotional intelligence) to connect with clients on a personal level, especially now. 

Because clients regularly hire outside counsel who they’ve known for many years – from law school, a prior firm, a friend of a friend or a past matter – cultivating relationships should be at the heart of everything you do – especially now. It’s important to treat everyone with whom you come into contact as if they could be a future client or referral source, which is a helpful guiding principle in how to interact with your professional network.

Here’s how to develop a more client-centric mindset and build stronger relationships despite the barriers we are facing today during this worldwide pandemic.