Why is it that so many lawyer presentations suffer from “hanging fragmentitis”? Here’s how to stop yourself from constantly editing, restarting and revising out loud. When we speak, why do we so often fail to finish our sentences? Linguists must know the answer to this question, but I am at a loss. All I’m sure of is this: Lawyers find it difficult — often impossible — to finish sentences. They have some kind of built-in resistance to committing to a period. Commas, ellipses and random question marks — yes. Periods — no. Here’s what I mean. A lawyer stands up to make a presentation to colleagues, an opening statement or a motion to a judge. She states her topic or theme, often (but far from always) in a single sentence. And then, she’s off to “The Land of the Never-Ending Sentence.” There isn’t a period to be heard for minutes on end: “Mrs. X has been afraid for her life since the night her husband stabbed her with a kitchen knife.” (This is the complete sentence.) “Mr. X had threatened her on numerous occasions, and the police had been … uh … called to their residence more than once and in 2009 alone officers were called by … uh … by either a neighbor or the caretaker of the condos or even by Mr. X himself … uh … on one occasion, and so she has been scared and worried, especially for the … um … effect of the potential violence on her two young daughters, who she sent away to live with her … um … sister.” And so on and on … and on. Eventually, the story emerges from the thicket of verbal litter. Participles dangle, prepositional phrases attach themselves, as if by their own accord, to the

In initial meetings with lawyers, I like to have them tell me what they’ve done in marketing and business development — what has worked and what hasn’t and what they are trying to accomplish. I’ll never forget my first coaching meeting with one junior partner. When I asked her for her business development goals, her response was simple: “I just want to stop shooting myself in the foot.” She made a good point. Whether it’s informal conversations with referral sources or formal presentations with prospects, lawyers often are their own worst enemies. There are many things you should — or shouldn’t — do when faced with a business development opportunity. Avoiding missteps will vastly improve your odds of success. Seven Common Business Development Mistakes Here are some of the most common errors I see lawyers make in their business development efforts. 1. Lack of preparation. Thinking about the meeting on the drive over to the client’s office isn’t sufficient. One of the keys to an effective approach is to be well-prepared. This includes researching the company, the person, the opportunity and the competition, among other things. It also includes preparing your approach — how will you open the meeting, what roles will people play, what questions do you need answered, what are the primary points you want to make … the list goes on and on. 2. Lack of messaging. One of the goals of your preparation is to anticipate concerns or inquiries that might come up in the meeting. What objections might prospects have to hiring you? What questions might they ask about the firm or your experience? For example, a target may ask you how your firm differs from the competition. Without an appropriate and concise response at the ready, you can come off as uncertain or even defensive.