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New Year, New Opportunities: 3 Client Conversations to Jumpstart 2025

The start of a new year offers lawyers a unique opportunity to connect with clients, recalibrate goals, and lay the groundwork for a successful year ahead. Whether you’re deepening relationships with trusted clients or engaging with new prospects, January is the time to showcase your value as a strategic partner.


This is not just about client service—it’s about proactive engagement. A strong start to the year demonstrates your commitment to understanding your clients’ evolving needs and helping them navigate challenges and opportunities. By aligning on goals, leveraging fresh market insights, and fostering meaningful conversations, you position yourself as an indispensable advisor in their success.


Here are three impactful conversation starters to guide your discussions with clients this January.


1. "I'd like to schedule time for a visit."

Kicking off the year with an in-person meeting sets the tone for deep collaboration throughout 2025. Start with your top three clients or prospects and propose an in-person meeting. While not everyone may take you up on the offer, when you can get it, nothing beats face-to-face interaction on your clients’ turf.

Aside from providing you with an opportunity for an in-person, in-depth conversation, you have the potential opportunity to meet with multiple members of the in-house team, provide a CLE, bring a colleague in a relevant practice area, or tour their facilities, among other things. Virtual meetings are great, but you’ll come away from in-person meetings with more opportunities that position you to serve the client as a trusted advisor in a greater capacity.  


Here’s a simple email template to get you started:


Subject: Kicking Off 2025 Together: Scheduling an In-Person Visit


Dear [Client's Name],

Happy New Year! As we dive into 2025, I’d love the opportunity to meet with you in person during the first quarter to discuss your goals for the year ahead and to discuss what we’re seeing in the market relevant to your industry.


Here are a few windows of availability on my end:

[Provide 3 date/time options]


Let me know what works for you. If an in-person meeting isn’t convenient, we can chat by video.


Warm regards,

[Your Name]


2. "Tell me about your goals for the coming year."

This intentionally broad question invites clients to focus on what matters most to them—whether personal, professional, or business-related. Allow them to take the lead, and as the conversation deepens, explore all three areas. Trusted advisors excel at supporting corporate objectives, but when clients trust you enough to share personal and professional ambitions, you gain an opportunity to provide unique support that sets you apart.


Additional questions to uncover client needs include:

  • Are you planning any new products, market expansions, partnerships, or acquisitions?

  • Have there been lessons from last year’s projects or disputes that we can use to refine our approach?

  • How can we help you deliver greater value to your clients, stakeholders, or team this year?


3. "I’m hearing that [insert areas] will be of particular importance to your industry this year. Is that consistent with what you are expecting? Any there any other areas of opportunity or concern that are important to you?"

Sharing relevant insights positions you as a well-informed partner who is attuned to industry dynamics. No one has your exact network. You can use the insights you gain from your network and clients to help connect dots, in combination with using data from trusted sources like BTI Consulting or Thomson Reuters, to highlight trends such as AI adoption, shifts in case volumes, or evolving rate structures. This dialogue not only serves as a conversation starter, it demonstrates your commitment to helping your clients stay ahead of the curve.


Follow-up questions to deepen the discussion might include:

  • "Are there specific compliance challenges tied to market changes where you’d like additional guidance?"

  • What’s your strategy for staying ahead of competitors in this rapidly changing market?

  • Are there trends you’d like us to monitor to ensure you’re prepared for what’s ahead?


The most effective client conversations build trust, uncover new opportunities to provide value, and position you as a true partner in your clients’ success. By starting these discussions in January, you’ll lay the groundwork for a year of growth, collaboration, and measurable impact.


Cheers to starting the new year off right!



At the start of any year, a clear business development plan serves as an important roadmap to your success. To help, we’ve created a Business Development Plan Template that you can access here. It’s designed to help you focus on the relationships and activities that will drive results in 2025. If you have questions or would like help building your roadmap for 2025, please contact Elizabeth Brick.


 
 
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