BD is not a willpower problem

Did you know that the average lawyer bills just 3 hours in an 8-hour day?

The rest of the time disappears into admin, internal work, and the business development that was supposed to happen but rarely does consistently.

Consultants know the same pattern in a slightly different form. Delivery takes over, urgent work wins, and staying in touch gets pushed to “later.”

Most professionals know they should stay close to the right people, but very few do it consistently.

That is not a laziness problem. Business development just gets treated as if it needs more strategy, when the more important part is the habit.

Most professionals try to solve BD with willpower. They block calendar time, promise themselves a motivated fresh start, and two weeks later, the routine disappears.

Intentions alone are a weak system.

The Habit Loop works better:

• Cue: Anchor BD to something you already do, like opening your laptop, having your first coffee, or finishing a client call
• Craving: Link it to a feeling, being organized, proactive, or in control of your pipeline
• Response: Make it tiny. Send one message. Follow up with one person
• Reward: Celebrate the behavior, not the result

The feeling of “I did it” closes the loop.

Here’s one habit to start with this week: “After I open my laptop each morning, I send one message to someone in my network.”

Small enough to do on a busy day. Specific enough to become automatic. 

Best,
Anja Kreutzahler
CEO and Founder of peakleap

P.S. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. That won’t break your habit. Just start again the next morning.