The Friday Afternoon Business Development Review Routine
“If next week looks exactly like this week, will my pipeline be stronger or weaker?”
Most lawyers treat business development like a series of random acts:
send a proposal here,
grab a coffee there,
maybe do a follow-up email if they remember.
Then Friday rolls around, they’ve won no new instructions and call it a week in the hope next week will be better.
That’s not business development, it’s a prayer.
So, for this BD Tips Wednesday post I’ll be taking a quick look your Friday afternoon business development review routine.
Start In The Real World
Before you plan anything, look at what happened this week. Not what you were meant to do, but what you actually did.
Ask yourself:
Which conversations moved forward?
Which opportunities progressed?
Where did things stall?
What did I avoid?
This is where most people get uncomfortable, because the gap between intention and execution becomes obvious very quickly.
But this is the most important part of the routine. Because business development is a lagging indicator, if your pipeline feels thin the problem usually started weeks (or months) ago.
Friday business development reviews is where you can catch this early.
Review Your Pipeline
Stop thinking like a technician and start thinking like someone running a business. Go opportunity by opportunity and ask yourself:
What stage is this actually at?
What is the next action item?
Who owns that action?
When will it happen?
If there’s no clear next step, it’s not an opportunity: it’s just a conversation you’re hoping turns into something.
Be honest here, most pipelines are inflated with “maybes” that will never really convert.
A strong business development review tightens the pipeline, not just updates it.
Check Relationship Depth
This is where most professionals completely miss the point of business development. You don’t win work because you were “busy”, you win work because you are trusted and relevant.
So ask yourself:
Who did I meaningfully connect with this week?
Where did I deepen a relationship?
Where did I add value?
If your week was full of activity but light on meaningful conversations, that’s a warning sign. Next week shouldn’t be “more activity”, it should be better conversations.
Diagnose What’s Getting in the Way
Every stalled opportunity has a reason. A good Friday business development audit will help you identify:
Is it a timing issue?
A stakeholder issue?
A value/pricing issue?
Or have you simply not driven it forward?
Set 3 to 5 Business Development Priorities for Next Week
This is where the routine and consistency truly pays off. Most people enter Monday reacting. But from your Friday business development review you will be able to identify 3–5 priority moves that will actually shift your pipeline forwards.
For example:
Re-engage a stalled client with a specific insights,
Progress a proposal by clarifying scope (not just “checking in”),
Introduce two contacts who should know each other,
Have one strategic conversation with a key client.
Remember, if everything is a priority then nothing is!
Lock It Into Your Calendar (Or It Won’t Happen)
This is the simplest step, and the one most people skip. Take your 3 to 5 business development priorities for the week and schedule them into your Outlook calendar.
When will you do them?
How long will you need?
What preparation is required?
If it’s not in your calendar, it’s just intention again.
End With One Simple Question
Before you finish, ask yourself:
“If next week looks exactly like this week, will my pipeline be stronger or weaker?”
If the answer is weaker, or even just “the same”, you already know something needs to change.
Takeaway
Rainmakers aren’t always the best lawyers in the room. What they do well is:
Pay attention to their pipeline,
Take ownership of movement,
Adjust early, not late.
And regular, scheduled, Friday business development reviews is where that discipline shows up.
Further Reading
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