Wile E. Coyote rarely gets top billing over Bugs Bunny.
But Wile E. finally has his day in the sun – starring in his own live-action movie. After decades of falling off cliffs, blowing himself up, and ordering catastrophically unreliable products from ACME, Wile E. finally gets his shot. But Bugs is still miles ahead.
Coyote vs. Acme may offer a few lessons about litigation and personal injury. But Wile E. and Bugs offer even better lessons in business development.
One is arguably the worst business developer in cartoon history. The other is a master. And the difference has almost nothing to do with talent.
Look at how they operate:
- Wile E. pursues. Bugs attracts.
- Wile E. has a plan. Bugs reads the room.
- Wile E. keeps working it. Bugs keeps listening.
- Wile E. is obsessed with his objective. Bugs is obsessed with what’s happening right now.
- Wile E. buys more tools. Bugs needs almost none.
- Wile E. never changes strategy. Bugs adapts instantly.
- Wile E. knows everything about his target. Bugs knows everything about his target’s world.
And perhaps the biggest difference:
- Wile E. prepares for what he wants to happen. Bugs prepares for whatever happens.
Here’s the part law firms should find unnerving:
Wile E. works much harder at business development. He prepares. He invests. He plans. He buys every tool available. He relentlessly pursues his target. And nobody could ever question his persistence.
Wile E. would crush his law firm’s BD activity goals. And he would still lose the client.
Bugs does something entirely different. He prepares to adapt. He watches. He listens. He sizes up the situation. And he knows the terrain.
He understands the environment, the players, the risks, and what is likely to happen next.
That’s his version of industry knowledge.
It allows Bugs to hear what others miss, anticipate the next move, and change direction without missing a beat.
Wile E. knows his target. Bugs understands his target and his target’s world and adapts to it.
This is a massive difference in business development.
The best business developers don’t just know the client. They understand the forces bearing down on the client – competitors, customers, economics, regulation, technology, internal pressures, and what could happen next.
They don’t prepare for a conversation. They prepare for wherever the conversation goes. And this is Bugs’s plan.
Wile E. Coyote is the perfect caricature of how too many lawyers develop business – relentless pursuit, elaborate plans, expensive tools, and nowhere near enough listening.
Bugs wins because he does the opposite.
Maybe the best business development advice has been staring us in the face since 1940:
What’s up, Doc?
Ask the question. Know the world behind the answer. Ask What’s Up, Doc? Then listen.
That’s all, folks.
MBR
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