Stephen Seckler: Smart Strategies for Lawyers Who Hate Selling

Aug 7, 2025

Stephen Seckler, President of Seckler Attorney Coaching, is an award-winning coach helping lawyers find career satisfaction. He discusses how lawyers can align their personalities with business development and the importance of meaningful networking. Seckler emphasizes the power of authenticity in building a professional brand. He also highlights the need for preparation in networking conversations and the value of clarifying goals for productive interactions. The conversation blends personal insights with practical strategies on transforming legal identity through writing.

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INSIGHT

Selling Equals Relationship Building

Selling legal services is primarily about relationship building rather than hard selling.
You can act with entrepreneurial intent even if you lack an entrepreneurial mindset.

ANECDOTE

Career Transitions Can Cause Deep Distress

Many lawyers who seek Seckler's help feel stuck, anxious, or depressed during career transitions.
He describes his role as coaching those clients, joking he is "a juror's doctor" on Zoom rather than a therapist.

ADVICE

Start With Authentic Small Actions

Start with small, authentic marketing actions that feel comfortable so you build a habit.
Reconnect with classmates and write about subjects you care about to kickstart your marketing.

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In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Stephen Seckler discuss:

How lawyers can better align their personalities with business development
Navigating career transitions within the legal profession
How meaningful networking creates long-term career momentum
Leveraging authenticity and consistency to build a professional brand

Key Takeaways:

Lawyers who struggle with traditional selling can ease into business development by focusing on small, genuine actions like reconnecting with familiar contacts and writing about subjects they care about.
Clarifying which types of clients, cases, and activities energize or drain you is an essential first step before deciding where and how to focus your marketing efforts.
The most productive networking conversations happen when lawyers ask clear, focused questions, such as “What’s a good introduction for you?”—and balance listening with intentional follow-up.
Professionals can avoid wasting time in aimless meetings by preparing a loose agenda beforehand, staying focused on mutual goals, and knowing what specific outcome they want to achieve by the end of each interaction.

"You don't have to have an entrepreneurial mindset to act with entrepreneurial intent." — Stephen Seckler

Unlock the secrets of rainmaking success—join Steve Fretzin and four powerhouse legal experts for Be That Lawyer LIVE on August 27; reserve your spot now at fretzin.com/events.

Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/

Thank you to our Sponsor!

Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/

Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/

About Stephen Seckler: Stephen E. Seckler, Esq., is the President of Seckler Attorney Coaching and an award-winning coach who has spent over 25 years helping lawyers nationwide achieve greater career satisfaction. He works with attorneys at all stages—from those pursuing partnership to others exploring career changes or leadership roles—through programs like The Next Stage. Steve brings deep experience in legal education and recruiting, and he collaborates with both individual lawyers and legal leaders. He hosts the Counsel to Counsel Podcast, contributes to multiple ABA publications, and regularly speaks at bar associations and on legal podcasts. His book Think Like a Lawyer, Act Like an Entrepreneur was published by the ABA in 2025. A member of the Mindfulness in Law Society and ProVisors, Steve has been recognized as a top coach by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and enjoys squash, parody, behavioral economics, and singing with a rock choir.

Connect with Stephen Seckler:

Website: http://www.seckler.com/

Book: Think Like a Lawyer, Act Like an Entrepreneur: https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Lawyer-Act-Entrepreneur/dp/1639056025

Show: Counsel to Counsel Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/counsel-to-counsel-career-advice-for-lawyers/id1344814079

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenseckler/

Connect with Steve Fretzin:

LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin

Twitter: @stevefretzin

Instagram: @fretzinsteve

Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.

Website: Fretzin.com

Email: Steve@Fretzin.com

Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!

YouTube: Steve Fretzin

Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911

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