It's easy to assume that effective business development involves grand gestures, magnetic charm, or extreme discipline. In truth, it's much easier than all that.

Pre-calls with training participants surface valuable insights and build rapport—before we ever get to the training room.

Too many lawyers think they've done business development when they've only engaged in marketing. I've been to Antarctica, but never to the South Pole. In both cases, the differences matter a lot.

The lunch-and-learn format can create awareness, but it doesn't lead to behavior change. For that, look to cohort-based trainings.

What's on your retreat speaker wish list? Here are five suggestions to look for as you line up your next business development speaker or training.