Law firm marketing
Business development coaching for lawyers
PSM Marketing provides one-on-one marketing and business development coaching for attorneys and practice groups. Terrie S. Wheeler, MBC, who has worked with lawyers since 1985, helps you build a personal plan, grow your referral relationships and hold yourself accountable to your origination goals.
Reviewed by Terrie S. Wheeler, MBC.
Updated October, 2026
Why lawyers need business development coaching
Most lawyers never learned how to turn contacts into clients. Law school teaches the law, not how to build a practice.
Origination drives your career
Partnership, compensation and independence all depend on bringing in work. It's a skill, and it can be learned.
Time is the real obstacle
Billable hours crowd out business development. A plan makes the time you have count.
Accountability keeps you going
Good intentions fade without a deadline. Regular sessions keep business development on your calendar.
Every lawyer is different
Your contacts, strengths and practice are your own. Coaching builds a plan around you, not a template.
I cannot recommend Terrie Wheeler and her team highly enough! Working with Terrie has been one of the best investments I've made in growing my law practice. Her coaching is informative, practical, and genuinely encouraging. With her guidance, I was able to double my book of business.
Terrie and her team truly understand the legal market—what works, how to make yourself stand out, and how to build a sustainable practice. Terrie has a remarkable ability to combine strategic marketing advice with the encouragement and accountability needed to turn ideas into results.
— Chris L., Google review
How attorney coaching works
Terrie Wheeler has refined this process with attorneys for decades. It starts with listening and ends with new clients.
STEP 01
Listen and assess
What has worked, what hasn't, where your clients come from, the organizations you belong to and where you want to be in five years.
STEP 02
Find your strengths
A CliftonStrengths assessment shows how you naturally build relationships, so your plan plays to your strengths.
STEP 03
Build your personal plan
Revenue and origination goals, ideal clients, key referral sources and the activities that will reach them.
STEP 04
Meet regularly
Sessions a few times a month by video or phone. Each ends with action items for you, and for PSM.
STEP 05
Get hands-on help
Depending on your coaching level, PSM's team helps with your bio, LinkedIn, articles, contact lists and outreach.
STEP 06
Track and adjust
Review new relationships, referrals and matters, and adjust the plan as your practice grows.
Coaching for practice groups
PSM also coaches practice, industry and client teams. Before any team marketing begins, we agree on how origination and fees will be credited, so the effort stays collaborative.
Is coaching right for you?
Coaching works best for attorneys who are motivated to attract new clients, confident in their legal skills, active in their community, ready to build relationships and willing to listen to advice.
Business development is a skill you can learn.
You didn’t go to law school to become a salesperson, and you don’t have to. In one-on-one coaching, Terrie Wheeler helps lawyers build a business development plan that fits their practice and personality, with regular virtual sessions that keep you accountable as you grow your relationships and referrals.
In this video, Terrie S. Wheeler, MBC, explains how one-on-one coaching helps lawyers build the habits that bring in new business.
Your outsourced marketing department
Many coaching clients pair it with PSM's marketing team, so the website, content and outreach behind their plan get done. PSM Marketing gives your firm a partner-level strategist, a dedicated client marketing lead and a full creative and digital team, for less than the cost of one in-house hire.
Outsourced marketing
A full marketing team that works as your marketing department every month, for $4,000 to $10,000+ a month.
Learn more →
Quickstart Package
A marketing plan and the essentials to carry it out, for smaller firms and solo practitioners, at $2,000 to $4,000 a month.
Learn more →
Fractional CMO
Senior marketing leadership for firms that already have an in-house marketing team.
Learn more →
Marketing coaching
One-on-one business development coaching for attorneys and practice groups.
Learn more →
What coaching includes
Personal marketing plan
Written goals, ideal clients, referral sources and a calendar of activities that fit your practice.
Referral source strategy
A short list of the relationships that matter most, and a plan to stay in touch with each one.
Networking and speaking
Which organizations to join, how to lead in them and how to turn presentations into clients.
LinkedIn and personal brand
A stronger profile and a simple posting routine that keeps you visible.
Pitch and proposal help
Preparation for pitches, client meetings and proposals, from messaging to follow-up.
Ethics guidance
Business development that stays within the lawyer advertising and solicitation rules, from a former Vice Chair of the Minnesota Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board.
Also for law firms: Law firm marketing strategy · Meet Terrie Wheeler · All law firm marketing
What lawyers say
Featured result
50% more new clients
“It took me some time before I was willing to accept that I needed their advice on marketing, but I am so glad that I did. Within 12 months, I saw a 50% increase in origination of new clients. [...] I may have already had the legal skills, but PSM helped me build a successful practice.” — Don M., Google review
“Terrie Wheeler (principal at PSM) is a keen intellect and a superb resource for all things related to legal marketing. [...] She is a true pro with both strong EQ as well as IQ.”
— Brad L., Google review
“[...] they started digging and challenged me to come up with answers as to not only what I was trying to say but also what I was trying to accomplish.”
— Jack Rice, attorney, St. Paul, MN
“I have worked with Terrie and her PSM team for many many years, and I can't say enough good things about them. They are the BEST for legal marketing and networking and business development.”
— Toni H., Google review
Coaching for lawyers: questions
What is business development coaching for lawyers?
One-on-one coaching that helps an attorney set origination goals, build relationships with clients and referral sources, and follow a personal marketing plan, with regular sessions for accountability.
Who is a good fit for coaching?
Associates preparing for partnership, partners who want to grow their book of business, solo attorneys and lateral hires building a new network.
How often do we meet?
A few times a month, usually by video or phone. Each session ends with clear next steps.
How long does coaching last?
Most attorneys coach for at least several months; many continue for years as their goals grow.
Can our firm sponsor coaching for several attorneys?
Yes. PSM coaches individual attorneys and practice groups, and can coordinate with your firm's marketing plan.
Does coaching cover the ethics rules?
Yes. Terrie Wheeler was Vice Chair of the Minnesota Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board, so every plan stays within the advertising and solicitation rules.
Do you coach lawyers outside Minnesota?
Yes. PSM Marketing is based in St. Paul and Rush City and coaches attorneys across the country by video.
Law firm marketing insights
Let's talk about your firm's marketing.
A free marketing assessment with Terrie Wheeler or Michelle Wheeler. You'll leave with a clear view of what to do next, whether or not we work together.