9. BTI says the best business developers disrupt thinking and dissect the unsaid

BTI’s “5 Ds” framework says lawyers win business by disrupting the client’s thinking, dissecting the unsaid, delivering candor, designing the path forward and driving the next step. The article criticizes low-signal BD activity such as check-ins, generic webinars, mailing lists and alerts with no commentary. For firms, the lesson is that client intelligence should surface context, hidden constraints and next-best actions, not just contact data.

---