Book excerpt: This first volume in the Law Firm Associates Development Series focuses on personal marketing and sales skills, and will cover these topics: building a practice; how to create a personal marketing plan; how to find people within a target market; how to prepare for a prospective client meeting; strategies when meeting with clients; how to ask for business; how to use the end of a matter as a marketing opportunity; how to retain clients; and how to effectively network inside and outside the firm. Both authors currently work as Directors of Business Development in law firms where their responsibilities include extensive in-house coaching and training of attorneys at all levels. In this guidebook, they share their best advice and instruction compiled from their own experience as well as from that of many industry thought leaders.