Marketing yourself is the most important thing you can do for your career in this uncertain legal climate. Last week, we talked about setting aside only one hour per day to start marketing yourself and proving yourself to be someone who can generate revenue for the firm – something partners cannot resist. This week, we continue in the quest to help you in your efforts to bring in deals and cases to grow (or begin to grow) your book of business.
Even though the below suggested exercises create a bit more work in an already stressed-out day, I urge you to take some time and really engage in this process. Like everything in the law (and in life!), there are no guarantees. I can’t tell you when or how you will bring your first new matter. However, every attorney who has been successful in bringing in new business went through this process (or something similar). Begin at the beginning and follow through. This could be the most productive five hours of your week!
Before we begin with the schedule, please make sure that you responded to anyone who may have emailed you last week regarding your initial outreach. This is crucial. Answer emails and phone calls immediately. Many times, if someone has a hot lead, it will go cold if you wait too long to respond. Part of this marketing process is learning to stay connected with the “outside” world and not so focused on life in the law firm. Remember, the folks outside of the firm are the most likely to have leads for new cases.
Monday: Set up a Linked In account if you don’t already have one. It’s very simple to do. It will require some information about you, your practice, your experience, etc. Please fill out the information completely. The more information you include about yourself, the more people will be able to find you in case they need a lawyer. After you’ve started the account, look around on the site and find some folks you know. Make connections with them. If you already have a Linked In account, take some time to review connections, add new connections, add to your bio, update your picture and join some groups. Don’t overwhelm yourself, just spend an hour on this site.
Tuesday: Set up an account on Avvo.com. Avvo is a lawyer review site. It’s becoming more and more popular as attorneys all over the country are joining. Be sure to add a current picture and update your biography completely. Look around the site and find some other lawyers you know. Write a nice review for an attorney and send them an email asking them to do the same for you. In most cases, they’ll be happy to reciprocate!
Wednesday: Check back in on the blogs that you reviewed last Friday. Make a comment on at least one blog post. Make sure that the content is relevant and interesting. The most important part of this process is to include your name and a link to your website. If you own your own firm, link to the home page. If you work at a firm, link to your bio page or a relevant page on the site. (If the blog post is about new patent filings in California, link to the page about new patent filings on your firm’s site.) Typically, when you click on the “comment” button, you will be given very specific instructions about how to sign up and link to your site.
Thursday: Write and rehearse your elevator pitch. You’ve heard the phrase before, but probably never knew what it meant or how it could help. An elevator pitch is a short, lay-person’s description of what you do. (So short that it should be able to be said in the time you ride an elevator.) Write out this pitch and practice it. Make sure that you use terminology that is understandable to everyone. Make it short and sweet with just enough description that the person listening will be able to remember who you are and what you do. Take the next 30 minutes to get back on Linked In and write a couple of updates, accept any connections you may have and join another group.
Friday: Hand out at least 10 business cards and practice your elevator pitch. I know it sounds impossible, but just do it. Don’t worry that the person seems an unlikely source of future referrals of work, or that he or she knows nothing about your area of the law. Simply hand out the cards and speak with people about what you do. (Please remember to be polite and ask what they do, as well!) Give one to your waitress at lunch, hand one to the guy standing next to you in line at the grocery store, give out a couple at the gym. This is really an exercise in getting yourself out there. Talk to people. Hand out your card and let them know that you are looking for new transactions, clients or cases. You may be surprised at the results you get.
Take some time over the weekend to reflect on all of the work you’ve done. Believe it or not, you’ve already put in at least 10 hours of time toward this new goal of bringing new business. Congratulations!
If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’ve been successfully helping lawyers and law firms connect for years. We’d be thrilled to help you, as well.