At the end of April, I was on a panel at the ABA Annual Litigation Conference in Chicago with Laurel Bellows (the ABA President), Sofia Lingos, Damian Thomas, Paul Lehner and practice management expert Ann Guinn. We spoke to solo and small firm lawyers on the subject of creating a successful practice. I encouraged the … Continue Reading
GCs are using social media to hire law firms. Could it be? The answer is YES according to John Cory, the founder of GreenTarget. The big takeaway is… blogs are a credible source of information, and Linkedin is a place to connect and create relationships. If you are focused on General Counsel, take the time … Continue Reading
In the legal profession there is no lack of critics. I was at a Bench and Bar Conference and heard comments like… “I didn’t think the conference had enough substance.” “I think there were too many breakout sessions and not enough time to network.” “I don’t want to waste my time networking, I came to get … Continue Reading
Building a personal brand requires that people remember who you are… simple, right? Well, maybe not so simple. Inc. Magazine ran an article by Jessica Stillman… A Simple Trick For Being More Memorable. Stillman writes… Being memorable isn’t hard. But being memorable without seeming like a crackpot or a shameless self-promoter is trickier. Sure, showing up … Continue Reading
No matter what your politics are… there is little argument when it comes to recognizing that as a public speaker Bill Clinton is as good as it gets. He has the ability to make you feel like you are the only person in the room…. even if you are surrounded by 10s of thousands. It … Continue Reading
Your personal brand (or whatever you choose to call it) is something you have the option to alter. On Tuesday I suggested that you interview people that know you very well and listen to what they have to say. I cautioned… "The hard part is hearing it! Yes, you have to be willing to hear … Continue Reading
Do you really know who you are? Maybe… maybe not. When I work with lawyers to articulate their personal brand it is generally clear… that it is not clear. What is the solution? We need outside perspective. So, I have them ask a few people who know them very well, to answer a few questions. … Continue Reading
We are all so busy that if we can ever do something once and get multiple uses out of it would be a great… WIN. Wouldn’t it? My friend Cordell Parvin has great advice on the subject… Repurpose (marketing term) your content. What does that mean? When I practiced law, unless there was an ethical issue or … Continue Reading
Last week I spoke at the Florida’s Voluntary Bar Leaders Conference. Before I spoke, there was a session where everyone was talking about the lack of participation by members in programs that could clearly benefit their practice. In addition, how they are losing members because they can’t afford the dues ranging from $75 – $200. … Continue Reading
"What’s it going to take to get you off your butt and truly accomplish something?" That is the question Paul B. Brown asked his Forbes readers. And I ask YOU! I hear more excuses then there are lawyers in this country. I’m too busy. I have too many meetings. I tried that once. That never … Continue Reading
Seth Godin asks… Where does trust come from? Lawyers… listen up! Hint: it never comes from the good times and from the easy projects. We trust people because they showed up when it wasn’t convenient, because they told the truth when it was easier to lie and because they kept a promise when they could have … Continue Reading
Mother’s day is next Sunday and Seth Godin recommends a TRUE JEWEL… I know because last year I discovered the very talented Sarah Kay on TED. I sent her book to my Mom, sister and nieces… it is a poignant little book. But more than that Ms Kay delivers a powerful 18 minute speech that … Continue Reading
Career… a work of art? That’s an odd notion. In the Harvard Business Review I read an article by Gianpiero Petriglieri… "Turn Your Career Into a Work of Art." Petriglieri writes… Today’s careers are no longer ladders. They are more like works of art. In this context, what does it mean to succeed? What does … Continue Reading
I talk a lot about branding… today let’s explore POSITIONING! How do you want to position you and your firm in your marketplace? On Tuesday I asked… Who are you? Today I ask… What is your firm known for? The answer to that question will boil down to your POSITIONING! My friend Cordell Parvin published a … Continue Reading
Are you a lawyer who is an innovator? A friend gave me a book… titled "Best Practices are Stupid… 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition" by Stephen M. Shapiro. Intriguing title… right? It challenges conventional wisdom. And in some cases is a slap-up-side-the-head. Here are some of Stephen’s tips… (I’m paraphrasing a bit.) 1. Don’t think … Continue Reading
Your personal brand… as Kevin O’Keefe, suggests… Will save you as a lawyer. Most lawyers can’t conceive of themselves as a brand. But, let me tell you… YOU already have a personal brand! And I guarantee… 99.9% never give it a thought. What does your personal brand represent to the world? Is it substantive? Why should you … Continue Reading
Be direct. You never want to hear… "You talkin’ to me?" Identify your target market. I mean PICK one! No… You can’t talk to EVERYBODY. You try and do that and NO ONE will listen. The message becomes so generic or watered down that nobody thinks you’re talking to them. So where do you begin? … Continue Reading
Who wouldn’t want to hear these words? "You had me at hello!" Did I get your attention? OK, what does this have to do with business development? I’ll tell you. When it comes to producing content, lawyers are pretty good at it… but aesthetics and design is a different story. Remember that the first impression is … Continue Reading
I ran across a great blog post at Lawyerist… Checklist for Creating a Great Law Firm Website. They remind us that planning in advance is essential to a successful website. Lawyerist zeros in on some great points for small firms and solos… here are a few: Determine your market and define your unique selling proposition. I would … Continue Reading
Many lawyers have said to me that they don’t have a personal brand. But they most certainly do… they just didn’t create it consciously. Everything one does adds to their personal brand… positively or negatively. But we don’t often see it that way. The question here is can we change it? Sure we can. Should we change … Continue Reading
Effective business development requires several elements working together cohesively, and one of them is a strong brand. Last week I was working with a client on the question… is it time to re-brand? How do you know? It will be obvious when you know the competitive landscape. I believe a good first step is to do a … Continue Reading
I was talking with an attorney last week… he’s had his firm for ten years and his website STILL isn’t launched. He knows he should get it done and he knows this isn’t good. But I’m not so sure he really knows what is at stake. No website? 1. It gives the impression that you are … Continue Reading
" Don’t Ever Be Late. Ever." FINALLY it is the subject of conversation! Thank you Tom Kane for your post yesterday. He writes… Okay, sometimes you can’t help it. Unfortunately, with some people it is just a bad habit. From a lawyer marketing standpoint – in the case of this bad behavior – it is … Continue Reading
Yesterday, I gave a speech on personal branding and as part of what I do for this presentation… I googled everyone in the room. It’s eye opening for the people in the audience that seldom do it. How much of that first page is YOU? This is important to know since anyone that wants to … Continue Reading
