Stand Out From Your Competition! One of the major risks to your practice right now is not being able to define what sets you apart in a world that is cluttered, competitive, crowded, and cacophonous. It is becoming harder and harder to stand out and differentiate yourself. If you do not stand out, you will likely blend in.
Many attorneys have a tough time answering these questions: How do you stand out in a sea of competition? How are you different from the last firm we retained? Why should I hire you?
Some say that what differentiates them is where they went to law school. Others say that it is how long they have been practicing. Some think that it is the prestigious firms where they have worked. All of these things help, but they are not what separates the average attorney from the rainmakers.
In this highly competitive market, it’s not how good you are at what you do, it is how effective you are at marketing and selling who you are and what you do. This statement is shocking to many attorneys. They have a hard time believing that they now have to learn the skills of networking, marketing, and selling. There is no way around this. Every practice or business prospers because someone actively and consistently works to strengthen it.
You can learn the essential skills necessary to become a rainmaker as long as you are committed to doing the work that is required. Rainmakers do not wait for the phone to ring. They know what they need to do to get their phones to ring.
Many of the attorneys with whom I have worked believe that if they are good at networking, sales and profits will magically happen. Others believe that if they are good at marketing, clients and business will fall into their lap. You may be a rock star at networking and marketing, but if you are unable to convert interested prospects into clients, your practice is doomed to fail. You need a full range of skills: marketing, networking, and sales.
If you don’t effectively and regularly sell and market your services, your practice will suffer. If you don’t water your plants, they die. If you spend more than you earn, you will go broke. If you don’t eat right and exercise, you will get fat.
I have spoken with many attorneys, and they have shared with me that they felt that selling was their greatest deficiency. When it came time to meet a new client or step into the initial client consultation, they did not feel comfortable in their own skin. The result of this was that they did not ask for the business and consequently did not seal the deal. It wasn’t that they didn’t know what to say, it was that they couldn’t deliver the information in a polished, professional, and most importantly, persuasive way. These attorneys worried that they would sound pushy or come across as too sales-ish. The result was that they never attempted to step into a selling role.
But they soon realized that avoiding sales and marketing was a costly mistake and chose to get help. They built a plan that fit perfectly into their practice and made them stand out from their competition.
Once you fully understand each step in the lead conversion and sales process and its purpose, you will be able to select the language that fits you and your practice and then test it in the field. You will have your very own game plan.
When you have a plan, and you know how the game is played, you win. Learning the skills of the game and acquiring the right knowledge is essential to an extraordinary outcome. No matter how clever you are, if you haven’t had training and you don’t know the rules, the odds of succeeding are stacked against you.
You may be a brand-new attorney without any knowledge of the world of marketing and sales. Or you may be a seasoned attorney, using an outdated system that no longer produces results. It doesn’t matter. The fact is that you now want or need a change. It’s time to acquire the tools you need to purposefully and strategically drive your practice to victory. You are in the driver’s seat.
PS. If you are struggling with closing business or you keep running into obstacles and issues in your practice, email or call to schedule a 30-minute complimentary call with me. You never know, it could change your lead conversion results and bottom line. This session is an opportunity for me to ask questions and learn where you are in your business, where you want to go, and what might be holding you back.
This is not a coaching call. That would be irresponsible of me to offer you, as change doesn’t happen on one phone call. This is purely a chance for us to get to know each other. In order to do that, we need to have a frank conversation about your practice first.