I was talking recently with a colleague of mine about marketing. She very candidly confided in me that she is having difficulty with marketing. That when in politics, she had no problem with talking up the candidate she was working for, but now in her own practice she was having trouble selling herself. I identify with her plight. When working as a defense lawyer in a big firm, I did not feel too much pressure to do marketing, nor did I see it as something that would move me forward at that firm.
Now, I am only as good as my next case and I have a desire to bring in business. Therefore, I must do marketing. I must exit the office and be seen. However, it is difficult to sit beside lawyers with double my experience and try to convince them that I can handle whatever is thrown my way. It is also difficult to write papers as if I am an expert on any single topic.
Instead of trying to convince anyone, I listen, learn, work hard and remain confident in what I do.
My marketing strategy is to allow the firm to sell itself, because the whole is really greater than the sum of its parts. I will focus my efforts on building and maintaining relationships.
I give my best effort to any task in front of me and strive to become an expert on the case at hand, rather than on everything. Each member of our firm is a resource that enables me to do what I truly desire to do, which is help my clients.