“It is only a matter of time I  will get there”.

Have you ever heard or used that statement? All by itself that is a sure path to disillusionment. Time alone will not give you your desired goal.

 

You may have a well-oiled machine getting things done in your firm and over time has brought you results and year in year out you have made sure you keep it going that way. Does that guarantee you the kind of big and ambitious success you desire?

Well, not necessarily so.

 

You may see incremental growth, going from year to year. That may just be fine, but the exponential growth that catapults you to the kind of success you want will probably require something other than the passage of time.

 

It will take a different you from that of yesterday. It will take a different set of skills, attitudes, and resources to develop a much bigger practice. Where you are right now is as a result of your current level of skills and expertise. To get where you want to be tomorrow, you need to keep developing and honing your skills sets.

 

I’m sure you’ve seen lawyers who have risen to the top of the earning pyramid in a few short years. To get where they got to, they developed, the skills, attitudes, network and resources that made this possible. So, if you want significant growth, you have to do the same.

 

You can’t expect to “get big and earn big” if you essentially do the same things over and over. Repetition doesn’t necessarily lead to expertise. You only get better at doing what you’ve always done – whether it brings results or not.

 

You have to do things differently and at a more professional and smarter level that will yield maximum results. You can only get to achieve that out of your comfort zone. You have to learn and employ new skills and strategies. Getting out of your comfort zone means you have to be prepared to fail sometimes. Failure isn’t a different experience from success. It is a part of success. Failure is a big part of growth because if you’re not failing some of the time, it means you’re not taking enough chances, opportunities and you are not taking enough action.

Create a habit of embracing change. Question everything proactively. Continually ask yourself, ‘What can I do that I haven’t tried to get more clients, more briefs?’

‘How can I do things differently and more efficiently and get better results?’

 

For those who are just starting, there are a couple of essential concepts you need to know to kickstart you in the right direction:

 

1. Know Your Ideal Client

Who are they? What do they look like, where do they live or work, what are their problems? What keeps them awake at night? What do they desire the most? What solutions or benefits do they need or want? Where do you find them? How will you communicate with them? How do they typically find a lawyer who does what you do? Where do they go to first when they have a need that you can fulfil? How can you meet them there?

You need to know these details about them. Remember, everybody doesn’t need you. Look for those who need you NOW. They are the ones that are red hot leads for you.

 

2. What Is Your Unique Advantage over Others?

Water does not have colour or taste, right? Why do you prefer a particular brand of water (bottled or sachet) over the other? Why should a client choose you instead of any other lawyer or law firm?

Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is what makes a particular prospect decide to choose you over another. Why you become the preferred. Your USP states clearly your “value proposition, ” the value you deliver over and above others.

What do you do or offer that’s different or better? How are clients better off when they choose you?

What’s the “one thing” you want people to know and remember about you?

Think through these questions. If you do not have anything, work on what you have. See what you can change or improve. See how you can position yourself to deliver that unique advantage to potential clients that will differentiate you from everybody else in your space.

 

3. Where will you find them?

After you have identified your ideal client and determined what it is you have to offer that is unique and different, you need to determine where to find them. How do you reach them? Where do they go to, where do they meet? Where do they hang out? You should have done this when determining your ideal client.

 

4. The right message for the right audience

You need to also determine the right message to attract them. The message you have must match the market and also the medium of communication. We can’t get into all of these in detail now but with what you have, work with it. You can get started.

 

Once again, if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten. Things must change for you to have a change.

So, step out of what you are used to, and get your hands dirty with new strategies and new skills to reach new pinnacles in your legal practice.

 

We are here to serve you, and your success is our priority. Why not talk to us to determine your message to market to media strategy via email, [email protected] and to have instant access to a compendium of legal resources click here. You’ll be glad you did

 

To your success

Luke Ikekplor