Top Ten Marketing Tips for First and Second Year Associates
There are mainly two types of lawyers. One who works directly with clients and the one who works with other lawyers? But the question is that what kind of lawyer are you wishing to be in ten years?
If I had to answer this question, I would have opted for lawyer directly works with clients. Actually, those lawyers who directly work with clients have more chances of professional growth. They are not dependent on other lawyers. They earn better money than those who indirectly work with clients. Besides, they have bright chances to establish their law firms or to emerge as legal expert of big companies.
Being a first or second year associate, it is very necessary for you to learn some marketing techniques. Someone has rightly said that “Even Gold cannot be sold without marketing”. If you are looking for bright and colorful future then you have to be very serious about marketing. Hence, in the teething years of this profession, you must spend some time to learn new and creative marketing techniques for your future. Once the techniques are thoughtfully and creatively developed, you will be habitual of this habit and it is going to pay you off for years.
Even though, American Bar Association recommends in its model “Model Diet for Associate Attorneys that as a young lawyer, you should spend 400 non-billable hours on Pro Bono, Client development, services of your firm and on professional development.
So, here are the TheRemsenGroup’s Top Ten Marketing Tips for First and Second Year Associates:
1. Excel at the Basics:
Try to be opportunist, consistent, Punctual, proactive and mindful for excelling your skills. For becoming a good lawyer, it is very necessary to pay heed on each and every detail pertaining to cases and your profession. Besides, try your best to meet with expectations of your clients. Serve a notice to your clients if you are late to come to your firm. In nutshell, you have to adopt good communication and marketing skills.
2. Find a Really Good Mentor:
Don’t wait for your firm to give you professional guidance or mentoring services. Try to find a senior lawyer having broader practical experience in law profession. Once you identify a senior lawyer, spend some time with him. It would help you to excel your legal approach. To get good mentoring services from seniors, try to work for seniors for establishment of good professional relationships.
3. Stay on Top of Current Events:
Reading news is one of the best ways to keep you updated. Apart from legal news, try to employ your focus on global events. Wall Street Journal and Business Week are the best available resources. Exploit these resources and find your leads.
4. Declare Your Major:
Research legal trends and try to choose a certain field of law for turning out to be legal expert. It has been observed that clients do not hire generalists but specialists. Hence, keep it in your mind what which field of law suits you the most and work hard to get command in that particular area.
5. Develop a Game Plan:
Most of the law firms pay you for marketing activities. Hence, do not waste your time in those activities which will waste your time. Try to make your mind full with marketing strategies and allocate 100 hours for golfing and other sports activities. For games, allocate not more than $1500 budget and try to do marketing during this course of time.
6. Dress Like a Lawyer:
Dressing of a lawyer matters a lot in the market. Try to make yourself polishes professional and do not react like odd and old lawyers. The more attractive personality you build, the more chances of growth are there. Furthermore, we had written an article on it “How Lawyers Should Dress”.
7. Hang Out at the Bar:
Visit all bars associations on daily basis and try to build good reputation in a particular niche. You do not need to pay the due, just spend time, make relations, and get benefited.
8. Develop Your A-List:
Develop a list of contacts having phone numbers, addresses, names, and all other necessary details. Try to contact with your peers, college mates, colleagues, individuals and with childhood friends.
9. Keep in Touch:
Now after collections of all contacts try to keep in touch with everyone. Invite them on your birthday or on any other event. You should also send them birthday wishing cards for making your relationship stronger. Besides, try to keep in touch with you all friends, class mates, colleagues and individuals via Face book, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Whatever you read meaningful and informative, must share it with your all contacts.
10. Be a Hero:
Emerge as a hero of your law firm. Find out marketing pitfalls in your law firm and try to develop a good marketing plan for your firm. The more you get yourself involved, the more chances of growth would be there. You just need to bridge the gaps with your qualitative abilities and creative traits.
The above mentioned tips have been thoughtfully produced, if you follow them and implement them in your professional life, you would undoubtedly be a good lawyer in near future.
