Many lawyers have a marketing message that says, “choose me, I’m better”.

If you are better, and you can prove it, bravo. Go with that.

If you’re not better, or you can’t prove it, I suggest you tell the world how you are different.

What do you do that other lawyers don’t do? What do you do differently?

You’ll be giving prospective clients a way to notice and remember you. “Oh, she’s the lawyer who rides a motorcycle to the office.”

Ideally, whatever difference you promote will also contain a benefit for clients. It will show them why they should choose you.

Yes, while showing them how you are different you will also show them how you are better.

But the “difference” you promote doesn’t have to make you better. It might just help them remember you.

If you ride a motorcycle and you handle PI cases, specializing in motorcycle collisions, you’ve both different and better. If you’re a corporate lawyer who rides a motorcycle to the office, people will remember you because most corporate lawyers don’t do that.

If you’re not better, be different.

This will help you figure out how

Sia is one of my favorite singers and songwriters. She is amazingly talented. I’ve heard that she will often write a song in a matter of minutes. Not just any song, a chart-topping song, for her or for one of many A-list performers.

Talent on loan from God.

So yeah, the chick is good. How can anyone, songwriter or performer, hope to compete with her?

In my opinion, they can’t. She’s too good.

They have to do what lawyers have to do when they are surrounded by bigger firms and more talented lawyers.

Jim Rohn had the answer. He said, “You make up in effort what you lack in skill.”

Outwork them.

There’s something else you can do. You can work smarter. Do things others can’t or won’t do.

Target niche markets and dominate them. Associate with smart people or people with great connections. Use leverage to get more done with less effort. Find the next big thing, get in early, and ride the wave.

Work hard or work smart. Because you can’t compete with talent on loan from God.

The plan

Marketing. Not your cup of tea. And yet you know you have to do something to bring in business.

If you’re holding back because you think there’s too much to do, you can relax. You don’t have to do it all.

In fact, you just need to do one thing.

Pick something you’re not terrible at and focus on it. Do it regularly. Invest time and resources in it. Study it and get better at it. Make it your thing.

Because if you’re good enough at it, it may be all you need. For now, anyway. Later, you may add something to the mix.

So, what shall it be?

Writing a newsletter? Speaking at luncheons? Networking with prospective clients? Networking with other professionals?

How about webinars? Youtube videos? Pay-per-click ads?

Maybe you’d like to write a book and use that to build your reputation and get more traffic to your website.

Maybe you’re good at working with clients and earning their trust and loyalty. Great. Do more of that. Be the best lawyer in town at making clients fall in love with you.

Yep, that’s marketing.

Because marketing is everything we do to get and keep good clients.

Short and sweet attorney marketing plan

The question is, should I build my practice on the Internet or offline?

The answer, of course, is “yes”.

Do both. Each offers advantages over the other.

Offline, you get to talk to people face to face or on the phone. You can meet with them, eat with them, play golf with them, and build relationships with them.

Online, you can find people who never show up at events, learn something about them, and help them (or solicit their help) before you speak to them. But it takes some skill and some time to find people on social media, et. al., and engage them.

In the “real world,” all you need to do is show up at an event and introduce yourself to anyone who walks by.

Offline, when you speak to a group, you get introduced by a host who sings your praises and helps the audience see you as a superstar (okay, trusted advisor). You get to meet and shake hands with people, hand out cards, get theirs, and invite them to ask you questions. You can do some of that online, but not as effectively.

An email newsletter costs pennies. You can send two paragraphs once a week or once a day and keep your name in front of prospects until they’re ready to hire you or send you business.

An offline newsletter is comparatively expensive and time-consuming to produce. To justify that expense, you’ll want to wait until you have enough to say to fill several pages. People who don’t hear from you often tend to forget about you and hire someone else, especially when they’re in trouble or ready to do something about their legal situation.

Email gets lost and/or is easily ignored. Regular mail subscribers are more apt to receive and read your paper missive.

So yeah, online and offline are different. Do both.

You can get referrals online, over the phone, and in person. Here’s how