Most lawyers have it backwards. They say, “Here’s what I do, world–call me if you need my services.”
Instead, they should look for a market that has a problem or a desire and present their services as the solution. Yes, they should “find a need and fill it.”
One of the ways to identify future needs is to look at demographic trends. In this article, the author identifies three “hot” demographics for businesses. Guess what, lawyers? That includes you.
The three groups are “Children,” “Twenty Somethings,” and “Seniors.” As I read the article, I couldn’t help thinking about how attorneys could simply re-focus their marketing messages to target these groups. You don’t have to offer new services, or change anything about what you do. Re-focusing means
- Positioning what you do in a way that is attractive to the people who occupy these demographic slots, and
- Identifying and networking with professionals and businesses who target these demographics.
For example, in the category of Seniors, the author notes that, “in-home medical or nonmedical care to assist with activities of daily living,” will be a growing market for the next 20 years. Where could your practice fit in? If you handle estate planning or elder law, the connection is obvious. But with a little bit of effort, you could find a connection for just about any law practice, business or consumer.
I suggest you read this short article with pen in hand or your note capture tool launched, and brainstorm ideas.
Also, do some additional reading. You may not know a thing about “in-home care” but a few hours online could not only educate you about the trends in the industry but also identify key people you could contact: start-up companies, mature businesses in the chain of distribution, bloggers, consultants, and professionals who already have a presence in the market.
A simple way to grow your practice is to align yourself with growing markets. But don’t just offer them your services. Find out what they need and then show them how your services will help them get it.
