Instead of Coming Up with the Perfect Plan, Just Start Taking Action
It took 30 years and 9 rewrites for Allan Scott to bring The Queen's Gambit into our living rooms.
John Grisham spent 3 years writing his first novel, A Time to Kill, and 28 publishers passed on it.
Bruce Springsteen spent 6 months doing lyrical edits for just one song—Born to Run.
Julia Child worked on Mastering the Art of French Cooking for 10 years.
We've all heard by now that "overnight success" is largely a myth. Success (at least the sustainable variety) is the result of consistent hard work over long periods of time—monthly 401(k) deposits not a Mega Millions jackpot.
Building a legal practice requires a long-term mindset—and that requires us to fight our natural instincts. Research shows that most people will opt for immediate gratification over more significant long-term rewards.
In practical terms, this means optimizing for billable-hour bonuses versus investing in marketing and business development.
I spent years as a practicing lawyer knowing, at least in the back of my mind, what I should be doing but putting it off until the next year. And it was always more of the same—until I finally got my act together.
It didn't happen overnight, but it never would have happened if I hadn't started taking consistent action.
The importance of Being Consistent
Every high profile success wandered in the wilderness of obscurity at some point.
Someone's got to win the lottery, but that's not much of a business plan.
Success results from stringing together days of focused effort on little things that start to stack up and turn into larger wins.
There are many things you can do to market your legal practice. Don’t get caught up in trying to develop the perfect strategy.
What you do doesn’t matter nearly as much as whether you do it consistently.
Being consistent means having a point of view that’s clear. It also means expressing it on a regular basis.
Having a clear point of view leads people to trust you—they come to know what they can expect from you.
Regularly expressing your point of view through your marketing makes more people aware of you.
It’s a simple formula: Awareness + Trust = Opportunity
What’s hard is sticking with it…or even getting started.
There’s so much noise and so many differing opinions that many people get bogged down by planning to take action but never do. They’re perpetually in motion but never move forward. Motion and action are not the same thing.
Instead of trying to come up with the perfect marketing plan, start taking action.
Post on LinkedIn
Host a webinar
Email a reporter with an idea for a story
Call a client you haven’t heard from in a while
Write a personal note to a referral source
Write an article
Start cross-selling the expertise of your colleagues
Be consistent. Do it every day. The real-world marketing feedback you’ll receive will be far more valuable than any plan you can develop before taking action.
Take action. It won’t happen overnight, but you will be rewarded.
Gain Visibility and Build Authority
with Thought-Leadership PR and Marketing Services
We help lawyers and law firms become go-to experts who build strong brands and generate and win profitable new business. Through our extensive experience serving law firms, we develop strategies and execute campaigns that position our clients for success in key markets and industries.
Contact us to discuss your firm’s marketing and business development objectives, and how our unique process can help achieve them.
Check out this related content:
Episode 62: Cultivating Positive Mindsets and Habits, with Elise Buie
Think Big, Act Small: The Power of a Niche
7 Statistics That Prove How Valuable Thought-Leadership Marketing Is
Jay Harrington is president of our agency, a published author, and nationally-recognized expert in thought-leadership marketing.
From strategic planning to writing, podcasting, video marketing, and design, Jay and his team help lawyers and law firms turn expertise into thought leadership, and thought leadership into new business. Get in touch to learn more about the consulting and coaching services we provide.