Why you should think about your brand as a lawyer
Warren Buffet, the value investor also known as the “Oracle of Omaha” is famous for buying brands, no businesses. In an interview, he explained “you have a valuable brand when someone pulls into a gas station to buy your product, and if that gas station doesn’t have it, you will cross the street to get the brand you want. That is what I buy”
So, does your firm have a brand that strong? If not, read on to learn how to build it!
Your career as a lawyer depends on your personal brand
If you never thought about how people describe you when you leave the room, you are probably leaving money on the table.
The law firm you work for helps you get into places maybe you couldn’t otherwise. But what if something happens and they get out of your practice area? How do you really get to connect with people if they see you only as a suit?
The market nowadays is like a supermarket. You can find anything there, in different sizes, packages, and prices.
When you go to the supermarket and you see a lot of products that look the same, your choice is the cheapest or the one with the beautiful package. Unless one of them stands out.
This is the same with all the attorneys out there. You need to stand out.
Your personal brand as a lawyer is being defined by your everyday activities
Everything you do creates an impression. The way your desk is arranged, your car, the way you dress, how you speak, your walk, and of course your social media presence. All of these factors — and more — build your personal brand as a lawyer.
This means you should carefully reflect on how to create opportunities for you to be measured on meaningful qualities. If your prospective client has never seen you speak or heard your advice then all they have left to judge your qualifications is your dress and your office.
Once you understand all this, you understand the key to influencing how you want people to perceive you. You can bring new elements to your brand by carefully understanding what will do this and repeat it.
People connect to people not to brands
Even the biggest brands use emotion to connect with their audience. Coke, for example, uses the example of friends and family together. Nike uses athletes to spread their message.
This is because people connect to people. They are less likely to look for help from a faceless firm than with one that they know shares the same values they have.
Working hard to be a law firm that’s known for being the best in an area of practice is important, but is just the first step to having more and more clients.
Besides the marketing efforts to grow your practice, mandate that each attorney finds their own brand. Hire attorneys who are aligned with the branding you want to have and work consciously on it.
Differentiation or extinction
If you are not fully convinced by this point that you need to have your own personal brand as a lawyer apart from your firm’s brand, let me tell you that having a personal brand you could rank for your own name on search engines like Google, which means having twice as many chances to be found.
Be aware that in an ever-changing world adapting is the only option.
Now you understand why you should focus on your personal brand as a lawyer, read our blog post on how to improve your law firm’s reputation here.
