You start your first day at the local legal firm called Messrs. XY Associates. The first thing you noticed apart from nice office design and notebook, was that every partner dressed to kill. Simple but presentable. Three things to keep an eye on – shoes, tops and watches. These people have lived long enough to understand the value proposition and branding.
Branding: How it has helped solicitors before you. “It’s not common for new associates to spend a lot of time thinking about their motive for practicing law and their personal long-term business goals.” This was the observation of Meranda M. Vieyra, a legal marketing professional. Business development can mean a lot of things and there are many ways to establish it. Three investments today have a proven record of ROI for the 21st-century legal service.
Invest in Your Brand Voice. The first investment is, to answer a question that all law students face, “Why did you go to law school?” The same question will haunt you for the next 3 decades. Establish a clear motive of why you start with a legal business. Make this voice heard through a good web design and a corporate video. A good web design has helped solicitors to visualise and re-affirm their aspirations in starting a legal business.
People need to be assured of who you are. Develop less than a minute video to introduce you and what has the firm done for the community. Having a few testimonials on your website will further reinforce the client’s choice. Why did they choose you in the first place? Because others have.
Invest in the business model canvas. Business Model Canvas is a strategic management startup template for developing new or documenting existing business models. It’s a visual chart describing the product’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. BMC is the shortcut version of the business proposal for you to play with opportunities, innovation, and new value creation from time to time.
Invest in collaboration. Traditional businesses keep business secret to themselves. It’s because of what you have to offer, others have established. If you ever watched “SpongeBob”, you will notice that Mr. Crab is cautious with his burger recipes.
In the 21st Century, you want to create an impact on your career. Use community involvement as a vehicle for branding and business development. Choose to be on the board of any association or collaborate to organise a sporting event or legal hackathons to attract the crowd and build more human skills.
