Here we are again at the holidays, rushing to wrap up 2013 with stronger numbers than last year, and wondering how we can make magic again in 2014. And actually enjoy this most wonderful time of the year.
With all the potential for stress in the remaining 21 days of 2013, I offer this: Set your mind and resolve to make every day of 2014 count toward building a more prosperous and fulfilling practice. Yes, you can make that happen.
Evaluating all the requisite action steps it takes to build a solid practice, in my view, there is one that stands out above the rest—more than developing effective networking skills (rarely does anyone do this well), more than building a stellar reputation as an expert in your chosen practice area, and more than aggressively expanding your network. While these initiatives are critical to building a prosperous practice, the greater imperative is to develop a marketing mindset. What is this?
Develop a marketing mindset means:
- Disciplining yourself to always be on the lookout for opportunities
- Educating yourself to know and act upon an opportunity when you see one—someone who needs your services, the services of your firm and/or the services of your referral source network.
- Taking one concrete action every day toward building and growing your practice
- Checking in with your “high impact” contacts, key influencers and stakeholders. People really do appreciate you remembering them.
- Scheduling a connection event (breakfast, coffee, lunch, dinner) with someone in your referral network.
- Identifying speaking/publishing opportunities in an association you are either involved in or would like to get in front of.
- Asking lawyers in your firm to cross-sell your services and then provide them the requisite information to make it easy for them to do so.
- Seeking outside resources to increase your skill sets in an area relevant to increasing your business development efficacy (i.e. making a positive impression; effective networking skills; asking for business; organizational/time management skills, etc.).
- Crafting a written business plan and calendaring it into your schedule for execution.
The only true marketing success comes from consistent, persistent massive amounts of action over a prolonged period of time.
To learn the requisite concrete habits you must develop to become the rainmaker you are meant to be, click the buton below for a free download of Top Habits of Successful Rainmakers. Do it today!