12 Sep The Best Way to Market Your Practice? Know Your Firm.
If there are more than ten lawyers in your firm, then there are probably marketing efforts you don’t know about. The best way for you to develop a business development platform for your personal practice is to understand and leverage the firm’s overall efforts.
First, get to know the firm website and dig into intranet sites, if they exist. Learn as much as you can about practice strengths, offices, management structure, and attorneys in other practice groups. Take the time to reach out to other attorneys who work in related practices, and ask them about the kind of work they are doing. Then you will be able speak with authority when asked about the firm by clients and prospects.
Is there an in-house marketing professional? Ask about the marketing efforts the firm routinely undertakes or is considering, and find out how you can get involved where appropriate.
Take time to learn about the mechanics of pitch materials—if there isn’t a branded template with the firm’s logo, take the lead to make one—and updates to the website, so you can ensure all of your speaking engagements and published materials can be easily found on your firm biography.
Finally, determine if there are administrative staff in the library or elsewhere who can assist with research on targeted industries and prospects and provide data about work other lawyers at your firm have done for them. Armed with this information, you can approach introductory meetings with the right questions to ask.
