Page 51 - MASTER COPY LEADERS BOOK 9editedJKK (24)_Neat
P. 51
Leaders in Legal Business
Even more important is that these tools allow you to see what is important to your clients and prospects;
the issues that have an impact on them; the changes they are facing on a daily basis; and for you to then stay in
touch with, if not ahead of, what they need and how you might fit into that equation. With this much opportunity,
these are not tools to take lightly.
What Can Social Media Do for Me?
Let’s take a look at a few of the main opportunities that social media present to you.
Positioning
It doesn’t take long to realize that human beings are bombarded by thousands of messages every day and
are finding it increasingly difficult to wade through all of those messages. You face a great deal of competition
for that coveted space in the minds of your clients and potential clients, which is referred to as the position you
would like to take in their minds when they have a need for services like yours. No two attorneys have the same
goals, so where you might want to be thought of as having the position as the top lawyer in your practice area,
one of your competitors might be fighting to take over what he perceives to be the second position in the minds
of his clients. He might feel that is better than where he currently resides when it comes to being called to the
table in your and his practice area.
The Level Playing Field
Social media can be the great equalizer because it can help accomplish your positioning goals. The playing
field has now become more level than ever before. Just because you come from a firm of 2,000 lawyers with an
amazing industry team that is devoted to taking care of the largest brands on Earth does not mean you will come
across that way online. Conversely, just because you are one of 10 lawyers in a boutique firm tucked away in a
corner in a tiny suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, this definitely does not mean that you can’t showcase the skills
and personality that exist in your firm in such a way that your potential clients take notice.
You have an opportunity to stand out if you and your firm take charge of your online presence, and if you commit
to learning and using these tools that seem much more daunting than they really are.
Relationship Building
There is no doubt that these tools can help peel back the layers of unfamiliarity that often exist for quite
a while with clients and potential clients. When you take the time to get to know others online, it makes your
offline, or face-to-face, communication that much easier and richer because you have already dispensed with the
pleasantries and issues that often fill the initial few meetings you have in person. I have experienced this first-
hand many times. When I get to know someone online first, by the time we meet face-to-face, we both feel as if
we had already met and that we know a great deal about one another. This lessens the barriers to forming strong
relationships, which is a definite goal of networking and business development.
One to Many vs. One to One
You also have the ability to form connections with more people at the same time, thus making your
networking efforts much more productive and efficient. When you interact with others via social media, there is
the potential for the friendly exchange to be witnessed by tens, hundreds, or thousands of others who are also
getting to know you at the same time. This is not, of course, the exchange of legal advice, but rather conversations
that help break the ice. Being able to communicate one to many is one of the gifts of social networking that you
should be taking advantage of in your daily routine.
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Even more important is that these tools allow you to see what is important to your clients and prospects;
the issues that have an impact on them; the changes they are facing on a daily basis; and for you to then stay in
touch with, if not ahead of, what they need and how you might fit into that equation. With this much opportunity,
these are not tools to take lightly.
What Can Social Media Do for Me?
Let’s take a look at a few of the main opportunities that social media present to you.
Positioning
It doesn’t take long to realize that human beings are bombarded by thousands of messages every day and
are finding it increasingly difficult to wade through all of those messages. You face a great deal of competition
for that coveted space in the minds of your clients and potential clients, which is referred to as the position you
would like to take in their minds when they have a need for services like yours. No two attorneys have the same
goals, so where you might want to be thought of as having the position as the top lawyer in your practice area,
one of your competitors might be fighting to take over what he perceives to be the second position in the minds
of his clients. He might feel that is better than where he currently resides when it comes to being called to the
table in your and his practice area.
The Level Playing Field
Social media can be the great equalizer because it can help accomplish your positioning goals. The playing
field has now become more level than ever before. Just because you come from a firm of 2,000 lawyers with an
amazing industry team that is devoted to taking care of the largest brands on Earth does not mean you will come
across that way online. Conversely, just because you are one of 10 lawyers in a boutique firm tucked away in a
corner in a tiny suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, this definitely does not mean that you can’t showcase the skills
and personality that exist in your firm in such a way that your potential clients take notice.
You have an opportunity to stand out if you and your firm take charge of your online presence, and if you commit
to learning and using these tools that seem much more daunting than they really are.
Relationship Building
There is no doubt that these tools can help peel back the layers of unfamiliarity that often exist for quite
a while with clients and potential clients. When you take the time to get to know others online, it makes your
offline, or face-to-face, communication that much easier and richer because you have already dispensed with the
pleasantries and issues that often fill the initial few meetings you have in person. I have experienced this first-
hand many times. When I get to know someone online first, by the time we meet face-to-face, we both feel as if
we had already met and that we know a great deal about one another. This lessens the barriers to forming strong
relationships, which is a definite goal of networking and business development.
One to Many vs. One to One
You also have the ability to form connections with more people at the same time, thus making your
networking efforts much more productive and efficient. When you interact with others via social media, there is
the potential for the friendly exchange to be witnessed by tens, hundreds, or thousands of others who are also
getting to know you at the same time. This is not, of course, the exchange of legal advice, but rather conversations
that help break the ice. Being able to communicate one to many is one of the gifts of social networking that you
should be taking advantage of in your daily routine.
44
