Rainmaking Recommendation #123: Fish Where the Fish You Want to Catch Are

Fish Where the Fish Are for Rainmaking Success (Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net/bplanet)

I know the title seems obvious; however, you’d be surprised at how many attorneys are casting their lines (i.e. marketing and rainmaking) in locations where they will never find clients for their practice.  They are practicing random acts of networking, writing articles which don’t create authority, wasting time on social media marketing without a plan, and meeting people both on and off -line who will never become clients or referral sources.

Actually, the reason why I am writing in this metaphor is because I was invited to go fishing today by one of my neighbors. And even though I have never been fishing before, I know I am not going to catch tuna in a lake (they are a salt water fish) and I am not going to catch catfish in the ocean (they are a fresh water fish).   You have to figure out what you want to catch and where they are.

This is one of the reasons why I am constantly asking my clients to choose a niche.  That niche can be based on anything, but if you know the group of people you want to target, you become more adept at finding out where that target market is hanging out.

You’ve heard the phrase:  “Be a big fish in a small pond” – to continue the metaphor.  That’s what choosing a target market is about.  When you choose the types of clients you would like to work with, you can create authority in that field.  You can become the “go-to” attorney in that target market.

Choosing a target market is not all that difficult.    You need to ask:

• Who are the types of people with whom I would like to work?
• Who can pay my fee?
• Are they in a specific geographic location? Business?  Industry?
• Is this market large enough?
• Who is my competition?
• Will my target really benefit from my legal services? Will they see a need for it?
• Do I understand everything about my target market and what drives them to make decisions?
• Can I reach them with my message?
• Where are they?

And that last part is going to be most important – you need to find out where your target market hangs out both on and off line.

The end of the year is approaching soon and you need your Ethics CLEs.  IF YOU ARE IN A NEW YORK OR NEW JERSEY LAW FIRM, AND HAVE 10 OR MORE ATTORNEYS, SCHEDULE AN ON-SITE RAINMAKING TRAINING SEMINAR IN 10 DIFFERENT TOPICS – EACH WITH ETHICS CLEs –SPECIAL PRICING IS AVAILABLE FOR SEMINARS SCHEDULED BY YOUR FIRM IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER – CONTACT ME FOR DETAILS.