Rainmaking Recommendation #248: A Deeper Dive into Rainmaking Tactics (Part 2 – Ideal Clients)

1,327,910

That’s how many lawyers there are in the United States according to the American Bar Association’s 2021 Demographics. 

437,540

That’s the number of law firms in the United States in which many of those attorneys practice.  

These are huge numbers!  How do you find a way to get new clients when there are so many other lawyers competing for new business?

I have been saying, for almost 20 years, that you cannot be all things to all people.  You need to:

1. Create your ideal client profile or target audience profile, and
2. Position yourself as the go-to authority that makes you the only choice for potential clients to hire in the area you practice.

You may have heard (or read here, here, and here)  that niche marketing is the way to go.

I still firmly believe that defining a niche that you would like to serve is imperative. This is one of the reasons you not only see “Practice Areas” but also “Industries Served” on your mid-market and big-law websites.  They know that when you become known as the go-to firm in that industry, people will begin to find you rather than you having to market your services all of the time.  But, this means you have to learn everything you can about that niche. 

It is simple but not easy.

So, who is your ideal client? 

Who is your ideal client?  Do you already work with them?

Whether you do or don’t, you can create clone after clone of your ideal client (barring conflicts of interest) by taking the following actions:

1)      Write down exactly what your ideal client looks like.  Be specific.

2)      Research where these clients hang out.  Join the associations they join, be where they are as often as possible.  This can include social networks online.

3)      Communicate with them.  Most people will tell you everything you want to know about them or their business if you ask them about it.  People love to talk about themselves, their business, how they got started.

4)      Talk to your current “ideal client” and find out who they know who is like them.  Then, ask them to introduce you to these new people and provide the new group with information. For example, in email correspondence, blog posts, seminars/webinars, and articles written.

The more often you perform these action items, the more chances you will have to meet those who meet your criteria for the “ideal client.”

As always, you must be proactive.  Just waiting for the phone to ring will not bring you the clients you want or need.

And, as for how to position yourself as the go-to-authority, well, you will have to wait until we discuss the 20 other tactics listed in Rainmaking Recommendation # 245.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO AN ATTORNEY YOU KNOW! 

• If you missed the special offer made in Rainmaking Recommendation #247 – please take advantage of it or forward it to an attorney you know.  
• If you are a law firm leader and would like to discuss bringing a virtual training program or a Rainmaking Webinar (with Ethics CLEs), email me.