If you want to get into the game of running your own practice and building up your own clientele, you’ve got to be able to present yourself. Not only that, you’ve got to introduce yourself in a way that shows both that you are competent and relatable.
In other words, you’ve got to be able to articulate who you are, what you do and how what you do is valuable for your prospect. All this, without coming across as a smug, douchebag lawyer.
You see, the general public has a love-hate view of lawyers. Almost anyone you meet will have some snide remark to make about lawyers being scummy and conniving but, if given the chance to actually become a lawyer, 97% of them would jump on it. They whine about having to pay high lawyers’ fees, but at the same time, they beam with pride when they announce to their friends that their half-wit son got accepted into some D-list law school in some forsaken small town no one’s ever heard of.
Because of this double-standard, lawyers have to tread carefully when crafting their elevator pitch. You want to make sure you don’t look like you graduated at the bottom of your class (even if you did). But at the same time, you can’t come across as a kitten-killer.
I know this all too well. I once did a presentation for a small group of low-income hopeful entrepreneurs. I didn’t want to come across as unapproachable and intimidating, so I toned it way down and spoke as down-to-earth as I could. I thought that my presentation had been effective until I went to the washroom and overheard one of the attendees complaining that I didn’t know any “big words”. Tough crowd indeed.
Since then, I’ve worked on striking a balance between the two extremes. I’ve prepared and memorized my elevator pitch and I’ve even recorded myself delivering it to make sure that I come off as confident and smart without seeming too arrogant. I suggest that you do the same.
Because of this double-standard, lawyers have to tread carefully when crafting their elevator pitch. You want to make sure you don’t look like you graduated at the bottom of your class (even if you did). But at the same time, you can’t come across as a kitten-killer.
I know this all too well. I once did a presentation for a small group of low-income hopeful entrepreneurs. I didn’t want to come across as unapproachable and intimidating, so I toned it way down and spoke as down-to-earth as I could. I thought that my presentation had been effective until I went to the washroom and overheard one of the attendees complaining that I didn’t know any “big words”. Tough crowd indeed.
Since then, I’ve worked on striking a balance between the two extremes. I’ve prepared and memorized my elevator pitch and I’ve even recorded myself delivering it to make sure that I come off as confident and smart without seeming too arrogant. I suggest that you do the same.
Shared from the Book: Lean Marketing for Small Law Firms.
