There are many strategies and effective tactics used by law firms to attract clients and build their business. But for law firms that want to make serious progress on the road to building their business—being persistent is key. Let’s take a look at how law firms can build a strong foundation of persistence.
Create a Clear Vision
What does the revenue stream of your law firm look like? Who are the clients you want to work with the most? What type of office do you want to work in? How many attorneys do you hope to have working for your firm? And what practice areas do you find most attractive? Having a clear vision for your law firm is incredibly important to building your business and having the motivation to remain persistent. It’s a lot more challenging to overcome the inevitable obstacles that will stand in your way when you’re not sure what you’re really looking for in the future.
What Really Motivates You?
Persistence is very much about motivation. What are the incentives or “carrots” that make you want to keep going even after failure? Once you determine what truly motivates you to keep going to reach your goals, you can aim to reward yourself with that incentive every time you push a little harder. For example, if you’re a bankruptcy attorney and you’re motivated by a desire to help financially strapped families get a fresh start, this can really keep your going when you’ve hit a dry spell for clients. Instead of feeling motivated by the idea of bringing in more revenue, you’re motivated by the idea of helping families in need.
Build a Ladder
Have you ever tried to reach a cabinet that was just a tad bit out of your reach? Getting up there to reach what you need is a lot easier if you have a ladder. And it’s a ladder that will help you realize your law firm’s vision and reach your goals. It’s the ladder that will also make it easier to remain persistent even as you face difficulties. This ladder is a step-by-step process for accomplishing your goals—your networking events to reach clients, your marketing campaign, your hiring of new attorneys or support staff, and all the other goals that matter. Every single rung in the ladder will make it easy for you to persistently work towards realizing your law firm’s vision.
Don’t Lean on Discipline Alone
Discipline is great especially if you’re accustomed to pushing through to get things done. But discipline isn’t a long-term strategy for building persistence. Persistence depends on habit such as consistently reaching out to 25 new contacts a week or consistently touching bases with your existing clients. These types of habits will help you persistently press forward to reach your goals to build your law firm business.
Focus on Your Actions
One of the biggest mistakes some attorneys make when building their law firm is trying to remain “positive” all of the time. The truth is that frustration is inevitable when attempting something difficult. Instead of staying impossibly positive all the time, remain focused on your positive actions. By focusing on those actions that will help you achieve your goals, you measure the progress that’s in your control instead of the outcomes you can’t control.
