Ahh, summertime. Things just seem to slow down a bit while we
take it all in. And when it comes to business development, we seem
to consider the summer as time off. Well - don't! Yes, people take
vacations and leave work early in the summer. It can be difficult
to get people to volunteer for things or get excited about new
ideas, but to put the summer categorically off limits as a time to
build your business is nonsense. There are plenty of ways you can
drive business this summer. Here are a few ideas to get you
started:
Go to events. Hey, I realize you want to get
home while it's still light out, but summer events can be a lot of
fun and are a great venue for building new relationships. They tend
to be more relaxed, outdoors and focused on socialization. The MBA
has three summer socials and you should put them on your
calendar. Be there!
Promote yourself in existing social circles.
The summer is a great time to catch up with friends at cookouts,
weddings and family get-togethers. Before you go to your next one,
formulate an interesting story or two about your practice. Make it
interesting to the non-lawyer while highlighting your knowledge,
short of sounding boring or arrogant. This will give other
party-goers some insight into your industry while gently reminding
them that you are their legal resource.
Get involved in a section. The MBA has several sections, mainly
aligned with practice areas and practice management. Because our
membership year begins in September, the summer is a great time to
sign up for more involvement starting in the fall. Identify a
section of interest and commit to a plan of involvement. Join a
Section Council, commit to help organize an educational program, or
write a related article by reaching out to the section's incoming
chair. Section involvement builds your professional credibility and
the more you do, the more you get back. The more credibility you
have, the easier it is to land clients.
Assess your Internet presence. Okay, there are
admittedly some slower days in the summer. That's exactly what you
need to effectively assess your Internet presence and strategize
changes. Take an hour or two and see what your competition is
doing. Compare that to what's being done in other markets and other
states. Read about trends and formulate a tactical plan for better
success through the end of the year.
Be creative. Unique, creative ideas are great.
While there are reliable ways to develop business in every practice
area, unique ideas are a great way to develop your brand. How you
do that should be closely related to the practice area, but,
generally speaking, you want to do something few others (if any)
are doing. Sponsor a softball team and get your firm's name on its
jerseys. Participate in a fundraising effort in the name of your
firm for a worthy cause. Create a branded pro bono program with the
help of a local organization. Be creative and do good and you will
win every time.
Damian Turco owns Mass Injury Firm PC, a Boston based personal injury law firm, representing the victims of negligence across Massachusetts. Damian is the vice chair of the Law Practice Management section.