Play to Your Strengths: What do your strengths have to do with marketing?

I am a big fan of Gallup’s CliftonStrengths. CliftonStrengths was formerly known as Clifton StrengthsFinder, named after its inventor, Don Clifton. From a human development perspective, Clifton set out to research what is right with people. He and his team created an assessment that has been taken by over 30 million people which identifies an individual’s relative strengths, ranking the 34 identified strengths that everyone possesses. The insight aims to determine your top five strengths and focus on living (working, playing, etc.) using those strengths to the maximum potential. The idea is that using these qualities will bring you greater and easier success in whatever you tackle. Focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. It’s revolutionary. And it applies to our business efforts as lawyers.

First, we should focus our practice on those types of cases or matters that we do well.

Chances are that the work we do well is the type of work we would rather do. See? Already we’re a leg up on a happy work life! But that is also the work in which we will be most effective, efficient, and profitable. It will likely be more than one type of case or matter. That’s okay. We should think about how we can build our practice (workflow, staffing, software, etc.) to support that work.

Second, we must then think about how we work best.

Two people can have two wholly separate approaches to handling the same type of case and both be equally satisfied and productive. You must determine what works best for you. Taking an assessment like the CliftonStrengths might give you some insight. You could structure your practice so that you handle your identified priority cases or matters in a way that works best for you – a way that plays to your strengths.

Then, turn your strengths-based approach into your marketing efforts.

• What type of marketing works best for you?

• Do you have a face for radio? Maybe you shouldn’t do your own television ads or videos (This does NOT mean that you should instead turn to radio ads – a topic for another blog...).

• Are you active on social media? Get active professionally there. Figure out how you can use social media to get yourself in front of potential clients and referral sources for the types of cases and matters that you have identified.

• Are you an extrovert? Go to some conferences. Get out into the community of your potential clients and referral sources. Give them your elevator pitch.

What should you be doing to grow your practice? Consider what works for you - not what works for someone else. Play to your strengths and you cannot lose. Let us know how we can help with a strategic plan, marketing, practice management, and any other way that frees you up to do what you do well.