Marketing as a Career Development Strategy

In addition, the new paradigm is that any associate who does hope to win the brass ring is well-advised to learn how to generate business.1

In reality, every associate can benefit from developing marketing skills even if the goal is not partnership at a large firm. There are a number of significant benefits to developing a marketing mentality early in your career.


If you do develop business, you will find that having the clients will give you more professional independence and help you build more respect within your firm.

But marketing your services can also help you move in-house, make it easier to switch firms or help you leave the practice of law altogether if you decide the law is not for you.

In short, spending time on marketing activities can help your career flourish — whatever your career objectives may be.

Anyone Can Learn
Professional services marketing is a skill that can be learned by anyone because it is fundamentally about relationship-building.

If you can build relationships over time and develop the reputation for being a reliable and trustworthy problem-solver, the business will flow. Of course, it is important to be strategic about which professional relationships you cultivate.

Much has been written about how to meet other professionals. — Public speaking, writing professional articles, getting active in an industry organization, playing golf, taking up a hobby that has a social component, becoming an active member of your bar association, sending newsletters and other items of interest to individuals on a mailing list, providing pro bono legal advice for a non-profit organization or individual, and becoming active in town government are all excellent ways to get out and meet the business community.

There are many other viable ways as well. Why then are some lawyers successful marketers while others fail? What are some of the ways to increase your likelihood of success? —

• Have a focused plan and stick to it. The Central Artery wasn't built in a day and neither is a professional network. — Therefore it is important to establish a marketing plan that will keep you on track over a period of time.

But before you can even establish a plan, you need to decide what your objectives are in meeting other professionals. A haphazard and shotgun approach is unlikely to yield much success.

For example, if you are very interested in the computer industry, you will want to think of places you can go and activities you can get involved in where you will meet individuals in this industry.

If you attend meetings with 10 different industry groups, you will never get to know anyone well enough to make the contacts that you need.

• Be consistent. It is better to do a little bit repeatedly over a long period of time than to do something big on one occasion.

Potential clients need to see and hear your name repeatedly before they are willing to contact you. You also want to make sure that they have seen your name recently when they do have a need for your services. This can only happen if you are visible over a period of time.

Potential clients remember you through a combination of seeing your name in an article, meeting with you face-to-face, hearing you make a presentation or receiving your article by e-mail. A combination of contacts, repeated over time, pays off.

• Start now. Generating business is very much like investing for a child's college education. The sooner you begin making the investment, the quicker you will see the returns.

Like saving for a college education, it is also much easier to build up good will over time than it is to convince a new business acquaintance to hand you a large retainer at your first meeting.

• Be helpful. Go the extra mile to help clients, associates and partners solve their legal, business and non-business problems. Do favors for people.

Be sincerely helpful (e.g., by pitching in to finish a project, providing free advice or offering to find other resources to help an individual).

Each of these gestures can build your practice because they build relationships, build trust and create a natural willingness to reciprocate and help you gain business.

• Hire a coach or work with someone inside your firm. Many of the principles of marketing are not rocket science. But if it is so easy, why do many fail? Simply put, with so many competing demands on busy lawyers, it is hard to stay focused on marketing over time. — A good coach can help you make good use of your limited time. — A good coach can also make sure that you are continuing to do what you set out to do.

There are new skills to learn, and, just like in professional sports, having an outside pair of eyes watching over you, teaching and encouraging you, can make the difference between mediocre performance and excellence.

• Think of yourself as a farmer. Marketing is much more akin to farming than to hunting; but if an opportunity comes up, don't be afraid to ask for the business.

In most instances you will be cultivating relationships and planting seeds over a long period of time (i.e., several years) rather than asking anyone to retain you.

But sometimes while you are out "farming," you will come across a business person or individual who has a present legal need that you can satisfy.

• Develop relationships with partners and associates at your current firm. Even if you do not plan to stay at your current firm, it behooves you to get to know the partners and associates you work with.

Associates who leave large firms can often develop a healthy referral business from conflict cases or matters that are too small for the large firm to handle.

• Do what you like. There is no single correct way to cultivate relationships and no need to get involved in every marketing activity listed above.

If you do not like golf, you should not be on a golf course. If you are an introvert, there is no need to spend hours at networking functions feeling uncomfortable surrounded by a lot of strangers. Don't pursue relationships with individuals that you do not enjoy spending time with.

Instead, think of ways to combine your personal interests with your marketing objectives. If you are an introvert, you can start by writing articles. You can develop a mailing list and start sending clippings and articles to clients and potential clients.

Do non-billable favors for existing clients. Take the time to get to know your clients' businesses. Ask your clients to introduce you to other business people in their industry. Find ways to make use of the Internet (e.g., by participating in industry discussions on-line).

Conclusion
Much more can be said on how to succeed in marketing yourself as a lawyer. The most important thing to remember, however, is that you should always be spending some portion of your time building your network of contacts.

If your goal is partnership, business generation will be very important. If going in-house is your objective, marketing activities will give you the chance to meet future potential employers long before you are actually searching for a new job.

Staying in your office and doing great legal work may have once been the key to success in a law firm. Applying for jobs that are advertised may have once been a reasonable strategy for making a switch.

Those days are long gone and the associates who realize this early in their careers will be in a better position to find career fulfillment down the road.

Building marketing skills is now a requirement for future success.

Endnote
1 This cultural change has been well-documented in numerous studies around the country, including several recent studies done by the Boston Bar Association. 

For a deeper dive into practical marketing strategies, watch The Kick-Ass Marketing Secret of the Most Successful Candidates and Attorneys and learn what top performers are doing differently.


About Harrison Barnes

No legal recruiter in the United States has placed more attorneys at top law firms across every practice area than Harrison Barnes. His unmatched expertise, industry connections, and proven placement strategies have made him the most influential legal career advisor for attorneys seeking success in Big Law, elite boutiques, mid-sized firms, small firms, firms in the largest and smallest markets, and in over 350 separate practice areas.

A Reach Unlike Any Other Legal Recruiter

Most legal recruiters focus only on placing attorneys in large markets or specific practice areas, but Harrison places attorneys at all levels, in all practice areas, and in all locations-from the most prestigious firms in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., to small and mid-sized firms in rural markets. Every week, he successfully places attorneys not only in high-demand practice areas like corporate and litigation but also in niche and less commonly recruited areas such as:

• Immigration Law
• Workers Compensation
• Insurance
• Family Law
• Trust and Estate
• Municipal law
• And many more...

This breadth of placements is unheard of in the legal recruiting industry and is a testament to his extraordinary ability to connect attorneys with the right firms, regardless of market size or practice area.

Proven Success at All Levels

With over 25 years of experience, Harrison has successfully placed attorneys at over 1,000 law firms, including:

• Top Am Law 100 firms such including Sullivan and Cromwell, and almost every AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 law firm.
• Elite boutique firms with specialized practices
• Mid-sized firms looking to expand their practice areas
• Growing firms in small and rural markets

He has also placed hundreds of law firm partners and has worked on firm and practice area mergers, helping law firms strategically grow their teams.

Unmatched Commitment to Attorney Success - The Story of BCG Attorney Search

Harrison Barnes is not just the most effective legal recruiter in the country, he is also the founder of BCG Attorney Search, a recruiting powerhouse that has helped thousands of attorneys transform their careers. His vision for BCG goes beyond just job placement; it is built on a mission to provide attorneys with opportunities they would never have access to otherwise. Unlike traditional recruiting firms, BCG Attorney Search operates as a career partner, not just a placement service. The firm's unparalleled resources, including a team of over 150 employees, enable it to offer customized job searches, direct outreach to firms, and market intelligence that no other legal recruiting service provides. Attorneys working with Harrison and BCG gain access to hidden opportunities, real-time insights on firm hiring trends, and guidance from a team that truly understands the legal market. You can read more about how BCG Attorney Search revolutionizes legal recruiting here: The Story of BCG Attorney Search and What We Do for You.

The Most Trusted Career Advisor for Attorneys

Harrison's legal career insights are the most widely followed in the profession.

• His articles on BCG Search alone are read by over 150,000 attorneys per month, making his guidance the most sought-after in the legal field. Read his latest insights here.
• He has conducted hundreds of hours of career development webinars, available here: Harrison Barnes Webinar Replays.
• His placement success is unmatched-see examples here: Harrison Barnes' Attorney Placements.
• He has created numerous comprehensive career development courses, including BigLaw Breakthrough, designed to help attorneys land positions at elite law firms.

Submit Your Resume to Work with Harrison Barnes

If you are serious about advancing your legal career and want access to the most sought-after law firm opportunities, Harrison Barnes is the most powerful recruiter to have on your side.

Submit your resume today to start working with him: Submit Resume Here

With an unmatched track record of success, a vast team of over 150 dedicated employees, and a reach into every market and practice area, Harrison Barnes is the recruiter who makes career transformations happen and has the talent and resources behind him to make this happen.

A Relentless Commitment to Attorney Success

Unlike most recruiters who work with only a narrow subset of attorneys, Harrison Barnes works with lawyers at all stages of their careers, from junior associates to senior partners, in every practice area imaginable. His placements are not limited to only those with "elite" credentials-he has helped thousands of attorneys, including those who thought it was impossible to move firms, find their next great opportunity.

Harrison's work is backed by a team of over 150 professionals who work around the clock to uncover hidden job opportunities at law firms across the country. His team:

• Finds and creates job openings that aren't publicly listed, giving attorneys access to exclusive opportunities.
• Works closely with candidates to ensure their resumes and applications stand out.
• Provides ongoing guidance and career coaching to help attorneys navigate interviews, negotiations, and transitions successfully.

This level of dedicated support is unmatched in the legal recruiting industry.

A Legal Recruiter Who Changes Lives

Harrison believes that every attorney-no matter their background, law school, or previous experience-has the potential to find success in the right law firm environment. Many attorneys come to him feeling stuck in their careers, underpaid, or unsure of their next steps. Through his unique ability to identify the right opportunities, he helps attorneys transform their careers in ways they never thought possible.

He has worked with:

• Attorneys making below-market salaries who went on to double or triple their earnings at new firms.
• Senior attorneys who believed they were "too experienced" to make a move and found better roles with firms eager for their expertise.
• Attorneys in small or remote markets who assumed they had no options-only to be placed at strong firms they never knew existed.
• Partners looking for a better platform or more autonomy who successfully transitioned to firms where they could grow their practice.

For attorneys who think their options are limited, Harrison Barnes has proven time and time again that opportunities exist-often in places they never expected.

Submit Your Resume Today - Start Your Career Transformation

If you want to explore new career opportunities, Harrison Barnes and BCG Attorney Search are your best resources. Whether you are looking for a BigLaw position, a boutique firm, or a move to a better work environment, Harrison's expertise will help you take control of your future.

Submit Your Resume Here to get started with Harrison Barnes today.

Harrison's reach, experience, and proven results make him the best legal recruiter in the industry. Don't settle for an average recruiter-work with the one who has changed the careers of thousands of attorneys and can do the same for you.

About BCG Attorney Search

BCG Attorney Search matches attorneys and law firms with unparalleled expertise and drive, while achieving results. Known globally for its success in locating and placing attorneys in law firms of all sizes, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys in law firms in thousands of different law firms around the country. Unlike other legal placement firms, BCG Attorney Search brings massive resources of over 150 employees to its placement efforts locating positions and opportunities its competitors simply cannot. Every legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search is a former successful attorney who attended a top law school, worked in top law firms and brought massive drive and commitment to their work. BCG Attorney Search legal recruiters take your legal career seriously and understand attorneys. For more information, please visit www.BCGSearch.com.