If you believe, as I do, that business development (aka selling) is everything you do as a lawyer, then a recent article by Shai Littlejohn that appeared in The National Law Journal and on Small Firm Business about the importance of your personal brand may be of interest.
Your personal brand impacts whether clients hire you or not. I believe that how you act in public, treat your staff, dress, contribute to the community, talk to strangers, act with your clients, etc. etc., is all part of selling yourself to clients, referral sources, and potential clients. Littlejohn’s points are interesting and support that belief. They include:
- Your personal brand is how others perceive you, including “work history, reputation, involvement, initiative and personal values”;
- Whether people think you are “competent, committed, available and willing to offer counseling, sometimes for free”; and
- Decision-makers are looking for strong personal brands that include “responsiveness, accuracy, discretion, political savvy, family and participation in lofty priorities beyond day-to-day work.”
Some pretty important personal branding elements right there, I’d say.