Every attorney wants more of the right kind of business, yet I regularly encounter smart professionals who operate under revenue-limiting marketing fallacies that hamper their business development efforts. Very often, lawyers adhere to longstanding yet erroneous myths, handed down by successful people who have served as role models for generations of attorneys. Because these myths emanate from such respected sources and were at one time accurate or at least contained a facet of truth, they are difficult to reject. It’s also human nature to resist change, making it both more comfortable and easier to accept these myths as fact and maintain the status quo. It can be challenging to explore new ways of doing things or accept that we may have fallen behind and must catch up. It’s preferable, however, to strive to catch up than it is to fall by the wayside and ultimately off the map. Therefore, reevaluating some of these fallacies can help you enhance your marketing and pave the way to income.
“Our business is based on relationships.” At the beginning of a meeting, professionals often explain that their business comes from relationships as a way to rationalize why “traditional” marketing online lead generation, newsletters, publishing bylined articles doesn’t apply to them. There is an inference from this that because you generate leads through relationships, all your marketing should be one-on-one. This is a limiting concept because your universe of qualified prospects far exceeds just those individuals you know.
