Small law firms face their own unique challenges. One that has recently risen to the surface is competition. In today’s legal environment, small law firm practice is competitive, making it more important than ever to stand out in your own practice area. Pinpointing the ways that you can stand out and what sets your firm apart from others can give you an edge over your competition. Here are the best ways to stand out in your practice area.
Your Value Proposition
Your law firm’s value proposition is potentially the most critical element in your marketing messaging. Value proposition is a short statement that summarizes why a client would choose you over another firm or lawyer. It conveys the strongest benefit that clients receive by hiring your practice.
What unique value propositions can you bring to the table? One of the easiest ways to identify your value proposition is to focus on what your clients say about you after working with you. Take the time to read Google and other reviews clients have left for you and your firm. What comments or sentiments are repeated? Those are part of your value proposition. Perhaps you:
Return their calls and emails quickly
Take the time to answer their questions thoroughly in ways they understand
Have a way of making them feel like they are your only client
Treated them like family
Are quite familiar with the local courts and judges
Go out of your way to ensure your clients are satisfied
Try to explain what people frequently have to say about you in only a few words or phrases to reach your value proposition.
Other Strategies to Stand Out
In addition to your value proposition, there are many ways to stand out in your practice area. These include:
Unique approaches you bring to each case—maybe you have a specific way of tackling a case or a method that you use with certain types of cases that is highly successful
Strong experience in a specific area that others don’t have—for instance, a criminal lawyer who used to be a prosecutor or a personal injury attorney who used to work in the medical field
Offering a personalized approach—while law can seem very business-like to legal clients, taking a personalized approach when handling your clients’ cases will allow you to stand out from the crowd
Leveraging a strong network and resources—perhaps you have a robust and extensive network of other professionals, including attorneys in other practice areas that you can refer to.
There will always be competition no matter what type of law you practice, though sometimes it’s more fierce than others based on your area. When you really take the time to consider your value proposition and what experience, services, education, or skills you bring to the table that other attorneys might not have, it gets easier for potential clients to identify you in the sea of other small practices. With a clearly defined value proposition and knowledge of what makes your law firm the best choice for potential clients, it won’t take long to reap the benefits.
Meranda M. Vieyra is the owner of Denver Legal Marketing LLC. She is one of the most visible legal professionals in Colorado law with over 20 years of service in the Denver legal community. Her award-winning marketing firm has earned a strong reputation as the go-to for impactful, cost-effective legal marketing strategies. She has helped her clients secure coverage by well-known publications and has obtained local, national, and international awards on their behalf. Meranda enjoys working with solo practitioners and small law firms helping them attract recognition, promotion, and visibility to their practices. She also advises medium-sized and national law firms on business development and marketing strategy. Meranda is a lecturer and author on issues related to marketing including how lawyers can use LinkedIn effectively, how to develop a personal brand, and the promotion of legal services through community service. In 2018, she was honored to be named to the 40 Under 40 list by the Denver Business Journal and to be given the 10 Under 10 Award by the Metropolitan State University of Denver Alumni Association (top 10 alum of the decade). In 2019, Meranda was named in the Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business by the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce and in the Top 100 young professionals in Colorado through the Gen XYZ Awards published by ColoradoBiz Magazine.