In this week’s edition of Things I Wish I Knew, learn how New York virtual office lawyer Joleena Louis grows her firm by finding inspiration from different sources.
As a solo, I consider myself as more than just self-employed or a small business owner. I consider myself an entrepreneur. To me, a small business owner is content with just running their business. Their goal is to keep the business afloat.
An entrepreneur, on the other hand, is driven by growth. They are willing to take calculated risks that take their business to the next level every year.
As an entrepreneur, I’m always looking for ideas and inspiration to help take my business to the next level. Often this inspiration comes from non-traditional sources.
My Current Clients
The first place it starts is with your current clients. I regularly ask for feedback from clients in the form of both online surveys and through general conversation. I listen and apply the feedback.
I’ve found that often clients won’t say they are unhappy with something until you ask.
Many lawyers wait until the end of the relationship to ask for feedback, and by then it’s too late. Ask now so you can implement the changes right away and turn a potentially dissatisfied client into a raving fan. Plus you’ll learn what to do (or not do) from the start with the next client.
Potential Clients
My next source of information is potential clients. I find out where my ideal clients hang out and learn what they want. All of my content, webinars, emails, etc., are based on info gathered directly from potential clients.
First I check social media. I find Facebooks groups to be a fantastic source of information. By the questions asked and the stories shared, I learn what topics people want to learn more about. When people complain about their lawyers I ask questions to learn exactly what went wrong and what could have been done better and apply that information to my practice.
Other fantastic sources are Q&A sites like Quora and Reddit. Again, I can get great content from popular questions.
And, just like my current clients, I ask for feedback from potential clients. You can ask questions on your social media channels or send a survey to potential clients on your email list. I used this to learn how often to send emails, what people wanted to see in emails, and that my audience preferred webinars to in person seminars.
Other Lawyers
Another great source of inspiration is other lawyers. You shouldn’t copy, but you can be inspired.
See what they are doing that’s working and figure out how to do it better or how to apply it to your audience.
This can also work for content. Google a topic you found on Quora. Are there any substantive articles out there about it? Look at what’s out there and write something more in depth or from a different angle.
Other Professions
Lastly, I get inspiration from other professions. I’ve incorporated marketing ideas from a real estate marketing blog. I created an “Everything We Sell” sheet inspired by the insurance industry. And I learned about webinar and content upgrades from coaching blogs.
If you want to take your business to the next level, you have to think outside the box. Inspiration is everywhere. Where are you looking?
