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Why Your Associates (And Partners) Need Help Branding

By Anne E. Collier, MPP, JD
December 31, 2013

Since the changes in the legal economy in 2008, distinguishing oneself from other lawyers is critical to getting a job, work from colleagues, and more clients. This is true for both partners and associates. It's not enough to be smart and hardworking. A lawyer must be known for what he or she does, and must be able to sell him or herself.

Junior partners and associates often have difficulty selling their services. They got A's in law school, they had no trouble passing the bar, and they work at prestigious firms. They tell themselves, “That should be enough, right?” Wrong. They are competing with literally thousands of lawyers who did just as well and who now are in the same boat. To help these lawyers develop business, you need to help them get comfortable talking about themselves and their services. If a lawyer cannot comfortably talk about what he or she does, colleagues, the community, and current and prospective clients won't necessarily understand which problems a particular lawyer is able to solve.

To successfully sell his or her services, a lawyer needs a personal brand ' and this is not a hokey marketing gimmick. Rather, a powerful personal brand will deliver remarkable results by providing a compelling and unambiguous rendition of the lawyer's strengths, inspiring confidence and drawing the best opportunities to the lawyer. A meaningful brand articulates why, how, and what the lawyer does, distinguishes the lawyer from his or her peers, and succinctly describes the value that the lawyer contributes given the opportunity.

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