01:49 - Sylvia (Host)
Something I hear a lot from professionals is I don't have the time for marketing. I typically hear these scenarios from both professionals who may have just started their practice, or perhaps they're adding more services to their existing practice and they're really just feeling overwhelmed, thinking how on earth am I going to find new clients? I get it After a long day of meetings, paperwork and client calls. Diving into marketing sometimes feels like trying to climb a mountain. These professionals knew that they had the skills, but no one knew they existed. It was like being the best kept secret in town. I realize, then, that no matter how good you are, if people don't know about you, it's as if you don't exist, and that's why we help so many legal and financial professionals market both themselves and their practices, and it is truly a game changer. Our systems and processes help our clients surpass six figures and more consistently, and we do this simply by helping them, get leads, attract attention and monetize their brand. Now you might think I've got zero time for this, but what if I told you that this very thought is the brick wall standing between you and a flood of new clients?
03:07
So I want to explore why marketing isn't just another item on your to-do list. It's the secret sauce to growing your practice and attracting the clients you dream of. So think about it. More expertise could change someone's life, solve their biggest problems or secure their future, but if they don't know you exist, how can you make that impact? And so that's where marketing comes in. It's not just about selling, it's about connecting. It's about sharing your knowledge and building the trust.
03:39
So a quote that really resonates with me is by Peter Drucker, and he says because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two, and only two, basic functions marketing and innovation. And marketing and innovation produce results. All the rest are costs. So I think this quote hits the nail on the head no matter how excellent your services are, without marketing you're invisible. And so in this episode, we're going to dismantle the myth that there's no time for marketing, and I'm also going to explore why marketing shouldn't just be another task on your to-do list, but really is the lifeline of your practice, and it's my goal to really help you change the way you see marketing, one smart strategy at a time, and I'm going to share examples of professionals who have been in your shoes and transformed their practices through effective marketing, and I'm also going to debunk some of those myths and provide you with actionable tips.
04:43
All right, let's dive in. What does it mean when we say I don't have time for marketing? So when we say we don't have time, what we're often really saying is that we're not sure where to start, or we're scared of stepping into unfamiliar territory, or maybe we don't believe that marketing works, or it takes too much time, or you don't want to take the plunge because it requires an investment and you question will it be worth it? So this is like standing at the edge of a pool, right, you're dipping your toe in and you're thinking that water looks cold. Maybe I'll just sit here where it's safe and dry. But here's the thing the water's fine once you take the plunge. And the same goes for marketing.
05:29
And what I've seen over the years working with service-based professionals in the legal and financial services is that those that are very successful always engage in marketing. They have a marketing budget and they find the right professionals to get the job done. Because marketing isn't something that everyone can very easily do right. It's a craft, it takes expertise, it takes several hundreds of hours of experience in the trenches to really help people get the results they're looking for. So I want to take a few moments and talk about why we often put marketing at the bottom of our to-do list, how fear of the unknown can paralyze us, and the fact that for many of us, marketing feels like a foreign language that we've never learned.
06:17
So I think the first place to start is prioritization. So we all have the same 24 hours in a day, but it's how we choose to use those hours that count. So when someone says I don't have time for marketing, we know that's not true. So here's an exercise that I'd like you to engage in to help with prioritization, so that when you think about marketing, you're able to think about how you can separate high-quality marketing strategies from other strategies. In fact, I was on a call with a client just the other day and one of the things that he said was oh my gosh, I've got all these ideas floating around. Which ones do I pick and how do I know those are the right ones? So ideas are great, but picking the right idea and implementing it with the right strategy is what's going to make all the difference, all right, so this is another example I want to share with you.
07:12
So when we start working with our coaching clients and they sign up for our services, the very first thing we like to look for is high-value, low-effort activities. So that's high-value, low-effort activities, so in other words, low-hanging fruit, and these are essentially your quick wins, the ones that you want to play first. So let me share an example One of our family lawyers who was transitioning to a mediation practice. We came up with a marketing campaign that would allow her to reach out to all of her contacts to tell them about her new services. So what did we do? We built out the messaging, we detailed out the exact strategy step by step, and we worked out all the other ideas so she could implement it and, as a result, she brought in three new clients from these referrals. And that was just one campaign, and what we did here was we went to her lowest hanging fruit to help her get the quickest gains in her practice. So the other thing you can do is you can look at your big bets meaning high-value but high effort as well and so these are ideas that could really pay off, but they're going to take more time to plan out and they're going to need more resources. So this will still be on your prioritization list, but quick wins strategy would come first, and then you would build this in into your strategy as you move along. So I hope this is resonating with you and it's making sense.
08:44
So let's talk about the fear of the unknown. So it's human nature, as we all know, to fear what we don't understand, and marketing is one of those unknowns. But here's a powerful thought Uncertainty and possibility are two sides of the same coin, and so you know, I believe your biggest achievements probably come after a period of uncertainty. I'm sure some of you will have noticed that in your journey as an entrepreneur. So that's because you pushed through the fear to accomplish something great. And that's the same principle I want you to think about when you think about your marketing. So by reframing your situation to focus on the potential upside, you can actually prime yourself to take new risks and make things happen.
09:35
And then, of course, there's the lack of marketing knowledge, and it's a common challenge, especially in the legal and financial fields, where your expertise lies elsewhere. But here's what's important Marketing knowledge isn't just some secret ingredient that only a few people have. It's a skill set. It's a skill set that you can learn, and it's worth learning, because it can directly impact your practice's growth and the legacy that you want to leave for it. So why is it so important to recognize marketing as an essential component of growth and sustainability?
10:12
Well, the way I like to look at it is without marketing, you're almost like a ship without a sail you might be afloat for a little bit, but you're not going anywhere fast, right? So marketing is what gets your name out there. It brings in new clients and it keeps you competitive, but what it also does is it keeps you top of mind when you are engaging in marketing on a consistent basis. So it's not just an add-on, it's as crucial as the services that you provide. So let that sink in for a moment. Without clients, you don't have a business, and without marketing it becomes increasingly difficult to attract new clients, feeling overwhelmed by marketing your practice. Marketing isn't just about reaching your audience. There's so much that goes into growing your professional practice, from understanding your audience to attracting qualified clients, to standing out in a crowded market. It might not seem like everyone needs to master marketing, but it is critical for success, especially in professional practices.
11:15
So if you're ready to transform your practice and make it the best year yet, you have to join my free marketing workshop training on Tuesday, march the 19th, 11am EST. In this exclusive two-hour training, I'm going to cover simple online strategies to effortlessly attract the right clients without any complicated processes, just straightforward results. You're not going to want to miss this one. Link for registration can be found in the show notes. See you there. So this transitions nicely into something that can truly transform your practice and help you shift your mindset about marketing.
12:01
And it's probably the biggest roadblock that we see with so many professionals, and that is the fear of rejection. So it's the fear of maybe you're wasting your time, maybe you're going to look silly. Those fears can and will paralyze you. We see it every day in our business when we work with service-based professionals, and it's real. And so here's what's important. Every successful marketer has faced these fears head-on. Everybody goes untouched. We all have those insecurities. I have personally experienced these fears and knew that if I didn't address them head-on, my business would stay at a standstill. It would go nowhere.
12:43
So my recommendation to you is start small. Choose one marketing activity that feels manageable. Maybe it's like writing a short post on LinkedIn about a recent success or insight that you've had, or maybe it's an upcoming speaking engagement. Take that small win and then take the next step, Because marketing is a marathon. It's not a sprint. It's not a sprint. It's about consistent, authentic communication and not overnight success. Now you also need to make marketing a natural part of your day, like checking emails or reviewing case files, and so that starts with the mindset shift. It all starts with that mindset shift.
13:24
Think of marketing not as a separate task, but as an extension of your professional work. So schedule a regular, non-negotiable time slot for marketing activities, even if it's just 30 minutes a day, or maybe you can only afford 60 minutes in a week. Whatever it is, put it into your calendar. Use this time to engage with your audience, update your website or plan your next networking event, or plan out your next conversion event. Super, super important, and I think by making marketing a routine, it actually becomes less of a chore and more of a habit, and we hear our clients tell us that all the time. They're like, oh my gosh, I'm getting into the habit of doing this, I'm seeing the results, and what happens is, when you start seeing results of building your marketing in, you actually want to do more marketing because you're seeing your return on investment. Okay.
14:17
So now that you've built it into your weekly routine, you need to stay motivated and you need to be inspired to take action. So it's important to find and connect with professionals out there with skills and knowledge that complement yours. So consider partnering with a marketing professional who understands legal and financial sectors. They can save you so much time and money by really offering customized insights and strategies tailored to your specific needs. Alternatively, you can team up with colleagues for a joint marketing venture, like a webinar or podcast. So collaboration not only divides the workload, but also multiplies the impact. Now I want to preface that by saying it can multiply the impact when it's done effectively right, when it's done effectively because it can bring fresh perspectives and expand your reach.
15:12
So what I want you to do right now is take a moment, put this episode on pause and simply jot down what you're going to commit to this week. Maybe it's reaching out to a potential collaborator, maybe it's updating your LinkedIn profile, and then I want you to face it head on, take action and celebrate every small step, because we need to celebrate more progress. Celebrating progress means we're celebrating moving forward, as opposed to just being keen on celebrating when we reach that milestone or we reach that goal. We've got to celebrate the in-between absolutely key to keep you motivated and to keep you moving. Okay, but where do you start during this time? How do you start? And I think that's where a marketing plan comes in.
16:07
Now, before you get all freaked out about a marketing plan, I'm going to simplify this for you because it really is a simple document. It is not a complicated piece, and if you see a complicated piece, such as a marketing plan, that you just don't get what it's saying, run, run fast, because it's not going to encourage you to move forward with your marketing. So, really, a marketing plan is just your roadmap. It guides your efforts and keeps you focused on your goals. So start by setting clear, achievable objectives. What do you want your marketing efforts to accomplish in the next quarter? Chunk it down into quarters. Do you want more clients? Do you want increased brand awareness? Do you want to get booked on more stages? So, once you have your goals in place, outline the steps that you need to take to get there, and so your marketing plan, once again, doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, I encourage you to keep it to one sheet of paper, keep it simple, keep it straightforward, list your goals, the strategies that you'll use to achieve them, your timeframes and the metrics that you're going to use to track your success. And remember, flexibility is key, so your marketing plan isn't set in stone, and you want to review it regularly and adjust it as needed, based on what's working and what's not.
17:29
So there are so many tools and software out there that can make your life easier, so we're going to talk a little bit about technology and automation, and so, for the purposes of this episode, I want to bring tools that can help you save time, so that you can't really say, hey, I don't have time for marketing. So there's a tool or software for just about everything out there, and marketing, as you know, is no exception. So let's start with social media scheduling tools, and they're basically there to save you time, and so some software that you can consider are Hootsuite, buffer or Later, and they can. They basically just help you plan and schedule your posts in advance. There's some good news here. There are platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook that are totally free and they allow you to schedule your posts right on their platform, and you can post weeks out. So it's super convenient and easy to do, and we recommend that a lot of our clients use that. With that said, consider spending an hour on Monday morning setting up your posts for the week and voila, you're done Right. So when you're looking at the writing of your posts, you can certainly consider different AI tools to help you sketch those out to make it a bit faster.
18:46
And when you think about emails, we all know that personalized emails can work wonders for client relationships, but really, who has the time? And so that's where automation comes in, and so email marketing platforms like Active Campaign, mailchimp or Constant Contact are all excellent, and these platforms they let you create email campaigns that automatically send out at the best times for engagement. You can segment your audience, you can personalize your messages, and they track how well your emails are doing by the open and click rates, and it's all done without lifting a finger once it's all set up. So once you put it in the system, you get all this information and it's automatically sent out to your full email list. So that's something to think about as well.
19:35
Now, when it comes to practice management software, this isn't just about marketing. It's all about reclaiming your time. So, as legal and financial professionals, you know that time is money, and administrative tasks can be the biggest time suckers. So that's where practice management software comes in. So think of it as your personal assistant, one that never sleeps and it can handle so many things, such as appointment scheduling, client communication, document storage and so so much more. So by automating these day to day tasks, you're not just saving time, you're buying peace of mind, and with that extra time, you can actually focus on what really matters, like growing your practice. So, whether it's refining your marketing strategy, networking or just getting home in time for dinner with the family, these types of software can really help you make this happen.
20:28
So sticking to a regular marketing schedule is your golden ticket to building brand awareness and credibility, and I think what's really important here is that consistency really matters. That is key. So imagine you're trying to get fit. You wouldn't expect to see results if you hit the gym once a month, right, it just doesn't work that way. So the same goes for marketing Regularly showing up in your audience's feed, in your audience's inbox or wherever you choose to market, it really helps you stay top of mind, and that's the name of the game. It's about building a relationship with your audience, and, like any good relationship, it requires regular communication, and so consistency also plays a huge role, as I just mentioned, in establishing your brand's credibility, because when clients see that you're consistently providing value, whether through insightful blog posts or helpful tips on social media or engaging newsletters, they start to trust you, and this is the process that is super important to build into your practice and, as you know, in your industry, trust is everything, so super important to get this nailed down.
21:40
So you're probably wondering how do we stay consistent, and I think the secret weapon to that is some sort of content calendar, and this just isn't a fancy tool for big corporations. It's something any practice, no matter the size, can and should use, and it doesn't need to be complicated. I would highly recommend you keep it very simple and you can choose your format. Maybe it's a simple spreadsheet on the Google Drive, or maybe it's an Excel, but keep it simple. Or maybe you've got a fancy project management tool like Trello or Asana. So pick your format that works best for you and your team, and I think the key here is to have something that's easy to update and accessible to everyone involved in your marketing efforts.
22:24
And you also want to start mapping out your key dates for your content that are relevant to your audience. So, for example, what are some of the seasonality things you need to consider? Tax season, maybe, major legal changes, maybe there are things that happen over the holidays. Look at seasonality and start to brainstorm ideas that align with these dates and your overall marketing goals, and you should aim to plan your content out at least a month in advance, but if you can stretch it to a quarter, that's even better. So you want to also look at you know setting a posting schedule, so you need to decide how often do you want to post, and there's no one size that fits all here. It's about what's realistic for you and what your audience responds to.
23:11
So at minimum, you want to be posting once a week. That is the very minimum. I'll be quite honest with you it does take more frequency to experience more traction, but if you can only commit to one, or maybe twice a week, start with that. And I think, once you've decided that plot, plot these onto your calendar and start assigning specific topics and themes to each slot. And if you have a team because I know some of you do have a team make sure responsibilities are clearly assigned. Who's writing the content? Do you have a ghost writer? Who's responsible for the posting? So those are some important things to consider. And then, finally, remember that your content calendar isn't set in stone. It will change and it will fluctuate. So regularly review it and see which posts are performing, which are not performing and what you need to tweak as you go along. And so if you want to learn more about building out your content and your content calendar, then you want to check out episode four of this podcast, and I'll actually put a link for that in the show notes.
24:16
So what I want you to remember here is that, as life gets busy, consistency in marketing doesn't just happen. It doesn't just happen, it's a choice, and it's a choice that can significantly impact your practice's growth and success. So it's up to you Think about that and decide. Are you going to make it a choice to regularly engage in marketing to change the direction of your practice. So the phrase I don't have time for marketing isn't just a statement. It's a barrier to your practice's full potential, and I hope that came clear through this episode.
24:55
But here's the thing you have the power to shatter that barrier. So imagine your practice not just surviving but thriving, and that's what we see with a lot of our clients. When they engage in that consistent marketing, it's like becoming a beacon of success and the impact in your community is seen and heard, and so it doesn't feel like a distant dream anymore and it's certainly within your reach. So I know I covered a lot in this episode, from conquering fear to embracing consistency but I think the real magic happens when you take these insights and you turn them into action. So I challenge you, take the first step, remember to believe in the power of your practice and the value that you bring to your clients' lives. And so with every action that you take, you're not just marketing, you're crafting a legacy of success and transformation. So thank you for tuning in with me and if you found this episode valuable, I would be most honored if you subscribed to the podcast. Rate and leave a review and until next time, always remember there's no better time to start than today.