00:00 - Sylvia (Host)
Hello everyone, and welcome back to episode 21 of the Serve First, sell Later marketing podcast.
01:34
So I've seen it time and time again very brilliant financial planners, attorneys, mediators, collaborative professionals who are simply invisible to the very people they could be serving, and it can be a very frustrating reality, isn't it? Even if you're exceptionally skilled at what you do, if potential clients can't find you, they'll turn to someone else, and that means missed opportunities and those opportunities to connect with the people who need your expertise the most. But it's not just about missed opportunities. Invisibility can also lead to professional stagnation, and so, without a visible presence, you're less likely to be considered for speaking engagements, collaborations or industry recognition, and, to be quite honest, all of these are crucial for your growth and development. And then there's the issue of trust Building trust is the cornerstone, and so building trust with potential clients is essential for growth. But if you're invisible, you're starting from scratch every single time. So being visible allows you to showcase your expertise and establish that trust even before a client reaches out, and that is so, so important, and many professionals miss that. So the reality is in today's competitive world, visibility is the key that sets you apart, and at SG&Associates, we are absolutely passionate about helping so many professionals get the word out to share what they do so that more people can find them.
03:13
So here's where it gets tricky. Even if you are the most skilled professional in your field, if your competitors are more visible, guess what? They capture the attention of potential clients first, and that becomes a missed opportunity for you. So visibility can be the deciding factor in who a client chooses to work with, and I have heard countless stories from professionals who are just frustrated that their competitors are thriving and they just can't figure out why they are struggling, and so the answer usually lies in their lack of visibility. Sounds like a simple answer, but there's so much to unpack here. So what is the solution? How do you break through the barriers of invisibility and unlock your potential as a legal or financial professional? And that's exactly what I want to explore in this episode. So I'm going to be doing a deep dive into how to fix this very big problem. So let's get started.
04:14
When you are invisible, it's not just potential clients that you're missing out on. It's also the opportunities that you could optimize in your practice. So think about it. When was the last time you were invited to speak at an industry conference or asked to collaborate on a high-profile project with a respected colleague. So if you're like most invisible professionals, the answer is probably never, and that's a real shame, because those kinds of opportunities are critical for attracting new clients and growing your practice authority in your field and, more importantly, expanding your network and opening the doors to new and exciting possibilities, to new referral partners, to new prospects. And so if that network isn't growing, in some respects you are invisible, and so when you are invisible those doors tend to stay firmly shut.
05:22
So any of you listening to this episode you may be relating to this and I think, without being visible, you're simply not on the radar of the people, of the organizations, of the potential partners that could help you grow your practice. And I've seen it over and over again talented attorneys, divorce financial planners, planners, mediators, who are stuck in the same place year after year because they're just not getting the recognition and the opportunities that they deserve. They're exceptional at what they do, but unfortunately no one knows it. But it doesn't have to be that way, and I think with the right strategies and tactics you can break free from this professional stagnation and really start positioning yourself as the go-to expert in your field. So we work with our clients every day to help them achieve this and the feeling that they get when they start to see traction in their business and they see that people are paying attention and clients are coming through the door and they're being asked to speak on stages and they're collaborating with referral partners something lights up in them. They are excited, they are motivated for the future of their practice.
06:36
So let me share an example with you. So let's say you're a collaborative professional and you've been struggling to get noticed. So, by creating a strong online presence, sharing your insights on social media and positioning yourself as a thought leader, you could start attracting the attention of industry influencers and decision makers and we see this all the time. So suddenly you're invited to speak at conferences, collaborate with referral partners, be asked to publish an article and even serve on advisory boards, and so what ends up happening is that your network is expanding and that's what should be happening and then, all of a sudden, your practice starts attracting more business. It's like this magic formula that just continues to grow and grow as you build your network and you become more visible. So let me share another example. Maybe you're a divorce attorney and you've been stuck in the same practice area for years and you start diversifying your service by adding divorce mediation. You start showcasing your unique approach to problem solving and leveraging your visibility to attract high profile clients and, all of a sudden, you start breaking free from your current constraints and you start growing. You start seeing new clients come in, you start collaborating with other professionals and it just continues to happen.
08:07
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08:50
So let's face it in today's skeptical world, trust doesn't come easy. So we're moving on to trust now. So clients are bombarded with options every day and they're more cautious than ever about who they choose to work with, and we see that with the clients that we work with in terms of them coming to us and saying it's getting much more difficult for us to bring in more clients or for people to say yes to our services, and part of that has to do with trust. And so that's a real challenge for professionals who may be exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable but are struggling to get their foot in the door. Can any of you relate to that no-transcript you? It's like having a head start in the race to win their business.
09:56
So let me give you a quick example. Maybe you're a financial planner who's been struggling to attract new clients. You've got a wealth of experience, you have a proven track record of success and you have a real, genuine passion for helping people achieve their goals, but for some reason, potential clients just aren't biting. Well, what if you started creating a series of educational videos sharing your insights on the latest financial solutions? Or what if you start posting on social media and those posts address the specific pain points and concerns of your target audience? Suddenly, you're not a faceless financial planner. You're a trusted expert who demonstrates your value even before a client picks up the phone. And that trust building process doesn't stop there by actively engaging with your audience on social media, by participating in industry forums and positioning yourself as a thought leader in your field. What's happening here is you're further solidifying your reputation as someone who knows their stuff and genuinely cares about the people they serve, and so this same principle applies to legal professionals as well.
11:09
Whether you're an attorney specializing in family law or a mediator helping couples navigate the complexities of divorce, building visibility and showcasing your expertise can be the key to earning the trust of potential clients, because, at the end of the day, clients aren't just looking for someone with the right credentials, they're looking for someone that they can trust to guide them through the challenges they're facing. So that's a really important concept there. Building trust can help you overcome that invisibility factor. So, moving on to another very important area, let's talk about your competitors, so very active competitors. You know the ones that are very visible, both online and in person. I'm sure you know who they are, and we all know what happens when your competitors are more visible. They're just simply going to capture the attention of these clients first, and we see this time and time again, and, quite frankly, it is a harsh reality, but it's one that plays out time and time again. So I've worked with attorneys who are absolute masters of their craft, but they're struggling to attract new clients because their online presence is virtually non-existent. So I've spoken with divorce financial planners who have a wealth of expertise to offer, but they're constantly playing catch-up to their more visible counterparts. And the reason is simple Visibility is the deciding factor when a potential client is searching for a legal or financial professional. They're not just looking for the deciding factor. When a potential client is searching for a legal or financial professional, they're not just looking for the most qualified, they're looking for the one who stands out, the one who's made a lasting impression.
13:04
So how do you achieve that level of visibility in a crowded marketplace? And that's a question we hear over and over again. So let me start with a real world example. So you're a family law attorney who specializes in high net worth divorce cases. You've got decades of experience, a proven track record of success and a really deep understanding of the complex financial and emotional issues that come with these types of cases. But what about your competitor, who's down the street? They've got a really strong online presence, a robust social media following and a steady stream of glowing client testimonials. So you've got the experience, but you've done little marketing. And now, all of a sudden, that well of prospects is drying up. But the competitor down the road has created that consistency. They're online, they have a robust social media, they've got many clients that are leaving testimonials.
14:07
So now the question becomes when a potential client searches for a divorce attorney in your area, guess whose name is going to pop up first? Right, it's a frustrating experience, I know, but the good news is there are strategies that you can implement to level that playing field and make your own expertise shine. So, for starters, you could start creating high-quality content Think blog posts, videos, podcasts that showcase your unique approach to divorce law and the value that you bring to the table. So, by positioning yourself as a thought leader in your field, you're giving potential clients a reason to choose you over the competition. Choose you over the competition, and you can also leverage the power of social media to build your personal brand and connect with your target audience. And so, whether it's LinkedIn, twitter, facebook, instagram, these platforms offer a powerful way to showcase your expertise, engage with your peers and establish yourself as a trusted authority.
15:14
Now, if I were to look at all of these platforms and you were to say, well, which one is the one that I should invest my time in. I think you know the answer to that it's going to be LinkedIn. So if you're short on time, please optimize your LinkedIn and spend time on LinkedIn to really get those relationships going and to build that thought leadership. And let's not forget about the importance of the search engine optimization, your SEO. By optimizing your online presence for the right keywords and phrases, you can really ensure that your name is the first thing that pops up when a potential client is searching for the services that you offer. So the bottom line is this In today's competitive landscape, visibility is the key to success, and by implementing the right strategies and tactics, you have so much more opportunity to outshine your competitors and position yourself as the go-to legal or financial professional in your field.
16:15
So visibility opens doors to opportunities that can optimize your practice, and, whether it's speaking engagements, whether it's collaborations, whether it's industry recognition, being visible allows you to be seen as an authority and it expands your network. And I think expanding your network is really key here to growing your visibility. If you can invest time in growing your network, then you are, by virtue, creating more visibility. So by implementing these strategies, like building an online presence, sharing insights and positioning yourself as that thought leader, you're just attracting attention and simply growing your practice.
17:00
So the second thing is trust is really crucial in today's skeptical world and by showcasing your expertise and engaging with your audience, you can establish trust even before a client reaches out to you.
17:14
And that's a really important message I want to stress is you want trust to be established before a client reaches out to you, and you can do that through educational content, social media, participating in industry forums, speaking on stages and all of those things builds visibility, which builds trust.
17:38
And the other key component is that active competitors who are both visible online and in person. They capture the attention of clients first, and to compete, you have to level that playing field by creating high quality content, leveraging social media and optimizing your online presence for search engines. So I want to leave you with this last thought If you're playing the invisibility game, people can't find you and you can't help them. So don't let invisibility hold you back. Take action today to make a difference in your practice and in the lives of those that you serve. Thanks for tuning in with me and if you found this episode valuable, I would be most honored if you subscribe to the podcast rate and leave a review, or please share this with anyone who you think would most benefit, and until next time, always remember there's no better time to start than today.