Serve First, Sell Later Marketing

#63 Build Authority and Attract Clients with Confidence

• Sylvia Garibaldi • Season 1 • Episode 63

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In episode 63 of the Serve First, Sell Later Marketing Podcast, host Sylvia Garibaldi discusses the importance of establishing authority in legal, mediation, and divorce professions. The episode emphasizes that authority is built through consistent, strategic actions and encourages professionals to start implementing these tactics to attract the right clients and grow their practice.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • 01:39 Understanding the Root Cause of Professional Challenges
  • 02:55 Developing a Niche to Stand Out
  • 04:22 Creating Valuable Content to Showcase Expertise
  • 06:25 Building Trust Through Transparency and Empathy
  • 09:45 The Power of Client Testimonials
  • 14:25 Building Relationships and Networking
  • 19:31 Hosting Educational Events to Showcase Expertise

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00:00 - Sylvia (Host)
Hello everyone, and welcome back to episode number 63 of the Serve First Sell Later marketing podcast. I'm your host, sylvia Garibaldi, and today I want to ask you an important question have you ever felt undervalued in your professional practice? And if you're nodding your head, you're not alone. Many of us face common challenges, such as clients trying to negotiate lower fees, people questioning your expert advice, maybe difficulty securing new clients, and these issues often come from one root cause, and that is a lack of perceived authority. So there is some good news here you don't need to be a famous author or have a massive online following to command respect in your field. So in today's episode, I thought it was important for us to talk about practical strategies to boost your professional authority and to really attract clients who value your expertise, and some of the things I'm going to be covering include how to effectively showcase your knowledge, how to build that trust with potential clients and really how to use your experience to stand out in a crowded market. So, whether you are a seasoned professional or you're just starting out, you will get so much value out of today's episode, and my hope is to help you get the recognition that you deserve as an expert. So let's dive in. 

02:55
So the first step is to develop a niche and, instead of trying to be everything to everyone, I want you to think about focusing on one specific area, and this allows you to deepen your knowledge and simply stand out in a crowded market. So, for example, if you are a divorce lawyer, you might specialize in high net worth separations, or maybe international custody cases, or maybe international custody cases, and this specialization not only sets you apart, but it also allows you to command higher fees for your specialized knowledge. Now, if you're a workplace mediator, you could focus on resolving conflicts in tech startups, or perhaps handling disputes in unionized environments, or maybe in educational facilities. So think about where you want to put your focus. For estate planning attorneys, as another example, you could think about specializing in estate plans for business owners, or maybe it's managing international assets. The key here really is to choose a niche that aligns with your interests and where there is a market demand for it. That's super important. I think a lot of people forget that. 

04:14
So finding that niche is important, but also ensuring that there is a market demand for it is equally important, and so, once you've established your niche, the next step is to really create valuable content, and this is about sharing your expertise in ways that potential clients can easily access and really understand what you do and how you can help them. So I wanted to share another quick example. For workplace mediators, this could mean writing blog posts about managing remote team conflicts or creating short video tips on effective communication strategies. These are just a few examples. Estate planning attorneys you could share articles explaining recent changes in tax laws affecting inheritances. So I think it's important to remember that the goal is to demonstrate your expertise while providing real value to your audience, and this can be done in many ways, and so here are some ways in which you can do this. You could write articles for legal publications or other professional publications. You could create blog posts for your website. You could share insights on social media platforms like LinkedIn, facebook, instagram. Starting a newsletter with tips and updates is another great idea to really start to share the value of what you offer to your audience. 

05:42
So the deal here is, by consistently sharing valuable content, you're just not showcasing your expertise. What you're doing is you are also building trust with potential clients before they even contact you. So I hope this is making sense. So this approach really positions you as a thought leader in your niche, making it more likely that someone needs your help in your area of expertise, and so when they do, your name will be top of mind, and I think that's super important to think about how to build authority so that you will always be top of mind for your ideal prospects and referral partners top of mind for your ideal prospects and referral partners. 

06:28
Okay, so, in the area of professional services, I think we all know that trust is everything right. So how do you build this trust? And I want to break that down, because building trust is a way of building authority. So this is why I want to address this. This is another important area. So, first, you want to set clear expectations from the very beginning. So what does this mean? This simply means being upfront about your process, about your fees, about potential outcomes and any other areas that can influence the outcomes of what you're trying to achieve. So when clients know what to expect, they're less likely to push back later. 

07:08
So here's how you might approach this. You could create a detailed onboarding process, so walk clients through each step of their case or the transaction. Super important, you can provide a clear fee structure. This one I highly recommend. So, whether you bill by the hour or you use a flat fee system. Make sure clients understand exactly what they're paying for and when they are expected to pay for it. Professionals who are using a flat fee model are seeing more success because there is more transparency in the flat fee model. Right, people know exactly what they're going to be paying at the end of the transaction. So I think there's something to be said about having a clear fee structure in place that will build the trust. You could also discuss potential outcomes openly, so, while you can't predict the future, you can prepare clients for various scenarios. That's another way to be transparent and to help build that trust. So, being open about your fees, in particular, a flat fee, you're really addressing a major concern for potential clients, so that's important, and think about how you can do that in your practice. 

08:29
So I want to now talk about empathy and the role that empathy plays here, because this is about showing clients that you truly understand their concerns, and so here are a few practical tips on how to demonstrate this. You can use active listening techniques, and that's where you repeat key points back to clients to ensure that they've understood correctly what you're saying. Ask open-ended questions. Instead of do you understand, you can say something like what questions do you have about this process? And so it's important to acknowledge emotions. Legal issues can be very stressful, and so a simple I understand this is a difficult situation can really go a long way, so demonstrating that empathy is going to be key. So we all know that empathy can significantly increase trust in professional relationships, and I think by demonstrating that you understand and you care about your client's concerns, you're really just laying the foundation for a strong, trusting relationship. So remember, transparency and empathy aren't just nice-to-haves. They are truly essential tools for building your authority and credibility as a professional in your space. 

09:45
So next, I want to talk about showcasing the positive experiences of your clients and how that can help build trust with potential new ones. So what exactly do I mean by this? And so really, this is all about testimonials, and they are powerful tools that can significantly influence potential clients. So a question I get asked a lot is well, how do I collect and showcase these testimonials effectively? So I want to share some key strategies with you, and I think the first one is to understand that timing is crucial. So it's important to ask for testimonials when the client's positive experience is fresh, so this could be right after a successful case resolution or at the end of a smooth legal transaction. It could even be when a client says thank you, this has really been helpful, right, when they're demonstrating that they're appreciative of your work. Those are other clues that it could be a good time to ask for a testimonial. 

10:49
The second way is to really make it easy for your clients and referral partners, so use a simple form or a questionnaire, and what this does is it not only makes it convenient for clients, but it also helps you gather consistent, useful information. The third way is to ask the right questions, and here are some effective questions that you can consider asking. So, for example, what specific problem did we help you solve? Or how did our services impact your situation? Or would you recommend our firm to others and why? You can also ask what was your before and after scenario and how did we help you with the after scenario Right? So using questions that will get them to reveal what they found most valuable about working with you. 

11:47
The other key thing is to use multiple formats when collecting testimonials, so you can have written testimonials they're absolutely great but don't shy away from video testimonials or maybe audio clips. They can really add a personal touch and increase the credibility. And, of course, you always want to get permission and have written consent to use your testimonial in marketing materials, to use their name. If they're not comfortable using their name, or maybe you're not marketing materials to use their name If they're not comfortable using their name, or maybe you're not allowed by law to use clients' names, then you can just put first name. So these are some key things that you can do, and once you've collected these testimonials, it's time now to showcase them, and here are some great ways to do that, so you can feature them prominently on your website. You can create a dedicated testimonials page, which a lot of professionals do. 

12:38
You can incorporate these testimonials into your social media strategy, so a great way to do this is to share it on platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook. You can embed these testimonials into your social media as well. You can include them in an email marketing campaign, so a well-placed testimonial can really boost the effectiveness of the email campaign, and you can do this by maybe even including it in your newsletters. Right? These are all different places in which you can do this. For example, if you are inviting people to a webinar or a workshop of some kind. You can include the testimonials in the invitation or on the signup page to get people to sign up for your webinar or workshop. You can use these testimonials in printed marketing materials. Some people still use those and any other online marketing that you have there, so think about brochures, maybe direct mail pieces or postcards or thank you cards. 

13:46
So remember that the power of social proof really lies in its authenticity, and please don't be tempted to fabricate or exaggerate testimonials. It's important that they are genuine experiences from real clients, and when you do this, it will always be more compelling and more effective in building your authority. By the way, if you're finding this episode valuable, I've covered related topics in past episodes that can help deepen your understanding, so please be sure to check out these episodes. I'll actually drop the links in the show notes so that you can easily find them. So the next one I want to talk about is building relationships that can elevate your professional standing and expand your client base. So what I'm referring to here is engaging in professional associations. Now, these organizations are really gold mines for building authority and generating referrals, so here's how you can make the most of them. 

14:49
First off, you want to choose very wisely. You want to select associations that align with your niche. So, for instance, if you're a mediator, you may want to join mediation groups or associations. You want to attend events regularly, and I think it's important to make a point to attend conferences, seminars and local chapter meetings as much as possible. Some professionals love to volunteer for leadership roles and this could mean, you know, serving on a committee or organizing events. So I urge you to think about if this is something that you want to do and how much time you can dedicate to this, because these positions can increase your visibility and demonstrate your commitment to the field and hence bring in more referrals. But you know it's important to assess what time you have available to commit to these organizations. So another key thing that you can do is you can present at conferences. So think about sharing your expertise by speaking at association events, because this can really position you can present at conferences. So think about sharing your expertise by speaking at association events, because this can really position you as a thought leader in your niche. You can contribute to publications. So many of these associations have journals or newsletters, and writing for these can actually showcase your knowledge to a targeted audience. So think about that as well. 

16:13
So I want to talk about how to cultivate relationships with other professionals, because I think that's pretty important. So this strategy is about building a network beyond your existing circle of acquaintances, and so here's the best way to approach it. You want to identify complementary professionals, so think about who else serves your ideal clients. So, for example, for estate planning attorneys, it could be financial advisors or accountants. For corporate lawyers it could be business consultants or HR professionals. For family law lawyers it could be therapists or divorce financial professionals. So think about who these complementary professionals could be. And when you identify them, you want to attend those cross-industry events meaning what are the groups or associations that these complementary professionals belong to and look at networking at these events so that you can, you know, try to build relationships and start conversations on how you can co-refer or co-collaborate. And I think, once you have these networks set up and you're meeting new professionals, you want to set up some one-on-one meetings. So reach out to these professionals that you'd like to know better, maybe suggest a coffee meeting to discuss how you might be able to help each other or how you might be able to help each other's clients, and so creating a referral system is important as well. 

17:49
So look at establishing a formal or maybe informal referral network, and it's important to track referrals given and received to really ensure that the relationships remain mutually beneficial, because one of the things I hear professionals complain about often is that these referral partnerships are not reciprocal. So it's important that you know, if you're going to be building a relationship, that you give as much as you receive and vice versa. Right, that's what makes a really good referral partnership. You could also host joint events, so think about holding webinars, workshops or in-person luncheons with professionals from complementary fields. Think about holding webinars, workshops or in-person luncheons with professionals from complementary fields, and this can provide value to their clients and your clients, while showcasing your combined expertise. So I hope that's making sense. You can think about using LinkedIn strategically, and this is a really good one. When you connect with professionals in related fields, you want to also engage with their content on a consistent basis and share those insights that could be valuable to their network. So that's what I mean about using LinkedIn strategically is in a way that actually adds value to those referral partnerships. So I think it's important to remember that effective networking is about building genuine relationships, not just about collecting those business cards. So I highly recommend that you focus on how you can provide value to others first, and the benefits will naturally follow. 

19:31
Okay, moving on to the next way to build authority, and that is hosting educational events. So this strategy not only showcases your expertise, but it also helps to build trust with potential clients, and here's how I would approach going about it. First step is you want to choose relevant topics. Okay, so select issues and topics that you know your target clients or referral partners are really most concerned about. So, for example, an estate planning attorney might host a workshop or webinar on protecting your assets in uncertain times. So that's just one example. So the key thing is to focus on the pain points, and that should become a key topic for you to present on. 

20:21
Next, you want to decide on the format. So you can do in-person, you can do online workshops or online webinars, so decide on the method that you prefer to use. Now, we know that online or virtual events work incredibly well, but for professionals, some prefer to do a mix of both. Some prefer to just do in-person, though I caution you about in-person in the sense that you want to make sure it's profitable. So if you are hosting an in-person event, think about the costs that it takes for you to put on the event, minus what you're going to get out of it in terms of revenue, because that's really what you need to look at. So you can certainly do a combination of in-person and online, which is a great way to approach it, but you will most likely get more positive ROI from virtual or online events because the cost is very low, so that's important to consider. 

21:23
You can also look at what are some ways to promote this effectively. So I'm hosting an educational event. How do I get people to attend? How do I get people to raise their hand to say, yes, I'm interested, I want to sign up? So you need to look at using your social media channels. So use the social media channels where your ideal target audience hangs out and make sure that you are posting frequently on these sites to share when your next event will be Okay, super important. You can rely on other referral partners or your professional network to spread the word, so consider partnering with other professionals to really expand your reach. Don't forget about your email list. Make sure that your email list is aware of this event as well, and any other associated groups or partners that may benefit from helping you spread the word, so promoting it effectively is going to be super important. 

22:27
You also want to make sure that you're preparing engaging content. So, when you're presenting, make sure you're using visuals, case studies and any interactive elements to keep your audience engaged. That's a really important one, and so whenever we put on workshops or webinars, one of our key focuses is to make sure that we're keeping the audience engaged, and a way that I do that is I ask them a lot of questions. I get them to put their answers in the chat box. We have some ways for them to actually rate themselves based on some of the concepts that I'm teaching. So there's many different ways to create engagement. So I urge you to think about some of the key ways that you can do that when you are hosting your educational event. That, when you are hosting your educational event, follow-up Follow-up is super important. 

23:21
Many professionals miss this step, and so after the event, it's important to send attendees and registrants additional resources or offer them a free consultation or maybe some other value-added session. This can really help convert attendees into clients. So, whether they show up live or not, they are still worth pursuing or doing the follow-up with. So I always say the follow-up should be for those that registered and showed up and those who registered and didn't show up Plain and simple. So follow-up should take place with all registrants. 

23:53
You want to repurpose content. So if you're developing a presentation and it's being filmed, or maybe you're recording your webinar, you want to break those down into shorter videos for social media. That's a great way to create an omnipresence and to repurpose your content. Another thing you can do is you can transcribe them into blog posts or articles or social media posts as well. So here's another important tip I want to leave you with. So here's a pro tip I want to leave you with Consider hosting a series of events rather than a one-time event. 

24:30
So what I mean by that is maybe a series of workshops or a series of events, something that is ongoing, and what this will do is this will help you build a loyal following and establish yourself as the go-to resource in your field Super important. I want to stress this point. If you want to build authority, you really need to ensure that your events whether they are in person or online events, or webinars or workshops that you create some consistency, because that will help you build authority very quickly. So by implementing these strategies, you're not just sharing your knowledge, you're really positioning yourself as a thought leader and building meaningful connections with potential clients. So let me ask you this what would it mean for your practice if clients sought you out because they recognized your authority? I want you to think about that for a moment If, instead of questioning your value, they trusted your expertise from the very first conversation. 

25:36
And the truth is, standing out in your profession is not about luck, it's about strategy, and so in this episode, I've covered key steps that can help you build that authority by establishing your niche, creating that valuable content, building trust through transparency and empathy and really leveraging client testimonials. And don't forget about networking with the right professionals and, very importantly, hosting those educational events consistently so that you can be positioned as the go-to expert. So what I want you to know is this these aren't just nice-to-have tactics. These are essential to growing a practice that will attract the right clients, and by that I mean the ones who value your skills and are willing to pay for your expertise. But remember, authority is not built overnight. It's built through consistent action. So every article that you write, every conversation that you have every webinar or event that you host. It all adds up, and so the professionals who rise to the top are really the ones who show up consistently, refine their message and they stay engaged. So here's my challenge for you Pick just one strategy that I talked about in this episode today and take action this week. 

27:06
Start with that LinkedIn post, maybe reach out to that referral partner, or outline a webinar topic. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll see the impact. So your expertise deserves to be recognized, because your work really matters and the right clients are out there looking for someone just like you. So please take that step, stand in your authority and watch your practice soar. Thanks for tuning in today. If you found this episode helpful, I'd love to hear from you. Please send me a message and share your biggest takeaway and, if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so that you don't miss future episodes packed with actionable strategies to grow your practice. See you in the next episode.