Serve First, Sell Later Marketing

#65 How To Build a 6-Figure Practice Without Paid Ads

• Sylvia Garibaldi • Season 1 • Episode 65

Share episode

Send us a text

What if you could grow your professional practice without spending money on ads? In episode 65 of the Serve First, Sell Later Marketing Podcast, host Sylvia Garibaldi shares a comprehensive, five-part framework for scaling professional practices organically, without reliance on paid ads.  You’ll learn why ads aren’t a sustainable strategy, how to generate consistent referrals, the power of PR and speaking engagements, and how to use content marketing to bring clients to you.

 In this episode we discuss:

  • 02:24 Debunking the Ad Dependency Myth
  • 04:49 Building Authority: The First Step
  • 09:09 Mastering Referrals and Word of Mouth
  • 15:02 Content Marketing Strategies
  • 19:07 Leveraging PR and Speaking Engagements
  • 21:35 Building a Strong Network and Community Presence

 Resources:


Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"Love listening and learning from the Serve First, Sell Later Marketing Podcast” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people -- just like you. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Sign up for our free LinkedIn newsletter on marketing your professional practice

Connect with me on linkedin

Join our online community

Subscribe to my youtube channel

00:04 - Sylvia (Host)
Hello everyone, and welcome back to episode 65 of the Serve First, sell Later marketing podcast. I'm your host, sylvie Garibaldi, so let me ask you something If your ad budget disappeared tomorrow, would your practice still grow? If that question makes you a little uneasy, you're not alone. 

01:21
So many professionals think that they need to throw thousands of dollars at Google or Facebook ads just to get clients, but here's the truth the most successful professionals don't rely on ads at all. They build authority, they create connections, they generate referrals on autopilot and they bring in consistent, high-value clients. And in today's episode, that's exactly what I want to share with you. I'm going to be breaking down a five part framework that will help you scale your practice to six figures and beyond organically. So I'm going to be talking about how to position yourself as an authority so clients come to you. I'm going to talk about the number one overlooked strategy that gets professionals a steady stream of referrals, and how to use free PR and speaking engagements to explode your credibility. So if you're ready to stop relying on unpredictable ad campaigns and start building a practice that grows itself organically, then let's dive in, all right. So let's dive into a myth that's been holding back too many professionals, and that's the idea that you need to spend a lot of money on ads to get clients. 

02:35
So first off, let's talk about why relying solely on paid ads is a risky game. So sure, they might bring in some quick wins, but here's the catch they're expensive, ads are unpredictable and typically only give you short-term results. Now, I'm not opposed to sprinkling in ads into your budget, but being very careful with them and definitely not relying on them to build your practice. So it's almost like trying to fill a leaky bucket you keep pouring money in, but the clients slip away as soon as you stop paying. Okay, so the most successful practices out there they don't rely on ads alone. So they're built on three key things referrals, authority and trust, and these are the golden tickets to long-term success. 

03:30
So this brings me to the key mindset shift that you need to make. So stop chasing short-term transactions and start focusing on long-term relationship building. So it's not about getting as many clients as possible right now. It's really about creating a sustainable practice that grows organically over time. Think about it this way Would you rather have a client who found you through an ad and might forget about you as soon as their situation is resolved? Or would you prefer a client who came to you because their friend raved about your services and now trusts you implicitly? So building these relationships take time and effort, but the payoff is huge. So you'll have a steady stream of clients who already trust you before they even walk through your door. So if you're currently pouring money into ads and not seeing the results that you want, it might be time to rethink your strategy. So focus on building your authority, nurturing relationships and providing exceptional service, and that's how you create a thriving practice that stands the test of time. So it's important to remember that in the legal mediation and divorce spaces, trust is your most valuable currency. 

04:47
Okay, so let's move into the meat of the discussion, and this is the five-part framework that I want to share with you. That will help you scale your practice organically. So let's start with step number one, which is building an authority-first personal brand. If you're listening to this podcast and you've subscribed to it, you've probably heard me talk a lot about how do you build that authority-first personal brand. Now here's something crucial to understand Clients don't just hire professionals. They hire experts that they trust. So think about it. 

05:21
When you're facing, maybe, a legal issue, you want someone who knows their stuff right, someone who can guide you through the complexities with confidence, and that's why building your authority is so important. So how do you position yourself as the go-to expert in your niche? It's really just all about showcasing your knowledge and expertise in a way that resonates with your potential clients, and so I want to break down some tactics that can help you build authority fast. The first one is create educational content. That could be on LinkedIn, instagram or YouTube wherever your potential clients hang out online, so share some common issues in your field. So maybe you're going to explain complex legal concepts in simple terms, or maybe you're going to give practical tips that people can use often. 

06:13
So the key here is to provide value. First, show people that you know what you're talking about and that you're willing to share that knowledge. Next, you want to get out there and speak. Look for those opportunities at local events maybe bar associations, other associations that you belong to, where maybe your ideal client hangs out, or maybe your ideal referral partner hangs out there. You want to consider doing online webinars, workshops. Public speaking is a fantastic way to establish yourself as an authority, and you don't have to feel overwhelmed about it, because you can actually do it face to face if you're comfortable with it, or you can do it screen to screen, which is basically virtually so. 

06:59
Another great tactic is to get featured in blogs, news outlets and podcasts, and this gives you exposure to new audiences and really helps to build your credibility. But don't be shy about reaching out to relevant media, because they're always looking for expert opinions on matters. So I can imagine what some of you might be thinking right now. You may be saying to yourself but I'm not really comfortable putting myself out there like that, and I get it. It can feel awkward at first, but remember you're not bragging or showing off. You're just sharing valuable information that can help people. So focus on that and it becomes much easier, because what you're really doing here is you are helping people to solve a problem, and if they can't find you or they don't know about you, then you can't help them solve that problem Right. So think about it in terms of service and what you can do to help those that are in desperate need for your solutions. 

08:03
So building an authority first brand is not about becoming a celebrity professional. It's about consistently demonstrating your expertise and building trust with your potential clients, and when you do this right, clients will start coming to you rather than you having to chase them. So here's your homework Pick one platform whether it's LinkedIn, instagram or something else and commit to sharing one piece of valuable content every single week. It could be a tip, maybe it's an explanation of a concept. Just start somewhere and be consistent, and remember that building authority takes time, but the payoff is huge, because when you're seen as the expert in your space, clients will choose you over the competition every single time. By the way, if you're finding this episode valuable, I've covered related topics in past episodes that can really help deepen your understanding, so please be sure to check out those episodes. I'm going to actually drop the links in the show notes so you can find them easily and create a more robust resource for you on this topic. 

09:10
All right, so let's move to step number two of the organic growth framework, and that is mastering the art of referrals and word-of-mouth growth. And this is the secret sauce that most successful professionals swear by, and, for many professionals, referrals are still the number one growth strategy for the majority of thriving practices. Why? Because people trust recommendations from friends, family or other professionals way more than they trust ads or cold outreach, and I think a lot of you probably know that. Now you might be thinking well, how do I get more referrals without coming across as pushy or desperate? And so don't worry about that, I have you covered here. 

09:56
Let's break it down into three simple strategies. Number one is focus on delivering a wow client experience, and I'm talking about service so good that your clients can't help but rave about you to others. It's important to know that they will remember how you made them feel. So were you responsive? Were you empathetic? Did you explain things clearly? Explain things clearly. These little things add up to create a memorable experience, and please don't forget about these, because sometimes, in helping and pushing clients along, we forget about how to be more responsive and more empathetic to the people that need our help most. 

10:40
Second, timing is everything when asking for referrals. So when is the best time? So, right after a successful case, when your client is over the moon with the results, they're feeling great, or maybe they've complimented you on something that you did for them, that's the perfect moment to say something like I'm so glad we achieved this outcome for you. If you know of anyone else who might need similar help, I'd be most grateful if you'd pass along my name. Simple. 

11:09
Now let's talk about a strategy that can supercharge your referrals the referral partner strategy, and this is about building relationships with professionals in complementary fields. So, depending on the type of work that you do, it could be financial advisors, therapists, realtors. So the type of referral partners really depend on the type of work that you do. So, for example, for workplace mediators. Their referral partners could be HR professionals, maybe CEOs, entrepreneurs. So the key here is to create a simple referral system where you recommend each other. Okay, so it's a win-win you get new clients, they get new clients and the referred clients get trusted recommendations. So let me share a real-world example of how powerful this can be. 

11:59
So a family lawyer who decided to build a referral network with local therapists who specialized in family counseling. What she did is she reached out, she introduced herself and offered to be a resource for their clients and kept them in the loop with respect to best practices in mediation and continually educated these therapists on parenting plans and other key subjects. So in return, she started recommending these therapists to her clients who needed that emotional support. And then the result was she significantly increased the number of clients within 12 months. Why? Because she focused on one powerful referral partner, meaning that of therapists, and built a niche around relationships with these therapists so that they could continually refer to her and she could refer out to them. But more importantly, her clients were getting holistic support, which really just led to better outcomes and even more positive word of mouth. 

13:04
So what about if you're not comfortable with asking for referrals. It can feel a bit awkward at first, but I think it's important to remember that if you've done a great job for your clients, most of them will be happy to recommend you. Okay, you're not being pushy, you're simply giving them the opportunity to help their friends or colleagues who might be in a similar situation. And so here's a great way to start At the end of each successful case, make it a habit to say something like I'm looking for more people like yourself, so if you know anyone who may need my services, please don't hesitate to give them my contact information. So it's that simple and there's no pressure on them. But you're just getting into the habit of saying that to people because it will resonate with them, with the ones that you know. Come across people in the situation that they're in, and they will recommend you. Okay, but it's important to make it a habit to say that at the end of each client resolution Okay. 

14:03
So remember that the goal here isn't to become a pushy salesperson. It's about building genuine relationships and just providing value first, and when you do this consistently, the referrals will start flowing naturally. So here's your action step Identify three potential referral partners in your local area. Reach out to them this week and start building those relationships. And for your existing clients, I want you to start incorporating that gentle referral ask into your case-closing process. Okay, if you have a case-closing process, write it down, put it there so that you remember to make that ask, casually but powerfully, in a way where they understand that if they're happy with the results and they know of anyone else that they will think of you. But we have to remind people, because people don't remember to do that. So clients have other things on their mind and it's important that we build in that last step. 

15:02
Okay, let's dive into step three of our organic growth framework, and that's content marketing that attracts the right clients. So here's the deal Educational content is like a 24-hour ambassador for your practice. Okay, it attracts potential clients by providing value up front, and when you share helpful information, you're not just showcasing your expertise, you're building trust and positioning yourself as the go-to authority in your field. So what kind of content works best for legal and mediation professionals? So I wanna break it down into three categories. First, we have short-term content, and this is perfect for platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram, and we're talking about quick, digestible posts that address FAQs. Maybe they bust legal myths or they share brief case studies, and these are great for catching people's attention as they scroll through their feeds. Next up is long-form content. Think about blog posts or YouTube videos where you dive into legal topics, you create in-depth guides that walk people through complex legal processes, and this type of content positions you as a true expert and is great for SEO, too. Lastly, we have live content, and this could be webinars or live streams on social media, where you do Qs and as. So live content is fantastic because it allows you to interact directly with your audience, building that all-important personal connection. So I think it's important to aim to post two to three times a week, and remember that quality trumps quantity every time, and so it's better to have one really helpful post than five mediocre ones. 

16:53
Second, become a master of repurposing. Let's say, you write a blog post about the top five things to know about creating a will. You can turn that one post into five separate LinkedIn posts, each focusing on one of those points, right, and then you can record a quick video summarizing the blog post for YouTube or Instagram, and suddenly you have one piece of content that's turned into seven. Okay, so some of you may be thinking but I'm not comfortable on camera, if you're thinking about doing video, or maybe I'm not a really good writer. But here's the thing you don't have to be perfect, you just have to be helpful. 

17:34
Your potential clients aren't looking for a polished TV presenter or a winning author. They're looking for someone who knows their stuff and can explain it clearly. So start with what you're comfortable with. If writing comes to you easily, start a blog. If you're more of a talker, start recording short audio clips or videos. The key is to get started and be consistent. And here's a pro tip Keep a running list of questions that your clients frequently ask, and each of these questions can be turned into a piece of content. This way, you're creating content that you know your potential clients are interested in, and I think it's important to remember that the goal of your content isn't to give away free advice. It's to demonstrate your expertise. It's to demonstrate your expertise, it's to build trust and it's to show potential clients that you understand their problems and you know how to solve them. And I think by consistently putting out valuable content, you're starting to attract the right clients to your practice, and they'll come to you already knowing that you're the expert that they need. So, as we've talked about before, you need to be online in order for people to really start the know, like and trust factor. You can be highly referred by somebody, but you can be sure that that person is going to be Googling you and trying to find you online before they even pick up the phone to call you. So this is why it's super important to make sure that they can find you online. 

19:07
All right, so let's dive into step four of our organic growth framework, and that's leveraging free public relations and speaking engagements. So here's the deal. Pr is like a secret weapon for organic growth. It's all about getting your name out there and building credibility, because when you're featured in major publications or on TV shows, what happens is potential clients see you as an authority in your field. So how do you get featured in places like Forbes, huffington Post or even TV? 

19:41
So let me break down for you with a step-by-step PR strategy. So the first one is use HARO H-A-R-O that's an acronym for Help a Reporter Out. So all you need to do is Google that. It's a free service where journalists post queries looking for expert sources, sources. So what you do is you sign up, you monitor the queries in your field and you respond quickly with your expertise, and this is how many professionals land quotes in major publications. So next, you want to engage with those journalists and bloggers on LinkedIn, follow them, comment on their posts and share their articles. Build relationships before you need them, because when you have a story to pitch, they're going to be more likely to listen. 

20:29
Next is you want to look at landing speaking gigs, and so speaking engagements, as you know, are fantastic opportunities for building your reputation and connecting with potential clients. And here's how to get started. You want to start small. You want to look for local business groups, chambers of commerce or community organizations that need speakers. You want to offer to give them a free workshop on a topic that's relevant to their members, of course, always connected to their pain points experience. You're going to reach out to industry events and conferences and just know that these event organizers are always looking for fresh, engaging content, and I think it's important to remember that PR and speaking engagements are all about playing the long game, because it's not about instant results. It's about consistently building your reputation and visibility, and I think if you do this right, you'll find that clients are coming to you and they're seeing you as the go-to expert in your field, and that's the goal for many professionals. 

21:35
All right, so let's look at the final step of our organic growth framework, and that's building a strong network and community presence. And this is really where the rubber meets the road in creating a thriving practice. So I want to start with the fundamental truth. People hire professionals that they know, like and trust. This is especially true in the legal, mediation and divorce spaces. So I want you to think about it. 

22:02
When someone needs your help, they're often in a vulnerable position. They want someone they can rely on, someone who feels familiar and trustworthy. So how do you become that person? And I think it's all about networking and community involvement. So some of you may be thinking oh, I'm not sure I really like networking. Maybe you picture awkward conversations and forced small talk. But here's the secret Effective networking doesn't feel salesy at all. It's about building genuine relationships. 

22:34
So let me break down some strategies for you. First, you should consider joining some local groups, associations where your ideal market hangs out. These organizations are gold mines for meeting other professionals and potential clients. But here's the key Don't go in with the mindset of how can these people help me. Instead, I want you to think about how can I contribute to this community. See the difference. You offer your expertise, you volunteer for committees or you help organize events, and when you give value, first the connections and opportunities naturally follow, and then you can think about attending community or industry events. Right, this could be anything from local charity fundraisers to conferences. 

23:20
The goal is to be visible and engaged in your community. And if you don't have the time to, you know. Commit to volunteering. You don't have to do that, but commit the time in your calendar to showing up at some of these events, to be visible in your community. Strike up conversations, show genuine interest in others and be ready to share a bit about what you do when you're asked like hey, what do you do and how do you help people. And here's a powerful strategy. It's one I talk about a lot, and that is hosting free workshops or webinars or in-person events for people going through specific situations. 

23:56
Webinars or in-person events for people going through specific situations. So, for example, if you're a certified divorce financial analyst, you could host a workshop or webinar on navigating the financial aspects of divorce, and you put this on consistently every month, maybe every two months, whatever works for you, but it's got to be consistent, and this positions you as an expert and allows people to get to know you in a low pressure environment. So let me share a quick example with you. I know a workplace mediator who decided to focus on really building her network in the local business community. So what she did is she joined the Chamber of Commerce and she offered to give a presentation on conflict resolution in the workplace, and she did this at one of their monthly meetings. Well, that one presentation led to connections with several business owners and they started referring their employees to her for mediation services and they brought her in to support their employees. So remember, the goal isn't to collect as many business cards as possible, it's to build real relationships with people in your community. So when you do this consistently, you become the expert that people will think of first. 

25:10
So I've covered a lot today and I hope you're seeing how powerful it is to build a practice without relying on paid ads. So here's my question for you If you stopped running ads today for those of you that are running ads would your practice still grow? And if the answer is no, then I think it's time to shift your focus. Start small. Just pick one of the strategies we talked about today and commit to it. Maybe it's posting on LinkedIn one article a week. Maybe it's creating a video once a week on YouTube, or maybe it's reaching out to one referral partner. 

25:49
Maybe you're pitching yourself for one podcast interview, because, the truth is, the most successful professionals aren't the ones spending the most on ads, believe it or not. I'm not saying that they're not using ads. Some of them may be using it in their overall strategy, but the majority of them are doing the organic marketing because they've really built their reputation around that, really built their reputation around that, and they're really the ones who build real authority. They're the ones who create meaningful relationships. They're the ones who don't chase clients because clients are coming to them. So are you ready to take action? If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Maybe send me a direct message on LinkedIn and let me know which strategy you're going to try. First, if you found this episode valuable, please share it with one of your colleagues who needs to hear this and, of course, if you want more in-depth strategies, subscribe to the podcast so that you don't miss another episode. Thanks for tuning in today and see you in the next episode.