Competing for Clientele as a Small Firm
| Publication year | 2017 |
| Author | By Anup A. Mehta |
By Anup A. Mehta
Anup A. Mehta was once a Defense Attorney representing Acute Care Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities before switching sides. He now practices in all areas of Plaintiff's Personal Injury under his own Firm name, Mehta Law.
I have always had a high level of respect for my fellow attorneys regardless of our differences in practice areas or whom we choose to represent. After all, we have all gone through similar struggles to get to where we are today. Whether you have been practicing for the past forty years or are a newly barred attorney, we have all overcome obstacles getting to where we are ? it is our common ground.
Another common ground for some of us is the difficult decision we made to go out on our own as a solo practitioner or as a small firm. As some of you can attest, the decision to "go solo" becomes exponentially more complex as you progress in life and your career.
In April of 2016, I opened the doors to my own small firm in the hopes of taking resolute strides towards the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. For me, the "pot of gold" was, and still is, the thrill of owning something in which I can invest and watch grow, while having complete autonomy over my life and finances. I am sure many of you had the same ideas when first making this important decision for yourselves.
In any event, soon after my decision, I gained an instantaneous and marked increase in respect for solo practitioners and small firms alike and the labors they face daily.
From the occasional doubt that creeps in to your mind about your abilities or whether you made the right decision to forego a stable paycheck to the frenzied management of day-to-day office tasks, including obtaining new clientele, it can be difficult and trying. You have my utmost respect. Just keep in mind that you are doing this all for yourself and your family. Each one of you has the focus and mental resilience of Michael Phelps staring down Chad Le Clos at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.
Nevertheless, because I have been in business less than one year, some of you may think that I am not yet qualified to offer the ensuing advice on competing for clientele as a small firm. I get it. It has become second nature for many of us to be critical of the information we receive and to be equally cynical of the source from which the information originates. However, I have attained some experience with respect to competing for clientele against larger law firms. None of my advice or the information below is backed by any scientific data; they are just my thoughts, pen to paper.
I am sure this subheading will irk many of you. Relax. We take our ourselves too seriously. I will say it again, "You cannot win against Goliath." Forget Goliath, we may have struggles competing against the younger brothers and sisters of the reputed Goliath. Before you turn red with rage, take a second.
What do I mean by this? Do I mean that you will not be able to render Goliath blind with your proverbial legal slingshot? No. You definitely can and will. However, the "Goliath" In this context is not your opponent in the classical courtroom sense, but rather the mid-size and large firms you compete against for clientele. You cannot win against Goliath because of the "WOW" factor.
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Think about how people may have reacted when they first set eyes on Goliath. By all accounts, Goliath's description was that of a man between 6'9" and 9'9" tall and built like the spawn of modern day actors Vin Diesel and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The description is enough for anyone to say, "Wow." In the same way, on average, nine out of ten potential clients who walk in to a mid-size or large firm are going to be "wowed" by the square footage of the office, the size of the firm, the number of staff employed, and the well-placed oak wood throughout the suite.
One-hundred percent of those nine potential...
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