What Do You Do For A Living?
Trade Groups
By Bob Weiss
January 2004: What do you say when someone asks you "what do you do for a living?"
If your answer is: "I'm a lawyer," you've missed a marketing opportunity.
Every attorney must have a practiced self-introduction. It should be one to three sentences in length while taking no longer than 10 seconds to say. And, it's got to be a complete explanation of what you do. That makes it memorable and easy for someone to repeat if they get into a position to explain who you are or, better yet, recommend you.
A good self-introduction begins with "I show people..." or "I help people..." Some examples:
Estate Planning
"I help people create a prosperous retirement, minimize taxes, and plan for an orderly and secure future for their families. I'm a tax lawyer."
Litigation
"I help businesses resolve legal disputes and, whenever possible, avoid the costly consequences of a court fight. I'm a commercial litigator."
Patent/IP
"I show inventors and businesses how they can protect the value of their ideas, products, and materials."
The best self-introduction also includes an interesting memorable and differentiating characteristic. For a family lawyer, for example, "I represent only fathers in divorce."
Like every other important aspect of your legal life, you'll want to practice your self-introduction. Once you have it down pat you'll feel more confident wherever you go.
ALYN-WEISS & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Marketing | Business Development
1331 - 17th Street, Suite 410
Denver, CO 80202
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