For the vast majority of lawyers, self-promotion ranks right up there with answering interrogatories as the bane of our lawyerly existence.
Yet how that can be in light of all of those SuperLawyer, Facebook and LinkedIn humblebrag posts? What about those people who pre-COVID walked down the hall pounding their chest, blowing a horn about their latest success? Isn't all of that self-promotion? If so, doesn't that mean that there are plenty of lawyers who love self-promotion?
Yes, of course. But not you, and not thousands of good lawyers like you. You vow not be one of "those" types. You fear being seen that way.
In fact, you might not publicly admit it but you still believe that being a good lawyer ought to be enough for more business, better assignments, or a new job to come your way.
Wake up and put your hands back on the wheel of your career! Eventually we will have autonomous vehicles, but not soon enough to navigate the road you are on.
No matter whether you are looking to build your book of business, get a promotion, or find a new job, the underlying idea is to become slightly famous to your target market. In my opinion, becoming a little bit famous to your target market includes appropriate self-promotion. (For more on this slightly famous concept, see Steven Van Yoder's "Get Slightly Famous, Become a Celebrity in Your Field and Attract More Business").
So, what is appropriate self-promotion? Gauge it for yourself.
If your car still has such a thing, look at a traditional speedometer. See 0 mph as absolutely no self-promotion and 120 mph as the most inappropriate self-promoting lawyer you can think of.
Where are you on the self-promotion speedometer? When I ask, many lawyers will admit they are at 0. Then I ask if there is a speed they could go between 0 and 120 without crossing the line. What would 60 mph look like? What about 30 mph? In these conversations, lawyers inevitably start thinking of acceptable, fact-based things they can do and say, to relevant people, at relevant times, to start moving the needle.
What is your ideal self-promotion speed for 2022? What would you be doing at that speed? What do you need to do to get there?
Take a deep breath and take control. Put your hands on the wheel of your career and get going.
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Elizabeth Jolliffe is a certified career and business development coach for lawyers. For 13 years Elizabeth has helped motivated, successful lawyers make changes to get more of what they want in their career. She practiced for 19 years prior to that as a business litigator and partner at a large Michigan firm. For more information, visit www.YourBenchmarkCoach.com.
