Blog by Julian Summerhayes. 390 words
Reserved, cautious, status quo: The touchstone of (professional) practice.
To think anything other than now, or, in a lot of cases, casting your net back to the halcyon days of practice, is in flagrant disregard to the ‘hold on’ mentality that has inculcated its way into the way you do business.
Absent legislative change, would you really look to embrace innovation, change or difference?
Imagine if you were starting out in business right now. Are you (seriously) suggesting that you would approach the market in the same, nervous way?
It sounds glib but to think Big is what is required. To see the world through a fresh pair of eyes. I am not suggesting that you adorn your face with a pair of rose coloured glasses but rather you drop those self-limiting beliefs which the market has forced you to accept.
I recognise that in certain quarters the market is flat and may even be in decline (personal injury) but if you are prepared to dream Big when it comes to remarkable customer service, value added, consistency, timing, being insanely great and personable then you can expect to attract more work than you ever thought possible. You may think that this is small thinking Big (apologies for the tautological expression) but consistency around one area of EXCELLENCE is likely to earn you more clients, over the medium term, than you know how to handle.
I know this sounds simplistic, but differentiating your proposition is incredibly important, and talking things up is more than a start.
This is not an exercise in right brain dreaming, but rather a means to an end: thinking Big abets a positive reinforcement of your belief that law or the practice thereof has a meaningful and valuable part to play in everyday lives.
I don’t want to lay down cliche after cliche but the truth of the matter is that thinking as if you already possess the best clients, the most lucrative work and the most enjoyable work/life balance is more than just a mind game. My experience tells me that whatever you can conceive, if exponential in your thinking, will at least, in part, come to fruition. If all you do is think about more of the same then don’t be surprised if that is what you end up with.