Dave Lorenzo Law Firm Marketing Expert

Dave Lorenzo helps solo attorneys, large law firms and small independent law practices make a great living and live a great life.

People say his down-to-earth personality reflects more of his street smarts than his Ivy-League education.

Contact Dave


Contact Guide:
Click Here For Contact Info

Phone:

1.888.692.5531




Article Categories

Search this Site


Subscribe to Daily
Email Updates

Enter your Email




Featured in Alltop

Law & Legal Blogs - Blog Catalog Blog Directory

The First Step in Building a Succesful Law Firm as a Solo Attorney

Posted by Dave Lorenzo

Successful solo attorneys understand that a law firm is a business. 

Building a successful law business starts with setting goals, writing them down, and reviewing them regularly.

The very first question I ask my clients in my coaching practice is:

“What do you want from your business?”

It doesn’t matter if the person across the desk from me is a litigator or a transactional attorney.  It is no different if the attorney in my office is an intellectual property attorney or the owner of a personal injury firm.

Just about every one of them tries to give me a long-winded answer about taking care of customers, giving back to society, and making the world a better place.

After I let them say their piece, I politely tell them that they are full of crap!

Well, at least I hope they are full of crap.

The only good reason to go into business for yourself is to make a lot of money doing exactly what you want to do when you want to do it.

That’s it.

If you went out on your own and started up a law firm and you did not have this thought in your head, then you should go out and look for a job.

You see, without goals, that’s what you probably have with your law business anyway. If you’re currently working 50, 60, or 70 hours a week or more and you’re struggling to get by financially, you’ve got yourself a job that you paid to set up from scratch.

Plain and simple, that’s what you’ve got.

So the next thing the attorney will typically say is:

“Yeah, but I’m building up equity in the law firm and I’m going to sell it someday”.

I then lean back in my chair and I ponder that thought. I respond with:

“Well, let’s think about that for a second. You have a business that is 100 percent dependent upon you.”

You make the sale to the client. And you deliver the product or service.
And then you service the things you sell.
And then you follow up on the invoices.
And then you go out and sell some more. 

What was the common word in all of those activities? YOU.

How much is your business going to be worth without you?

Most of the folks then look down at the floor and shuffle their feet a little. 

That’s when I’ve got them. They know that they have not focused on what their law firm can do for them. You see, if they had goals for revenue, profitability, and numbers of hours they wanted to work—and if all of these goals were in alignment—they would have a reasonable answer.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

Most people go out and start their own law firm and then they get caught up in the day-to-day practice of law. What falls by the wayside is the planning. You have to have at least some rough idea for what you want your business to be and then you—personally—need to take responsibility for getting your business to that point.

This is where goal setting comes in. 

Every successful attorney I have ever met, worked with, or interviewed has goals.
And they’ve written them down.

And they review them regularly.

Your goals help you drive your business. It’s that simple. 

What you focus on grows and expands. If you focus on your goals, you will be shocked at how quickly things begin to happen in your business.

After I have this conversation with the typical client and after we wrestle around a little about how they don’t have five minutes three of four times a day to think about their goals, they finally admit to what it is that has been bothering them. They admit that they don’t really know how to set a good constructive goal. 

Since this happens all the time, it is probably a good idea if we take a couple of minutes and review some quick tips on goal setting.

How to Set SMART Goals

A lot has been written about goal development. A quick Internet search will point you to numerous Web sites dedicated to the development and implementation of goals. Having too much information can be as bad as not having enough information. As you develop your goals, you should stick to the principle that less is more. After all, your goal setting should help you grow your business and not become a full-time job itself.

In keeping with that guideline, let’s stick to the basics in effective goal development. Use these basics as a framework for developing your own goals. Feel free to adapt and adjust them as you see fit. They must work for you, so your opinion is the one that matters the most. Here are the two guidelines that you must follow to make goal setting a powerful tool in your overall pursuit of success:

First, the power of a goal comes in writing it down on a sheet of paper and then in reading it every day. The more frequently you read it, or even better, the more frequently you write it, the closer it comes to resembling reality. The power of the commitment that is required to transfer thoughts into action cannot be underestimated. By writing your goals down on paper, you clarify and focus them. As you continually read them and write them, you begin to familiarize your brain with the possibility that these goals can become reality. If you write down your goals daily and envision the achievement of those goals in vivid detail, you will begin to convince yourself that these goals are indeed possible.

The second guideline in making goal setting a powerful achievement tool is to always state your goal using positive terminology. Focus on what you are going to do right rather than what is wrong with your current situation.

The time for developing goals is not the time for problem diagnosis. It is the time to picture this achievement in its ideal and unadulterated state. The reading or writing of a goal should fill you with positive energy that you can focus toward a positive outcome.

I have always been a proponent of setting goals based upon the SMART goal development methodology. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Tangible. A goal must fit all of those criteria for it to make your list.

The first quality of a goal is that it is specific. The more detail you can bring to your goal, the more likely it is that your brain will perceive it as real. A great test to measure the specificity of your goal is in answering the five “W’s.” The five “W’s” involved in goal setting are:

•Who: Who is involved? Can you accomplish this goal by yourself or do you need the help of others?
•What: What specifically do you want to accomplish?
•Where: Is this goal specific to a location? Where will you be when you achieve this goal?
•When: When will you achieve this goal? It is critical that you establish a timeframe for achieving each of your goals.
•Why: Why is achieving this goal important? List the specific benefits of accomplishing the goal.

The next step is to make certain you can measure progress on your way toward goal accomplishment. You know that your goal is measurable when you can apply specific objective criteria to help track your progress toward completion. The best question to use to test the measurability of your goals is: “How will I know that I have accomplished this goal?”

Measurement has a very powerful effect on progress. Simply put, things that get measured get done. To define how you will measure your goal, ask yourself questions that begin with “How much”, “How many”, and “How often”. Set some target dates to make sure you remain on track.

The next quality your goal must have is that it must be achievable. In other words, it must be possible. Initially, achieving your goal may seem like a stretch. That’s fine; you want a goal that will make you reach. When you set a goal that channels your passion, your brain goes to work figuring out ways to make it happen. You develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge that help you move down the path toward achievement. Gradually, you begin to see opportunities that you may have previously missed. As you begin to take advantage of these opportunities, you bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goal.

You can attain virtually any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a timeframe that allows you to carry out those steps. A goal that initially appeared distant and unattainable gradually becomes closer and more possible, not because your goal changed, but because you grew and expanded to match it. The change occurs within you.

Next, your goal must be realistic given the timeframe you have set. To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective you are both willing and able to spend time and energy achieving. A goal can be challenging and still be realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. You will stretch your goals as your self-confidence increases. It is critical to make sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a less challenging one because a minor goal requires a low level of personal motivation. Some of the hardest things you ever accomplish actually seem easy because you approach them with passion and zeal.

Finally, your goal must be tangible. A goal is tangible when you can experience it with at least one of the five senses. Can you taste, touch, smell, see, or hear the results? If so, then you have a tangible goal. If your goal is tangible you can envision it before it is achieved. This helps program your mind and reinforces the belief that achievement is possible.

Each and every one of the successful individuals I have worked with over the years has had goals that fit these criteria. 

So, what can you do today—right now—to make sure that you get your goals in place?

The first thing I recommend you do is find someone to bounce some ideas off of. Many people struggle with the goal setting process. In fact, many people have a difficult time deciding exactly what they want from their business. Goal setting is difficult, if not impossible to do on your own. It is like cutting your own hair. You may be able to get to everything you can see, but it is the areas that you cannot see that may be the problem. You may have a blind spot, and that may prevent you from accurately setting the proper goals. You may set you goals too high—or more likely; you may set your goals too low.

Making an error in goal setting can be a fatal error and it should not be left to chance.

This is where a coach can be enormously helpful. Your coach can help you clarify your goals and help you get them written properly. You coach can also help remind you to focus on those goals each and every day. My clients will tell you that I’m a broken record when it comes to this point. When they call me between sessions with a question, the first thing I ask them is what they have done to move closer to their goals today.

Taking accountability for the actions that lead to achieving your goals is also critical for success.

What are you waiting for?

Print The First Step in Building a Succesful Law Firm as a Solo Attorney Email The First Step in Building a Succesful Law Firm as a Solo Attorney
Click this link for more articles by Dave Lorenzo

Trackbacks:

The trackback URL for this entry is:

There are no trackbacks for this entry

Comments:

Name:

Email:

Location:

URL:

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

Submit the word you see below:


Sign up for our
FREE
Email Course Titled:

How Smart Lawyers
Make a Great Living
AND
Get Home for Dinner OnTime
EVERY NIGHT!

First
Name
Last
Name
Email
Please Enter the Security Code Shown Below:
Click Here To Get Clients Now

Ethical Legal Marketing

Judson Cohen

“I thought I knew all about running my practice and generating work but, I have to admit, I learned a bunch from Dave Lorenzo.

I’ll admit it, I made the same mistake most attorneys make about new business. I assumed doing a great job for my existing clients was enough to guarantee new business.

Yes, you have to do a great job for your clients. However, that does not guarantee new business. Dave helped me put in place simple and effective tools to reach out to new clients and maintain a healthy relationship with past clients.

Dave Lorenzo continues to help me find sustainable, ethical ways to consistently attract new business.“

Judson Cohen
Cohen Law Offices
Personal Injury and Civil Litigation
Miami, FL

 

My Law Firm Marketing Guide

Marc Kleiner

“After spending years in law school and in the business world, I realize the value in staying up-to-date on strategy, practice management and marketing. 

My Rainmaker membership has been a valuable resource in helping me stay on top of my game.

Building a law firm is a combination of art and science.  I’m glad to have the Rainmaker Lawyer Systems to help guide me.”

Marc Kleiner
Kleiner & Cazeau
Aventura, FL

Powerful Law Firm Marketing Plan

Evan Richards

I’ve used Dave Lorenzo’s law firm marketing information and advice to grow my practice and the results have been great.

Thanks to Dave’s guidance, my firm, my employees and I were recruited and offered an opportunity to join a prestigious firm here in Australia. 

Everyone is wondering how a young guy like me managed to build my practice from the ground up within a year.  Dave and Rainmaker Lawyer Consulting have helped give me an edge.

Evan Richards
St, Adelaide SA, Australia

 

Superb Legal Marketing Expert

Gerry Oginski

“There are only a handful of legal marketing experts that I think are truly superb at what they do. One of them is Dave Lorenzo, the author of the Rainmaker blog. I’m proud to say that I receive all of Dave’s e-mails discussing tips and advice that lawyers should be doing on a regular basis. He gives real-life practice advice that lawyers can implement immediately in their practice. I only wish I had learned about him years ago when I went out on my own.

I am a New York medical malpractice and personal injury trial lawyer for over 21 years and Dave clearly “gets it” and understands legal marketing. I am also the Founder of the Lawyers Video Studio and a avid student of lawyer marketing. Dave’s marketing tips are right on target.

Any lawyer looking to improve their marketing should look no further than Dave Lorenzo.”

Gerry Oginski, Esq.
The Law Office Of Gerald Oginski, LLC
Great Neck, NY

Essential For My Legal Marketing and My Law Firm

Loren Donald Pearson

“Since I began working with Dave I no longer spend sleepless night worrying where my next client will come from. 

Dave has helped me set up a number of legal marketing systems to help my practice grow.  He is a trusted advisor essential to my law firm.

I share information with him that goes beyond legal marketing and he offers honest, objective feedback based upon his years of experience working with other attorneys. 

I strongly recommend Dave Lorenzo and Rainmaker Lawyer Legal Marketing.  Hire him today!”


Loren D. Pearson, Esq.
Assouline & Berlow P.A.
Miami Beach, FL  

Your Law Firm Marketing Strategy Has Transformed My Practice

Mark Fried

“Thank you for your contribution not only to my firm but to the legal community. The strategies you have made available to me have transformed my practice and my life.

The guidance you have given me has allowed my paralegal and me to provide better service to my clients. This is extremely positive and has increased the referrals from my clients to me.

You are truly the best at enabling me to ‘make more rain’ with your law firm marketing strategy”.

Mark Fried, Esq.
Mark E. Fried P.A.
Miami, FL

Dave Helps You Achieve Your Attorney Marketing Goals

Leslie Zigel

“Dave Lorenzo is one of those people who know how to tap into an individual’s ultimate career and personal potential and unlock the life force that is necessary to manifest the drive and desire inside of everyone to achieve their full calling.

I highly recommend David’s attorney marketing services if like me, you seek to work to live, instead of living to work.”

Leslie José Zigel, Esq.
Ziglaw
Miami, FL

Your Lawyer Marketing Process Has Revived My Practice

Scott Wagner

Dear Dave,

Rarely do I take the time to write a recommendation or testimonial.

But it is tough not to return the love when someone does the following:

You’ve refueled my fire to practice law.

You’ve made me earn more money.

You’ve made me proud to be an attorney.

You’ve made me a happier person.

You’ve made me a better parent and friend.

Read it again because it is the truth.  It’s also what we all want out of life.  Your lawyer marketing process provides those keys to success and for that I thank you.”

Scott A. Wagner, Esq.
Moore & Company, P.A.
Coral Gables, FL

Marketing for Lawyers: Dave Lorenzo is the Real Thing

Brett Panter

“David V. Lorenzo author and founder of Rainmaker Lawyer, is the “Real Thing.”

David has the Ideas, Concepts and Drive to help a lawyer or law firm grow their business.

He knows what it takes and is willing to help those who want to grow. David is well educated and experienced and a pleasure to work with. David can become a part of the fabric and integrity of your law firm and give you the techniques and methods for marketing for lawyers, that have taken years to learn and perfect.” 

Brett Panter, Esq.
Sr. Partner
Panter Panter & Sampedro. P.A.
Miami, FL

Dave’s Rainmaker Legal Marketing will Make it Pour

Robert Rogers

“Dave has an excellent understanding of what makes businesses succeed and recognizes the importance of a good work/life balance.

I highly recommend Mr. Lorenzo’s services for any attorney that wants to understand better the wealth potential of their own practice, as well as increase the amount of time doing and living the way that we all want to. When teaching you how to rain make, Dave’s Rainmaker legal marketing will not just help you make the rain fall; he’ll make it pour.”

Robert Rogers, Esq.

Robert Rogers Law Firm, PA
Coral Gables, FL

Law Firm Marketing Plan Charged with Energy

Alicia Santana Torres

“David Lorenzo has successfully transferred the skills he acquired during a brilliant career in business consulting to the legal profession.  The lawyers in the room who had already been coached by David Lorenzo stood out from the crowd for their business vision, practice satisfaction and a solid law firm marketing plan.”

Alicia Santana Torres, Esq.
Santana Torres Law Offices, P.L.
Coral Gables FL

Lawyers Marketing Their Services are Blessed to Have You

Barry Stein

Dear David:

As you already knew, and as I learned, what separates you from any other such service is the time you spend to learn and understand the attorney’s practice you are working with AND to explore the goals and objectives of the attorneys involved. This two prong approach allows for you to develop a unique plan for lawyers marketing their services.

For those who love the practice of law, it is a real relief to have someone who loves to assist in the promotion of that work. Thanks for deciding to create Rainmaker Lawyer Consulting and as corny as it sounds, I know I am blessed by your having entered my life, both professionally and personally.

Barry A. Stein, Esq.

De Cardenas, Freixas, Stein &  Zachary, P.A.
Miami, FL

Attorneys Marketing Their Law Firms Can’t Go Wrong with Rainmaker Lawyer

Steve Klitzner

“No matter what Dave is charging these days he is worth every penny.  He will help you make a great living and live a great life.

He regularly transforms underperforming law firms into rainmaking powerhouses. 

If you want direct interaction action with a law firm marketing and strategy expert who helps attorneys marketing their practices grow revenue fast, there is only one thing you can do…call Dave Lorenzo right now.”

Steven Klitzner, Esq.
Miami, FL

Great Law Firm Marketing System

David Edelstein

“As a criminal defense attorney, I am used to fighting against overwhelming odds.  It’s a tough job.  I face difficult challenges on a daily basis.  But the truth is, none of those challenges are as tough as starting a law firm and finding clients.  Law school prepares you for many things but marketing certainly isn’t one of them.

That’s where Dave Lorenzo and Rainmaker Lawyer Consulting come in.  Dave helps me refine my law firm marketing plan, execute the strategy and measure the results.  The guidance, expertise and support I receive from him are invaluable.

If you love the law and you want to build a firm that suits your lifestyle, I highly recommend working with Rainmaker Lawyer Consulting.  Listen to Dave and follow his system.  Making more money is good, but having a law firm designed around my life is even better.”

David Edelstein, Esq.
Law Offices of David M. Edelstein, P.A.
Miami, FL

The Top Marketing Consultant for Attorneys

Rich Gee

“Dave is THE marketing consultant to attorneys. He works tirelessly to help his clients build value and streamline their practice. I tell many of my clients to spend just a few minutes with Dave and you’ll walk away with a game plan for success. Become his client and you just might transform your firm and your life because he is the top marketing consultant for attorneys.”

Rich Gee
Stamford, CT

Expert In Marketing for Law Firms

Brad Gross

“Dave Lorenzo has helped me build a reliable and consistent revenue stream in my law practice.

As a direct result of Dave’s advice, my practice has increased by over 30%. Right from the start Dave helped me to think differently – focusing on the value I provide to my clients, and pointed out different ways of viewing my practice. We developed marketing systems that help position me in my market niche.

My meetings with Dave are definitely best described as high-level strategic planning sessions that always produce results. Whether you are looking for the next big idea or just need a boost to help you get started – Dave is the guy to call.

Working with Dave is a great experience.  He is an expert at marketing for law firms and I highly recommend him to other attorneys.”

Brad Gross, Esq.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Key Strategic Thought Partner

Barry Conchie

“Dave is an outstanding business executive and key strategic thought partner.

He specializes in disruptive thinking and challenging orthodox approaches and specifically seeks to define a clear value proposition to all work activity. He has great business sense and is able to use very wide knowledge to come up with novel solutions. Dave commands strong loyalty because of his level of commitment and follow-through and he is excellent at maintaining a highly effective network that he leverages for everyones’ benefit.

I am very happy to give Dave my highest recommendation.”

Barry Conchie
Washington, D.C.

Click Here To Get Clients Now