My wife and I were talking about a lawyer we knew many years ago when he was new and full of piss and vinegar, and I had been practicing for only a few years. We lost touch with him, but recently heard he had been gravely ill for several years.
He recovered and built a very successful practice with dozens of employees and the wherewithal to purchase his own office building in a swanky part of town.
From death’s door to massive success. How did he make it big when so many lawyers don’t?
I don’t know. But I can guess.
Two things, actually.
First, he was clearly a fighter. Building a successful practice was nothing compared to beating the Grim Reaper.
But that’s more “why” than “how”. What did he actually do to build his practice?
Maybe he made a few powerful connections. Ran a series of ads that took off. Or stumbled into that one big case that brought him lots of attention.
Maybe. But my guess is it was none of those things. My guess is he became successful doing things any lawyer can do. He just did them consistently, something many lawyers don’t.
He didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. He didn’t change his tactics or chase after new markets every few years. He didn’t change what he did or who he was. He stuck with the basics but did them over and over again, making small improvements and otherwise sticking to his knitting.
Over time, his efforts compounded and his fortunes grew.
That’s all it takes to keep clients happy, generate positive word of mouth, and bring in a steady stream of repeat business and referrals.
You show up and do the work and your clients and referral sources fall in love with you.
No shortcuts. No hacks. No surprises.
Just the basics.
That’s all any lawyer needs to make it big. With or without surviving a terminal illness.
