Sometimes Doing Less Is Better
Do less, but better.
I think Dieter Rams coined that phrase, but whenever I hear it, I hear it in Mike Whelan’s voice.
If you don’t know Mike, fix that. He wrote a fantastic book about finding your place in the lawyer space and runs the Lawyer Forward Facebook group. Whether he knows it or not, Mike has influenced my career more than almost anyone I didn’t marry or start a business with.
Here’s the thing about me: I screw up. A lot. My wife would confirm this.
What I do have going for me is that I usually learn from my mistakes. I don’t repeat the same ones twice, I just make new ones.
For example, I once blew low five figures sponsoring the wrong event. To be clear, the event itself was excellent. Well-run. Tons of attendees. Amazing speakers. I had a great time.
I made exactly zero dollars from it.
Why? Because it wasn’t the right event for me.
They used click-funnel tactics to attract a large crowd, which worked, but not for my ideal client. The pricing targeted struggling lawyers, which is totally fine, but again not my audience. There was even a built-in networking platform, but we didn’t staff it properly, and when I jumped in, I wasn’t connecting with the people I actually wanted to reach.
It may have been the best COVID-era virtual event out there, but I should have skipped it. I should have done less, but better.
So what does this mean for your firm?
Think Like Your Ideal Client
I know, I talk about this constantly. I won’t belabor it. If you still aren’t crystal clear on who your ideal client is, stop and fix that first.
Now assume you’ve done the work. Get into your ideal client’s mindset.
This part can be tricky. For LegalEase, I am the ideal client, so decisions are easy. I just do what I like.
For Jordan Law, I am absolutely not the ideal client. I’d be a terrible PI client. I hate going to the doctor. I would avoid treatment. I would argue about everything. I would be a nightmare.
That distinction matters. What I personally enjoy has nothing to do with what’s best for my law firm. If you don’t separate those two things, you’ll make emotional decisions instead of strategic ones.
So now that you’re standing in your ideal client’s shoes, ask the first real question: Do they care to connect with a lawyer right now?
If the answer is no, that’s not great for immediate growth, but we’ll come back to that.
If the answer is yes, then ask where they want to connect and why.
Connect Where It Actually Makes Sense
You already know what I’m going to say.
Be there.
If your ideal client wants to connect on a specific platform, and you have the time, energy, and resources to do it properly, then show up. Engage. Share content they actually enjoy. For Jordan Law, memes and dad jokes work. That’s not an accident.
Learn the language of the platform. Learn what type of content performs well. You don’t need to chase every new trend or audio clip. Broad strokes matter more: good images on Instagram, short-form video on TikTok, text-based posts on LinkedIn.
Then stay consistent.
Now, if your ideal client does not want to connect with a lawyer ahead of time, ask the next question: how will they find one when they’re ready?
If they Google, invest in SEO.
If they call billboards, buy billboards.
If they ask for referrals, build relationships with the people they trust.
Simple. Not easy.
Then Do the Hard Part
This is where it all comes together.
Stop doing the other stuff that wastes your time, money, and energy.
If you have a CRM showing you where your best cases come from, great. If you don’t, we need to talk.
If you can’t look at your numbers for an hour and understand what’s working, we need to talk.
If you don’t care about saving time, money, or energy, then we should not talk.
Some campaigns need tweaking. Some need more time. Some are just bad for you.
Google Ads can be great. Maybe not for your firm.
Referrals can be amazing. Maybe not for your practice area.
Social media can be powerful. Maybe not for your ideal client.
Soapbox Moment
Marketing is not one-size-fits-all.
The strategy that made John rich might bankrupt Paul. The tactic sold to George might repel Ringo’s ideal clients.
You wouldn’t walk into a doctor’s office and accept the same treatment as everyone else without a conversation. Don’t accept that in marketing either.
A good marketing relationship involves understanding your firm, your goals, and your audience. You don’t get into a car without knowing where you’re going, and you shouldn’t spend money without knowing what success looks like.
So do less.
But do it better.
You have my permission.
And as always, if I can help in any way, just let me know.