Podcast Ep. 74: Personal Branding for Attorneys

In this podcast, Alyssa Gelbard, the Founder and President of Point Road Group, brings her unique perspective to discuss personal branding for attorneys.

Podcast Show Notes

Alyssa Gelbard is the Founder and President of Point Road Group, a global personal branding and career consulting firm that helps executives market themselves to achieve their career goals. Point Road Group also partners with companies for customized programs and presentations. Alyssa in an accidental entrepreneur and her unique perspective as a personal branding and career expert stems from a background in strategic marketing and branding, as well as extensive experience hiring and managing staff throughout her career.

Connect with Alyssa on the Point Road Group website, Twitter, LinkedIn, and her personal LinkedIn as well.

Why Is Personal Branding for Attorneys Important?

Personal branding refers to how you as a person represent yourself; it encompasses the ability to dictate what others think about you. Most importantly, personal branding not only shows who you are in person, but online as well. Personal branding is at work through your body language, how you engage, what you wear, email communication, and your LinkedIn profile. The key to engaging in it successfully lies within maintaining a consistent message amongst all your digital profiles. Done correctly, personal branding has the potential to open (and close) a lot of doors for lawyers.

Key Areas to Optimize Your Personal Brand

In order to optimize your personal brand, you must first look internally and conduct a quick analysis. First, ask yourself how you think your brand is viewed. Then, look at how you’re actually viewed by asking a couple trusted individuals for feedback. Another excellent way to gage your brand’s reputation amongst the general public is by Googling yourself. Through this method, you’re able to get a sense of what others are seeing when your brand name is searched. The key to optimization lies in figuring out a manner in which to fill the gap between what you want others to see and what actually lies in the digital universe. Remember: it’s in your control. Simple ways to get started on optimizing your personal brand include updating your bio on the firm website so that it is consistent with your social media biographies, and thinking about how you introduce yourself.

How to Avoid a Self-Promotional Tone

The concern surrounding the usage of a self-promotional tone through the act of personal branding is an understandable one, but it’s easy to be solved through a change in mindset. Think about communication as the gateway to building a meaningful relationship. While personal branding is about yourself, learning about other people and listening to them can help you determine which ways you can be helpful. Talking about yourself in the context of solving a problem or helping a client is a great way to showcase your skills and personality while avoiding a sales-y tone. Additionally, using this method will help your personal branding steer clear of a formulaic sales pitch. Remember – think conversation! In the digital world, LinkedIn is a great platform to increase your visibility, not just by networking, but by engaging with content as well.

Recommendations for Introverts

There’s a common misconception that people who are good at networking are extroverts. However, networking has very little to do with your outwardness, rather it revolves around self confidence. The more confident you are, the more comfortable you’ll be engaging in conversation with those you may not know. Often, the discomfort surrounding the situation is caused by a lack of information or anxiety regarding the conversation at hand. An easy way to ease your nerves is to do a little research beforehand so that you’re informed about the event you are attending, or the type of people you may be meeting. Another option is bring a networking buddy. While this does not mean latching onto one person through the entirety of an event, it is a good way to ease into the situation.

How to Differentiate Yourself From Other Attorneys

In an industry with so much competition, differentiating yourself from other professionals is crucial. First, ensure you are able to talk about the value you bring to the table in a clear and concise manner. Then, make sure to listen to others carefully. Picking up on little things and nuances is not something everyone is capable of doing, hence it serves to differentiate you as a person and a legal professional.

Takeaway

Personal branding for attorneys is a crucial tool to increase your visibility and opportunity. While concerns regarding the method’s sales-esque approach are understandable, looking at personal branding as a conversation, not a sales pitch, can make all the difference.