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What do you say when someone asks you "what do you do for a living?"

If your answer is: "I'm a lawyer," you've missed a marketing opportunity.

Every attorney must have a practiced self-introduction. It should be one to three sentences in length while taking no longer than 10 seconds to say. And, it's got to be a complete explanation of what you do. That makes it memorable and easy for someone to repeat if they get into a position to explain who you are or, better yet, recommend you.

A good self-introduction begins with "I show people..." or "I help people..." Some examples:

Estate Planning

"I help people create a prosperous retirement, minimize taxes, and plan for an orderly and secure future for their families. I'm a tax lawyer."

Litigation

"I help businesses resolve legal disputes and, whenever possible, avoid the costly consequences of a court fight. I'm a commercial litigator."

Patent/IP

"I show inventors and businesses how they can protect the value of their ideas, products, and materials."

The best self-introduction also includes an interesting memorable and differentiating characteristic. For a family lawyer, for example, "I represent only fathers in divorce."

Like every other important aspect of your legal life, you'll want to practice your self-introduction. Once you have it down pat you'll feel more confident wherever you go.