Creating and maintaining a professional brand

How do you set yourself apart from the competition? What will give you an edge in your career and help you move it forward? Diane Costigan, a life coach and former law firm recruiter, answered these questions during “Your Positive Professional Brand Law Practice,” at the ABA International Law Spring meeting in April.

Everyone has a professional brand, which essentially is your reputation. Proper marketing of it can help you earn more work, good mentors, and more opportunities to broaden your experience.

Because of hectic schedules, many lawyers find themselves pulled along a career path without asking where it is going or envisioning its development. That’s a mistake.

No matter what type of law you practice, think of yourself as a solo practitioner, advises Costigan. Just as a solo practitioner needs a business plan, so do you in order to further your brand development, she says.

To begin, think of three to five words that describe your reputation as you want it perceived by others. Then ask yourself: Are you staying true to those characteristics?

Proper marketing of your brand also involves knowing your audience—and who your competitors are. Essentially, your audience is inclusive of anyone who can impact your career or be of service to you. Concentrate on selling yourself to those individuals. Improve your interpersonal skills to help develop your relationships with them.

To evaluate and safeguard your brand, regularly examine three key areas: your work product, level of customer service and the qualities that make up your “authentic” self. Each of these areas will affect the other, although your work product is always the most important. Your authentic self consists of your defining personal qualities: communication skills, ability to handle stress, organizational skills and interpersonal skills, to name some examples.

To measure the success of your brand development, consider these metrics: number of repeat clients, number of staff who go out of their way to help you and number of assignments you receive.

Most important to remember is that brand development is a constant process of improvement. Always ask for feedback and do not be afraid to acknowledge mistakes. Asking for feedback shows concern for turning out your best work product. Lawyers who spend the time to get feedback from clients usually get the highest customer service ratings.

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