Open Google and enter the following in the search bar: [your practice area] lawyer near me.

I just tried it with “family lawyer near me” and got over 478,000,000 results in 0.69 seconds. Yes. Almost 500 million results in a country of 38 million people (go figure!), most of whom are nowhere near me.

Now imagine you’re a client looking for a particular kind of legal help. The results you get are going to be equally endless. Even if you only look at the first page of Google, you’ll have 15-20 results to sift through before you find one that really captures your interest.

The bottom line is that your law practice is just one of many offering similar services. If potential clients don't know what problem you solve and why YOU are the best lawyer to solve it, they won't hire you. 

Welcome to Gimbal’s Tip of the Week, where you get practical, actionable advice you can use right away to start building a more productive and profitable legal practice.

In tip #99, we encouraged you to ditch your mission statement if it reads anything like this:

We are committed to providing our clients with the best and most efficient legal services possible. We do this by actively listening to our clients and understanding their needs, their business, and their industry. We provide relevant legal services expertly, promptly, and in a cost-effective manner to assist clients in achieving their business objectives.

Statements like these are vague, uninspiring, and interchangeable. And really, all that stuff is just table stakes. If your lawyer DIDN’T do these things, would you even want to work with them? What’s worse, they don't identify the problem the firm solves or what makes that firm the BEST to solve it. With a nondescript mission statement, you’re going to get lost in the crowd.

This week’s tip is to create a clear, client-facing mission that attracts MORE clients and increases your revenue.

Last week’s tip (hyperlink to last tip) challenged you to use your mission statement to establish clear goals that keep you and your team focused. But some people asked for more information on how to put that mission statement together in the first place, so this week, we’re giving you the formula for a compelling mission statement.

This week’s action item: Block off time to craft a mission statement that tells potential clients exactly WHAT problem you solve for them, and why YOU (above all others) are the best person or firm to solve it.

We frequently recommend Donald Miller’s approach to messaging. He’s got an excellent formula you can use to build your mission statement.

Introduce the conflict - What's the problem your clients have?

Define the destination - What's involved in solving that problem?

Foreshadow the stakes - What's the result of working with you (or NOT working with you)?

Here’s an example using our mission statement:

Building a successful law practice takes more than just being a good lawyer. Gimbal teaches you the business and practice management skills you need to build a successful law practice and have the time and freedom to enjoy your success.

Now let’s break it down using the formula above.

The conflict: Building a successful law practice takes more than just being a good lawyer (your problem is that you weren’t taught those skills in law school).

The destination: Gimbal teaches you the business and practice management skills you need to build a successful law practice (that’s how we solve your problem for you)

The stakes: and have the time and freedom to enjoy your success (the result is that when you work with us, you’ll have more time to do the stuff that really matters to you).

You can do this with your practice. Ask yourself what problem you solve for your clients, how you solve it, and what the results are when they work with you. It will take some time and lots of rewording to get a client-facing mission that you’re comfortable with, but it is time well-spent.

Legal professionals who have a clearly defined and relatable mission will stand out from the competition, attract more clients, and grow their reputation and their revenue

If you’d like help with your mission and the many other business and practice management skills you need to build your firm, join us inside the Practice Accelerator small-group coaching program. You’ll get the guidance, support, and accountability you need to grow your practice fast.

And that’s it. If you want more information like this, sign up so you never miss a Tip of the Week.

See you next week!