The Perseverance Paradox: Why You Should Never Give Up on Marketing Your Mediation Practice, No Matter the Results
In the fast-paced world of business, it's easy to get discouraged when your marketing efforts don't yield immediate, stellar results. It's tempting to throw in the towel and consider cutting back on marketing expenditures and efforts. However, that could be a costly mistake. Here's why it's crucial to never give up on marketing, regardless of the initial outcomes.
Building Brand Awareness Takes Time: Marketing your practice isn't just about getting a new client today; it's about creating a lasting presence in the minds of your potential clients. Consistent marketing efforts, even if they don't lead to an immediate influx of customers, help build brand awareness. Over time, people will start recognizing your name and associating it with your practice. When they're ready to make a purchase, your brand will be the one they think of first.
Your Brand awareness is the extent to which clients and prospective clients are familiar with the distinctive qualities or image of your practice and its services. Find the mediums your prospective clients prefer and communicate your brand message regularly and persistently.
“…branding is your fundamental promise of whom you serve, how you make them feel and what’s different about how you deliver. Marketing is how you get this message out there once you have defined it” TWIST: How Fresh Perspectives Build Breakthrough Brands by Julie Cottineau
Fostering Trust and Credibility: Trust is a precious commodity in any business, but that’s especially true for attorneys, mediators, and arbitrators. Consistent marketing demonstrates your commitment to your audience and your industry. Even if your initial marketing efforts don't bring in hordes of clients, they do show that you're here to stay. Trust is built over time, and maintaining your marketing efforts is a way to signal your reliability.
Trust is the cornerstone of business. It’s the basis of every human relationship, every interaction, every communication, every initiative, every work project and even any strategic imperative you need to accomplish. The best way to build trust with prospective clients is build relationships. This why networking is so key to building a practice.
“Trust isn’t what we do; it is what results from what we do.” Richard Fagerlin
Adapting and Learning: Marketing is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. When you persist in your marketing efforts, you give yourself the opportunity to learn from what works and what doesn't. Every practice development activity provides valuable data and insights. By continually refining your strategies based on these insights, you can gradually improve your marketing ROI (Return on Investment).
Read business and marketing books, listen to business and marketing podcasts, watch business and marketing videos, take business and marketing courses – never stop learning, adapting, and listening to what your clients and prospective clients need from you.
“One learns from books and example only that certain things can be done. Actual learning requires that you do those things.” — Frank Herbert
Staying Ahead of the Competition: In the resolution industries, your competitors are also investing in marketing. If you decide to scale back or stop altogether, you risk falling behind. Consistent marketing helps you maintain a competitive edge. When others reduce their efforts, your brand remains visible, potentially allowing you to capture a larger market share.
Do a quick competitor analysis. A quick search on LinkedIn or Google will let you see your actual or perceived competition. You’ll be able to see their branding, their marketing messages, their target markets, their geographical markers, their pricing, and their market position. Take notes, then capitalize on what makes your practice different and better.
“Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.”
Embracing the Long Game: Marketing is not a sprint; it's a marathon. Sometimes, it takes time for your efforts to bear fruit. By committing to the long game and persisting through initial challenges, you position yourself for success in the future. Patience and perseverance are often rewarded in the world of marketing.
Create a year-at-a-glance calendar on a spreadsheet and note what and when you’ll be creating and delivery on all your marketing tasks. Your spreadsheet should include attending events for networking, posting on social media, speaking publicly, releasing articles, offering trainings, updating your website, sending email campaigns, recording videos or podcasts, etc. This will be your map. Once you’ve got the big picture, you can start creating the task lists for each event.
Patience and persistence are the keys... The keys to unlock doors of success... With these two virtues, you grow in reasoning and experience. ~ Ogwo David Emenike
Adapting to Changing Markets: Industries evolve, consumer behaviors change, and new trends emerge. Some examples are the necessary adoption of online mediation and arbitration, the use of podcasts and video, and the expectation of our clients to be present on social media. If you give up on marketing, you risk missing out on these shifts and opportunities. Consistent marketing allows you to adapt to changing market conditions and capitalize on new avenues for growth.
“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” -Jimmy Dean
Marketing your practice is a journey filled with twists and turns. While it's natural to feel discouraged by slow or seemingly lackluster results, giving up on marketing prematurely can be detrimental to your business. By persevering through challenges, you can build brand awareness, foster trust, adapt and learn, stay ahead of the competition, and position yourself for long-term success. So, keep those marketing efforts alive and remember that sometimes the greatest rewards come to those who stay the course. And very importantly, once you’ve attained marketing success – don’t stop there. Keep going. If you stop your practice development activities assuming that ‘you’ve made it’, you’ll soon see a drop in cases. Don’t stop at success. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going.
