Sun Tzu and the Art of Attorney Marketing

Up late last night I found my old copy of Sun Tzu’s, “The Art of War” and visualized myself on an ancient battlefield outnumbered by a ferocious opponent. What would I do . . . ? The more I read, the more I began to see similarities to the marketing challenges faced in the legal profession. Here are 3 of Sun Tzu’s strategic insights and how they relate to our “war” for the mind of the legal consumer:

1. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

The most effective marketing is not even perceived as marketing at all by potential clients. Instead of shouting your message, it is wise to strategically draw them in with compelling content and an optimized online presence.

2. “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”

Clients in need of legal help are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages every day. To capture your target client’s attention, be helpful—and different–from the competition. Where “sameness” exists, that is exactly where your firm can choose to stand out. Be different and position your firm in unique ways.

3. “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”

When marketing your law firm, first define what success looks like and how you’re going to get there. This is as much about internal communication in your firm as external. Seek to have a simple but powerful marketing objective and make sure everyone is on board from the partners to the receptionist.

These are just a few of the lessons I picked up from The Art of War and a little interpretation as it relates to marketing the modern law firm. Inbound marketing requires a strategic approach, a new set of tools and a transformed mindset to remain competitive on today’s “battlefield” to win new clients. Consumers are now faced with so many choices that it is critical to build an effective sales funnel that connects with consumers at the exact right moment: when and where they are looking to make key decisions for legal representation.

I think Sun Tzu would agree.

John Plessas is CEO of JurisLead providing powerful, turn-key solutions for law firms in the area of marketing, generating new clients and growing revenue. Our mission is to build professional trust and focus every resource available to help attorneys build their practice.

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