You may know this young couple, or you may have read about them. They both have good jobs, and a nice rental apartment in a fashionable section of town. They dress well, party well, and drive expensive cars. They also dream of owning a big, beautiful home in an even more fashionable section of town.
But between dressing well, partying well, and driving expensive cars, they never get around to saving a down payment. They run up debts and their credit score is not that hot, either. In fact, they better never leave their rental apartment, because they might not even be able to get another lease.
The folly of their thinking may seem obvious ... but look in the mirror for a minute. Are you guilty of this, too? Are you hoping to have a successful practice, but failing to invest in the marketing required to achieve it?
I see this pattern quite often among attorneys. They rent the nice office, take expensive vacations, and even pay huge sums to "join" the latest groups or organizations ... all before they invest in the marketing that will buid a sustainably profitable practice.
The thinking goes pretty much like this:
- When times are great: I don't need marketing. Look how busy I am! I really don't need any more work (today).
- When times are average: Maybe I should think about a little marketing ... on a strict budget.
- In times of crisis: I cannot afford marketing! I can barely afford my membership dues!
If you recognize yourself, today is the day to make a change.
Marketing and practice development are not magic potions that work overnight. Every single legitimate, effective marketing strategy requires time to yield results.
The time for that young couple to start thinking about growing their down payment is not the day they find the house of their dreams. No, it was YEARS before that. So it is with your marketing.
Every day that you delay, every single day that you procrastinate and fail to make a decision about your marketing is a day you fall further behind. It's a day of prosperity lost.
If you really want that dream home -- or that profitable, enjoyable estate planning or elder law practice -- you have to start now. Better if you had started years ago. But now is the next best time.
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