In so many ways in life, timing is everything. You could meet the most incredible mate, but if you’re too young, in a relationship, living in different states . . . whatever the issue, the timing of your meeting may make it impossible to explore this tantalizing relationship further.
But fast forward five years. Now you’re single, working a steady job, more mature, and you meet a swell guy. Now the timing is right, and you’re really ready for this relationship.
Or maybe the perfect job has come your way, but you have a young family now and are established in your community, and the job is in another country. Maybe this would have been ideal ten years ago, or perhaps ten years from now, but the timing is not good, and so neither is the opportunity.
Carpe Diem
As with so many things in life, marketing is timing too. To be a successful marketer, you must learn to see and to take advantage of opportunities, even in downturn times or negative conditions. You’ll do even better if you are able to perceive opportunities that others just do not.
Take, for example, the current Coronavirus quarantine. The lockdown will certainly cause a severe dip in the economy, as many people lose their jobs or accept pay cuts, and everyone spends less money on travel, dining out, entertainment, and personal care services, among other things. So how can you turn such a devastating situation to your advantage?
Plan
Let’s brainstorm about what people really need right now. . .
Many of us have much more time on our hands and are looking for unique ways to use it. Perhaps now is the time to buy my marketing toolkit and begin your yearlong endeavor to grow from Rookie to Rainmaker. Now you actually have more time to spend on perfecting your pitch, presenting virtually, publishing anything from blogs to books, improving your social profile, and launching fresh partnerships all over the world.
In the past, have you wanted to take time to work on your marketing plan, but could not? Now is the time to seize the day! You may not have as many clients walking through the door just now, but that also means it’s the perfect time to commit to your refining your marketing talents.
Mentor
People are really feeling a need to connect in this time that feels so lonely for so many. Reach out virtually to others. You can develop your relationships worldwide! We all believe in mentoring and mentoring is just another form of partnering. Mentor down to students and younger professionals just beginning their careers and craving guidance. Mentor across to others who are similarly situated to you, with similar problems and concerns. Mentor up to those whom you respect as having more knowledge than you, and learn from them.
Ooh La La
I, for one, wish I had known twenty years ago what I know now about marketing. Back in my Tampa community when I had my first collaborative case, there really wasn’t anyone with whom to collaborate. So after my first few cases, I didn’t get the opportunity to really collaborate again for almost a decade. You can’t collaborate alone! But if I had only known back in 2002 what I know about marketing now, I could have changed the way so many people got divorced.
I can change the way the world gets divorced now but having another decade of career to put into the effort would have been nice. (I didn’t start my marketing journey until I decided to write a book, in 2013.)
Always Look Forward
Speaking of “timing is everything,” here’s a joke. Back in the early ‘90s, I was teaching Trial Practice (among other things) at Stetson Law and working on my first appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, which I ultimately won. (Pretty awesome!) I was also working on my first book, for Lexis Publishing. Lots going on. This was all before I officially opened my own law firm. And, in the midst of all this, CNN approached me about working for them as a legal analyst.
I didn’t do a lot of soul searching about this decision. I turned them down. As I recall, what I told them was that I was “committed to making new law, not reporting it.”
So what did they do? They ended up hiring Greta Van Susteren!
Do I regret that decision? Well, I have to wonder what my life would be like now had I accepted CNN’s proposal. My husband and I had just started dating. We might not have married. I probably would not have opened my own firm. I would certainly never have started practicing family law, much less collaborative divorce. No doubt, the trajectory of my life would have been far different.
But timing is everything. And no, no regrets. I love what I do.
If you are as passionate about your work as I am about collaborative practice, there is no time like the present to start your marketing journey and to get clients you want, practicing the kind of law you want, with the professionals you respect. Go to Joryn Jenkins to find out how I can help. Attend my webinars. Buy my toolkit and books. And Carpe diem!
