Table of Contents

• Increase Your Business by 1% per Month to Grow 12% …

  • For Prospecting and Marketing

  • For Professional Development and Lifelong Learning

• Success Strategies for Lawyers in Solo Practice

  • 1. Define Your Goals and What Success Looks Like:

  • 2. Define Your Niche:

  • 3. Streamline Operations with Automation and Outso …

  • 4. Leverage Technology to Enhance Client Relations …

  • 5. Master the Art of Marketing and Lead Generation …

• How to Exit Effectively in a Networking Event

Increase Your Business by 1% per Month to Grow 12% in a Year (Or 2% per Month to Grow 24%)

By Lisa Heintzelman

As we wrap up 2024 and Kick off 2025, what are your plans to grow by December 2024?

Even if you don’t like numbers, consider this math. If you increase your business by 1% each month, you will grow by 12% over a year, which means if you start today, you can grow at least 3% by the end of 2024.

Think about achieving this 1% in terms of your WHY and purpose . . . what you really care about and enjoy. It does not have to be related to numbers and dollars. Consider these five focus areas within your business and know that if you choose just 1 of these five activities, you could grow your business by 1% each month.

For Prospecting and Marketing

Reflect upon how you met your last five clients. Do more of that activity or strategy.

Phone Calls – Be consistent with your phone calls. If your plans are to make 10 calls per day, then schedule them in your calendar and reschedule those 10 calls if something comes up on a particular day.

If you make 50 calls per week and want to increase by 1%, make an extra call every other week.

If you want to grow exponentially, make 51 calls per week, 52, and so on.

Networking – Continue to show up, engage, and add value at particular networking events where you met your recent clients. Like-minded individuals attract like-minded individuals.

If you go to 10 monthly networking events to increase by 1%, get a recommendation from a trusted networking partner for a new event, and engage in 11 monthly networking events. Review your networking events on at least a yearly basis to determine the value of your time, energy, and dollars.

Even if they are “free”, you are still investing time that could be billable hours in your business.

Social Media – If a recent customer found you on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Alignable, reflect upon the content that inspired them to contact you. Based on the topic, share more about the problems you solve and the value you bring. As consumers, we’re looking to buy and engage based on the results and outcomes we receive from you, your product, or your service.

If you post weekly on Social Media and engage with an average of 2 clients per month to increase by 1%, reach out to the individuals who like and engage with your posts for a one-on-one.

For Professional Development and Lifelong Learning

What strategy did you recently learn and integrate into your business? Why were you motivated to implement the strategy?

Webinar/Workshop – It’s easy for business owners to get distracted by the bright, shiny objects of branding, marketing, prospecting, etc. Prioritize what you’d like to learn, develop, and implement based on your business goals. If you want to be successful at public speaking, go to 2 or 3 webinars/workshops and then create your plan to implement the best practice strategies before you sign up for different workshops related to another topic.

Give yourself at least three months to create, implement, and analyze a new strategy. In month 1, create your plan and begin to be consistent; in month 2, become proficient at your strategy and related technology; and in month 3, see the traction and analyze it to increase by 1%.

Coaching – Engage with a coach to support you in developing your strategy, increasing your brand awareness, maximizing your 30-second commercial, building your marketing plan, boosting your social media presence and engagement, sharpening your sales process, focusing your time, holding you accountable, etc.

If you invest $400.00 monthly in your professional development, look for a return from 3x to 5x to 10x and more! Lifelong learning is priceless!

While consistency is key, know that consistency doesn’t mean you must be totally structured without the flexibility you desire. How are you investing your time and energy on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to achieve the results that you desire?

Lisa Heintzelman is the President of Illuminations Consulting, founded in April 2000. As a Business, Sales, and Leadership Coach, she is an expert facilitator focusing on achieving success through lifelong learning and continuous quality improvement.

Success Strategies for Lawyers in Solo Practice

By Joe Rando

As a solo practitioner, you wear many hats—from attorney to business owner to marketer. While the independence of solo practice offers significant freedom, it also requires you to master more than just the law. Here’s how you can thrive in your practice by focusing on key strategies that align with the principles we champion at LifeStarr.

1. Define Your Goals and What Success Looks Like:

As a solo practitioner, it’s crucial to define what success means to you personally and professionally. Why do you want the freedom and flexibility of a solo practice? Is it about work/life balance or something else? Find your reasons as they will help you through the hard parts.

2. Define Your Niche:

The most successful solo lawyers often find a specific area of law where they can stand out. It’s crowded and noisy out there and you are much better off having a small fraction of people see you and say, “That’s who I need to hire” than trying to be everything to everyone. Pick a niche, at least to start, and lean into it.

3. Streamline Operations with Automation and Outsourcing:

Being solo doesn’t mean you have to do everything personally. Outsourcing certain jobs to contractors and automating repetitive tasks can save you countless hours. Legal practice management software can help you.

4. Leverage Technology to Enhance Client Relations:

Clients expect their lawyers to be accessible. Leveraging tools like client portals, automated appointment scheduling, and secure communication platforms can enhance client satisfaction and loyalty. These technologies improve your service and make your practice more efficient.

5. Master the Art of Marketing and Lead Generation:

Being a great lawyer is meaningless if you don’t attract clients. Consistent marketing efforts are essential, whether through advertising, content marketing, social media, or networking. Building a strong online presence, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, helps potential clients find you. Tools like HubSpot can help you manage your sales and marketing processes and host your website.

By focusing on these strategies, you’ll enhance your solo practice and create a business that aligns with your lifestyle, offering you the freedom and success you sought when you chose to go solo. You can learn more about our process here.

How to Exit Effectively in a Networking Event

Are you prepared for the Networking Season?

Each networking event provides the opportunity to find leads.

Although you’re primarily searching for potential prospects and referral partners, most people won't fall into these categories. Worse, you can be held captive by a mismatched individual.

Hence, it would be best if you had an effective exit strategy. To illustrate:

A bustling industry conference was filled with the buzz of people enthusiastically sharing ideas and forming new connections. As John surveyed the room, Lisa stuck out her hand and introduced herself.

The discussion was engaging initially, but she dominated it. John nodded and smiled, but his interest waned. He wanted to leave and meet other people.

He glanced at his watch and said, "Lisa, it’s been wonderful talking with you. Shall we exchange business cards?" She smiled and said, "Oh, absolutely! But before we do, let me finish telling the story. It’ll only take a moment."

John felt a mix of frustration and guilt. He didn't want to be rude, and he didn't want to spend the entire networking period with her. He nodded and listened patiently, feeling increasingly trapped yet determined to remain polite.

If you’re a bit like John, here are three ways to end an introductory conversation.

✅ Give a reason for your exit.
“I need to visit…(the restroom, refreshment area, registration table).”

Or: “I just saw a colleague I must talk with.”

Or: “I have to step out to make a phone call.”

✅ Introduce them to someone else. “I just saw Chris. Do you know each other? Allow me to introduce you.”

✅ Be direct. “As much as I enjoyed talking with you, I promised myself I would meet a few more people.”

✅ BONUS: “Let’s continue this conversation over LinkedIn or email.” Present your business card and prepare to leave.

In addition to what you say, practice how you say it.
Use a firm tone of voice so you don’t leave any wiggle room.

Professional entrepreneurs hire me to grow their client base without being using exaggerated marketing claims and aggressive sales tactics. I show them how to generate warm leads and turn 50% into clients.