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Why You Haven't Been HIRED - and What to do about It

It's human nature for us to rattle off excuses when business slows down.

We blame it on the economy, the time of year, or our competition.

No more excuses!

There are good reasons why the phone has stopped ringing, and most of them - believe it or not - begin with you!

Sara Holtz, author of Bringin' in the Rain, offers these 7 reasons why you're not getting hired - and what to do about it.

1. You don't know your market.

If you don't yet know who has a need for your services, do some research to identify precisely who your target market is.

Read trade journals. Attend industry meetings, networking events, and ask a lot of questions.

Do online research. Tap into your network to find out who might be a good prospect for you.

2. Your market doesn't know you.

You need to get on your prospects'  radar screens.

Get quoted in a publication they read. Moderate a panel and ask them to participate. Become active in an organization they belong to.

3. Your market doesn't know what you do.

Educate your market about the full spectrum of your services.

Develop a good speech highlighting results you've achieved for your clients. Write an article on an area of expertise and circulate it.

4. Prospects don't like you enough.

The goal here is to build enough of a relationship for them to want to hire you.

Use empathizers when communicating with prospects.

Make a point of asking a question at the beginning or end of each phone call, touching on both professional and personal topics. Add a few sentences in your emails that reflect your own personality and interests.

5. You haven't established enough trust.

Trust has to be earned, so ask to be referred by someone with whom the prospect has established a trusting relationship.

Build your credibility by letting your referral sources know the types of matters you have handled in the past, the expertise you have acquired, and the successes you have achieved.

6. Prospects don't know you want their business.

Too often, busy lawyers share their "busy-ness" with their clients or prospects by telling them how overwhelmed they are.  Potential clients interpret this as not wanting more business.

Solution: stop talking about how busy you are and ask for business!

7. Prospects don't have any business to give you.

Lawyers often interpret not being hired by a prospect as rejection. More likely, it is because they don't have appropriate work to send your way.

Stay on their radar screens. When they do have business, you'll likely be top of mind.

Take a moment to reflect on why you haven't been hired lately.

Once you've made a determination, turn the situation around with a good marketing strategy.

Your phone will start ringing again in no time!