No matter what issue the client presents, the generalist nods and says, "Yep, I can help you with that. No problem." A second advantage is that there can be significant variety to the types of work they do. "I don't like to be pigeonholed in one area that's why I like being a generalist," they explain.

A disadvantage of being a generalist is that more and more clients want to know if you're knowledgeable about their industry. "I liked Mario," the former client said, "but he kept on giving me analogies about the shoe business that I just couldn't relate to. I need a lawyer who knows the software business, not the shoe business!"

Another problem is that clients don't want to pay lawyers to learn. "You know, Tom tries hard, but he hasn't done one of these deals before and it's obvious. It's got to be costing us twice as much in legal fees. Tom did say he wouldn't charge us for every hour he puts in, but next time, we have to get someone who has experience."

A third problem is, it's very difficult to market the services of a generalist. A specialist, for example, a real estate attorney has several trade organizations through which he/she can meet prospects face to face. There are also opportunities there for speaking, writing and networking with other vendors who sell to the same industry. Where does the generalist go to meet prospects? The Chamber of Commerce? Not good! Too many sellers of copying machines, life insurance and office supplies go to those meetings. Again, where does the generalist go to get more business? "I know, I know," says the generalist. "That's my problem!"

Finally, the generalist has an impossible task keeping up with all of the changes and developments in so many areas of the law. "I am so overwhelmed, Adam, that frankly, I just give the clients my best guess and hope that everything works out okay, but several times, I have been very embarrassed by lawyers on the other side of the deal. On two occasions, I was sure that my clients would sue me for malpractice, but, luckily, I managed to talk them out of it. I was sweating bullets!"

The specialist, on the other hand, often concentrates on specific industries so the problem of not knowing the industry is less common. Clients don't have to pay for their learning curve because they know their areas of the law. It's much easier to market a specialist than a generalist and the job of keeping up with legal knowledge is far more manageable when you're a specialist. "But if I was a real estate specialist in the late eighties, I would be out of business." The generalists counter and, of course, they're correct. They point to practice areas that fluctuate regularly - real estate, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy, etc. Also, the decline of personal injury, environmental, banking and insurance defense work. When the generalists hear that specialty areas are faltering, they thank their lucky stars that they are generalists.

So, what to do? Being a generalist has many problems and being a specialist appears unsafe. In my opinion, both of these solutions are extreme. The answer to this dilemma lies in the middle of the continuum. I advocate to my clients not to be a generalist and not to be a specialist in one area. Be a specialist in three areas. Establish high visibility in three separate industries. Chances are that all three will not go down simultaneously. If the specialty you've chosen is volatile, in general, like real estate, you will have to master another one or two areas of law to give you the safety cushion you need. Even this task, though challenging, is not anywhere as impossible as trying to know everything and trying to sell it to everyone. So, don't choose the path of the generalist. Choose the path of the specialist, but develop three targets. In effect, diversify your portfolio, but don't buy every stock in the world.

Now, how to go about this task? Don't go after all three target areas at one time. You will fragment yourself and achieve nothing. Go after your targets one at a time. It will take two to three years of active marketing to establish prominence within one specific population. Once you've got that cooking, you can turn your attention to another group.

Realistically, attorneys have precious little time to market. They spend most of their time billing and performing administrative tasks. Marketing is a, "When I have time," activity. When attorneys focus in several marketing areas at once, their diffused efforts take forever to yield results. What happens is they lose hope. They give up. It's not unlike building three homes simultaneously on a limited budget. It will take forever for the homes to be built. If, on the other hand, you focus all of your efforts on one house, it would get built much quicker and you would be encouraged and motivated to build a second and third. In my next column, I will write about how to choose a practice area for you and your firm.

If you would like to learn more about sales coaching, contact SIC today!