Stop Looking at Your Competitors (Minis with Megan)
Your perspective is coming from the clients that only you have served, the problems you have solved, the relationships you have built. That’s what makes you different and interesting.
Yet, everywhere you look, you can see something that makes you feel as if you’re not doing it right or not doing enough.
In this mini episode of So Much To Say: A Legal Podcast For People, Megan Senese gives you permission to stop looking at what your competitors are doing, and instead, evaluate what you are doing and why you started doing it in the first place.
This can be particularly difficult in the legal field. Over the years, Megan has decided not to look at stage’s competitors because she wanted to make sure what she and Jen were building was uniquely theirs.
Despite popular belief, it’s actually not helpful to see every decision your competitor is making, every design they are creating, or every event they are hosting. Instead, focus on your business goals and the clients you are already serving.
Who this episode is for:
Lawyers trying to differentiate themselves in a crowded market
Legal marketers developing brands for law firms
Business owners who find themselves constantly comparing their work to competitors
Anyone struggling to figure out what makes their voice, perspective, or approach different
Episode takeaways:
Competitor research can be useful, but it shouldn’t become your strategy.
Constant comparison can unintentionally make your messaging sound like everyone else’s.
Differentiation comes from your own experiences, clients, relationships, and perspective.
Creativity needs space, and sometimes that means intentionally tuning out what everyone else is doing.
AI makes developing a distinct point of view even more important as content and messaging become increasingly similar.
How to stop building your brand around your competitors:
Keep a pulse without obsessing: Be aware of what others are doing in your industry without letting it dictate every decision you make.
Create space for your own ideas: Give yourself room to think before looking at how everyone else has approached the same problem.
Listen to your clients: Your clients are the greatest source of information for what’s going on in the market.
Use competitors to learn, not imitate: Pay attention to what works, and what doesn’t, without imitating.
Trust your perspective: You probably already have something worth saying. You may just need to stop listening to everyone else long enough to hear it.
Bring these types of conversations to your law firm.
These podcast conversations are the same ones happening quietly inside law firms.
Through stage, we work with lawyers at every level and with legal marketing teams on client service, business development, and growth built on real relationships. If these themes are coming up inside your firm, let’s chat.
