The ten-minute LinkedIn upgrade every female lawyer needs
We ran a masterclass recently with Mike Roberts, founder of Making Digital Real, who helps professionals use tools like LinkedIn, video and AI to build visibility online. I'd already been to one of his sessions back in April and picked up plenty then, but somehow there was still more to learn.
LinkedIn is a wonderful tool for female lawyers. With a few small upgrades to your profile that you can make in minutes, you can help your ideal clients find you more easily, without even leaving the house. That's a huge win for very little effort.
You’re not the only one who hates marketing yourself
At our recent FLC masterclass on marketing yourself as a female lawyer, "blowing your own trumpet", with Rachel Brushfield, founder of EnergiseLegal, she asked us a simple question partway through: what do you most dislike about marketing yourself? A few people answered in the chat box, and said much the same thing, just in different words.
I thought I was the only one
"I quoted lower, but I could have quoted higher. Why did I never learn?" (said by a senior lawyer at a Female Lawyers' Club fees and billing session)
For years, saying my fees out loud made me want to apologise mid-sentence. I'd say the number and immediately look for ways to make it sound better, or justify it. I assumed this was a personal failing, something everyone else had grown out of.
It turns out it wasn't just me at all.
The feedback you got wasn't about you. Here's the research that proves it.
A few weeks ago, I was running a leadership session for a law firm’s women’s network. Around 109 people joined, which was already impressive, but what really stood out was that around 20 of them were men.
At the start of the session, I put a question up on screen and asked everyone to answer it in the chat. The question was:
"Have you ever been penalised for being assertive, direct, ambitious, independent or confident - traits often praised in men but questioned in women?"
Earn what you're worth, without working more hours
A few years ago, I acted for a group of individuals exiting a business. The main contact argued me down on my fees, and I agreed. I charged £15,000 for the whole matter. I later found out that my opposition, who I knew had a similar level of experience as me, charged £60,000 for effectively the same job, when I am sure that I had done more of the hand-holding. When I learned this, I felt sick: I had charged just a quarter of what my opposition had charged and I know I’d done a great job.
We learn the hard way. And then, sometimes, we get a session like the one we had with Matthew Dashper-Hughes, and we realise there might be a faster route.