What are your thoughts on holiday cards? In my old firm we used to begrudgingly send them out every year. I am reconsidering sending out holiday cards this year and maybe do something else instead. Like donating the money I would have spent on holiday cards to my favorite charity and maybe sending out e-cards instead. Any thoughts?

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"Branding" is creating name recognition through a carefully crafted plan of integrated marketing. That's quite a mouthful. But what does it really mean?

It's not unlike the brand on the behind of a cow. A fellow rancher or townsperson sees the "OK" on the backside of the cow and knows it belongs to the "OK Corral." But more importantly, when they see the "OK" brand, are they making the association that the cow represents quality beef or mad cow disease? In a nutshell, that is the importance of branding.

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This may seem old news to some. But it remains a decidedly untapped vehicle for lawyers. And now we are hearing from the most respected Google analyst, Eric Schmidt, discussing the future of the net and this includes YouTube:

"We're starting to make significant money off of Youtube", content will move towards more video.

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In a nutshell, there is a segment of the online population that uses social media as a core navigation and information discovery tool — roughly 18 percent of users see it as core to finding new information.

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This philosophy has propelled me throughout my life because it is not about winning at the expense of another (yet, when someone wins, in a strictly competitive world another loses) but simply to better my experiences, to rise to the next level of skill and success.

This 'no competition' attitude is key to successfully marketing your solo practice. Let me explain.

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Getting your ideas across is key to successful marketing, marketing which can include speaking at seminars, keynote addresses, introduction of other guest speakers, self-publishing, being interviewed by reporters, blogging, commenting on blogs, Tweeting, and more.

So, knowing most of us would like to improve upon our communication skills with out clients and colleagues, here are a few thoughts on the subject.

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Identifying who your ideal client is, well, just the beginning. You need to learn how to attract your ideal client so they will actually contact you to determine if they need your services and if you are 'ideal' to deliver those services to them. How do you do that?

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Business, as in life, revolves around the relationships we cultivate. The give and take we enjoy. If we choose our relationships with great care, nurture and cultivate, these the relationship have the ability to impact our professional and personal future and can profoundly determine the course of our professional lives.

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I chose this title specifically because it is particularly important for the new solo. Life is about perspective and it is important you understand as a new solo you do bring gifts to the profession.

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Every word you write, every syllable you utter, every piece of paper with your name on it is a touch point with your brand and a business opportunity. You just have to realize it. Once you do you will see all the unconscious marketing opportunities you have available to you and will understand the phrase my clients have drilled into them, "you are on 24/7."

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