I had a busy month. INSANELY busy month preparing for my firm’s inaugural industry-focused conference.
And it came off without a hitch. Seamless. Pretty damn perfect if you ask me, or read the evaluations. A couple typos and one missed nametag. A speaker had to back out at the last minute, but it actually set up a great joke.
Many years ago I got the worst piece of advice, ever: Do a good job and people will notice.
What a crock of shit.
When you do a good job, you need to let people know. When you do a damn good job you need to write a press release or a blog post and let the world know.
Speaking with a partner at the conference, he said the best marketing he does is doing a good job.
I called BS on him, and, after a brief discussion he agreed.
If the guy over there is doing a good job, but is promoting his successes as if they are great, people, and potential clients will take notice.
Everyone reading this knows “that guy” or “that girl.”
You know. Your competitor. Your rival, friendly or not. He isn’t that good at his job. She really isn’t that smart. Has a reputation for not being the best lawyer, marketer, reporter.
But dammit, they have the job, the client, the work. Not you.
They are the one speaking at the podium at that industry conference. Not you.
They are the one quoted in the article. Not you.
They got the job. Not you.
They got the raise and the bonus. Not you.
As I told my boss when the conference was nearing an end: I didn’t do just a good job, I did a great job.
I have a set of skills that is unique in the marketplace. I know enough about enough to throw a seamless event and conference with minimal, and I mean minimal, assistance. And on budget, thank you very much.
I don’t know too many people out there, other than Dee Dee Irwin, who could do the same.
But I had a lot of support. I have a boss who backs me up and allows me to speak freely. I work for a partnership that stood back and let me do what I had to do to get the job done. I am treated with respect as a colleague, not a staffer, or “non-attorney.
I am very lucky to work with the people I work with every Monday through Friday. But, then again, so are they.