But what if they’re a Manchester City supporter?

How much should you reveal about yourself on your Chambers website? Some clerks say ‘not much’. Here’s another view.

“What we know matters, but who we are matters more”. Brene Brown.

Getting the bad news out first

I talked to a clerk recently who told me that his Chambers policy is not to include personal information on a Chambers’ website profile.  “What if you write that you’re a Man United supporter and your client supports Man City?” he said.  I thought that information would be better disclosed before the work started.

Solicitors want to know about more than your academics

When I ask solicitors about what they want from their barrister, without exception, they say they want a team player who mucks in with everyone else and gets the job done.

So when a solicitor reads a website profile, as well as confirming academic credentials, she is looking for signs that it won’t be hard work to get along with you.

Evidence of having participated in sports or social teams, or other interests outside work, suggests that you are comfortable around other people, and will make a positive contribution to the team.

Showing your human side

For first-time end clients, the legal process can be overwhelming.  Meeting you for the first time could be uncomfortable, particularly so if your client didn’t enter the legal process by choice.

What end clients will look for is evidence that you understand the personal consequences of the case going against them.  If the worlds of the barrister and the client are far apart, you will need to work hard to convey that you fully understand the impact of it all going wrong.

Evidence of the barrister’s humanity, such as hobbies, children, or interests outside of work can help reduce the other-worldliness of the profession and contribute to your efforts to build trust between barrister and client.

The numbers show that personal stories are compelling

There’s a good reason why editors dispatch journalists with a remit to uncover a personal interest story. It’s because we humans want to hear a good tale.

For example, a detailed description of the rivets on the Death Star could be interesting for a while, but it’s the relationship between Luke and Obi wan which piques our interest.

Take a look at the LinkedIn posts in your feed.  Those with high engagement –  that is the number of likes, shares and comments – are usually those which tell a personal story.   For barristers to share something of themselves is, therefore, likely to be good for business.

Putting differences aside

I’m an intensely private person and it’s taken me a while to settle into a conversational tone in my posts. I’ve noticed though, that as I relax into my writing, and I share more personal views on various subjects, my readership increases.

I like cycling, urban gardening and five boys named, in height order, Alex, Dante, Oscar, Tristan and William.   Knowing this, are you less likely to read my next post?

Connecting with clients

If you’d like to learn how to raise your profile, connect with clients and grow your practice with clients whose interests, passions and opinions differ from your own, schedule a call with me today and I’ll give you the business tools to help you.

By Heidi Smith
Creator of Jurilogical.com