We are pleased to have George Salmas, attorney and founder of the The Food Lawyers, as our guest blogger this week. With more than 25 years of experience representing the food industry, Mr. Salmas is their go-to guy.
One of the most important steps you can take to market yourself successfully is to focus. The idea of narrowing your focus to one area may fill you with misgivings because it seems as if you will be narrowing your prospect base, but in fact a more streamlined focus helps you establish yourself in your niche – and can even lead to greater opportunities for expansion down the road. Encompassing a wider range of services may seem like a safer route, but it actually dilutes your brand and makes you more difficult to remember.
I was reminded of this truth recently when I ran into George Salmas, The Food Lawyer (www.thefoodlawyers.com). George wanted to position himself as the go-to attorney on all food-related matters but was hesitant to fully make the leap. At one time, he had two different websites: one dedicated to his expertise in the practice area of food industry-related legal matters, and the other a broad overview of his general practice. However, several years ago, he decided to really go for it, establishing himself as “the food lawyer” and consolidating his online presence with one website instead of two. How did this more targeted approach to branding work out for him?
As soon as he decided to jump feet-first into his specialty, things began to snowball for him rather quickly. He became established as the go-to guy for legal matters related to food regulation, manufacturing, and so on – and his greater visibility in that niche leads to work in other practice areas, as strengthening his brand has helped clients to perceive him as more memorable and reliable across the board. He said that he already knew how to be a lawyer, but he had to learn how to be a businessperson, and this experience helped him do just that.
No matter what field you’re in, the power of narrowing your focus and committing fully cannot be overstated. Pick your niche and dive in!
George Salmas is the founder of The Food Lawyers, a firm which represents food sector clients with regulatory matters, litigation, trademarks, antitrust, contracts, real estate and all other legal matters. Learn more at www.thefoodlawyers.com.
