I’ve never shared what I’m about to tell you in any of my newsletters before.

Not once.

Not because I’ve wanted to keep it from you, but because frankly, I thought you’d be more interested in hearing more about strategy and less about foundational topics.

I was wrong because I get asked about this topic all the time. (Herein lies a valuable lesson: find out what your clients want and give it to them. It’s the simplest sales formula in history.)

So, I’m finally breaking down and answering the incessant question I get from subscribers…

“What’s the Deal With this Whole ‘Bionic’ Thing?”

There’s actually a lot more to it than just a 40-something lawyer marketer trying to relive his childhood (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it ).

The fact is, what I’m about to reveal to you is, without exaggeration, one of the greatest and most powerful marketing secrets you will ever learn. It is the key for gaining a competitive advantage in your market. Want to make your competition virtually disappear? This is where it all starts.

I urge you to listen to me and listen well. Once you finish this newsletter, I want you to ask yourself, “How can I apply what I just read to my practice?” How can I put my firm in a position of dominance by finding my own “bionic” angle? The answer probably won’t come to you right away. You might be stumped for days or even weeks before it finally crystallizes in front on you. But give it some thought. Actually, give it A LOT of thought. The payoff can be huge.

A quick fact about bionics that you might find fascinating: did you know that the first artificial organ was an artificial kidney? It was created by Dutch doctor Willem Kolff who, while hiding from the Nazis in World World II, made the kidney out of old sausage skins, orange juice cans and an old washing machine. 

Necessity truly is the mother of invention; human ingenuity is a remarkable thing.

Anyway. Back to what I was talking about. So, this whole bionic “obsession” of mine began when I was about 6 years old. At the time, my family and I were living in a cozy little home on the corner of Columbia Ave and (sorry, I don’t remember the intersecting street) in Jersey City, NJ. Any little boy who had even a modicum of “cool,” ate, drank and breathed two things: Evel Knievel and the Six Million Dollar Man. You had to have the action figures (don’t you dare call them dolls) and all the accessories if you were going to have any sort of pull with the kids on your block. Luckily, I had very understanding (and loving) parents who not only accommodated my frequent, irrational toy requests, but who even surprised me one Christmas with…

A Pong Video Game Under the Tree!

Pong, the Bionic Man and Evel Knievel — could life get any better?

By the way, if you’d like to see a demonstration of a Pong video game, check out this 30-second clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uuxFhUc8tg.

Super hi-tech, right?

I eventually outgrew the Evel Knievel and Pong thing (sort of), but I never outgrew my fascination with bionics and the idea that a regular, everyday person could have superhuman, extraordinary abilities. As a child, my focus was on playing and just having a good time; but as I got older, I realized there was a serious business application to this concept.

Being “Bionic” Is a Decision YOU Make

Throughout my business and legal careers, I have met many attorneys. More than I can ever count. But the one constant I see is that the most successful are the ones who are willing to be EXTRAORDINARY in all aspects of their business… go the extra mile… and be relentless in their follow through regardless of the difficulties or obstacles.

This is what I call being “bionic.”

What I’m saying can be summed up as follows: the bionic theme is much more than an homage to my favorite TV show from the ’70s. It is about you being literally extraordinary in all aspects of your business – doing things your competitors can’t do, won’t do or don’t know how to do. Being “bionic” automatically puts you in a position of preeminence because it preaches the ideal that in order to achieve superhuman results, you must think, act, and often be “superhuman.” The bionic influence breeds a mindset that can be truly transformational for a lawyer.

If I Can Get Your Eyes to “Burn,” Then I’ve Done My Job

Nowadays, many lawyers have learned a thing or two about marketing and are beginning to make strides in differentiating themselves from their competition. And that’s a good thing. You SHOULD do that. But where the vast majority falls short is that they create a wimpy marketing message (or none at all). That’s where everything crumbles and falls. The fact is, your identity and your message must be so incredibly powerful, your image should remain as if it were branded right on someone’s eyes.

The “Sun in the Eyes” Effect

In business, ever hear the term “Sun in the Eyes”? Probably not because I just coined the term (as far as I know). The “Sun in the Eyes” Effect is what should happen to your prospects and clients if you’ve done a good job on law firm imagery, messaging and branding (these are just fancy terms which basically mean communicating to people what your firm is all about). In other words, when your prospects or clients need a lawyer, your image should be the first thing to appear before their eyes.

The best way to explain it is if you stare at the sun for a moment and then look away, you’ll see spots or an “afterimage” of the sun that’s inescapable. It happens to everyone. (By the way, if you stare long enough at the sun, you will actually develop “sunburn of the eyeball” and could permanently damage your eyes.)

This is the equivalent of what you want to happen to people looking for a lawyer in your field. You want them to see your image, your logo, your marketing message, etc. right before their very eyes. It’s as if your firm is the sun and they’ve been staring for a good 5 minutes. That’s why the foundational concepts that I teach are so important. Marketing is much more than a bunch of strategies — you have to lay the proper foundation first before any substantial, long-term results can be achieved.

So, what’s YOUR marketing message and can you formulate one that will have a “Sun in the Eyes” Effect? How can you use PR or the internet or a special referral technique or a tagline (or a million other things) to create “Sun in the Eyes”? How are you different? What gives you an edge? These are all things that can help you differentiate, grow and prosper.

Think about it. Think long and hard. Then come up with something. It’s crucial stuff.

One Last Surprising Tidbit… 

For me, incorporating the bionic elements in my legal marketing business was a no-brainer. It is a strong brand identifier — plus it’s something I’ve always been fascinated with. What has surprised me is that my bionic illustration has become much more “Sun In the Eyes” than my logo. That’s what lawyers tell me. It was never meant to be that way. The other thing I constantly receive compliments on is my tagline: “Half Man… Half Marketing Machine.” It has worked very well for me. But what about you? What will you do to create the “Sun in the Eyes” Effect? There are a million things you can do.

Want ideas?

Or maybe you have ideas and wouldn’t me sharing them with my subscribers? Email them to me and I just might write about you.