There was some discussion last week over at myShingle.com about networking. Carolyn Elefant asked Is In-Person Networking the Right Approach for Every Person?

Carolyn concluded that there are sound ways to build a successful practice even when limiting networking activity. She’s right. You can build a successful practice without doing much networking. You can build it with all sorts of online approaches (websites, blogs, social media, etc.) coupled with excellent work for clients who then refer new clients to your practice.

However, these non-networking approaches (1) are less efficient, (2) are slower, and (3) result in lower fees per unit of work. If you can accept a slower path to a lower income, then a non-networking approach is workable. In some situations, this may be the only alternative. But don’t fool yourself into believing that a non-networking approach will do for you what good old-fashioned networking will do.

It’s a Matter of Choice

It’s essential that you make educated choices when it comes to marketing. You need to be realistic. Don’t rationalize your way out of networking because of your fear of building relationships with people you haven’t yet met. It’s not about a lack of time or family priorities. If you’ve got time to do the work, then you’ve got time to do the networking. Make smart choices and do less legal work and more marketing work. You’ll earn more when you strike the right balance. The marketing is not a low priority activity in a successful business. If you’re going to skip networking and market with alternative approaches, then be honest with yourself about what that choice is going to cost you and why you’ve made that decision.

Here’s the deal: meeting people face to face, one on one, is the fastest way to build trust and connections. When marketing, your objective  is to get others to know you, like you, and trust you. Building trust is most easily managed when you look into others’ eyes and they look back at you. Trust is built quickly when people see you, touch you, and size you up in person. You can certainly build trust at a distance, but it’s harder, it takes longer, and the relationships are rarely as strong.

Weigh the Consequences of Your Choice

If you choose to build your practice via means other than networking—advertising, social networking, websites, etc.—be prepared to take lower fees, get hired less often, and spend more money on marketing than you’d spend networking. Every kind of marketing works. I’ve never tried anything that was a complete failure. Just remember that some kinds of marketing, networking with prospective clients and referral sources in particular, work better.