Yesterday, I attended the Clio Cloud Conference and was very impressed with the content, networking, and overall message. The final keynote, given by Gary V,  emphasized big changes are happening in the way we communicate and that we should all be prepared for what is coming next.

Below are the top 10 takeaways from Gary’s talk:

1. Attention. You need to get your clients attention BEFORE you can sell them your spiel. Sharing your knowledge is the best way to do this as an attorney.
2. A Huge Shift is Coming. We grossly underestimate how big of a SHIFT we are living through right now. There will be an uber like change in the next 10 to 15 years in the legal profession. The worst thing you can do is close your eyes, cross your fingers and hope it will all work out.
3. Produce Content. You are a media company first, then a lawyer. Whether it is video, audio or the written word, it’s in your best interest to share insights on the current state of law in your areas. Your content is the gateway drug that helps you grow your practice.
4. Mobile is Big Deal. Your future customers will find their legal needs from phones, tablets, or whatever will eventually trump these technologies. Think about it how many people are within an arm’s reach of their phone throughout the day?
5. Facebook is a Must. We are living on facebook in our personal lives but we are not doing anything marketing there. Google and learn how to do facebook ads and then try it!
6. Build Your Brand. Everything we do in our day to day that is information based will become commoditized overtime. As a result, your people skills and your brand is only going to become more important in the next 10 years.
7. Start Small. Communication is like a marathon. You just need to start getting on the treadmill. We are not going to be able to compete in a legal virtual reality world unless we start small today.
8. Twitter Search. Go to twitter.com/search. Search what people are saying in your industry and use that to help create your content.  
9. 100 Hours. The cost of entry for effective communication is knowledge and hard work. 50 hours of reading and listening will put you at the top of your craft. Another 50 hours of producing content will get you to the next level.
10. Everything works. But not everything works for you.  What is the ROI of playing basket ball?  For one a torn knee…for Lebron…..a billion dollars…