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Trey Harrell from Charleston’s Trey Harrell Law Office joins us today to discuss his upcoming PILMMA presentation on how to compete with that 800lb gorilla.
Every law firm has different goals. Some want to be the big fish in their small pond. Some want to be the big fish in a big pond. Others are happy just to have a few really great cases a year. Either way, law firms need to attract cases in order to meet their goals.
In today’s episode, we discuss how small firms can capture a sliver of the market, how to build a brand by leaning into your authentic personality, and how to create consistent, authentic content across different platforms.
This episode and the next several will feature PILMMA speakers in our “Spotlight on PILMMA” podcast series.
Visit Trey online here: https://treyhelps.com/about/.
We’ll be at PILMMA Super Summit 2025: https://optimizemyfirm.com/pilmma-2025/.
See all episodes or subscribe to the Personal Injury Marketing Minute here: https://optimizemyfirm.com/podcasts/.
Transcript:
Welcome to the Personal Injury Marketing Minute, where we quickly cover the hot topics in the legal marketing world. I’m your host, Lindsey Busfield. Law firms come in all shapes and sizes and have different goals to match. Some firms want to dominate their area, while others would be happy getting just a handful of really great cases every year. Regardless of the goal, every law firm wants to get their piece of the pie. But some… Locations make that challenging, especially when you are competing against the giant-sized law firms spending millions of dollars every month to dominate their area. How can a smaller law firm compete against them to get even a bit of attention? Trey Harrell:, founding partner of Trey Harrell: Law Office in Charleston, joins us today to discuss his PELMA topic, Competing Against the 800-Bound Gorilla. Thank you so much for joining us today, Trey.
Trey Harrell:
It’s my pleasure. Thanks for having me.
Lindsey:
Well, tell us a little bit about yourself and about your law firm.
Trey Harrell:
Yeah, we run a small three-day attorney shop in Charleston, South Carolina. We represent clients all over the Palmetto State. We’ve been open for about five years. I’ve been practicing a lot longer than that. Before we opened up this firm, I was a special assistant United States attorney, a federal prosecutor. So, you know, we did our time for the government and then decided to go out on my own. And here we are today.
Lindsey:
That’s great. Well, talk to us about some of the challenges that you see, you know, especially when you have some of these monster personal injury firms that are kind of encroaching on your market.
Trey Harrell:
Yeah. The hardest part of dealing with one of those big firms is their budget is at such a massive level. And then being able to saturate the market that they do in the way they do is just such a challenge for us to deal with. So you got to be really smart and very strategic in how you market and how you go about getting the clients because you can’t, you don’t have the dollars to waste on a bad TV commercial or a bad billboard. You’ve got to be very strategic in what you do.
Lindsey:
Right. You’re not going to be able to go toe to toe against them using the same methods that they’re using or else you’re going to be bankrupt in an hour.
Trey Harrell:
But see, there’s also a kind of a benefit to that is because they’re spending so much money, they have to bring in so much revenue in so many cases. I think a lot of problems. Problems with a lot of small lawyers, particularly when they’re starting out. They try to compete with the big dogs. We all know who I’m talking about, right? They try to go head to head with them. You don’t need the whole pot, right? You don’t even need half the pot when you’re a small law firm. You need just a little sliver. And I think that is something that a lot of folks don’t think about. They try to figure out, how can I go get all of these cases instead of just trying to get a singleness of purpose and going and getting where you can get cases. And I think that’s a key piece that a lot of people don’t remember when they start out.
Lindsey:
Well, and that’s a really great point is you’re not going to be able to be the big monster, especially when you’re first starting out. So it’s not a realistic expectation to have, especially when you’re competing against someone who has the giant budget. But beyond the budget, they also have time invested into their campaigns. They have a reputation already. They have their SEO in place. They’ve been working on their website for years. And they have organic press. They have all of these pieces. That just takes time. And you can’t buy your way into that position with, you know, even if you did have as much money as they did. So, and that’s a real challenge, especially when you’re trying to get any sort of attention or rememberability. So when you’re faced with these giants, and you see their faces everywhere on billboards or commercials and so forth, how can you make yourself stand out?
Trey Harrell:
Yeah, I think that, you know, the best way for a young, small attorney trying to compete with that to stand out is doing something that I like to call working the gimmick. Right? And I know they’re like, what are you talking about a gimmick? That’s crazy. I don’t mean it in the sense that you’re fake or anything like that. You need to figure out who you are. And then the facets of your personality that that are you, and you need to figure out how to amplify those. And that’s what I mean. And it’s kind of like, you know, I’m from the South. like, you know, WWE and who doesn’t get entertained by it? Because let’s be honest. If you’re a marketer, the sheer fact that a few notes can hit and everyone in that room knows who that person is that’s about to walk out, that’s really good marketing. Whether you think wrestling is entertaining or stupid or whatever, you’ve got to respect it for that kind of a marketing aspect of it. And so I think that’s it. And the best wrestlers, one of the best marketer that ever was out there was Ric Flair, right? Right. He was the jet flying, limousine riding, wheeling, dealing, diamond ring wearing, all those things, right? That was really who he kind of was or wanted to be. And he just amplified that. And he’s built a massive career outside of pro wrestling, just being that person. And so I think that what you’ve got to figure out and the way you can stand out and compete with those people is you’ve got to figure out what that is about you. And push it out there because once you figure out what it is that you can do. And how you can talk and how you can be, you can then go out there and push that out towards whoever your market is, who that little sliver of the pie is that you need to get your right revenue. And once you can do that, you can really amplify it. And then you can compete with them. Because let’s be honest, somebody that is going to call that 800-pound gorilla is probably not going to call the small law firm, right? They’ve already got that in their mind or wherever it is. You need to figure out the people that are going to call that and fit into what you can talk about and the way you can be and go after that person. Or those people in that segment. Because if you focus on that and do that, then you’re spending your dollars strategically and you’re going forward with it and you’re actually being able to get the cases you can utilize.
Lindsey:
It’s a brilliant perspective. And it’s not one that many people really think about. Because so many attorneys think about, well, how can I make myself different? Or how can I stand out from everybody else? But it’s not all about us. A lot of times it’s about the client. And when you’re competing against these giant gorillas, what makes that client segment different than the ones that are going to be picking up the phone and calling you? And I think that that’s something that deserves some emphasis on that. So if you are being strategic, not only in how you’re branding yourself, but cultivating that brand towards somebody who is really going to appreciate that as an alternative to the giants that are out there.
Trey Harrell:
Cultivating that brand or working the gimmick, right, is the situation where when you say something or you’re doing something in your marketing, your friends need to say, yeah, that’s you. That’s not fake. That’s you. Because you’ve got to be authentic and approachable in your marketing or nobody’s going to call you. They’re going to call the people that are plastered everywhere.
Lindsey:
Yeah. And you don’t want to be copying what they’re doing. You don’t want to be copying their…
Trey Harrell:
If you have a hammer out there, you don’t want to be the screwdriver because there’s already a hammer. Exactly. Dead on. That’s a great example. I’m actually going to steal that for my presentation. If you don’t mind, right?
Lindsey:
Absolutely. No, please.
Trey Harrell:
I’ll just give you credit for it though.
Lindsey:
Please do. Yeah. If you can send them over to my booth too, that would be great for all your metaphors and more. So once you know who you are and who your authentic brand identity is and who your target demographic is, and you have these pieces kind of intellectually put together, what is the next step in terms of getting your messaging out to the right people?
Trey Harrell:
I think that there’s no easy way to get your messaging out, right? And I think that what you’ve got to realize when you’re getting out there is content is the king, right? We all talk about that from optimizing SEO like y’all do so well or social media and all of those things. Content is That’s key. And what you’ve got to remember is content takes time, right? The big firms have the dollars to invest. That’s their commodity they have to invest. You have time to invest, or at least that’s kind of the way you got to look at it. And so the way to stand out is to create this content and do these things consistently. Lots and lots and lots. Do this. If somebody calls and asks you to do a podcast, do it. If you’re sitting there having a conversation with your wife or your kids or you’re doing something, snap some pictures and post it. I mean, do what you’re already doing, but get it out there regularly. And I think, I’m sure you tell people this all the time, don’t forget when you’re posting content out there about Google My Business. You can post content to that for free, and that really helps, and it’s easy. So when you’re posting things to Instagram or TikTok, do that. Don’t be afraid to get out there and do it, because all you need is your cell phone to get that content, and that’s cheap, right? So do those things and get that out there. And then the cases are going to come in. And when the case comes in, do a really good job, right? Get that five-star review, and then you’re going to get more cases. And when you get more cases, then you’re going to have dollars to invest in services like yours to get the cases to come in at a higher rate. So I think it’s really when you ask, how do you stand out? What’s the way you do it? How do you do that? It’s really you got to put the time in because that’s your commodity. That’s what is the thing you have to invest in and to invest out there. And so you’ve got to do it. You’ve to be willing to do it because it’s not fun. It’s not easy. You know, it may look like all fun and games when you’re sitting there taking pictures and all that, but constantly remembering to post two or three times a day on multiple social media platforms, making sure the content is not stale. That’s not simple things, and it gets washed over, but you can do it because if you make your gimmick or your brand you, it’s not hard to write. Write that stuff because you’re writing the stuff you already care about. You’re watching the news to talk about the pop culture reference that you already care about, right? So you’re already doing the things you like to do. You’re just transitioning it into something to get it out there.
Lindsey:
Right. And again, it goes back to your point of being authentic. When you are putting yourself out there, you’re putting your family out there. And a lot of times, one of the things that I see lawyers overlook is putting their own interests out there. So if you have an attorney, especially in personal injury, so let’s say that you are a runner, that is something that you can connect with other runners and other pedestrians. And there is an avenue there to build a niche that can help you stand out if you are a runner and actively involved in the pedestrian community. Or if you’re a cyclist, you can build a brand around that and connect with cyclists in your area and really leverage these opportunities in an organic grassroots way. Really authentic way that makes yourself stand out in a way that you’re not going to get from these giants who are kind of trying to catch everything.
Trey Harrell:
Yeah, you couldn’t have said it better.
Lindsey:
So, I mean, it’s dead on.
Trey Harrell:
There’s a lawyer, I’m not going to say his name because he advertises in Charleston. don’t want to give him, you know, he’s a competitor, but he consistently posts, he’s a pilot, and he consistently posts pictures. Now, I think he’s posting videos on there so that he can write off the trips he’s taking with his wife.
Lindsey:
But, you know, hey, whatever, God bless America.
Trey Harrell:
But he consistently does that, and I follow him and watch those videos regularly. They’re entertaining, they’re good. If he was just posting a, hey, here are the three things to do after you’re in a car accident, I’m not following him. I don’t know his name even, right? But I’m very familiar with his travel schedule because I watch his Instagram videos because they’re entertaining. And that’s the key. You’ve got to do that, and you’ve got to be authentic. And the authenticity comes from the days of… Of the yellow pages, you just need to get in there, or you just need that one firm photo, are long gone. People want to identify with the people they’re trusting. So you need to have that content out there so people can identify with you and understand who you are, because then they’re going to want to call you. Because even the gorilla has his own Instagram page where he’s sitting out in Hawaii doing, you know, whatever he’s doing, talking about things, and it’s entertaining, right? So even the big, massive, and we all know what I’m talking about, the massive gorilla is out there doing it. I hope if he hears me calling him a gorilla, he doesn’t get mad at me, but it’s a compliment. And it works. You watch that Instagram, you follow it, you look at it. Not just because he’s a great lawyer and a great marketer, because he’s putting out content that’s authentic to himself, and so you identify with who he is. And so that’s, that mind’s there on the top of your mind. They stay that way. So I think that’s just a genius way of doing it. And it’s just a great example of how these two guys do it and they use it to get clients.
Lindsey:
Absolutely. And it is so authentic. And they not only know themselves, but they’re comfortable with themselves. And as you had mentioned before, they lean into the gimmick. They have embraced this and have created a brand and persona that’s recognizable. They’re the ones that’s coming through the door. They’re the Ric Flares. You know who they are. And there is nothing stopping an attorney from building their own persona and becoming recognizable. And if you are struggling with finding whatever it is about yourself that’s recognizable, talk to somebody who knows you really well. Ask them for what are the three words that you would use to define me or describe me. And if you’re that boring, go do something interesting.
Trey Harrell:
Lead into it.
Lindsey:
Be the boring lawyer, but make jokes about it. Exactly. That’s the thing.
Trey Harrell:
Like, hey, all my content is I’m boring because I’m working, but here’s why I’m boring. Like, I mean, there’s a segment of the population that they want the boring lawyer. They want the stuffy, boring lawyer.
Lindsey:
That’s what they want. want the guy floating around in the pool, like sipping a margarita. Like they want the lawyer who takes law seriously. Or they want the- mean, all lawyers take law seriously. I don’t want to bad mouth any of the lawyers. That’s true. That’s true. They all do. But they take the entire practice very, very, you know, solemnly.
Trey Harrell:
And I think the other thing is, as you’re getting started in doing this, your content’s not- all of it’s not going to be good. In most of it’s going to be terrible, right? But the only way you’re going to get better at it is to do it over and over again. Because eventually you’re going to learn how to say something on camera or how to do this or how to do it or what line hopes them. So you’ve got to get out there and try. You’ve got to get out there and do it or else it’s just never going to work.
Lindsey:
No. And you are absolutely right. If you go back and listen to my first three podcasts You will find out that there is a learning curve to creating content and to feeling comfortable with it and creating content that people actually want to listen to and that will be engaging and helpful and useful. So thank you so much for coming on and creating this content with us. But before we wrap up, I want to know, as we are getting ready for Pilma at the end of the month, what are you most looking forward to about Pilma?
Trey Harrell:
Well, it’s funny, my intake director and my marketing manager are coming with us out there. And so I asked them before, what are you most looking forward to? And my intake director said the snacks. Pilma has phenomenal snacks for people that are there. And she’s correct, that’s there. But on a serious note, I’m really looking forward to the panels that are there. I’ve got two people from masterminds that I’ve been in in Pilma. And if you’re not in a mastermind at Pilma, you need to be. It really has helped my firm grow at the level it has. But… The masterminds, Ashley Marks, is a part of the eight-figure panel. She’s great. And Mo DeWitt is a genius with social media. He’s part of another panel. So just getting out there and watching those guys in the panel with what they’re going to say, I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to seeing all the great vendors there. Like, yo, I’m looking forward to come by your booth and say, hey, so meet me in person, actually.
Lindsey:
Yes.
Trey Harrell:
So there’s just so much to do at PILMA. And selfishly, I’m looking forward to two minutes after my presentation. When I’m done and I can just enjoy PILMA. breath of fresh Yeah. Yeah.
Lindsey:
Well, I am sure your presentation will be phenomenal and I’m looking forward to hearing it and can’t wait to meet you in person.
Trey Harrell:
Yes. Well, thank you so much for having me.
