ESQCoach: Marketing Tips for Lawyers

November 29, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Going Solo: Tips on Starting a Law Practice, Lawyers in Transition, Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Planning, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Stop Procrastinating and Start Marketing!, new business development | create a 2010 marketing plan, create a marketing plan, lawyer marketing, lawyer marketing plan, Marketing Planning, put your 2010 marketing plan in place | No Comments Yet

You’ve survived “Black Friday” and are now faced with “Cyber Monday.” The focus is on gift-giving, sending holiday wishes to friends and clients, attending holiday parties and events, and of course, maintaining your law practice through it all!

When you feel you have little time to do anything but survive the holidays, how on earth will you develop a results-oriented marketing plan for 2010? Here’s how! Spend 10 minutes each day in December going through the marketing planning process below. Each task will take less than 10 minutes to accomplish. Because I know the demands you are facing, I have even given you the weekends off!

Start with a Word document and make the entries in order (feel free to copy and paste from this blog post) so you have all of your responses in one place. Almost effortlessly you will have created a proactive, results-oriented marketing plan for 2010.

Your 10 Minute a Day Marketing Plan for 2010

WEEK 1 – IDENTIFY YOUR BEST CONTACTS

December 1 – Current Clients: Create a list of your top five current clients; those you could do more work with in 2010

December 2 – Prospective Clients: Create a list of the top five clients you would like to attract in 2010; clients you are not yet working with but would like to next year

December 3 –Referral Sources: Create a list of your top five referral sources – - those you would like to continue building a relationship with in 2010

December 4 – Other Contacts: Think about others in your community you would like to spend more time with in 2010

WEEK 2 – ESTABLISH YOUR MARKETING OBJECTIVES

December 7 – Target Audiences: Identify your A-level target audiences – those prospective clients who best utilize the highest level of your expertise as a lawyer

December 8 – Key Messages: Create three to five statements on why you are THE best lawyer to work with your target audiences – - really focus on what makes you unique as a lawyer

December 9 – Create Your “Real” Business Development Goal: A. Identify what amount of revenue you want to generate in 2010. B. Create a list of your current clients and what you project you will generate with each in 2010; then subtract B from A to arrive at your new business development number for 2010!

December 10 – Marketing Objectives: identify your specific objectives for 2010 in the categories of:

I. Retaining and Growing Relationships with Current Clients and Contacts (cover topics including client service, client satisfaction, cross marketing, and referral source development)

II. Attracting New Business (include objectives surrounding networking, targeted new business development, proposal development, market research, and professional association activities)

December 11 – Marketing Objectives: Identify your specific objectives for 2010 in the categories of:

III. Increasing Your Name Recognition in the Marketplace (include objectives in the areas of advertising, branding, public relations, trade shows, community involvement, social networking)

IV. Pursuing Targeted and Effective Communications (cover topics including client communications, your marketing database, your website, and event planning)

WEEK 3 – DEVELOP YOUR MARKETING ACTION PLAN

December 14 – Retain and Grow Relationships Action Plan – Identify five activities you will pursue in 2010 which support the objectives you created on December 10^th in this area

December 15 – New Business Development Action Plan – Identify five activities you will pursue in 2010 which support the objectives you created on December 10^th in this area

December 16 – Increase Name Recognition Action Plan – Identify five activities you will pursue in 2010 which support the objectives you created on December 11^th in this area

December 17 – Targeted Communications Action Plan – Identify five activities you will pursue in 2010 which support the objectives you created on December 11^th in this area

December 18 – Review and Refine your Action Plan – It takes time to put your action plan in place. Use today to review what you have created this week!

WEEK 4 – CREATE YOUR CONTACT ACTION PLAN

December 21 – Current Client Action Plan – Review the contacts you identified on December 1st, and plan one follow up activity per contact; set a date for when you will follow up with each person and what your message will be

December 22 – Prospective Client Action Plan – Review the contacts you identified on December 2nd, and plan one follow up activity per contact; set a date for when you will follow up with each person and what your message will be

December 23 – Referral Source Action Plan – Review the contacts you identified on December 3rd, and plan one follow up activity per contact; set a date for when you will follow up with each person and what your message will be

December 24 – Other Contacts Action Plan – Review the contacts you identified on December 4th, and plan one follow up activity per contact; set a date for when you will follow up with each person and what your message will be

December 25 – No Marketing Planning Activities Today

WEEK 5 – CREATE YOUR MARKETING TOOLS

December 28 – Revise your Biography – Take a look at your professional biography and make sure it reflects the activities and accomplishments you have made to date – - update as needed

December 29 – Create Your Representative Experience – Show your clients how you can help them. Clients want to see you have done what they need. Create multiple pieces of representative experience organized by:

Type of Client:

Client Issue:

Your Approach/Solution:

Results:

December 30 – Develop your Elevator Speech – Create a summary of what you do for your clients based upon the “best and highest use” of your talent and expertise. Focus on the value and results you deliver to clients, not on the fact that you are a “tax attorney,” or “an estate planning lawyer.” Practice this for the New Year’s Eve party you will attend tomorrow night in response to “So, what do you do?”

December 31 – Enjoy the evening – Happy New Year!!!

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Online Marketing Strategies for Lawyers: Make the Most of Your Website

By Terrie S. Wheeler, MBC Founder

TWheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com

For lawyers, a website is no longer a “nice to have” tool – it is a competitive necessity. As a result, nearly every lawyer and law firm in the country has website. Because of this, it will become increasingly important to ensure your online presence in more than simply an electronic brochure. Following are hands-on, practical suggestions that every small firm and solo practitioner should consider.

Tips from Our Experts

The objective of your website is to validate your firm, build its image, create credibility, convey important firm and industry information, and help prospective clients, contacts and referral sources contact you. Following are some tips to ensure you make the most of your firm’s website investment:

Be strategic – Develop your website based on and in support of your firm’s strategic marketing plan. Your website strategy and marketing strategy must be in synch and based on:

A clear definition of who your target market is and what makes your firm unique
Positioning against firms with whom you compete
Your firm’s brand, image and visual identity

Think creatively – Use the “Parade of Homes” concept and visit law firm/attorney websites. Pick the most creative functions you like and build your “dream home” website. Select features that allow you to stand above the competition versus blending with it.

Find a strong technical partner – Make sure your website developer has the turnkey skills necessary to:

Create a strategic site map and user-focused navigational strategy
Design the visual/graphic elements of the site
Develop the content with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in mind – - writing for the Web is very different
Technically develop the site
Register your site and domain name with relevant search engines
Integrate web-driven database functions
Maintain your website to ensure that over the long run your site remains current
Provide statistical updates on website usage using software like WebTrends, or Google Analytics

Do your homework – Create an overall plan and outline for your website so that it is logical and consistent; focused on the experience you want visitors to have when they visit your site. This will help your website designer create the site map.

Be realistic – Allow enough time and money for the project.

Plan for the future – With the proliferation of websites, it is becoming increasingly difficult to pick a domain name that is not already in use. When you do find the domain name that works for you, consider registering not just the .com but also the .net, or other extensions.

Be consistent – Make sure you have a unified strategy for visual design (logo, font and tagline) that is consistent across all of your printed marketing communications materials.

Be creative – Try to let go of the old, boring, static approach. Make the website reflect your success and solid experience combined with a dynamic modern approach. Don’t create a website that is simply an online brochure. Rather, focus on creating a dynamic, ever-changing site that is constantly updated with new content of interest to your visitors.

Stress what makes you unique –Make sure that your website promotes the services and features about your firm that are truly unique and client-service oriented. Use representative experience to show clients you have done what they need versus just identifying a long list of client services: show them don’t tell them!

Focus on your audience – Build every feature and function of your website with your clients, contacts, and referral sources in mind.

Brag! – Your home page should promote your successes, big deals your firm has done, and awards received. Set a goal of updating your “what’s new” content weekly.

Create a Web-based media room – An online media section will support your firm’s public relations efforts. An online press room can include news releases, published articles, fact sheets, backgrounders, biographies, contact information, and more. Make it easy for reporters to cover your firm in the news by providing media kit information on your website.

Market Your Website – Make sure you add your website address to your email signature block, to your invoices, letterhead, note cards, and any other printed or electronic materials used to communicate with your clients and contacts.

Promote your Website – Create a proactive plan to communicate the existence of your website to relevant audiences. Generating traffic to your website is a continuous job. In a service business, it is likely you will need to “drive” traffic to your site rather than wait for someone to find you online.

Track your Website’s effectiveness – Subscribe to WebTrends or Google Analytics, software that allows your website host to provide valuable visitor information including:

Number of visitor sessions
Number of unique visitors; number of repeat visitors
Search phrases used to access your site
Length of time visitors stayed on your site
The path visitors use on your site – the pages they accessed
Most popular day of the week for website traffic
Top referring search engines

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July 27, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Going Solo: Tips on Starting a Law Practice, Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Social Networking for Lawyers, Website Development for Lawyers | attorney website, maximize your website, website development, website tips, websites, Websites for Lawyers | 2 Comments

Blogging 101: What Lawyers Need to Know

By Terrie S. Wheeler

Twheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com

Blogging 101: What Lawyers Need to Know

A blog is a website, maintained by a person with substantive knowledge willing to share their viewpoints, opinions, and ideas with the world. It’s easy to establish a free account with www.WordPress.com, or www.Typepad.com . You can search all blogs by topic (and subscribe to those you are interested in) at www.technorati.com. One of the best ways to “get into” blogging is to find blogs in areas you have expertise, and provide substantive comments on select posts. Here are links to a few blogs serving legal and financial professionals:

Blog for Small Law Firms and Solo Practitioners: www.ESQCoach.wordpress.com
Financial Advisor Blog: http://segal.advisorblogcentral.com
An Inside Take from the Outside (written by a lawyer in the UK): http://geotrupes.blogspot.com

Blogging is a very powerful tool for professionals with refined knowledge, who are willing to share substance, who are good writers, and who will make the commitment to keep adding posts to keep the blog current.

Another great way to find blogs of interest to you is through Google Reader, a service which searches blogs and RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds to deliver desktop access to the content you are interested in (including links to blogs).

So if you have significant expertise, are willing to share the substance of your knowledge, are a good write, and will keep your blog current (at least one entry per week), here are some tips for you to consider:

Blogger’s Block: Don’t Over-Think your Blog Post – It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing each and every blog post must be an amazing work of art – - a literary treasure that will rock the world of its readers. It’s easy to fall into the trap of painstakingly over-analyzing the content of your next post. In other words, learn to overcome any perfectionist tendencies you might have, and simply trust your intuition on what readers would be interested in – - and DO IT.

Don’t Take your Role as a Blogger Too Seriously – - but Seriously Enough – There are millions of blogs out there in the blogosphere. Is anyone really keeping track of yours? Actually, they are! A well written blog must not only convey substance, it must convey the personality of its writer. Don’t let your quest for brilliant, thought-provoking content prevent you from sharing your thoughts right now – today – in the format that flows when you meld fingers with keyboard.

Promote your Blog – Join an affinity group on a social networking site like LinkedIn or Facebook. Start a discussion “thread” and ask for comments on your blog. You’ll be amazed at the responses you receive by reaching out to other bloggers and readers of blogs. There is also a very cost-effective service called PRWeb where for a reasonable amount of money, you can send targeted news releases about YOUR blog to web-based news outlets and search engines to drive visitors to your blog.

Cross-Market Your Blog– Drive traffic to your blog by doing any (or all) of the following:

Signature Block – Include a link to your blog in your Outlook signature block

Add an RSS feed to your blog on your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles – These links show you how to establish RSS feeds on both sites. In doing so, each time you post to your blog, the posting automatically appears on both of your profiles.

Make sure your website home page provides an easy-to-find link to your blog – Consider adding a “What’s New” section to your homepage which is automatically updated using an RSS feed. Here is one example on the Professional Services Marketing website. Adding an RSS feed to your homepage has the dual benefit of driving traffic to your blog – - but also of ensuring the content on your homepage is fresh, which ultimately increases your search engine rankings

Promote your Blog on other Sites – Promote your newest blog posts on Twitter. Learn more about how to use ONLY 140 characters by shortening long web addresses using Tiny URL.

On every blog post, reference your other social networking activities.

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June 23, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Social Networking for Lawyers | blogging, marketing a law practice, marketing for lawyers, social networking, Terrie Wheeler | 1 Comment

A Lawyer’s Guide to Social Networking

By Terrie S. Wheeler

Twheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com

With all of the new social networking sites popping up, sites like MySpace, LinkedIn and Facebook have been joined by hundreds of others. If you print this link you will have over ten pages of social networking sites listed on Wikipedia.org alone including the name, description, number of users, registration requirements, and global ranking. Wikipedia defines Social Networking as:

A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services. Social networking has encouraged new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking websites are being used regularly by millions of people.

Social networking has changed the way we build relationships by opening a previously one-on-one interpersonal process – - into the electronic world of global cyberspace. Professionals are jumping onto the bandwagon too, and because of this, we would like to provide a few practical tips on your journey to not just understanding, but utilizing and benefiting from this amazing – - and free – - technology.

A Few To-Do’s as You Get Started

Build a Solid Profile – each site allows users to build a personal profile. Spend time ensuring your profile accurately represents who you are as a professional, includes your photo, and is well written and free of typographical errors.

Invite your Contacts to Join You – extend invitations to your best contacts asking them to join you. Your social networking efforts should be built around your current business relationships

Update your Status Daily – Most social networking sites ask questions like “What are you working on?” or “What are you thinking?” Make sure you focus on your professional reputation when you update these little snippets.

Stick to Business – If you join a personal site like FaceBook or MySpace, make sure you keep your updates focused on the activities you are pursuing as a professional, not on what you drank and with whom last Saturday night

Manage your Privacy Settings – every social networking site allows you complete access over who can see your profile. You can even control what parts of your profile certain people can see.

Choose your Friends Wisely – Social networking sites all have a process where you invite someone to connect with you online. Then, the recipient of the request needs to affirmatively acknowledge their desire to add you (or vice versa) to their contacts. Don’t randomly connect with people, be strategic and only connect with those you know or met professionally.

Look into Aggregator Services – there are web-based services like www.delicious.com that will take your status updates and automatically disseminate your update to all sites you are a member of. Make your social networking time as efficient as possible!

Join a Group and Interact – sites like LinkedIn allow you to join affinity groups. Research groups that attract others like you including, Legal Marketing (5,000 members), Legal Blogging, (2,700 members).

Add an RSS Feed of your Blog to your Social Networking Page – if you also decide to join the “blogosphere,” make sure you add a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed to your blog on your Facebook or LinkedIn profiles.

Additional Resources on Social Networking:

Link: Social Networking Sites on Wikipedia

Book: The New Rules of Marketing and PR, November 2008, David Meerman Scott

Book: World Wide Rave, March 2009, David Meerman Scott

Book: Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day, October 2008, Dave Evans and Susan Bratton

10 Ways to Use LinkedIn, Guy Kawasaki

www.Delicious.com – Social bookmarking site

www.Digg.com – Social bookmarking site

www.Ping.fm.com – Social media communicator to multiple sites

www.WordPress.com – blog spot

www.Typepad.com – blog spot

June 7, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Going Solo: Tips on Starting a Law Practice, Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Networking for Lawyers, Social Networking for Lawyers | marketing for lawyers, new business development, Social Networking for Lawyers | No Comments Yet

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Effective Networking Strategies for Solo Practitioners – Part II

By Terrie S. Wheeler

This post continues identifying more of the traits and characteristics demonstrated by lawyers who are exceptional at networking:

Create your A-Level contact list – Think of those you know and trust and whose opinions you value: role models, mentors, those who comprise your support system, and those with whom you share common interests. Consider current and former clients, referral sources, acquaintances from your place of worship, neighbors, former co-workers, college and high school classmates, and service providers with whom you have a long-term relationship (doctors, dentists, accountants, insurance agents, stylists, or service/repair people). Cultivate, nurture and manage your relationships. Stay in touch. Be sure your contacts know the basics of your “Elevator Speech”

Always make time to meet with a prospective referral source – Good referrals come from solid relationships. Relationships start with meetings. It’s likely that well over 90% of your future business will come from referrals. Do your very best to find time to meet with quality people.

Follow up and follow through – Maintain contact with those you meet and keep contacts apprised of your actions on their behalf. Do what you promise – always. When a contact has referred you, let them know how things have progressed. When you meet someone at an event and offer to send them…or put them in touch with… Do it! Exceed their expectations of the relationship from the start.

Make it easy for your contacts to refer you – Create a summary of your specific areas of expertise and a brief biography. Include examples of your representative experience. Email this to your referral sources as a PDF document so they can easily forward it to prospective clients.

Focus on quality, not quantity – When evaluating a possible referral source; ask yourself, “Would I refer this person to one of my clients?” If not, find someone else with whom to build a relationship.

Show them you’re thinking of them – Send copies of articles you think would be of interest to your referral sources – as well as keeping an eye out for their firm in the news – and acknowledging coverage.

Track your success – Keep track of those to whom you send referrals as well as those who send prospective clients to you.

Say “Thank You” – Thank those who refer business to you – a personal hand-written note is most effective; a personal telephone call next best; then an email if it’s that or nothing. A “form” letter is the least favorable.

Support one another – Form a small group within your firm or business community to meet, compare notes on networking activities, brainstorm new ideas and most importantly – to hold one another accountable to meeting one’s relationship building goals.

Effective networking skills will enable you to build, nurture and grow relationships with your contacts and clients. Networking is truly at the core of every lawyer’s success in marketing. Go back and revisit the suggestions from Part I of this series and select a few areas in which you can improve, so that at your next event, you too will be a stellar networker!

May 27, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Networking for Lawyers, Stop Procrastinating and Start Marketing!, new business development | lawyer marketing, marketing for lawyers, marketing in tight economy, networking best practices, Networking for Lawyers, new business development | No Comments Yet

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Effective Networking Strategies for Solo Practitioners – Part I

By Terrie S. Wheeler

Lawyers who are successful in marketing are almost always effective at building and nurturing relationships and helping others succeed. Effective networkers weave networking activities through the fabric of their professional practice. This post is the first in a two-part series on the traits and characteristics of lawyers who are also great networkers:

Command trust and respect – People must like you, trust you, and respect you – then they will refer business to you. Think of those to whom you make referrals – this should help you understand how others might be looking at you before making a referral to you.

Make a great first impression – Greet others with a firm handshake and strong eye contact

Develop a benefits-focused introduction – Create and refine a short statement about yourself – what you do, how you are unique, the benefits you provide through your service, the type of clients you like to serve. What are the traits and characteristics that differentiate you from other professionals?

Focus on the other person – Focus on how you can help them be successful; introductions you can make and ways that your unique skill set and expertise can provide support. Ask questions and demonstrate a genuine desire to learn more about the person to whom you are talking. Remember names and details of those you meet. Use their business cards to jot down relevant notes (kids, hobbies, upcoming vacations).

Let others know you have referred them – Always let someone know when you referred them, even if the referral doesn’t turn into business, you get “points” for thinking of the person.

Expand your horizons – Spend time building relationships with new people, not just hanging out with your current referral sources. Involvement in industry and trade associations attracting your prospective clients is a great way to make connections. Think about groups attracting those who have referred business to you in the past. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone and extend yourself to new people.

Know what you want in a client – Be very clear on exactly the type of work for which you are looking and the criteria a client must have for it to be a “good fit” with you and your firm.

Listen for and capitalize on opportunities – Be tuned to situations where you can provide benefits to others through the services you provide OR by introducing the individual to someone else in your network.

Think of your peers and referral sources – Remember you are not just networking for your own personal benefit; you are also networking to generate contacts for your peers at the firm as well as for your business contacts and referral sources. Focus on how you can help the person to whom you’re talking.

Know the broad capabilities of your firm – Know how your firm can fully serve clients and prospective clients. This practice helps to build relationships with all of your contacts – clients, referral sources, and colleagues.

May 20, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Going Solo: Tips on Starting a Law Practice, Lawyers in Transition, Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Networking for Lawyers, Stop Procrastinating and Start Marketing!, new business development | | No Comments Yet

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Be Where your Clients Are: Tips for Maximizing Trade Association Involvement

By Terrie S. Wheeler

twheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com

By focusing on the industry or industries in which you have unique knowledge or expertise, you will establish relationships with prospective clients and those who are in a position to refer business to you. For every trade and professional association that exists, there are numerous ways to creatively leverage your membership and involvement to expand your professional network and build your practice.

If you’re not yet involved in a trade association, identify one which attracts a key group of your prospective clients. Here are a few ideas to begin the process of building and growing relationships within the trade association you join:

Bond with the Executive Director – Extend your expertise to the executive director of the organization. Every trade association has an executive director. Make it a point to build your relationship with this person as he/she is the conduit through which you will be given other opportunities in the organization.

Don’t Miss a Meeting – Particularly for the first few months. Associations are used to having professionals join, and then never attend the meetings. Be active and engaged in the association.

Volunteer to Serve on a Committee – Take a look at the structure of the organization and select a committee that will help you increase your name recognition within the base of members. Consider the Programming Committee (where you could potentially speak to the group) or the Publications Committee (where you could offer to write articles for the group).

Serve on the Board of Directors – If after spending at least a year within the organization you believe the organization is THE one to which your prospective clients belong, talk to the executive director about possibly serving on the board of directors.

Meet the Members – As a member you will have access to the association’s membership list. Review the list and, using your A-Level Client Criteria, select the top ten or twenty companies with whom you would like to do business. Seek these members out at each meeting.

Make a Long-Term Commitment – Most trade and professional associations are used to having lawyers join, express a high level of commitment up front, then never attend meetings or in other proactive ways engage with the organization. Be a member who is in it for the long haul, and you will ultimately be rewarded by receiving the trust and confidence of members.

Sponsor their Events – Seek out opportunities to continue getting the name of your firm in front of members by sponsoring events like golf tournaments, seminars, trade shows, or other activities the association sponsors.

Share your Expertise - offer to write articles for publication and present to the group on a regular basis. Meet more members by interviewing them prior to writing your article or developing your presentation to let the members help you focus your topic.

Other Association Resources

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes have been used for years to classify industries in the United States. While SIC Codes are still used today, NAICS codes were developed to provide even more detailed information on industries
The Association of Associations (ASAE) - easy to use directory updated daily to help you make networking more convenient. This service takes you directly to many of the associations currently operating on the World Wide Web. The search results provide a list of associations that meet your selection criteria.
The Warm Call Center Industry Research Resources – in past blog posts I have introduced you to www.WarmCallCenter.com. This link takes you directly to the industry-based research resources available on the invisible web.

I believe every lawyer should be involved in his/her bar association(s). However, as a marketing tool, the key is to be where your clients are. There is no better way to do this than committing to and becoming a high profile member of a trade association attracting current and prospective clients.

May 12, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Going Solo: Tips on Starting a Law Practice, Lawyers in Transition, Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, new business development | lawyer marketing in trade associations, maximize trade association involvement, trade association marketing | No Comments Yet

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Giving Back: Why Lawyers Need to Spend More Time Volunteering

By Terrie S. Wheeler

May 4, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Stop Procrastinating and Start Marketing! | building relationships thorugh volunteering, charitable contributions, volunteering for lawyers, why volunteer | No Comments Yet

During a time when your key focus is on serving existing clients and attracting new ones, consider taking a short step back and also looking at your involvement in community activities and volunteerism. Consider the fact that now more than ever, non-profit organizations need your time, talent and expertise. Community involvement is a great way to build your name recognition and to build relationships with other like-minded, busy professionals.

Assess your Current Volunteer Activities

Take a look at your current volunteer efforts and rate yourself in the following areas. Give yourself a letter grade, A-D (A= weekly B=monthly C=quarterly D=annually). How often do you:

Provide pro-bono legal services to those less fortunate
Sponsor an event in the community
Serve on a non-profit board and regularly attend meetings
Volunteer in the community
Contribute financially to an organization you support

Why Should You Do Pro Bono Work or Volunteer?

There are many reasons it makes sense to volunteer your time and expertise to others. Consider this short list:

It’s the right thing to do
You will gain a sense of gratification from your service
We are in a culture of volunteerism and civic engagement
Your pro-bono work can help develop skills or even cultivate new ones
Volunteering can provide you with the opportunity to collaborate outside your key areas of expertise
It can help improve the public’s opinion of you and your firm
It can be a source for new clients and facilitate your career because you will make new contacts

Volunteer Resources for Attorneys

Board Source – Formerly the National Center for Nonprofit Boards, this is the premier resource for practical information, tools and best practices, training, and leadership development for board members of nonprofit organizations worldwide.

Access a national database to help you find a wide variety of charitable organizations and IRS-recognized non-profits:

Use a national volunteer clearinghouse to help you find specific ways to get involved in your local community – from volunteering and donating money, to getting involved with the issues they care about.

Network for Good
Volunteer Match
Volunteer Solutions – sponsored by United Way
1-800-Volunteer – a service of the Points of Light Foundation
Federal Government volunteer opportunities – this site lists volunteer opportunities at national parks, forests, and monuments

Check out these resources about opportunities to do pro-bono legal work:

Probono.net – this site lists pro bono opportunities in 30 states
The American Bar Association has some guidelines on pro bono and public service, including a best practices resources guide

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Barriers to Effective Marketing for Lawyers: Do One Small Thing Every Day to Build your Practice

By Terrie S. Wheeler

We recently conducted an internal survey for one of our law firm clients to help us solidify the firm’s marketing priorities. One of the questions was, “What are your greatest barriers to marketing?” Interestingly, and in this order, the responses were:

· My workload is too heavy

· Unsure of how to proceed

· Concern about spending money

However, when asked, “How interested are you in building your reputation with clients and prospects?” well over 80% said “Extremely!”

So how can you move beyond client demands and a heavy workload to take action on your marketing efforts, by focusing on high impact low cost strategies? Consider the following ideas:

Do One Small Marketing Activity Every Day – no matter how busy you are, take the time to do one small task related to building your relationships each and every day. Place a call to someone you want to meet with, knowing it will likely take a few weeks to get schedules coordinated; add a piece of experience to your biography; take a look at our four-part blog post on Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market your Practice: Even if you Only Have Five Minutes!

Figure out Why You Procrastinate Marketing – I am a firm believer that most lawyers wish they didn’t have to market – - that clients would consistently seek them out. It just doesn’t happen that way in today’s competitive marketplace. Revisit our earlier post on Why do Lawyers Procrastinate Marketing? Get Yourself Back Into the Game Today!

Build your Reputation with Clients – some of the best ways for an individual lawyer to build his/her reputation with clients can be found in low-cost activities including:

· Speak at a conference, trade association function, etc.

· Participate on an industry panel or in a community forum

· Write an article for a publication read by clients and referral sources

· Write a blog about your area of law

· Participate in a podcast about a new law’s impact on clients

· Join LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media sites and build your online profile

· Speak at a client seminar

· Write an Alert about a pressing legal issue impacting clients (for posting on your website)

So as you approach your day today, this week, and next week, set a goal of asking yourself, what one small thing can I do today that will allow me to continue planting marketing seeds with my contacts and referral sources? Then, take action. If you do one small thing every day, you will, over time, attract new clients.

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April 23, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Social Networking for Lawyers, Stop Procrastinating and Start Marketing! | high impact strategies, lawyer, low cost, marketing, marketing tips for lawyers, procrastinating marketing | No Comments Yet

Blogging for Lawyers: Sometimes Good Intentions Aren’t Enough

By Terrie S. Wheeler

little-girl-peeking-from-behind-door So – - is anyone watching? Do “they” realize it’s been a month since I last posted? Me — the marketing consultant who tells her clients to post new content a minimum of once per week – - and look at me! Let’s reflect for a minute on the life of one who blogs and figure out how best to make good on the “keep it current” rule. Let’s hope I learn something!

Blogger’s Block: Don’t Over-Think your Blog Post – It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing each and every blog post must be an amazing work of art – - a literary treasure that will rock the world of its readers. One of the reasons I haven’t posted for a month is because I have been painstakingly over-analyzing the content of my next post. In other words, I must overcome my perfectionist tendencies and simply trust my intuition on what readers would be interested in – - and DO IT.

Don’t Take your Role as a Blogger Too Seriously – - but Seriously Enough – There are millions of blogs out there in the blogosphere. Is anyone really keeping track of mine? Actually, they are! Is my honors English teacher from high school one of my readers? Probably not! A well written blog must not only convey substance, it must convey the personality of its writer. Don’t let your quest for brilliant, thought-provoking content prevent you from sharing your thoughts right now – today – in the format that flows when you meld fingers with keyboard.

Promote your Blog – One of the best things I did after launching my blog in January 2009 was to join a group on LinkedIn called Legal Marketing. Through this group I started a discussion and asked for comments on my new blog. Many generous solo practitioners offered great ideas and positive feedback. Some even subscribed to my RSS feed. There is also a very cost-effective service called PRWeb where for a reasonable amount of money, you can send targeted news releases about YOUR blog to web-based news outlets and search engines to drive visitors to your blog.

Cross-Market Your Blog– Drive traffic to your blog by doing any (or all) of the following:

Include a link to your blog in your Outlook signature block
Add an RSS feed to your blog on your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles. These links show you how to establish RSS feeds on both sites. In doing so, each time you post to your blog, the posting automatically appears on both of your profiles. I also include an RSS feed on my Squidoo Lens!
Make sure your website home page provides an easy-to-find link to your blog. Consider adding a “What’s New” section to your homepage which is automatically updated using an RSS feed. I do this on my Professional Services Marketing website. Adding an RSS feed to your homepage has the dual benefit of driving traffic to your blog – - but also of ensuring the content on your homepage is fresh, which ultimately increases your search engine rankings
Promote your newest blog posts on Twitter. Learn more about how to use ONLY 140 characters by shortening long web addresses using Tiny URL.
On every blog post, reference your other social networking activities (see below)

Until next week!

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March 23, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Social Networking for Lawyers, Stop Procrastinating and Start Marketing! | blogging for lawyers, keeping blog content fresh, procrastinating marketing, promoting your blog, RSS Feed, Using RSS feeds | 2 Comments

How to Create Invoices your Clients WANT to Pay

By Terrie Wheeler

twheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com

time-is-money I know – - who really wants to pay for legal fees? Likely, not too many people. Legal fees are oftentimes viewed as a necessary evil – - sort of like investing in that furnace we know we need, but wish we didn’t have to pay for. In this economy, lawyers need to step back and think objectively about the value they deliver to their clients, then clearly present that value in (likely) the only regular monthly communication your clients receive from you: a bill. Please consider adopting at least a few of our billing best practices:

Set Expectations Up Front – No one likes surprises. Don’t just quote your hourly rate in the retainer agreement (sounds like a blank check to me…). Make sure you use this important communication to educate your client on the likely steps involved in their case or matter AND the likely range of fees you will incur each step along the way. Schedule “progress” payments in advance each time a milestone is reached.

Details Matter – Rather than just identifying “client conference,” or “research,” on your timesheet, provide a detailed summary of the work you preformed. Let your client know the 1.25 or 3.75 hours you spent on their behalf was time well spent. Explain the purpose of your time, the process you used, and the payoff for the client in the end.

Don’t Bill Every Minute – Not every minute of your time needs to be billed to a client. Make it a habit to answer your client’s simple questions over the phone or in email without billing them. Record the time, but then identify it as a “no charge” entry on the bill. Clients will appreciate and remember your magnanimous gesture. But more importantly, they will feel comfortable calling or emailing you with a quick question knowing the meter isn’t always ticking. You want open communication with your clients and don’t want them calculating in advance the cost of a 15 minute telephone call ($62.50 – - hmmm should I really call my lawyer about this…?)

Check In with Clients on Fees – For some reason many lawyers think it’s the client’s job to complain about fees if they reach some sort of breaking point (financially or otherwise). No news is NOT good news when it comes to fees. Your clients may feel sheepish about questioning a time entry or the value they perceive (“Who am I to question the work of my lawyer?”) Talk to your clients about their invoices and the work you performed. Make sure they understand what you did for them last month, why you did it, and how the steps were critical to their case or matter.

Enter Your Time Every Day – Don’t wait until the end of the month – - or even the end of the week – - to create your time entries. Not only will you be leaving time (and money) on the table, you will absolutely forget many of the activities you performed for your clients, and the rationale for pursuing the work you did. Lack of detail on invoices can usually be directly correlated to lawyers who wait until the end of the month to try and recreate the work they did that month. Don’t leave your office tonight until you have entered your time for today.

Get Your Bills Out on Time – Nothing is more frustrating to a client than receiving a bill for work you did two or three months ago. Don’t procrastinate on billing. Think of it as your cash flow – - which it is! And know that clients are more likely to pay promptly for work billed the first week in March, for time incurred in February than for work you did in December or January. Strike while the iron is hot and get those bills out!

Enter Time as if YOU had to Pay the Bill – Put yourself in your client’s shoes. Make sure you review your monthly invoices before they go out using this litmus test: If I received an invoice for this amount with this level of detail, would I see value for the services performed? The era of “fee for services rendered” is long past. Be tough on yourself. If you wouldn’t want to pay the fee, why would your client?

Remember your invoices are likely one of the most regular communications your clients receive from you. If you set fee expectations up front, enter your time each day, provide detail to justify the hours billed, don’t bill for every minute, get your bills out on time, and put yourself in your client’s place before you send the bill out, you will increase the level of satisfaction your clients have with you, reduce your accounts receivable balance, and sleep better knowing your clients perceive high value for the fees they pay you.

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February 22, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Getting Paid: Billing Best Practices, Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy | | No Comments Yet

Why do Lawyers Procrastinate Marketing? Get yourself back into the game TODAY!

by Terrie Wheeler

clock75 In this economy, figuring out how to retain clients, attract new ones, effectively communicate, and build name recognition can be an onerous task at best, and one which is thoroughly procrastinated at worst. I believe lawyers procrastinate on marketing for many reasons:

· Lawyers didn’t go to law school to be salespeople

· Marketing pulls lawyers out of their comfort zones because…..

· Most lawyers are more introverted than extroverted (gaining energy from inward pursuits, versus from interactions with people)

· Lawyers generally learned nothing about effective and ethical marketing strategies in law school

· Lawyers truly hope word of their expertise and knowledge will spread across the galaxy – - and that clients will call (the “If I build it – - they will come” approach)

· They are just too darn busy cranking out billable hours

· They are the fortunate benefactor of a senior partner providing more work than one human could ever do in a year

· Marketing requires a long-term approach to relationship building; lawyers want to see results: NOW!

Many times I have reminded lawyers that if they wait until they have TIME to market, it will likely be too late. It takes years to build and nurture the relationships that will ultimately become your best clients and referral sources. So why do so many lawyers put off until tomorrow what they should be doing today? How can we boil marketing best practices for lawyers down into easy, bite-sized, manageable tasks so the process isn’t so daunting? Here are ten things you can do today – - ok this week – - that will help you weave marketing into the very fabric of your practice – - because marketing is not just something to do if and when you have the time:

1. Call your best client (or two) just to talk about how their business is doing in this economy and to brainstorm ideas

2. Set up a coffee meeting with one of your best referral sources (a banker, CPA, consultant, therapist, lawyer in another firm) JUST to reconnect and hear more about how they’re doing

3. Create some representative experience to augment your professional biography (client type, client issue, your approach/solution, the result)

4. Update your professional biography since it’s likely been years (or at least months) since the last update

5. Project your revenue by creating a simple list of current clients and what you project they will generate in revenue this year (this may scare you into pursuing 1-4 and 6-10)

6. Reconnect with a law school classmate to find out what they are doing these days

7. Outline an article you could have published which would showcase your expertise as a lawyer, and be read by prospective clients and referral sources

8. Make a list of the top three issues facing your clients and send an email putting it all in perspective, reassuring them, and offering to serve as a resource for them to bounce ideas off

9. Join a trade or professional association which attracts prospective clients and referral sources and make a commitment to attend each monthly meeting (also offer to write and speak)

10. Create your profile on LinkedIn which has become one of the premier services for professional social networking. Don’t get left in the dust on this – - it will only take a few minutes – - www.LinkedIn.com

February 17, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Going Solo: Tips on Starting a Law Practice, Lawyers in Transition, Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Stop Procrastinating and Start Marketing! | client satisfaction, creative marketing solutions, effective marketing for lawyers, lawyer marketing, marketing in tight economy, new business development, procrastinating marketing, tight economy | 2 Comments

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Lost Clients – Reduced Legal Budgets – - Don’t Panic – Talk to your Clients!

By Terrie Wheeler

twheeler@MarketYourLawPractice.com

Over the past couple of weeks some of my coaching clients have expressed a sense of borderline panic due to their clients’ reduced legal budgets and, sadly, a few going out of business; particularly lawyers serving clients in industries that have been hardest hit by the economic downturn – - clients in real estate, land development, contracting, engineering, manufacturing, and others. How can a hard working, smart lawyer like you develop new business in this market?

The fist and most important step on this path is to talk to your clients. Following are some practical tips you can implement NOW to reposition your service offerings based not upon what you have to “sell,” but on the legal services your clients are buying right now. Here are some practical steps you can take. Price tag: $Your time.00

Choose Your Clients – Review your client list from the past two to three years. Select 10 – 12 whose work with you has tapered off. Schedule appointments with each letting them know you would like to better understand how the economy is affecting them, and that you would like to meet with them for an hour, and provide a written follow up with ideas you have – - all at NO COST to them.

Develop Your Questions – Create a list of questions designed to help you understand the pain your clients could be experiencing in this economy. Take copious notes during the meeting. Ask each client the same questions so you can summarize responses across the board. Remember one of THE most powerful marketing strategies is to ask good questions, and listen. Ask more questions, then listen more… Put your consultant’s hat on and consider the following. Add questions based on the specific knowledge you have of your clients, their industry, and your expertise:

· How is the economy affecting your industry?

· In what ways has the economy negatively (or positively) impacted your business?

· What are you hearing from your customers, suppliers, vendors, referral sources, employees?

· What are the biggest business concerns you have for 2009?

· Are there any legal issues you are concerned about right now (foreclosure, being sued, liens, judgments, banking relationship)?

· What are your staffing plans for 2009? Any plans to reduce or add staff?

· What are your accounts receivable balances and have they increased; are your customers paying you in a timely fashion?

· Have declining property values impacted your business? If so, how?

· Do you have the desire to expand parts of your business, but can’t secure financing?

· Where do you see your business in five years?

· …..Add others to augment the questions above as you put your client-focused hat on and think more about issues they may be facing

Garner Your (referral source) Forces – As a solo practitioner, you likely work with and refer business to many other professionals. Make a list and reconnect with those who have referred business to you in the past (and those you refer to) including bankers, accountants, consultants, brokers, realtors, appraisers, engineers, financial advisors, etc. Let them know of your plans to interview your clients, a process that will likely result in you uncovering needs that require their areas of expertise. You might want to consider offering to interview a select list of their clients.

Schedule Your Interviews – There is no better marketing than having face time with clients and contacts. Your clients will be amazed and thankful for your magnanimous gesture to meet, provide your recommendations, and introduce them to others who can help them – - all without billing them. Remember the interview is not an opportunity to turn the meeting in to a sales pitch for you or your firm (I know this disappoints you….) Rather, it is focused exclusively on the client you are meeting with. Your mission is to uncover creative ways in which you and your colleagues can help the client through this challenging economy.

What’s in it for You? The benefits to you will be profound. Consider the following:

· Face time with a select list of your best clients (THE best marketing strategy regardless..)

· Good will with your clients for your willingness to help them – - really help them – -without billing them

· Stronger relationships with the referral sources in your network and a subtle reminder of your client-focused approach to developing new business in this economy

· Thankful referral sources who will appreciate you including them in your proposed solutions for the client

· The objective ability for you to reposition your legal services to actually fill a need clients have right now for your services (see post on making your services “Must Have” with clients)

· Ability to summarize your findings into an article for a local business or industry-specific publication (your data will be timely and relevant which means it is newsworthy)

· Ability to jointly offer (with a bank, accounting firm or consulting firm) a seminar for businesses wrestling with the same issues

· Billable work. I am convinced that if you implement this idea, you WILL generate paying work both from your clients, and from your referral sources.

February 10, 2009 Posted by ESQCoach | Low Cost High Impact Strategies to Market Your Law Practice, Marketing Your Law Practice in a Tight Economy, Stop Procrastinating and Start Marketing! | client interview, client satisfaction, creative marketing solutions, lawyer marketing, marketing for lawyers, marketing in tight economy, new business development, tight economy | No Comments Yet

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Social Networking: Tips for Lawyers who Want to Try It!

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By Terrie S. Wheeler