When I was in-house as the first marketing person in the mid-80’s, I had no staff to speak of – as in none, except for a great secretary I shared with a lawyer. You can imagine how much of her time I got. I quickly learned to utilize any staff person – librarian, copy room… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Marketing Team
Subscribe to Marketing Team RSS FeedBoth Marketing And Client Service Are Staff Functions
Posted in Marketing Team, Marketing TipsIn commenting on my last post about involving staff in marketing, Dan Hull over on What About Clients? blog goes one step further. He reminds us that all employees and shareholders must take both marketing and client service seriously. Actually, they are inseparable. Both are critical to a firm’s long term health. He again emphasized… Continue Reading
Staff as Part of Marketing – Continued
Posted in Marketing Team, Marketing TipsAs I mentioned in my last post about making the non-marketing staff a part of the firm’s business development efforts, Stacy West Clark’s article on that point gives some suggestions on how to accomplish that with at least two groups of staffers. But first, the lawyer’s role. Educate those who work for you as to: How… Continue Reading
Staff is Part of Your Marketing Effort – Whether You or They Know it or Not
Posted in Marketing Team, Marketing TipsIt continues to amaze me how few law firms engage their non-marketing staff in the firm’s business development efforts. The funny part is that these staff members are involved in marketing your firm in one way or another, if they deal with clients, potential clients or the public at-large. These contacts, whether intended or not, can… Continue Reading
Marketing for Law Firms – Hiring a Marketing Person and a Trend
Posted in Marketing Team, Marketing TipsHere is the final installment of my responses to questions by freelance writer John Egan for an article to be published in CPAmerica International’s newsletter relating to “marketing for law firms.” The first three questions related to suggestions and mistakes, and budgeting. The final two questions address the hiring of a marketing person and a… Continue Reading
Don’t Forget About Internal Marketing
Posted in Marketing Team, Marketing TipsMaking every person who works at your law firm feel important and an integral part of the team is about as smart of a marketing approach as exists out there. One small way to do that is to include not only the attorneys, but staff as well (at least their names) on the firm’s web site…. Continue Reading
Networking as a Team
Posted in Marketing Team, Marketing TipsIf you are like a lot of lawyers, you may not be completely comfortable in a networking environment. Some attorneys I know would rather go to the dentist than to an event full of strangers. Solution: Take a buddy along. Not for the purpose you might think – i.e. someone comfortable to talk with. Rather, you should spend very… Continue Reading
Partnering with LegalBizDev
Posted in Marketing TeamI am delighted to announce that I will be teaming up with Jim Hassett at LegalBizDev in providing sales coaching for law firms. Although the “S” word is not bantered about by a lot of law firms, just as the “M” word was a no-no in the not too distant past, firms that do “get… Continue Reading
“Word-of-mouth” and “Referral” Marketing are Different
Posted in Marketing TeamMy earlier thinking was that they were the same, or at least a distinction without a difference. But, I don’t anymore, and from a law firm marketing perspective, you shouldn’t either. According to Miriam Lawrence at Automatic Referrals, relying on word-of-mouth business is passive, while a referral marketing system requires a business to actively work… Continue Reading
Do You Have A Coach?
Posted in Marketing TeamThere are numerous consultants that coach lawyers on the skills and techniques of legal marketing. That is not new. Also, experienced rainmakers in law firms could serve as coaches for younger lawyers. Yet, it doesn’t seem that firms provide ongoing coaching for their lawyers after investing time and money on training them how to market… Continue Reading
Marketing Committees Revisited
Posted in Marketing TeamAs I have said before, I am NOT a fan of law firm marketing committees. Marketing partner or marketing mentor of some sort…yes, but not a committee. However…. after reading Bruce Allen’s recent post on the value of marketing committees, I have to agree there are exceptions to every opinion. Bruce makes an excellent case… Continue Reading
Need Marketing Prospects? Check Your Rolodex.
Posted in Marketing Team, Marketing Tips, Prospecting for ClientsYour rolodex (or equivalent) contains many potential sources of new legal work. If you’re like most people your contacts include clients, former clients, referral sources, potential clients, family, friends, classmates, etc. All can help you obtain new matters. An article suggesting you “Roll Your Rolodex for New Clients” by Olivia Fox Cabane of Spitfire Communications… Continue Reading
Does Your Firm Have a Marketing Committee? Too Bad!
Posted in Marketing TeamAt two law firms where I was an in-house marketer, I had the dubious honor of having a marketing committee to work with. One was okay, since it really only served an advisory role, while the other was a total disaster. Could hardly agree on anything, and certainly provided little useful input. Some meetings were… Continue Reading
Marketing Should Involve Everyone in a Law Firm
Posted in Marketing TeamIn too many firms, not everyone has bought into being part of the marketing team. You don’t necessarily want every lawyer writing articles or making speeches. Some may not be very good at it, but they can still be part of the team and contribute in other ways. And I have posted before about making… Continue Reading
Empower Your Staff
Posted in Marketing TeamNot only should you make your staff part of the marketing team, you should empower them in ways that can increase their effectiveness in assisting clients and improving the image (brand) of your law firm. Joseph’s Marketing Blog talks about the power of empowerment in a recent post and a couple of points are worthy… Continue Reading
Do Law Schools Have a Duty to Prepare Solos for Survival?
Posted in Marketing TeamAbout a dozen years ago, I spoke to 3L’s at a prestigious Midwest law school who were planning to go solo when they graduated. I offered some advice, based on my experience as a solo, on setting up their practice. Additionally, I gave them advice on how to start marketing their practice, since unlike their… Continue Reading
How Does Your Staff Value Your Lawyers?
Posted in Marketing TeamDave Swanner’s recent post on South Carolina Trial Law Blog about the three most important values he places on hiring employees could equally apply to how lawyers are valued by staff. His three values are loyalty, communication and hard work; and he puts them ahead of intelligence when it comes to hiring an employee. He… Continue Reading
Contract Blogging for Profit
Posted in Marketing TeamJohn Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing has an interesting post relating to contract blogging as a revenue source. That reminded me of my belief that we will see small law firms contracting with bloggers to keep the firm’s or practice group’s blog current, especially when they are too busy to maintain it themselves. I have… Continue Reading
Practice Group Management For Small Firms
Posted in Marketing TeamThere is a very good article on practice group management by Patrick McKenna of the The Edge Group that was reported on Adam Smith, Esq.. Bruce reports how the train has left the station when it comes to practice groups, and apparently there is no turning back. McKenna addresses the many advantages of practice group… Continue Reading
How Staff Can Help Market Your Firm
Posted in Marketing Team, Marketing TipsMost firms overlook the potential that exists within their staff to help with the firm’s marketing efforts. Your non-legal staff can assist in marketing your firm by: *Reviewing rolodex to identify contacts for lawyer to reach out to *Reminding lawyer to communicate with clients and referral sources *Drafting Press Releases *Drafting letters to clients and… Continue Reading
Law Firm Marketing Budgets? You Want How Much?
Posted in Marketing TeamA percentage of gross revenues is not what a marketing budget should be based on. The percentage approach – whether 1%, 2%, 4% or even more – was popular with a number of consultants and some in-house marketers for years. Comparisons to the accounting or architectural industries should not be used as the guide, as… Continue Reading