Sometimes I run across an article or blog post that just strikes me for its simplicity and clarity. Such was the case when I ran across an article by Orlando attorney Tony Sos that appeared in the most recent online issue of Law Practice Today. His “boots on the ground” marketing tips were primarily designed for… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: business development
Marketing: More Critical Today Than Ever
Posted in Marketing Tips, Prospecting for ClientsThere is a lot of hoopla flying around the legal space about the “new normal” and predictions that “law firms will never revisit their prerecession heyday.” It is hard to disagree with all the evidence out there, including the joint client advisory by Citi Private Bank’s Law Firm Group and Hildebrandt Consulting, and the joint report… Continue Reading
Spending too much time on marketing? Not a chance!
Posted in Marketing Plans, Marketing Tips, Prospecting for ClientsIn my 27-plus years in legal marketing, I can assure you I have never – let me repeat, never – encountered lawyers who spent too much time on developing business. On the contrary, I’ve met too many who didn’t and don’t spend enough time on it. And I have run across a lot who wasted… Continue Reading
Two Quick Tips On Building Relationships
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsIn a similar vein to the old real estate adage, in legal marketing it’s all about contact, contact, contact. Two important factors need to come into play in building any relationship are how often you are in contact (with clients, referral sources and prospects) and what value those communications add to the relationship. That’s pretty… Continue Reading
Stop Wasting Time – Network Smartly
Posted in Marketing TipsFirst, get over your fear of networking. How? Treat it as an opportunity to meet and get to know new friends. As I said in another post, don’t put pressure on yourself by thinking you have to come away with a new client every time. Just enjoy yourself!! Okay, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be… Continue Reading
Consider an Internal Coaching Program to Get Marketing Results
Posted in Marketing TipsAt a presentation to lawyers and marketing people this week at the LMA Triad City Group, I was talking about best practices. I didn’t just suggest tips for those activities that work best IMHO, or planning action items around them, but pointing out that in my experience the biggest obstacle to lawyer business development is… Continue Reading
Does Your Business Card Hurt You?
Posted in Marketing TipsWhat does your business card say about you? That is the question posed by Ross Fishman on Ross’s Law Marketing Blog. You may not think that a small, simple thing like a business card is very important. In fact, you may not even give it a second thought. That is a big mistake. Fishman says,… Continue Reading
Building a Network for Success
Posted in Marketing TipsA referral network does not just happen. Like everything else in legal marketing, it takes work. William Melater, the Dis-Associate contributing author on Attorney at Work, tells us that it doesn’t matter where you went to school or your class rank. What does matter, if you are to “be successful as a lawyer,” is that… Continue Reading
Joining Organizations Is Only The Start In Getting Attention
Posted in Marketing TipsI’ve always argued that joining organizations for the purpose of business development is a waste of time for most lawyers. Too many think that by simply joining associations will result in clients flowing to the firm. On the other hand, most lawyers do understand that it takes more than that; and that speaking to and… Continue Reading
Use Networking to the Maximum at Conferences
Posted in Marketing TipsOkay, you’ve decided it’s time to do some networking at a conference. The first thing you need to do is identify the right conferences to attend. Those would be ones that your clients and/or referral sources attend. If your main referral sources are other lawyers, you would want to go to bar association meetings, and,… Continue Reading
When it comes to Marketing, Sometimes Less is More
Posted in Marketing TipsConsultants (as well as lawyers) can be a touch wordy sometimes. Especially when trying to sell their services to prospective clients. Often we think that it’s necessary to cover the waterfront in terms of explaining who we are, what we do (or did), and whom we do (or have done) work for. Or, in some… Continue Reading
Are You Pressed To Find Time for Marketing?
Posted in Marketing TipsA client mentioned to me this week that things are a little slow, so he has more time to think about marketing. Too bad! He should have been thinking about his next clients when he was busy. Yeah, I know, easier said than done. However, when you are pressed for time to complete a client’s… Continue Reading
Don’t Ever Be Late. Ever
Posted in Marketing TipsOkay, sometimes you can’t help it. Unfortunately, with some people it is just a bad habit. From a lawyer marketing standpoint – in the case of this bad behavior – it is dumb marketing. Oh yeah, did I also say it is rude. Whether you are perennially late to a client meeting, or court, or… Continue Reading
Lawyers Are Natural Salespeople, But Training Can Lend a Hand
Posted in Marketing TipsActually, everyone is a salesperson. Some undoubtedly are better at it than others, but every one of us learned to sell from the moment we left our mother’s womb. It may not have been polished, and the sales pitch was a bit noisy, but all parents would agree the selling was damn effective. As teenagers,… Continue Reading
Travel Tips for Those Face-to-Face BizDev Believers
Posted in Marketing TipsAs one who is a firm believer that face-to-face meetings – whether they be with a client, referral source, or prospects at a conference or other networking event – are still the best way to get new business, John Jantsch’s post today gives some good travel tips to help keep the costs down. Jantsch too… Continue Reading
Discover the Client’s Need, Before Selling the Solution
Posted in Marketing TipsDoesn’t every lawyer do that? Well maybe not so much. Sometimes professionals are too busy talking about the solution to a problem they assume the client has, when in fact the client may not even recognize they have a problem. In other words, you can’t solve a problem that the client doesn’t know exists. So… Continue Reading
Has Social Media Gotten Lawyers Out of Focus?
Posted in Marketing TipsThere is a very interesting article by Anthony Green in Law Practice Today which talks about Web 2.0, Web 1.0 and social media in general. Not being one completing sold on all the hype surrounding social media, I agree with several points Green raises about the need to get back to basics. He (and I)… Continue Reading
Basic Networking Tips
Posted in Marketing TipsDo you feel uncomfortable networking? Maybe better questions include: Do you enjoy helping friends and acquaintances? Are you a good listener? Do you like to party?? Then, you may be better at networking than you think. So, maybe it is the word “networking” that is the culprit. Think of it as enjoying yourself at events…. Continue Reading
Public Relations Tip: Get To Know Reporters
Posted in Marketing TipsGetting favorable press is a very effective way in raising any lawyer’s profile. And that is good for developing business. Among my top ten marketing tips, I’ve put “Take a Reporter to Lunch” as No.8. This tip came to mind when I saw tomorrow’s meditation in 365 Marketing Meditations: Daily Lessons for Marketing & Communications… Continue Reading
Listen To What In-House Counsel Like and Don’t Like
Posted in Marketing TipsOpportunities for legal work for small and mid-sized firms from corporate counsel still exist in this economy, in fact, maybe more so due to the higher costs/fees associated with BigLaw firms. The 20th Annual Survey of General Counsel, published in the August 2010 issue of Inside Counsel magazine continues to point out what in-house counsel like and… Continue Reading
5 Business Development Tips For These Economic Times
Posted in Client Communications, Marketing TipsIt certainly is no secret that the buyers of legal services are closely scrutinizing the costs associated with outside law firms, especially during this economic downturn. There are two things that some firms recognize in that climate: first, there is a need to re-think their approach to developing business; and secondly, now is not the… Continue Reading
Thinking of Hiring a Coach? Make Sure You’re Ready
Posted in Marketing TipsIn my almost twenty-five years as a legal marketer, the biggest drawback to success in developing business has been the failure by lawyers to follow through on the strategies they develop. I’ve seen lawyers make stellar efforts in planning effective goals and objectives, only then to fail for the lack of implementation. That’s where a… Continue Reading
Top 10 Marketing Tips: No. 1 – Visit Your Client
Posted in Marketing TipsDue to my office and family moving back to my beloved North Carolina, my posts over the next couple of weeks will feature five of my Top Ten Marketing Tips, especially for those who may not have been reading this blog back in 2005: May 2, 2005 Top 10 Marketing Tips: No. 1 – Visit… Continue Reading
Top 10 Marketing Tips: No. 2 – Entertain Your Client
Posted in Marketing TipsDue to my office and family moving back to my beloved North Carolina, my posts over the next couple of weeks will feature five of my Top Ten Marketing Tips, especially for those who may not have been reading this blog back in 2005: April 30, 2005 Top 10 Marketing Tips: No. 2 –… Continue Reading