When you respond to the question “What do you do?” don’t answer with “I’m am a lawyer” or “I practice law.” BOOOORRRing, not to mention a turnoff. If that is what you were thinking, it’s time to develop an elevator speech that is far more interesting. And I’ve addressed that topic in a couple of
pitches
Billy Mays “the pitchman” and Legal Marketing
By Tom Kane on
Posted in Marketing Tips
Being totally honest, when I first saw the title of Jeff Berman’s post on AttorneySync about Billy Mays, who recently died suddenly, I thought it was a bit insensitive in its timing. But, as I started reading “6 Things We Can Learn From Billy Mays About Lawyer Marketing” (and before I saw his cite to…
Some Thoughts About Pitching In-house Counsel for Business
By Tom Kane on
Posted in Marketing Tips
In several posts over the last couple of months (see Continue Reading below for four of them), I have mentioned that now is the perfect time for smaller firms to approach in-house counsel at larger corporations for business. Some of those reasons include:
- Rates are more reasonable;
- In-house lawyers are more cost conscious;
- More flexibility when it comes to alternative fees;
- Greater value from partners vs. inexperienced associates in larger firms;
- Fewer conflicts of interest problems; and
- Some BigLaw partners are moving to smaller firms.
Okay, you may say, so what are the do’s and don’ts in pitching corporate counsel? Here are a few things to keep in mind in approaching potential clients, according to Frank M. D’Amore, the founder of Attorney Career Catalysts, in an article that appears on Law.com’s Small Firm Business. You should:
- Differentiate yourself in a “significant way."
- Do not oversell your lawyers’ capabilities (in-house counsel can tell a lot by what is said and not said in a lawyer’s bio);
- Do not oversell your firm’s capabilities (In-house counsel are not fooled by inflated claims about particular expertise on a law firm’s web site);
- Do ask the prospect, what specifically they are looking for in order that your proposal will be specific (and avoid seeking work when it is beyond the scope of your firm’s core capabilities. The reason is pretty simple really. When given another opportunity to pitch the company for work where your firm is strong, your prior honesty will greatly enhance your chances of winning that work); and
- Finally, don’t overpower the potential client by sending too many lawyers, or sending the wrong lawyers; e.g., a lawyer for diversity purposes when they will have no role to play in the matter or a senior corporate lawyer for the “grey hair” affect for a litigation matter.
D’Amore points out that in-house lawyers are pretty savvy and have been pitched by many law firms. So, be specific and truthful as to the true capabilities and value your firm brings to the table.Continue Reading Some Thoughts About Pitching In-house Counsel for Business
Lawyers: Don’t Sell The Wrong Thing
By Tom Kane on
Posted in Marketing Tips
We should all be well way beyond any objections, offense, or ego over whether lawyers are salespeople or not. As I have said before each of us has been a salesperson since birth – when we all started with our pitch to get our mother’s attention. And, of course, we were still in training through…
Market Your Uniqueness to Stand Out Among Lawyer-Peers
By Tom Kane on
Posted in Marketing Tips
Every lawyer is different from every other lawyer, just as every case is different in some way. Too many clients or potential clients don’t know that. In fact, many think lawyers are pretty much all alike.
Thus, it is very important that when it comes to marketing that you set yourself apart from the crowd. …