Miami Legal Business Development | Branding | Law Firm Coaching | Paula Black

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When it comes to business development what comes first credibility or visibility?  It's a bit like...what comes first... the chicken or the egg? 

I was coaching a client who has been consistent with her blogging and has been seeing potential clients for consultations. In the past six weeks she's seen six prospects that can be directly attributed to the blog; she landed two of them, was honest with another and told him that he doesn't really have a case YET (when other lawyers told him they would start working on the matter), spoke with two others that are raising the money and found that the last one was geographically undesirable. She has also been asked to be part of a panel discussion for an ABA meeting. I would say those are great results in record time!

She was a bit skeptical when I suggested she write a blog but now she has seen the power it can have. She was easy to find because her blog is very specialized... hence it comes up on Google searches. The potential clients have had the opportunity to understand her expertise because they have read her blog. What her blog has done for her is two fold... she gets credibility and visibility all in one.

We talked about what has contributed to her success...

• She had faith that my advice was sound... even if it was out of her comfort zone.
• She found a niche and loves it... you have to like the work.
• She loves writing; so she posts twice a week... you have to blog consistently.
• She said yes when asked to speak... take advantage of every opportunity.

Landing the prospect takes focus...

• She is extremely prepared when the potential clients come in for the consultation... a consultation is REALLY marketing at your best.

How can you connect with the prospect in a way that you establish TRUST? Everything you do should be in the interest of the client even if that means there isn't work for you at this time. When you do the right thing they will tell their friends and colleagues what a trust worthy lawyer you are... THAT my friend is credibility and is worth more in the future than a case you create today.

Black Pearl: Relationships Are Everything! Is a book by my colleague Mark Maraia, it's a great read that is full of pearls of wisdom. And YES... relationships ARE everything!

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He may have only started last year, but Jim Walker has built his blog into a must-read for the cruise line industry. How did he do it?

As I mentioned on Tuesday, Cruise Law News has been a huge success for Jim Walker. In fact, he estimates that  firm inquiries are up about 5 times what they were pre-blog. Have they turned into cases? I would say so. From a single accident he blogged about he got 8 cases--that my friends is results. But his journey is not without effort. So how did he get to where he is today?

My Thoughts: Don’t be fooled, blogging is a full-time commitment. If you want to be successful (really at anything, right?) you have to first put forth the effort. Here are a few ways I think Jim built his blog into a vehicle that gets results:

• Consistency--Rather than post when he felt like it, Jim made a commitment to his readers to post on a regular basis. With 356 posts in 365 days, I’d say he proved himself a reliable source for industry news
• Timeliness--Jim writes about real, of-the-moment industry news and information. If something happens that involves a cruise line or ship you can be pretty sure he’s going to cover it. That drives people to return to his blog over and over again for fresh content.
• Focus--By picking an industry he knows well, Jim created a niche for himself. His background gave him unique insight into his readers and he stayed true to what THEY want to read about.
• Conversation--Instead of being simply a source of information, Jim engages with his readers through the comments section. By reaching out to them he’s connecting—and talking WITH them, not AT them.
• Passion--Jim’s interest in the subject and enjoyment in writing the blog comes through in every post. When you truly enjoy what you do it shows…and it draws others straight to you.

Kudos Jim! Keep blogging…getting cases is proof that it works!

Black Pearl: Almost as if on cue, this post from Cordell Parvin arrived in my Inbox. “If you need to, got to or have to-You won't,” is a great wake-up call for those of you who see marketing and business development as a burden. Change your attitude, change your future!
 

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Last week marked the one-year anniversary of my friend Jim Walker’s blog “Cruise Law News.” What he has accomplished in the span of a year is truly amazing…and should be an inspiration to all you attorneys out there who don’t think they have the time or energy to blog. In 365 days, Jim has:

• posted 356 articles;
• become the #1 maritime law blog in the US;
• become the #2 personal injury blog in the US;
• become the 50^th most popular law blog overall in the US;
• averaged 25,000 unique visitors a month;
• and has been cited in regional, national and international media.

He has also created a community of cruise ship passengers, crew members, travel agents and others who look to HIM for news and commentary on their industry. So what can we learn from his success? My thoughts on Thursday…

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For the second part of this special post I went to a true success story from the Lexblog network, Delaware Corporate and Commercial Litigation Blog’s Francis Pileggi. With over five-and-a-half years of blogging under his belt, Francis continues to reap the rewards of having a well-recognized blog. So how did he do it?

Take control of your image.

“[In 2004], I came to the realization that people who wanted to find more information about lawyers went online and Googled them. I realized that lawyers who care about their image should be concerned what people find when they do a Google search and I wanted influence over it. I wanted to make sure that the first 5 or 10 things they saw on a Google search would be the best 5 or 10 things about me. I decided I needed to increase my Internet presence and the best way to do that was through a blog.”

Enjoy the process.

“For me it was a natural evolution. I’ve always written a lot of articles. It’s not likely you’re going to do well with a blog unless you write a lot. You have to enjoy writing and want to write frequently and extensively. It’s a lot of work but it’s a labor of love.”

Speak to the right audience.

“It’s developed into something bigger than I ever anticipated. I’ve developed a following among lawyers… and judges. It’s become required reading for some law clerks… Now I am on a first-name basis with all of the nationally recognized corporate law professors and other corporate law experts.”

All rewards are not financial.

“I’ve gotten a substantial amount of business from it, no question about it. [The blog] has improved my professional stature. It’s made me a better lawyer. Now I’m not just reading cases, I’m summarizing them and I’m using it for my own research.”

Blogging is not an option anymore.

“If you really want to be well known in a specific area… then you should be blogging on that topic. It identifies you as someone who is serious about that subject matter.” 

Thanks so much to Francis for his invaluable insight.  Next week we will focus on two more bloggers who have proven that you can get business from your blog! 

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It may not be the most frequently ASKED question by my clients, but I can guarantee you it’s certainly the most frequently thought.  So rather than give you theory—I want to give you results. This week we’ll take a break from the norm to look at two successful bloggers, the results they’ve achieved and how they got to where they are. First up: Adrianos Facchetti of California Defamation Law Blog.
 
Adrianos estimates that an astounding one-half to two-thirds of his business comes from his blog, which has been steadily growing since he launched in September of 2008. I spoke to him by phone last week and here’s what we can all learn from him...

Don’t underestimate the power of a blog. 

“I get calls from people all over the U.S., people in 30 countries read my blog and I get asked all the time to work on matters as co-counsel. I recently got my first legitimate 7-figure case. I wouldn’t have been contacted if it weren’t for my blog.”

Find your place.

“You have to pick a really specific niche [to be successful]. Choose something very specific and be known as the person who does that specific thing.”

A blog can affect your practice.

“[If it weren’t for the blog] I think my practice would be more scattered. I would probably just be a general litigator, taking everything I could. The blog forced me to learn even more about my subject. I was practicing defamation law before, but this allowed me to get my information in front of more people and gain credibility.”

Be patient.

“I didn’t get any clients from the blog for a long time. At least until six months after I started. This last 12 months is when it’s really kicked up a notch.”

Thank you Adrianos for your insights. Let us all remember that results don't happen overnight. If you know your stuff your credibility will shine through and your niche market will find you.