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

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This week begins the mad rush that takes hold just before the end of the year. But between the holiday parties and family dinners there’s still work to do. In fact, the marketing and business development planning that you do in the next few weeks can set the tone for 2011 and beyond. That’s why starting next week we’ll abandon our usual poll-bases posts to focus on what, when and how to get ready for the coming year—from a marketing and business development perspective. A few things we’ll cover?

• Evolving—or creating—your marketing plan
• Perfecting your elevator speech
• Evaluating and tweaking the initiatives that you started in 2010
• Rethinking your memberships
• Evaluating and reworking your blog
• Setting goals for social media
• Setting marketing and business development goals for 2011

So have a wonderful holiday and come back next Tuesday. We’ve got work to do!

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I’ve never been a big advocate of the newsletter when it comes to law firms (digital or paper). Why? Because in reality, most firms don’t have the time to truly focus on making it a useful marketing and business development tool. Instead, they simply throw together some content and send it out to their mailing list. The key to making your newsletter work is time and effort, and, when executed correctly, it can be a huge help in connecting with clients, encouraging referrals and sharing your knowledge and expertise. But before we go on…

Question of the week: Do you send out a newsletter?

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Taking risks is always an integral part of achieving great success. Whether it’s narrowing your client base or simply re-branding your firm, doing something new can often be a little scary. One of the things I’ve found to cause the most anxiety in my attorneys when it comes to marketing and business development risks is their entrance into the world of blogging and social media. Putting your ideas, opinions and thoughts out into the world can be an intimidating task, but one that can help you reap incredible rewards. While reading through my usual blog lists I came across a great piece on why the fear of social media can often prevent attorneys from moving forward in their marketing and business development strategy. But first, think about this…

Question of the week: Do you take risks with your marketing and business development?

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Shifting your perspective can open up a world of change...and possibly affect your bottom line.

This week we asked: How easy it for clients to do business with you?

1) Very easy - 24%

2) Easy - 28%

3) Difficult - 0%

4) Very Difficult - 0%

5) I’ve never thought about it - 48%

My Thoughts: Nearly half of you had never even considered this question. But now that your attention is here, it’s something to consider, correct? As Jay Fleischman writes in the piece I mentioned Tuesday:

“It’s been said that your role as a business owner (and yes, you are a business owner if you run your own law firm) is to make it as easy as possible for people to do business with you.  You need to grease the wheels and create a friction-free experience for the potential client.  When you fail to do this, you run the very real risk of losing business – sometimes, without even knowing it.”

Fleischman goes on to suggest five practical ways to make your client's lives easier:

1. Make sure there are magazines in the waiting area-- and that they are geared towards your client base.

2. Ensure your retainer agreement is easy to read and understand.

3. Make sure you have a warm, friendly receptionist.

4. Minimize the amount of work your client has to do.

5. Make sure that your clients can count on you to answer their phone calls- or return them in a timely fashion.

What I like about the piece (link below) is that all of the advice is so simple. It echoes many of the themes we’ve discussed here (market focus, personalization, availability, customer service) but truly applies them to the everyday nuances of running a law office. They are simple, highly effective changes you can make immediately that will make your business life easier by making your client’s experience easier.

Black Pearl: Here’s the article, entitled “5 Ways To Reduce Friction In Your Legal Marketing Efforts.” Read it, consider the changes suggested, and let me know what you think in the comments section below.

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Marketers are always looking for new and innovative ways to create business development opportunities. But what advice should we reconsider?

This week we asked: How long have you been following legal marketing trends and ideas?

1, More than 5 years - 32%

2. 4-5 years - 0%

3. 1-3 years - 9%

4. Less than a year - 59%

My Thoughts: 68% of you are relatively new to the legal marketing world, having just come into the realm in the last three years. For you, social media like blogs and Twitter may be the norm—32% of you know it wasn’t always that way. Here are a few ideas from the past that may not have a place in the future...

Your website is your only online presence. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook, as well as the plethora of blogs and article directories give attorneys a direct connection to potential clients and establish their credibility. While a firm website is important in that it can outline basic information and firm vision, a more personal and specific line of communication such as a blog can help attorneys truly show what sets them apart from the competition.

Cards should only be sent for winter holidays. To truly stand out in a sea of holiday cards, I always advise my clients to send either Thanksgiving or New Year's cards. (For the adventurous there is always July 4th as well!). The lesson here is to think outside the box. Don't want to send holiday cards at all? Have a reception instead; send clients a card with an interesting article that relates to their business; or even keep a calendar of birthdays and the like. Communicate all year round...not just when you think you have to.

Law firms don't have taglines. Though it's still met with a bit of resistance from some, a lot of firms have accepted the benefits of having a tagline. Whether it's simple, clever, funny or descriptive, a tagline can do wonders for helping firms not only show their points of differentiation, but establish their position and their firm culture among potential clients. Two other options to consider? First, a tagline doesn't always have to be attached to a logo. It can simply be a strong positioning statement or headline that sums up a firm's vision and point of differentiation. Second, it can be as simple as using "Trial Attorneys" versus "Attorneys at Law." It can set you apart and make clear your place in the legal field.

All you need is a capabilities brochure. While a beautiful and informative brochure can make for a great leave-behind, the secret is really in the content. Stop telling clients what you CAN do and show them what you've done. A results-driven brochure can incorporate case studies, statistics about the firm (and its lawyers) and the backgrounds of its attorneys.

Your bio should be about what you've done. Sure, clients want to know about your cases and clients... but what they really want to know is how those cases and clients apply to them. Refrain from compiling lists and instead focus on how your experience can be of service to a specific industry or group of clients. Make them understand why you're the best at what you do and use those clients and cases as examples.

Legal marketing wisdom changes on a constant basis. As new methods of communication continue to crop up, the marketing opportunities for lawyers and firms continue to multiply. My best advice? Read books, subscribe to blogs and follow legal marketing news for the latest trends and ideas.

Many in the legal profession are hesitant to enter the world of social media.  Take a look what Kevin O'Keefe of Lexblog has to say on the subject:

"Law firms have more to gain from social media than other business. Social media is based upon on engagement, networking, reputation building, and relationships. The exact keys to business development success in the law.

Social media provides a golden opportunity for law firms to gain an edge on their competitors. It'll be interesting to see what firms take advantage of the opportunity by keeping pace with their client companies when it comes to social media spending."

Black Pearl: To prove my point, check out this article about why SEO may be outdated (already??)....

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Let’s be honest, marketing strategy and theory changes from day-to-day and month-to-month. Though many ideas are evergreen (Repetition, Repetition, Repetition) smart marketers must be open-minded to changes in the industry—as well as other industries—and never be afraid to evolve and adapt. Case in point: many of the long-held beliefs of legal marketers have been challenged over the past decade, and lawyers and law firms are finding that the old ways of business development may not be the most effective. So what old school advice should we reconsider? Come back Thursday for my thoughts...

Question of the week: How long have you been following legal marketing trends and ideas?

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Finding a mentor is a great step in your marketing and business development journey, but some attorneys need more than just a daily email. For those looking to place a major focus on developing that area of their career, a marketing coach or consultant can be a great investment. A coach/consultant can step in and not only help you write a marketing and business development plan, but help you determine your strengths and weaknesses and keep you on track. But first, what’s your take?

Question of the week: What do you know about the advantages of a professional marketing consultant?

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For some of you, the help you need may be right in your backyard. Many firms (even small to mid-size firms) are hiring in-house marketing help these days in the form of a marketing or communications director. By bringing in a professional whose sole purpose is to market the firm—and the lawyers—firm leaders give a clear signal that business development is big business. But some lawyers are hesitant to use this resource, most of the time because they don’t know how. But before we get to that…

Question of the week: Is your firm dedicated to marketing?

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If you want results you have to make the effort...and sometimes that means asking for help.

This week we asked: Are you applying the help and guidance of professionals when it comes to legal marketing and business development?

Yes - 27%

No - 25%

Sometimes - 48%

My Thoughts: The good news is that over half of you are applying the advice you’ve been given by professionals to your daily business development efforts. I’m guessing that the other 25% of you either have not sought advice outside of this blog, or have not found it applicable to your everyday life.

For the next few weeks we’re going to examine just how to work with marketing and business development professionals. We’ll look at how to find a mentor, how to work with both in-house and outside consultants, how to find the right person for your goals and just what you can learn from them. I’ll also share a few of the hardest lessons I’ve learned myself in the 15-plus years I’ve worked with attorneys and law firms. Because sometimes you can’t do it alone.

Before you dismiss business development as unimportant, consider these words from Robert Bryan Barnes of Rogers Townsend & Thomas: 

"Successful business development is the most important distinguishing factor in your career.  Nearly every lawyer with a license can turn out adequate work."

Black Pearl: For guidance in selecting a legal marketing consultant, start with my article entitled How To Choose A Legal Marketing Consultant.

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Can you believe it... we're halfway through the year.  Are you one of those lawyers that are still talking about 2010 being the year that you will work on business development?

This week we asked: What are you going to do with a few extra minutes?

1. Create a plan - 38%

2. Create a plan AND work the plan - 30%

3. Look for an iced cappuccino - 32%

My Thoughts: 68% of you said you will create the plan with 30% making the commitment to WORK it... good for you!

It's easy to let a few minutes slip away... here and there. Before you know it... it's an hour... then a day... then a month... it adds up. If I had a dime for every time a lawyer told me he/she doesn't have time I would be sitting in the south of France with a glass of wine, NOT sitting at my desk writing this blog. When a lawyer tells me they don't have time... what they are really saying -  I DON'T WANT TO DO BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT... I HATE IT.... I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.  Now be honest... what are YOU really saying?

1. You don't want to do it? You decide... do you want a job or a career?
2. You hate it? Get over it... and find a way to develop business in a way that and you like.
3. You don't know what to do? You learned how to be a lawyer didn't you? Start learning!

"I don't have time" is a story we tell ourselves. If we keep saying it... it will be the truth. What do you want your truth to be?

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden had this to say about the importance of taking that first step:

"The most important key to achieving great success is to decide upon your goal and launch, get started, take action, move!"

Black Pearl: If you're ready to start developing your marketing plan but don't know how to begin, start by reading my article entitled Every Attorney Needs A Marketing Plan: 7 Easy Steps.

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You can’t have a brand without visibility. It’s rocket fuel for your marketing and business development efforts. We’ve discussed the importance of Google (if you haven’t yet, go Google yourself... you may be surprised what potential clients will see first), but there are many other options to increasing your visibility… and credibility.

Question of the week: What are you doing to increase your visibility?  

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This Thanksgiving week, we will not have a poll question nor will we be posting on Thursday. But just because we are on holiday doesn’t mean our minds have to be... we can still think.

On this Thanksgiving weekend, while you socialize, relax and, of course, eat, don’t forget to keep legal marketing and business development at top (ok, maybe not top) of mind. In fact, this weekend presents a great opportunity for serious legal marketers, such as yourself, to think about a few things that may just help your efforts in the coming months.

So, have a wonderful holiday and consider the following:

1. Do your friends and family truly understand what you do and how it benefits others? Ask them. You might be surprised. (Remember, they could be a referral source.)
2. Are you doing enough to let your clients know how thankful you are for their business? Send them an email and express your gratitude.
3. On that subject... as you know, I am not a fan of Christmas cards, since you can’t standout amongst the crowd. So, plan on New Year’s cards or gifts. Now is the time to think about what that could be.
4. What was your greatest marketing success this year? How can you build on that for the next year and make it even more profitable?

Sometimes we are so caught up in the demands of current business that we just don’t get time to think about what we are doing to develop future business. Take this holiday weekend as an opportunity to reflect on your legal marketing efforts... the results of which will surely give you something to be thankful for in 2010.

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The question we are considering this week is: Are you focused on asking questions?

Results

1. I never ask questions. – 20%
2. I ask questions when I remember to. – 0%
3. I have a list of questions in my head that I ask. – 80%
4. I have a list written down that I take to every business development meeting. – 0%

Thanks to everyone who participated in this week's poll...

My Thoughts - A clear split...  80% of you are actively getting clients to talk, and you have the questions in your head. It takes just a few seconds to THINK about questions before you go into a meeting, so why are 20% of you not bothering to do it? Quite frankly most people LOVE to talk about themselves, it's an easy conversation to get started.

Doug Waldorf  from Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt thinks about it this way...

" Ask questions and remember to listen more then you talk. Ask clients about industry trends, the impacts of political and regulatory changes and other matters relating to their business. Everyone likes to share their opinions and be heard, so ask and then follow-up. Show your interest!"

Black Pearl - A little something to think about: Scott Gibson, the managing partner at Gibson, Ferrin & Riggs writes a blog titled BiziBoom. I ran across his post Think Like a Client - Cold, Warm, Hot where he explores the value of listening to your prospect. He received a comment from Gerry Riskin, who adds an interesting perspective... check it out.