In Black And White : Legal Marketing Strategies & Insights : Paula Black & Associates : Law Firm Marketing, Branding and Positioning

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Whether you have an in-house marketing professional to help and guide you or not, it’s never a bad idea to look around at what others are doing and suggesting. Finding a marketing mentor is easier than ever these days—social media outlets such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter give us a direct method of communication with almost anyone. And it doesn’t even have to be that far-reaching. The senior partner/rainmaker down the hall can often take that role...you just have to ask.

Question of the week: Do you have a marketing mentor?  

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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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Relationships are the base of most successful marketing and business development efforts. If you make your interactions meaningful it will make your business development even easier…

This week we asked you: What aspect of your client service could you work on?

Results:

I could work on:

1. More phone, less e-mailing - 30%
2. Keeping up with my client’s industry news and trends - 7%
3. Going to their place of business - 27%
4. Asking for feedback - 16%
5. Connecting on a personal level - 11%
6. Giving them something for nothing - 9%

Not surprisingly, 30% are guilty of phone neglect! Another 27% need to work on going to visit your clients at their place of business. See a pattern? In order for client service to truly make a difference we need to abandon technology once in a while and get in front of our clients. On the other hand... bravo to all of you for being on top of client industry trends and news--a great way to keep in touch and show your interest and dedication.

My Thoughts: Though you may not recognize it, every time you interact with a client you’re marketing yourself. Take advantage of it. Here are a few of my tips for making the most of your client service:

• Get in front of them! Nothing can replace face-to-face meetings.
• Show an interest! Send them interesting articles that relate to their industry.
• Prove you’re an expert! If a law that effects their business changes—let them know.
• Take notes! It shows you’re paying attention and gives you a reference point for later.
• Get feedback! Be direct and ask them what they think of your client service.
• Pick up the phone! Take an e-mail break and let them hear your voice.

Lee Thuston of Burr & Forman shared this story:

“In the end analysis, it’s all about relationships. I had a young lawyer that made a mistake with one of our clients. She was upset because she let something get by that was going to cost the client some money (but not a great deal). I called up the general counsel and said, ‘Hey Joe. I’m sitting here with Mary who tells me she let this deadline get away from her.’ I quantified that it was going to be about X-thousand dollars and that I’ll take it off next month’s bill. He said, ‘Okay, I really appreciate you calling.’ I looked at her and said, ‘That’s called having a good relationship.’ First of all, I called the client and brought the situation to his attention. He might never have known about it, but it’s better to tell him up front. That keeps our integrity intact. Was he happy about it? No. But was he really upset? No.”

Black Pearl: For a daily dose of client service commentary stop by Patrick Lamb’s “In Search of Perfect Client Service” blog.

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Welcome back! I hope you had a great holiday and took some quality time out to connect with friends and family. As you know relationships are at the heart of business development and great client service is really about connecting with people. Strong relationships can not only spark more business from the client, but encourage them to refer friends and colleagues as well. From how you answer the phone to how often you communicate, every interaction is a form of client service. Take a few minutes to truly evaluate your client service and think about where you could improve. It’s one of the fastest and easiest ways to experience results from your daily marketing and business development efforts.

Think of it like James R. Courie, from McAngus Goudelock & Courie, LLC...

“It's all about personal relationships. Get to know your clients, their employees, their children and family. Remember birthdays and special occasions. Start every conversation with a minute or two about family, sports, etc. People enjoy doing business with people they like and trust."

Question of the Week: What aspect of your client service could you improve on?

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People may not hire you off of the Internet, but you can be sure they’ll Google you! Take a few minutes right now to Google your name and see what comes up. If you’re like me and have a common name, you may own 10 to 20 percent of the first page of Google. It doesn’t have to stay that way… if you focus on your Internet presence.

I have written an E-Book, "Be A Celebrity In Your Own World" that clearly outlines the strategies needed to up your visibility AND your ranking on Google. And trust me, it works... I have tested the ideas and steps myself. When I began on my own journey I held claim to only 20% of the links on the first page of a "Paula Black" Google search. Today I can claim 90%, due to the strategies outlined in my E-Book, and it only took less than 6 months. I'll share more of this on Thursday. But first... Do you own your name on Google? Let’s see...

Question of the Day:

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Welcome back... On Tuesday we asked the questions... How have you spent your marketing time in the past and how do you plan to spend it in 2010?

Results

Question #1: In the PAST I spent time on: 

1. my referral base - 33%
2. client service - 20%
3. blogging - 0%
4. social media - 0%
5. Bar involvement - 43%
6. industry organizations - 0%
7. not much - 4%

Question #2: In 2010 I PLAN to spend time on: 

1. my referral base - 29%
2. client service - 25%
3. blogging - 5%
4. social media - 10%
5. Bar involvement - 30%
6. industry organizations - 1%
7. not much - 0%

My Thoughts: It is understandable that in the past 43% of your marketing time has been spent on Bar involvement since that is the comfort zone for lawyers. In 2010 let's breakout of the comfort zone. Hats off to the 4% who were honest and marked NOT MUCH.

Now for the breakdown of  where you PLAN to spend your time, I was pleased to see the balance shift a bit to client service since that is a great source of new business... and the interest in blogging because I think it can be a valuable tool.

This list will help you focus while considering what to include in your plan. If you start with too much you’ll just end up spinning your wheels. Your goals and strategies must be realistic and achievable… you can always add to the plan later. As a rule I like to tell clients to state strategies and tactics that are specific, measurable and achievable within one year.

Simon Ward of Piper Alderman sees it like this:

“Don’t aim too high in your marketing strategy—bagging elephants is a Herculean task—but select small, reasonably achievable targets and chip away at them. Small successes can build to bigger things.”

Black Pearl: For more in-depth information on personal brands you may want to look into Tom Peters’ book “The Brand You 50: Or: Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an 'Employee' into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion!”

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Now that you’ve decided to write a 2010 marketing and business development plan,( I did convince you last week... didn't I?) the question becomes where and how to start? First think about your personal brand; that is your vision for your practice, your expertise, your experience and your strengths. Every great brand has an idea or focus that sets them apart from everyone else, so what’s yours?  Look at the big picture when it comes to expanding and building on your personal brand and it may spark ideas for your plan.

A few categories for you to include in your legal marketing plan:  

• Focusing on your Internet presence
• Developing and nurturing your referral base
• Upping your involvement in organizations
• Defining a niche (maybe an industry)

Now think about the specifics of what you will do. My friend Gail McQuilkin, from Kozyak Tropin Throckmorton, has some great advice...

"We have individual lawyer marketing plans that everybody is required to follow as part of their leadership responsibilities. In that marketing plan, you're required to set forth specific things you're going to do during the year. You can't say 'I plan to build a referral base for myself.' You have to say you're going to to do ten dinners a month, what I call 'touches'. Then you've got to say you're going to have four dinners with people that you know, three dinners with people that have been referred to you, and so on. Whatever it is, lunches, dinners, or plane rides to visit a client out of town, your marketing plan must be specific as to how you're going to do it."

We have two questions this week... they will give you some insight to what everyone has spent time on in the past AND what the focus for 2010 will be. Answer both questions and check all that apply.

Question #1:

Question #2:

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The time has come to start thinking about creating your 2010 marketing and business development plan. Didn’t have one in 2009 (or in 2008 for that matter!)? It doesn’t matter. 2010 is the year to start.

The world has changed and it is essential to figure out where you’re going and what you need to do to get there. To operate in this new environment you need to be strategic… business isn’t going to simply fall from the sky. Consider this: According to a 2006 Managing Partner Forum audience survey, 82% of law firms with a plan reported a direct correlation between planning and profitability. And while the survey may apply to law firms as a whole, those plans began with lawyers, were carried out by the lawyers and were measured on lawyer results. So, whether firm-wide or individual, the lesson here is: You. Need. A. Plan.

So, I will write a SPECIAL SERIES... devoting the next few weeks of In Black & White to the questions and strategies that encompass writing an effective marketing and business development plan. Subscribe today and have my bi-weekly commentary delivered directly to your inbox!

To begin with, let’s see how many of you have been writing individual marketing and business development plans...