So, you want to know the best way to market your legal services? Read on, my friend, and all will be revealed.
But first, we need to talk about the two kinds of markets to whom you are marketing. The first is your “warm market”. This consists of people you know. Your clients, former clients, friends, business contacts, and other people who, to some degree, already know, like, and trust you.
Generally speaking, your warm market will hire you or recommend you without your having to “sell” them. They’re already sold on you.
They know what you do. They know your reputation. They’ve seen you in action or heard about your successes with clients they’ve referred to you in the past.
How do you market to your warm market? Basically, all you need to do is stay in touch with them. Keep your name and contact information in front of them, reminding them that you’re still in business and can still help them and the people they know.
Make sure they know about “what else” you do (your other services), and send them information about why they (or people they know) would need those services. Occasionally share some success stories about other clients you’ve helped.
The easiest way to stay in touch with your warm market is email. Stay in their minds and their mailboxes until they’re ready to hire you (again) or send you referrals.
Email is also best because it is a personal communication and gives you maximum control over the process. But you can also keep your name in front of your warm market via advertising, speaking and networking at their events, writing for their trade journals and blogs, and other means.
Am I saying that all you have to do with your warm market is stay in touch with them? Yes. Pretty much. You don’t have to do much more, although doing more is usually a good idea.
Consider reaching out to your warm market and helping them in their business and personal lives. Build a relationship with them, especially the ones who bring you the most business.
There are other things you can do, but if all you do is stay in touch with your warm market, you will probably get the lion’s share of their business.
(Note, prospective clients are often not warm market. You’ll want to send them more information, share more stories, make special offers, and do other things to encourage them to hire you or take the next step. Again, the easiest way to do that is email.)
Okay, let’s talk about the cold market. These are people you don’t know.
Most attorneys spend too much time and energy marketing to people in the cold market rather than focusing on their warm market. Remember, people in the cold market have to be found and they have to be sold. This is more difficult and expensive, especially since you are competing with all of the other attorneys who are trying to do the same thing.
There’s nothing wrong with advertising, blogging, social media, SEO, and other methods of attracting prospective clients. Especially if you handle divorce, litigation, criminal defense, personal injury, and other practice areas where “something has to happen” before people even think about looking for an attorney.
But there’s a better way to attract cold market prospects. Much better, because when they do come to you, they really aren’t cold market at all. I’m talking about referrals.
Instead of spending all of your resources finding and wooing cold market prospects, invest in growing your network of lawyers, other professionals and other centers of influence in your niche market or community.
Help them get to know, like, and trust you. Then, when someone they know needs a lawyer who does what you do, you’ll be in line to get their referrals. Those clients won’t have to be sold because someone they respect and trust is vouching for you.
There. Now you know the best way to market your legal services. Class dismissed.
Expand your referral network of lawyers and other professionals with this
