David M. Ward, Author at The Attorney Marketing Center

Offer of (social) proof

December 5, 2024 by David M. Ward

You’re good at what you do. You’re a “trusted advisor” and deliver good results for your clients. Great, but can you prove it?

It’s probably awkward for you to say you’re the lawyer people should choose but it’s a different story when someone else says it. When a client refers a friend or business contact to you, for example, they’re telling their friend or contact that you’re good at your work and can be trusted to do a good job for them.

Which is why referrals are so powerful.

Referrals are a form of social proof and while they are often the best form, there are others and you should use as many as possible:

Testimonials (written or recorded) from satisfied clients
Success stories about your cases and engagements
Endorsements by other lawyers and industry leaders
Reviews on legal blogs or other publications
Media coverage of your firm or a case you successfully handled
Sharing via social media of articles and posts by or about you
Being photographed in the company of (some) famous people
Being interviewed by notable podcasters, bloggers, and reporters

Because these also tell the world you’re good at what you do.

Social proof gets people to pay attention to you and influences prospective clients who see or hear it, or people who can recommend or refer them to you. Social proof is an effective way to increase your exposure and name recognition, build your credibility, and get more people to visit your website to find out more about what you offer.

It works by tapping into basic human tendencies like the desire to follow the crowd (the “bandwagon effect”) and/or the fear of missing out.

Social proof can also help retain clients who might otherwise be lured away from your firm.

Bottom line, the more social proof you have, the more successful you’ll be.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Referrals earn referrals

December 3, 2024 by David M. Ward

It’s simple. You get referrals by giving referrals. Send clients or customers to your business clients and contacts and they’ll do the same for you.

I’m sure you do this when the opportunity presents itself and you “think about it”. I’m suggesting you think about it regularly and go out of your way to find referrals to give.

It starts by getting to know your clients and contacts beyond their legal profile or situation. Learn about their business and industry, find out what they do, for whom do they do it, and why they do it better or differently than their competition.

And then, promote them. Tell people about their business, practice, or organization.

And do it proactively.

Don’t wait until you hear that someone needs their products or services, pass out their flyer, brochure, or business card or do the equivalent online.

Talk about their business to everyone. Ask if they know someone who might need what they offer. Consider featuring them in your newsletter or blog.

If you’ve hired them yourself and liked what they did for you, write or record a testimonial for them.

Be an ambassador for their business.

They’ll get more clients or customer, sell more products or services, and the people you refer to them will get products or services they need and want.

You? You get the gratitude of both of them and, eventually, a lot more referrals.

Filed Under: Referrals

Hold on to what’s working and let go of what isn’t

November 21, 2024 by David M. Ward

Most of what we do we do out of habit. We do the same things, the same way, and rarely think about it.

We evaluate cases the same way we always have. We use the same process to decide to take them, settle them, try them, and drop them.

We solve problems, draft documents, conduct depos and hearings and trials pretty much the same way this year as we did ten years ago.

We talk to friends and family the same way as we have always done. We buy the same computers and software, hire the same employees and vendors, and conduct our life and business very much the same as we have before.

Not much changes from day-to-day.

This is a good thing if everything is working well, but a problem if it’s not.

Which means at all times, we must stay alert and be prepared to anticipate and fix problems and take steps to avoid or lesson them in the future.

But even if all is well, we’re safe and profitable and growing and happy, even if what we’re doing is clearly working, we don’t know if there’s something we could do that might work better.

Unless we ask.

In fact, we should always assume there are improvements we could make and regularly look for them. Ways to lower costs, increase profits, and improve our systems.

We must examine, evaluate, and interrogate everything we do. Train ourselves to pay attention to everything and everyone. And ask lots of questions.

That means doing quarterly and annual reviews of our entire operation, in addition to our weekly reviews.

It’s how we know what’s working and what needs fixing. It’s how we can follow the sage advice to “Hold on to what’s working and let go of what isn’t”.

Effectively managing a successful law practice and happy life depends on it.

Filed Under: success

How to be the top lawyer in your niche

November 19, 2024 by David M. Ward

The top lawyers are different. Not necessarily smarter or more accomplished, they do things differently.

The key is their mindset about serving their clients better than any other lawyer could or would, and the reputation they develop as a result.

They make a commitment to their clients and to themself to be the best at every aspect of what they do.

Because they do, their clients unfailingly turn to them whenever they need advice or help.

It starts by letting their clients know that they (or someone on their behalf) will be available whenever they call with a question or to discuss a legal matter.

They aren’t just willing to do it, they are eager to do it.

Being the best also means being honest with their clients or prospects about what they can and can’t do for them. If they aren’t the best lawyer for the job, they don’t fake it, they tell the client. If the client insists that they handle the matter anyway, they say no, even if the client is happy to pay for it.

They explain that the client doesn’t need what they’ve asked for, or that they’re not the best lawyer for the job, and suggest a different solution or refer them to another lawyer who can help them.

The best lawyers are also proactive. They rigorously stay in touch with their clients, even when they’re not actively engaged in legal work for them. They go out of their way to

Share useful ideas, information, and resources
Introduce them to prospective clients or customers for their business or practice
Invite them to sporting or entertainment events they know would appeal to them
Educate them about how their legal services work so that the client will be better able to recognize when they need help or advice and be better able to work with them
And they look for ways to spend time with them (off the clock) getting to know them, their families, their customers, and their advisors

It all boils down to this: the most successful lawyers don’t just provide good legal services for their clients, they build strong relationships with them.

As a result, these lawyers never struggle to attract great clients or need to sell them anything. Clients seek them out, stay with them through thick and thin, and go out of their way to refer other clients.

It feels good to be the best, and it pays well.

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Image, success

How to never run out of ideas for your blog or newsletter

November 15, 2024 by David M. Ward

If you’re like me (and I’m sure you are), the writing is easy. The hard part is figuring out what to write about.

What do your readers want to know? What do they need to hear? What will they find interesting or useful?

If you create content, you need ideas. Lots of them. And you should start working on compiling a big list you can tap into when you need to write something and don’t have a topic.

A great way to get ideas is to steal them from other content creators. Or, if you prefer, “borrow” them because ideas don’t belong to anyone.

So, borrow ideas from other lawyers (in your field or in a complementary field). Borrow ideas from consultants, accountants, financial experts, business owners, and other smart or interesting people.

Borrow ideas from newsletters or blogs that target readers in your clients’ industries or local markets.

Borrow ideas from anything you see or hear that catches your attention and might be good to share with your clients and subscribers.

When you find a blog that has something you might use someday, bookmark it. If they have a newsletter, subscribe to it, so their posts wind up in your inbox.

A few good newsletters or blogs might give you enough ideas to last for months or years.

(NB: You might want to set up another email address for that purpose).

Then, use those ideas to create your own content when you need it and are late for court or need more sleep or can’t think of anything to say.

Grab someone’s article or post, summarize what they said and tell your readers why you agree or disagree. Or write about the same subject with your own examples or stories or reasoning.

Or just use their article or email as a prompt and write whatever comes to mind.

Because you don’t want to be late to court.

Filed Under: Blogging, Content creation, Newsletters

A simple way to start using email marketing

November 12, 2024 by David M. Ward

You know a lot of people who could hire you (or hire you again), share your content, or send you referrals. You have their email address and would like to stay in touch with them, but you don’t want to look like you’re hungry for business. Or you don’t know what to say.

What can you do? Send them a “thank you” email.

Thank them for being your client, colleague, or friend. Don’t ask for anything, just say thanks.

Thanking your clients and contacts can:

Build trust and foster loyalty
Make them feel important
Reduce “buyer remorse”
Remind them you are still available to help them (or someone they know)
Encourage them to think about you and perhaps visit your website or call to ask a question

In other words, saying “thank you” is good for business.

And what could be simpler than thanking people for their patronage or friendship?

Your email should be short, informal, and from you, not your firm.

You can make it more effective by mentioning something about them, their case, their business or family, your last meeting or conversation, or by simply addressing them by their first name.

NB: Mention their first name in the subject line and you should get more “opens”.

If you want, you can do more. You can encourage them to connect with you on social media, for example, ask them about their new product or project, or tell them about your latest article or upcoming event. Or invite them to sign up for your newsletter or subscribe to your blog.

Or you can save these for your next email, and yes, there should be a next email, but you don’t have to think about that right now—for now, sending a thank you email is enough.

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Email

The most important part of your marketing message

November 4, 2024 by David M. Ward

Marketing experts advise you to tell your prospective client, reader or listener, what to do.

Tell them to call and ask for an appointment. Tell them to click, download, read, or watch, tell them to sign up, and you should. Telling people what to do makes it more likely they will do it, and more likely, therefore, that you will get a new case or client, subscriber or follower.

Don’t leave it for them to figure out what to do; tell them. And tell them why.

What are the benefits of doing what you’re asking? How will they be better off? What will they learn or get or be able to do?

Telling them what to do is important. Telling them why is the most important part of your message.

People do things for a reason. A benefit they want or need. Just as you shouldn’t leave it up to them to figure out what to do, you shouldn’t leave it to them to figure out why.

Even if it’s obvious, tell them anyway. Tell them that getting your information or advice might help them avoid an expensive lawsuit, for example. Or that hiring you might be the quickest and best way to make their painful problem go away.

Talk about their legal problem and their pain. Because people will do more (and pay more) to solve a painful problem or difficult situation than they will do or pay to prevent one.

Tell people what to do and why. Especially if “why” means the end of their painful problem.

Filed Under: Advertising, Communication, Copywriting

Marketing for lawyers who hate marketing

October 23, 2024 by David M. Ward

Q: “Is there anything I can do to bring in more business that doesn’t require a lot of time or money or to doing things I don’t want to do?”

A: “Yes—Stay in touch with people who already know, like, and trust you—clients, former clients, professional and business contacts, and others on your list.”

Note to self: make a list.

Every time people hear from you it reminds them that you’re still alive, still practicing law, still helping people solve legal problems.

They think about you, they think about what they want or need, and you get repeat business and referrals and other opportunities to grow your practice.

You might simply send them a birthday card or holiday card, Or call, say hello and ask how they’re doing. Hearing your name or voice, even on a phone message, can lead to business.

You can also send emails. Choose two people each day and send them an email, an article link, or just say hello. Or send everyone a weekly newsletter.

You can do more but you don’t t have to. Don’t overthink this. Just stay in touch with people who know, like, and trust you and keep doing that.

You may not like marketing but you’ll like the results.

The Attorney Marketing Formula

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations

Make ‘em fall in love with you

October 21, 2024 by David M. Ward

We have a service contract for our heating and air conditioning appliances. The service people are competent, friendly (and clean), their fees are reasonable, and we continue to renew our contract, but if a better option came along, we’re open to jumping ship.

Because they’re good, but we don’t love them.

We had an appointment scheduled for this morning but weren’t sure they would show up. It’s Monday, the appointment was made two weeks ago, but they didn’t confirm with a call or email or text, so we weren’t sure if they would show up today.

We called, and yes, we were on the schedule. Which meant we can go about our day and not wonder if someone would show up.

But we shouldn’t have to call. It’s their business, not ours, and serving customers is and should be their top priority. For our peace of mind and theirs. Just as we want to know they’re coming, don’t they want to know we haven’t forgotten and will be home when they arrive?

In the lawyer-client world, the details are more complicated, but the principles are the same.

Clients want excellent legal work and excellent outcomes but they also want to know that you care enough about what you do and the people for whom you do it to take care of the so-called “little things” that make working with them easier and better.

The kinds of things that make them like and trust you.

That might be as simple as creating a policy manual for your office with systems for staying in touch with your clients.

It might be as simple as studying their industry or market to learn all about their problems, interests and goals, and using what you’ve learned to help them.

It might be as simple as posting information on your website and letting clients know where to find it, or writing a newsletter to send them this information so they don’t have to remember to look.

It might be as simple as making sure you and your staff always greet them with a smile and handshake, make eye contact, and remember them during the holidays.

But whatever it is in your world, make sure you do it. Because your clients want to feel good about their decision to hire you, stay with you, and recommend you.

Our service provider may not do everything we’d like them to do, but they’re making progress. They just called my wife and told her they were on their way.

Filed Under: Client relations

Sell your legal services in 60 seconds!

October 15, 2024 by David M. Ward

The world is awash in ads that sell products or services in 30 to 60 seconds.

Why can’t you do the same?

Why can’t you explain what you do and why someone should hire you in just one minute? In a TV or radio ad, on a web page, in a presentation, or face-to-face?

You can do that by sharing one to three benefits—the problem(s) you solve, the solutions you offer, and why the reader or listener should choose you as their attorney.

Yes, the person who hears your message will want more information. They’ll have questions, they may want to do so some research about their issue or about you, and you will almost always have to accommodate them.

But first, you need to get their attention and stimulate interest in learning more, and you can do that with a well-crafted 60-second commercial.

Not a paid ad, necessarily. You can do this with a conversation where you tell a prospect client (or someone who can refer them) WHY they should talk to you, go to your website, read your handout, or come to your seminar.

Start by making notes about the problems you solve, the services and benefits you offer and why a prospect should take the next step to learn more.

And pay attention to ads and presentations and web pages you see, to see how others do it and especially how they get your attention.

Then, talk to a marketing or advertising professional, see what they offer, and consider asking them to put together a “test” campaign for you.

If you’ve done your homework, you’ll have a good idea of what you want from them, and what you might be able to do yourself.

Filed Under: Advertising, Copywriting, Marketing legal services