The Attorney Marketing Center--Earn More. Work Less

The problem with lists

May 10, 2024 by David M. Ward

Everyone uses lists to record information and convey that information to others in a way that’s easy to follow. We use lists in our work, for research, opening and closing files, and every step in between.

We give our clients lists of things to do, and things to avoid, and lists of the steps we will take with their case, and they like knowing what to expect.

We also use lists in our marketing, so we can do things quickly and efficiently, in the right order, without having to think about what to do each time. And because our readers like posts that contain lists, we use lists in our content marketing.

When a business lawyer publishes a post that promises, “21 ways to use the law to increase your bottom line,” for example, this usually attracts prospective clients in their market. “There’s got to be at least one or two of those ways I can use,” they think, and they read (scan) the post to find out.

List posts work, and you should use them liberally in your content marketing.

Okay, so what’s the problem?

The problem is that because list-posts work and are easy to write, everyone writes them. Lawyers, consumer and business writers, bloggers, consultants, et al., know that list posts are popular (by looking at their statistics), and so they write lots of them.

Therefore, while you should use lists in your content, you shouldn’t rely on them exclusively.

Use your knowledge and experience and credibility as a lawyer to write more thoughtful, in-depth content, the kind only a lawyer of your experience and standing can provide.

Clients prefer to read and hire experts. A thoughtful piece by an attorney who practices in the area they need help with is more valuable to them than a simple list by a blogger.

So, you need both.

Write simple list-posts to get traffic and opens, and authoritative posts to “sell” readers on following and hiring you.

Filed Under: Content creation, Online Marketing, Writing

Retelling

May 9, 2024 by David M. Ward

You post content on your blog or newsletter or on social. But you don’t have enough of it.

I’ve previously talked about re-writing your old content—updating the law, explaining what’s happened since you last wrote about the subject, adding a new example, “changing your mind” about the subject, and otherwise updating or refreshing what you wrote before.

It’s an easy way to get new content to write about.

But there are times when the well is dry and you need new material. New information, examples, or stories.

No problem. Someone else has what you need.

I’m not suggesting you reach out and find some guest posts, although that is an excellent way to get some fresh material (and some traffic from the guest-poster’s followers when he or she mentions it).

I’m suggesting something simpler. Find something someone else wrote and re-write or re-tell it.

If you read a story about a lawyer who won an important case, for example, you can write about that. It’s their case, their story, but even if you weren’t involved, you can write about it.

You can tell the same story in your own words. Describe what they did and what you think about it. Do you agree with their strategy? Think they could have done better? Have a thought about what that case means for your practice or your clients’ industry?

Agree, disagree, offer another example—anything will do. Because you’re merely using their story to tell your own.

You don’t have to spend extra time searching for stories or posts to re-tell. Keep reading what you usually read (or listen to) and use that.

Try that now. Open a bar journal and read something that interests you. Write a few bullet points about the article and use this to tell your readers what happened and what you think about it.

The odds are your story will take very little time to write.

And, as long as other lawyers (professionals, business owners, consultants, etc.) continue writing articles and blog posts about things that are valuable for or interesting to the people in your target market, you’ll never run out of things to write about.

Your readers will be impressed by your ability to continually share interesting new content. They’ll wonder how you do it.

Your secret is safe with me.

Filed Under: Content creation

How to deal with an unhappy client

May 8, 2024 by David M. Ward

Your client is upset. Angry, frustrated, accusing you of (something). What should you do?

Well, was it your fault? Did you mess up? Fail to tell them something? Charge more than they expected?

If it was your fault, let them vent, tell you how they feel and what it will cost them, and what they want you to do.

Hear them out. Don’t rush them. Let them say what they want to say.

When they’re done, take the blame, explain what happened, apologize, and do whatever it takes to fix the problem.

The only thing worse than having an unhappy client is having an unhappy client who leaves and tells everyone they know about their dissatisfaction with you.

So, fall on your sword and make them happy.

The good news is that unhappy clients often become happy, lifelong clients when the attorney apologizes, takes responsibility, and remedies the situation. Maybe they feel guilty for being unreasonable or they’ve simply had time to calm down.

But what if it wasn’t your fault? What if the client was upset about something in their business or personal life and took it out on you? They had a fight with their spouse, lost a bunch of money in the market or a business deal, or they had a flat tire and got grease on their new suit.

What do you do when it’s not your fault? You let them vent and you listen. Show them you care about them. Offer to help.

Treat them the way you would want to be treated if your roles were reversed.

If you do, if you let them blow off steam and tell you what’s on their mind, the odds are they’ll realize that the problem wasn’t your fault, they’ll appreciate you for listening, and realize that they’re the one who needs to apologize.

An unhappy client is an opportunity—to fix the problem if you were at fault or to be a friend if you weren’t.

Filed Under: Client relations

Guaranteed to fail

May 7, 2024 by David M. Ward

Want to know how to succeed? Figure out how to fail and do the opposite. That’s the premise of a process called Inversion Thinking. And while it sounds simplistic, I think there’s a lot to say for it.

Especially if you have too many options and can’t decide what to do or the best way to do it.

For example, let’s say you have a goal to increase your firm’s revenue by 50% in the next six months, but you’re not sure how. You brainstorm ideas, strategies, workflow improvements, and search for new marketing methods, but you still don’t have a plan. With inversion thinking, you might ask yourself, “What would I do if I wanted to guarantee I would FAIL to achieve my goal?”

Ridiculous? Yes. And that’s the point. By identifying guaranteed ways to fail, you identify things to avoid and also things that you should specifically focus on (i.e., the opposite.)

So, you make a list of ways to guarantee you would fail to hit your revenue goal:

Ignore former clients and prospects; they know where to find me if they need me
Immediately start as many new marketing projects as possible
Check social media constantly
Rely on “brand” advertising to build name recognition
Do everything myself (don’t delegate or outsource anything)
Do nothing myself (hire expensive consultants and have them do everything)
Make sure everything is perfect or don’t do it at all
Wing it; I’m smart, I don’t need a plan or schedule

And so on.

Go a little crazy. Then, do the opposite:

Prioritize staying in touch with former clients and prospects because they already know you, can provide repeat business and referrals, and there is no cost to find them
Focus on only one or two projects at a time
Limit social media to 20 minutes per day
Set up a schedule for working on these projects, put this on my calendar, and set up reminders
Progress is better than perfection; get started, make it better over time

You may not always know what to do to succeed, but you can usually figure out how to fail. Then, do the opposite. Or at least don’t do anything you know is guaranteed to fail.

Filed Under: success

The quickest way to generate additional income for your practice

May 6, 2024 by David M. Ward

The quickest way to increase your revenue is to sell new services to your existing clients. It’s easier and faster and more profitable than finding new clients for your existing services.

Your existing clients know and trust you. They hired you once and will hire you again. And you can communicate with (sell to) them at no cost.

Start getting excited.

Hold on. What if you don’t have another service to offer?

Could you re-configure your existing services to create a “premium” version? Something worth more that can justify a higher fee?

(Start working on that.)

How about optional add-ons or extra services to add to your current services? Perhaps an annual consultation package advising clients about taxes or investments, for example. You might team up with other professionals who specialize in those areas.

Could you develop a smaller version of your standard services, without all the trimmings, to appeal to clients who don’t need (or can’t afford) your standard package? How about branching out to different niche markets with specialized services for those markets, or by appealing to different languages and cultural features?

Could you develop a consumer “division” of your business firm? Could you start a small business division for consumer clients who are interested in starting or buying a business?

And, if you don’t want to develop a new service, or change any of your existing offers, there are always referrals—to and from other lawyers and businesses who may be able to reciprocate.

Your clients have lives and interests beyond the services they hire you to perform. Find out what else they need or want and figure out a way to help them get it.

Filed Under: Increase your income, Law office management, Marketing legal services

Simple habits that will fix 97% of your problems

May 3, 2024 by David M. Ward

I stole the title of this post from a video that caught my attention. I’m sharing the headline with you as an example of a headline or title that works.

It works because it is bold and promises a valuable, albeit impossible sounding benefit. But even if I’m dubious about the headline’s promise, I’d still like to know what those habits are, wouldn’t you?

I’d like to know if I’m doing them and, if not, what it would take to start. And, if I already do them, is there a way I might do them better?

Effective titles promise a desirable benefit or make the reader curious about something that interests them. This headline does both.

But you don’t need to analyze every headline that makes you stop to get something out of them. Just note when something catches your eye, for whatever reason, because if it attracted you, it’s likely to do the same for others.

Sometimes, with modifications; sometimes, “as is”.

A headline that said, “3 simple habits that can fix up to one-third of your legal marketing problems” for example, would get your attention, wouldn’t it?

Pay attention to headlines and titles that speak to you. Collect them, learn from them, and repurpose them in your content.

Because the right headline, in the right context, will fix 97% of your legal marketing problems.

Filed Under: Copywriting

Business development leapfrog

May 1, 2024 by David M. Ward

It’s all about networking. Meeting people who know people you’d like to know. High-level decision makers, General Counsels, CEOs, advisors, business owners, and other influential people in your target market.

Your job is to identity people you’d like to meet and work backwards to identify people they know who can introduce you. Eventually, you identify someone you already know or can easily meet because they belong to a group you belong to or know people who do.

Start with “categories”—types of advisors or professionals or decision makers in your target industry or market. When you know you’d like to meet a financial advisor, General Counsel or manager of medical groups (of a certain size or specialty), for example, it makes everything easier.

Create a profile. Then, identify “candidates”—actual advisors or decision makers you’d like to meet. Then, talk to your clients and existing business contacts and ask if they know these people, or know someone who does. If they do, ask them if they would introduce you, or if it would be okay for you to mention their name when you talk to them.

And yes, it is as simple as that.

You don’t have to score a home run every time. A single or double here and there may be enough to get you face to face with someone who wants to know more about what you do and how you can help their company or their clients.

If you “only” meet one or two of these top-level decision makers per year, it can lead to a lot of business.

It’s all about networking. But you don’t have to attend a single networking event.

Because the people you already know, know people you’d like to know, and you can leverage your relationship to meet them.

Here’s what to do, step-by-step

Filed Under: Networking, Referrals

The key to managing your time

April 30, 2024 by David M. Ward

You have a lot of tasks on your list. You know what to do, how, and why, but do you know “when”?

“When” you will do a task is the key to effectively managing your time.

If you know when, and schedule the day (and time), you’re more likely to do it. If you don’t know when, you may not do it at all.

Our days are full. Once we complete our scheduled tasks (appointments, meetings, calls), we might not have enough time or energy to do other things.

Which means we often won’t do them.

I’m not advocating time-blocking our entire day or giving everything a due date. But maybe we should give everything a “do” date.

When you schedule when to do something, you’ve decided it’s important. If you don’t know, everything becomes “someday/maybe” and that often means “never”.

Decide “when” you will do the task and schedule it. Mark the day and time on your calendar or tag it on your list. If you’re not sure of the time, at least schedule the day. If you’re not sure of the day, at least schedule the week.

You can always change the day or week. But to do that, you’ll need to reconsider the importance of the task, and then renew your commitment to doing it or remove it from your list.

Look at it this way: if a task isn’t important enough to schedule, maybe it’s not important at all.

What if you’re not sure when you will do it? Schedule a date and time to review the task and then decide.

Because “when” is the key to managing your time.

Filed Under: Productivity, Time Management

Closing the sale

April 29, 2024 by David M. Ward

You’re sitting with a prospective client talking about their case or the services you can provide. You’ve made the case for why they need your help, explained what you will do, talked about fees, answered their questions, and you think they’re ready to sign up.

But you’re not sure.

What should you do?

One thing you can do is “assume the sale”. Hand them the paperwork and a pen (or stylus) and tell them where to put their name. You might start with an authorization instead of a fee agreement or another document to fill out.

If they fill it out, they’re saying yes to the dress.

If they have more questions or objections, they’ll let you know.

If you’re still not sure, ask them. “Are you ready to get started?”

It can be as simple as that.

Actually, it should be. If they need you, can afford you, and don’t need to get anyone’s approval, it should be a done deal.

So ask.

“Are you ready to get started?” Or, “Would you like me to get started?” Or, “When would you like to get started?” Or, “Would you like to get started this week or is next week better for you?”

It’s all good.

You’re not asking for the sale. You’re asking what they want to do. If they’re ready, great. If they want to wait, that’s fine (although there are things you can say to get them to reverse course), but the best thing for you to do is to let them do what they want to do.

Remember, they need you.

Also remember, nobody likes to be pushed. And pushing makes you look desperate. And you don’t have to push.

Ask if they’re ready. If they’re not, their reasons or objections will tell you what you need to say to help them get ready.

And there’s nothing better than a client who’s ready to put you to work.

Filed Under: Closing the sale

A few thoughts about GTD contexts

April 26, 2024 by David M. Ward

Getting Things Done (GTD) teaches us to identify our tasks by context—location, people, tools, and so on—so we can do things when and where we’re best equipped to do them.

I stopped using most contexts a long time ago, since I can do just about anything from just about anywhere.

Calls, emails, reading, writing—I can do from the office in my pocket.

I still use the @waiting and @errand contexts, but not much else.

I’m going to take another look at my use of contexts, however, based on a short video I saw which makes the case for contexts based on “time plus energy”.

GTD has long recommended contexts for time and energy, but I like the way the presenter combines them:

Short Dashes: Tasks that require more than 2 minutes but less than 15 minutes. Most calls and emails fit here, don’t they?
Full Focus: Tasks requiring maximum energy, no distractions, and longer periods of time; deep work.
Brain Dead: When you can’t do anything that requires a lot of thought.
Routines: Your weekly review, exercise, writing a blog post.
Hanging Around: Tasks that don’t require a lot of time or energy and don’t have a deadline, e.g., light research, organizing notes, buying something online.

What do you think? Do any of these appeal to you? Do you already use something similar?

I like “Brain Dead” or “Hanging Around,” especially for things I can do after I’ve shut down work for the night. I’ll give this some thought later today.

But first, I have some “Short Dashes” to take care of.

I’m travelling today; this is a (slightly edited) re-post from 2021.

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: Contexts, gtd