Keeping clients happy is key to attorney happiness

August 11, 2014 by
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Happy clients mean returning clients, referring clients, and clients who pay their bills.

All hail the happy client.

How do you make ’em happy? Surprise them.

According to research, it’s not positive outcomes that make people happy, it’s when those outcomes are unexpected.

If a client hires you and do the work they paid for, along with the usual level of care and concern (“customer service”), it is an even exchange. Money paid for services rendered.

When the client gets what they expected, they are satisfied, but no more. If you give them more than they expect, however, if you surprise and delight them, happiness ensures.

Look at the other way around. If you send a client your bill and they pay it, as agreed, you’re satisfied, right? You did the work and you got paid. NBD.

What if the client unexpectedly pays you a bonus. “Here’s an extra ,000, just because.”

Surprised? Yes. Happy? Hell yeah!

Okay, so how can you give your clients a positive experience they don’t expect?

Do the work a little faster. Send a bill for less than you estimated. Throw in work product they thought would cost extra.

Of course you can also surprise and delight them with customer service. They come to your office expecting to fill out a bunch of forms and then wait to see you. Instead, they see you immediately and learn they can fill out the forms at home. They expect you to talk all about yourself and how great you are. Instead, they find you asking about them and their kids. They expect you to bill from the moment they shake hands. Instead, you tell them the first visit is free.

Figure out what they expect and then surprise them with something better.

Start by making a list of the connection points clients have with you and your office. From the time they first see your ad or find your website landing page, they have expectations. What are they? What do they expect to read on your site? What do they expect about being able to contact you and ask questions? What do they expect when they call?

When a client gets a letter or a bill from you, what do they expect? Once the case is filed, what do they think will happen? When the case is over, what then?

Each interaction with you is an opportunity to surprise that client and make them happy. Start collecting ideas for each of those interactions.

How can you surprise them when they are in your waiting room, for example? They expect water, coffee, and soft drinks, right? What if you offered them a healthy fruit drink or a milk shake from the restaurant next door? They’ve got their kids with them and expect them to have nothing to do. You could provide toys and coloring books, but how about a separate play room and a designated employee to watch them while their parents are with you?

It doesn’t make much to give clients more than they expect because when it comes to dealing with lawyers, they don’t expect much. Look for opportunities to surprise your clients and keep them happy. They may not send you ,000 more than you billed, but you’ll be just as happy when they surprise you with two or three referrals.

More ideas for keeping clients happy: The Attorney Marketing Formula

 

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations Tagged With:

How to get more clients from your newsletter

July 23, 2014 by
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When I launched my new ebook on Kindle recently I set up an email list for purchasers. If they subscribe, they get tips and other goodies from me related to the subject matter of the book (network marketing recruiting). They get value from me by being on the list. I get a mechanism for promoting my books.

It’s a small list right now, and that’s fine. Sure, I want lots of subscribers, but more than quantity, I want quality.

You should, too.

If you have a large list that’s not producing many inquires for your services (or buying anything else you’re selling or promoting), it’s because you’re focusing on building a list instead of building relationships. Relationships come from delivering value and engaging the people on your list. By finding out what they want to know or do and finding ways to help them.

A list of 50 people who love your content, and you, is worth far more than a list of thousands who barely know who you are.

When I say list I mean email list, not social media connections. On social media, your messages are fleeting. Most people won’t see them. They are public, so anyone might see them, and that makes your posts less intimate and special.

Email, on the other hand, is personal. Even though the same message is sent to many, that message isn’t out in the open for all to see. If someone wants to comment on a social media post, they have to consider that everyone else can see what they say (and who they are). With email, they can remain anonymous to everyone but you.

And with email, you are in control. Your list is yours. Facebook doesn’t determine who does or does not see what you write.

Yesterday, I sent my first email to the new list. I thanked them again for purchasing and told them the price would be going up in a few days, in case they want to let other people know. I encouraged them to leave a review. And then I shared a tip.

I’m starting to build a relationship with my list.

Note that everyone on your list may not be a prospective client for your services. They may have hired you before and not need you again, or never hired you because the crisis has passed. Or they might be a fellow professional who likes what you do. But everyone on your list is a potential referral source.

My list isn’t going to buy my book again, but they can tell many others about it. I’m pretty sure that if I continue to build a relationship with them, that’s exactly what they will do.

If you want to get more clients from your newsletter, get this

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Filed Under: Blogging, Client loyalty, Client relations, Communication, Email, Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Social media marketing

If your law firm were a sports team

July 18, 2014 by
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Your clients want you to win. They are cheering for you and will celebrate with you when you win their case or favorably resolve their issue.

If you don’t win, they will be disappointed, but they will accept it, as long as you put up a good fight.

I’m sure you do your best for your clients. You advocate and argue and try every angle. You stay in shape mentally, so you can perform at your peak. You come in early and stay late, to prep for the game. You give your clients your best efforts.

But do your clients know this?

Do you let your clients know everything you do for them? Can they see your effort?

When a sports fan watches a game, they see the players in action. They see them execute strategy, take the shots, and suffer the blows. You need to show your clients no less.

That means documenting everything. It means explaining everything. It means putting everything you do in context, so they can see why you did it one way and not another.

Legal services aren’t like dry cleaning. The client doesn’t just drop off the clothing and pick it up when it’s done. Legal services involve important issues and great expense. When a client hires your law firm, they need to see what they are paying for and they are paying for your effort.

Your clients can live with the fact that you didn’t score the goal. But they have to see you take the shot.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Law office management

Send your clients to client school

July 7, 2014 by
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Wouldn’t it be great if there was such a thing as client school? A place where clients would learn about the law and procedure, so they would understand what’s going on with their case and not have to ask you so many questions.

They would also get schooled on how to work with you: how to help you do a better job for them, how to contact you, what to send you, what is expected of them, and what to avoid. Client school would teach them about other services you offer and how they can benefit. They could learn about fees and billing, costs and retainers, and everything else a client needs to know.

No client school would be compete without a course on how to provide referrals. Clients would learn why sending you referrals helps them (i.e., it keeps your marketing costs low and you can pass the saving onto them, you don’t have to spend as much time marketing so you can give your clients more attention, etc.) and how it helps the people they refer (i.e., they get high quality help, they don’t have to spend time finding someone, they don’t take a risk of making a bad choice, etc.)

They would then learn what to do to make the referrals, i.e., what to say to their referrals, and/or what to email them or what page to send them to.

Client school would be great, wouldn’t it? Fewer questions, happier clients, more referrals.

So, why not start one?

All you have to do is put all of this information in writing, or record videos, and post everything on your website. You can put some or all of it in a password protected “clients only” area, or make it public so prospective clients can see all that you do for your clients. You can print transcripts and mail these to clients who prefer this, or put everything on DVD’s and give them to every new client.

You could have some of your staff record a video or two. Directions, where to park, office hours, and so on, or more substantive matters. They could do a walking tour of your office, or demonstrate the process for opening a new file. If appropriate, ask some articulate clients to record something.

More ideas? How about quizzes and a diploma for those who take all of the classes? How about things for kids, like legally themed pictures they can print and color, word search, crosswords, and so on?

Start with basic information. Add what you already have: articles, blog posts, recorded webinars or speeches, forms and checklists, reports and ebooks. Then, make a list of other areas you want to cover. Record one or two five minute videos each week. Don’t get fancy. Just talk into your webcam. Or put up a few slides and narrate them.

If you make some or all of this public, every time you do an update, notify your email list and your social media followers.

So, what do you think? Would you give this idea a passing grade?

For more ideas for your website, get this

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Law office management, Online Marketing, Social media marketing

How well do you know your clients?

June 24, 2014 by
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When your clients like you, they tend to stay with you. And give you referrals. And send traffic. And say nice things about you on social media and review sites.

Yes or yes?

So, how do you get your clients to like you? One way is to show them that you like them. People like people who like them.

Yes or yes?

One of the simplest ways to do this is to show them that you remember some personal details about them. Like the names of their spouse and kids. Like their birthdays. Like whether or not they have pets.

When you know your clients well enough to remember these details, you tell them that you think they are important and that you care about them as people, not just bill-paying clients.

I got a call from a lawyer I haven’t spoken to in a couple of years. I asked him about his wife, by name. He didn’t say anything, but I’m sure he noticed.

When you first meet with a new client, or a prospective clients, get them talking about themselves and take notes. Enter this information into your client database, and continue adding this kind of information, over time. The next time you speak with the client, have your database open and use this information during the conversation.

We are in the people business, you and I. We may sell products or services, or our problem-solving abilities, but what we really sell is ourselves.

Want to make your phone ring? This shows you what to do.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Referrals, Relationship marketing, Salesmanship

The lifetime value of one-time clients

May 19, 2014 by
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I got an email from a marketing expert I follow who asked us if we would prefer to have a customer or a buyer on our list. What’s the difference? A customer is someone who buys something or hires you once and then goes on their merry way. They might come back, they might not. A customer, on the other hand, is someone who makes a custom of buying from you, “because of the trust, respect, and loyalty they have for you.”

So, customers are better than buyers.

Repeat clients are better than one-time clients.

Does this mean lawyers should only practice in areas where clients make a custom of hiring again and again? Should we choose business law, for example, with lots of repeat business, over consumer bankruptcy where the client might hire us once in a lifetime?

Not necessarily.

Someone who “buys” from you once and never again is potentially just as valuable as someone who hires you frequently. They should be courted and nurtured. We should build relationships with one-time clients, even if they never hire us again.

The lifetime value of a client is only partially measured by the fees they pay us. There are many other ways they can deliver value and help our practice grow. They can provide

  • Referrals
  • Website traffic
  • Recommendations and positive reviews
  • Introductions to other professionals, meeting holders, editors, bloggers, etc.
  • Invitations to networking events
  • Feedback about our services (so we can make improvements)
  • Information about our target market or community
  • Likes, re-tweets, and sharing of our content
  • Forwarding our emails to others in our target market

They can send us business, help us build our list, and otherwise help us bring in more business. In fact, what a client does for us outside of paying fees could easily be worth far more than the fees they pay. In terms of referrals alone, some clients who never hire you again could be worth many times the fees generated from clients who hire you again and again.

In fact, someone who never hires you could be worth far more to you than someone who hires you repeatedly.

The lesson? Treat everyone as though they are your biggest client. Provide extras. Help them every way you can. And stay in touch with them, before, during, and after the engagement or case.

You never know what someone can do to help you.

The Referral Blitz is one way to get clients and contacts to help you build your practice. Click here for details.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, List building, Referral sources, Referrals, Relationship marketing Tagged With:

How to make a better second impression

May 2, 2014 by
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I admit it, I don’t always make a good first impression. Sometimes, I say things that come off as insensitive or inappropriate and my sense of humor sometimes leaves people wondering if I’m still in junior high.

Do you ever do these things? Do you ever wish you could go back and un-say what you’ve said?

You can. And doing so will often create a better impression than you could have hoped to create the first time around.

The answer to a good second impression is to admit your mistakes. First, to yourself. You have to know when you’ve messed up. Then, to the person or persons you have insulted, confused, or otherwise left scratching their head.

Apologize. It’s as simple as that. You don’t need to explain, although that might help if you do have an explanation other than “I’m an idiot”. Usually, a simple, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,” is enough.

Most people understand. Most people are forgiving. Most people will like you better for being honest enough to admit your mistakes and for caring enough to come forward.

It’s well known in marketing that when a customer or client is upset, making things right often leads them to become long-time clients and ardent supporters. I think it has something to do with releasing the tension created by the initial mistake or problem.

As lawyers, it’s often difficult for us to admit we’re wrong. We don’t want people to know we make mistakes. Because of this, when we admit our transgressions, it can make an even bigger impact.

If you have made a bad first impression, fess up and fix it. You can make a better second impression. Unless you own an NBA team and you just don’t care.

Need help with marketing? Here you go

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Communication, Networking, Personal development Tagged With:

The Fortune is in the Follow-up

April 21, 2014 by
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One of the most important aspects of marketing any business or professional practice is follow-up. For many, it’s also one of the most challenging.

Because they must, most attorneys have a process for communicating with existing clients. This process is driven by the demands of the case or legal matter. Copies are mailed, calls are made to discuss strategy, progress reports are sent on a pre-determined schedule. Once the case is settled or the matter is completed, however, follow-up is often done haphazardly and too often, not at all.

And then there’s everyone else.

  • Prospective clients
  • Former clients
  • Referral sources/professional contacts/”friends of the firm”
  • Prospective referral sources
  • Bloggers/editors/publishers
  • Meeting planners
  • Etc.

Each category has a different purpose. Following-up with former clients, for example, can lead to repeat business, updates, referrals, traffic to your website or sign-ups for your event. Following-up with bloggers can lead to guest posts, interviews, and links to your web content. Following-up with prospective clients can lead to new cases or engagements but can also lead to referrals.

Within each category are individuals who are further along in their relationship with you and thus more likely to respond to your contact. There are also individuals who have more potential than others, e.g., a prospective referral source who is well known in your target market, a prospective client who could bring you a lot of business, etc.

I’m sure you appreciate the value of following-up with these people. You know that former clients are your best source of new business (repeat, referrals). You know that staying in touch with prospective clients is good for business.

But how do you manage everything?

You start by creating lists. There are many software solutions for doing that. Pick one. Import your existing database or create new lists manually. It is time well spent.

Add a code or tag or field to each contact in your database so you can sort your lists by type and date range and other criteria. For example, you should be able to do a sort and find a list of former clients with whom you haven’t spoken OR emailed in more than 90 days.

Now what?

You’re almost there. The hard part is done. Now, you just need a plan for staying in touch with everyone. There are three parts to the plan:

  1. Schedule. How often will you contact them?
  2. Media. Will you use email, phone, regular mail, or social media?
  3. Content. For example will you send them personal emails, a general newsletter, or both?

You’ll probably find it easier to start with one category. Create a plan for following-up with former clients, for example. Once that’s done, you can consider other categories.

Once you have things set up, flag key individuals for customized follow-ups. You’ll want to call certain people more often, for example, or call some people but only send email to others.

This may seem a daunting task but if you take it step by step, you can do it. Once you have, you’ll be glad you did.

Marketing is easy, when you know The Formula

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Communication, Law office management, Marketing Plan, Referral sources, Referrals Tagged With: ,

Queen for a Day: Marketing Legal Services Like a 1950’s TV Show

March 28, 2014 by
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When I was a kid, there was a TV show called “Queen for a Day”. I think it started on radio.

The premise was that some lucky housewife would be brought to the studio, surprised with a multitude of gifts, and treated like royalty. She received clothing, furniture, appliances, jewelry, dinners, and trips. And with a lot of fanfare, she was anointed “Queen for a Day,” complete with a crown, a fur wrap, and a scepter.

Corny, but cute.

Anyway, in marketing legal services, we usually think in terms of what we can do for all of our clients, collectively. We send everyone a certain email, we upgrade our waiting room for the comfort of all clients.

Today, I’d like to suggest that you start your own “Queen for a Day” program.

Every day, choose a different client who will become “Queen (or King) for a Day”. You don’t have to buy them expensive gifts, or film them jumping up and down with excitement. You don’t even need to tell them they were chosen as part of your “Client of the Day” marketing program.

Choose someone, at random, and send them something, or do something, to surprise and delight them. Something that’s not part of the regular service they receive from you and not something you regularly do for all of your clients.

Here are some examples:

  • A handwritten note of appreciation
  • Flowers or a plant
  • Cookies or donuts
  • Enter their name in a drawing for the month, with prizes (e.g., gift certificates, etc.)
  • Mention their business in your newsletter or on your website
  • Make a charitable donation in their name
  • Offer to meet and buy them coffee
  • Offer them a free or heavily discounted service
  • Send them a book

Imagine how the client will feel when he or she gets this unexpected attention. Do you think they will feel good about having you as their lawyer? Do you think they might keep you as their lawyer? Do you think they might tell their friends about how you treated them?

You don’t have to give the same thing to each client. You can spend more on better clients if you want. And, there are lots of things you can do that cost very little, or nothing.

It’s not about the “prizes,” it’s about the recognition. It’s about showing your clients you appreciate them.

Choose one client every day and make them feel special. Like a Queen or a King for a day.

Marketing is easy, when you know The Formula.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Marketing legal services Tagged With: , ,

Attorney marketing in a nutshell

March 19, 2014 by
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Relax. Marketing really isn’t difficult.

Yes, you have to work hard the first few years in practice to establish a client base and develop some professional relationships, but once you do, you can leverage those clients and those relationships for the rest of your career.

Yesterday’s clients come back and send you referrals. Professional contacts send you business and introduce you to their counterparts. New clients and new contacts help your list grow, and the cycle continues.

That’s the way it always was. That’s the way it always will be.

The Internet lowers costs and gives you more options. But it can also become a big distraction. When you find yourself wondering what to do, go back to the fundamentals. Build a list and stay in touch with it. Contact former clients. Remind them you’re still here. Send them news and information.

What’s sad is that so many attorneys don’t get it. They don’t build a list, or stay in touch with it. They write big checks for advertising or consultants, instead of investing in their existing relationships.

The people you know, right now, are your biggest source of new business. Invest in them. Find ways to help them. Stay in touch with them.

I’ve hired attorneys before you never contacted me again. If I had a referral, I wouldn’t send it to them because I can’t remember their name.

Hello, is this thing on?

I’ll say it again. Attorney marketing is not difficult. Build a list and stay in touch with it.

You are on my list. I stay in touch with you. You buy my products and services and send me referrals and traffic. Thank you for that. I appreciate it. Of course you do this because I provide you with value. We have a mutually rewarding relationship.

What if I didn’t have a list? I wouldn’t be able to provide you with that value. I couldn’t stay in touch with you.

What if I never wrote to you? Would you remember me? Send me referrals or traffic? Not so much.

Yes, there are other things you (and I) can do to bring in new business. But nothing is more effective, less costly, or easier than building a list and staying in touch with it.

And that’s attorney marketing, in a nutshell.

Use your website to build your list. This is all you need.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, List building, Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Referrals, Relationship marketing
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