Client relations Archives - Page 25 of 38 - The Attorney Marketing Center

How well do you know your clients?

June 24, 2014 by David M. Ward

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 youÂ know your clients well enough toÂ 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 heÂ 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? ThisÂ shows you what to do.

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

20 hours a week marketing your law practice?

May 28, 2014 by David M. Ward

Email provider Constant Contact conducted a survey of 1,300 small business owners. They found that, “A small business owner â€” along with another employee â€” will spend an average of 20 hours per week on marketing.”

Does this sound like a lot?

The business owners weren’t selected at random. They were part of the company’s “Small Biz Council,” which suggests they weren’t your average small business because (a) they use email marketing, and (b) they areÂ part of a “Small Biz Council”.

Before you read further, how would you answer this question? How many hours per week do you spend marketing your law practice?

Your answer will depend on how you define marketing.

If you believe that “marketing is everything we do to get and keep good clients,” as I do, you will realize that marketing is deeply baked into our daily activities. It’s not something we put on our calendars and “do” once a week, we do it all day long.

Take client relations, for example. If you spend ten hours a week speaking with, or writing to clients, all of the little things you say and do (and avoid saying and doing) count as marketing. How you greet them–your smile, your handshake, offering them something to drink, cleaning up your desk before escorting them into your private office–it all counts.

Now how about the time you spend writing blog posts, articles, and newsletters, and time spent speaking and networking (including on social media)? You can also count the time you spend reading things you can use in your writing or in conversation with clients and prospects and referral sources.

You’re reading this post right now, either in your email or on my blog. Â In my book, time spent learning about marketing counts as marketing.

Are you adding this up?

Don’t forget the time you spend communicating with staff or outside vendors about your website, advertising, PR, or content creation.

Are you on any committees? Do you do any charitable work? The time you spend at meetings or playing in charity golf tournaments is at least partially marketing related since you are building relationships with people who can send you business or otherwise further your career.

So, you spend a lot more time on marketing than you thought. Now that you are aware of this, you can consciously improve your marketing.

The next time you meet with a client, think about how you can improve their experience. What else can you do or say? What can you give them?

Look at everything you do throughout your day and think about how you can do it better, faster, or more effectively. Because marketing is everything we do to get and keep good clients.

Want to get better at marketing your law practice? Here’s what you need.

Filed Under: Client relations, Law office management, Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan

The lifetime value of one-time clients

May 19, 2014 by David M. Ward

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 isÂ 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.

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

How to make a better second impression

May 2, 2014 by David M. Ward

I admit it, I donâ€™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 Iâ€™m still in junior high.

Do you ever do these things? Do you ever wish you could go back and un-say what youâ€™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 youâ€™ve messed up. Then, to the person or persons you have insulted, confused, or otherwise left scratching their head.

Apologize. Itâ€™s as simple as that. You donâ€™t need to explain, although that might help if you do have an explanation other than â€œIâ€™m an idiotâ€. Usually, a simple, Iâ€™m sorry, I didnâ€™t mean it,â€ 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.

Itâ€™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, itâ€™s often difficult for us to admit weâ€™re wrong. We donâ€™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 donâ€™t care.

Need help with marketing? Here you go

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

What do clients want from their lawyers?

April 3, 2014 by David M. Ward

What do clients want from their lawyers? You can ask your clients what they want. You can conduct surveys. You can do research. But as Steve Jobs once said, “A lot of times, people donâ€™t know what they want until you show it to them.”

A client comes in, thinking he wants a certain document or course of action. You show him his other options, recommend one, and tell him why.

A prospective client visits your website, looking for a solution he thinks he needs. He reads your articles and learns that something else might be better for him.

A client comes to see you, asking about your cheapest solution. You show him why this will cost more in the long run, or expose him to too much risk, and suggest a more expensive option.

A client wants you to go to trial. You show him why it makes sense to settle.

But your job is about more than the delivery of your core services. It is about creating the complete client experience. This includes how you answer the phone, how you schedule appointments, how you keep clients informed during the case, your billing practices, how you dress, your office decor, your bedside manor, and everything else.

If the client has hired an attorney in the past, they are probably expecting you to treat them the way other attorneys have. It probably won’t take much to exceed their expectations.

If they client hasn’t hired an attorney before, they may not know what to expect. That means you have to work a little harder to explain your recommendations. It means you have to manage their expectations, by under-promising, so you can over-deliver.

In your marketing, are you advertising or promoting the same services and features other attorneys offer or are you taking some risks and offering something different?

In any business or professional practice, you have to give clients what they want. But sometimes, they don’t know what they want until you show it to them.

Filed Under: Client relations, Law office management, Marketing legal services Tagged With: exceeding expectations, innovating

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

March 28, 2014 by David M. Ward

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, orÂ 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.

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Marketing legal services Tagged With: client appreciation, client appreciation ideas, Queen for a Day

What I learned about marketing legal services at my car wash

March 10, 2014 by David M. Ward

The car wash I go to has a nice touch. When the car is ready, one of the employees comes into the waiting room (or the outside waiting area), walks up to me with my keys and says, “Mr. Ward, your car is ready.”

He doesn’t shout out my name to the crowd or wave a rag and expect me to notice. He comes and finds me.

The first time this happened, I was impressed. How did he know? When it happened the second time, I asked. When they take my car at the entrance, the employee asks for my last name and writes it on the ticket. He also writes down what I’m wearing: “blue shirt, glasses” or “tall, dark, and handsome”.

Simple.

Now, when you go out to your waiting room to meet a new client (you do go out yourself, right?), do you walk over to the client and greet him by name? You should. It’s a nice touch. Much nicer than shouting his name or waving a rag.

All you have to do is have the receptionist write down what the client looks like or what they are wearing.

Your clients will appreciate the gesture.

I’ll tell you what else they will appreciate. When they come back for another appointment and the receptionist (and you) recognize them and greet them by name. Or when you meet the client for his court appearance and find him in a crowded hallway.

How do you do this? At the first appointment, ask the client if you can take their photo for your file. It’s for their protection. So nobody can pretend to be them and pick up their settlement check. Or, because you have many clients and you like to get to know them.

You often hear that marketing legal services is mostly about the little things. If you’ve ever wondered what that means, now you know.

Marketing is everything we do to get and keep good clients. Here’s The Formula

Filed Under: Client relations, Law office management, Marketing legal services

How to get more referrals from clients

February 25, 2014 by David M. Ward

What do you think would happen if your first time clients came away from their meeting with you believing that you are amazing? Do you think they might be more likely to stay with you, even though there might be less expensive attorneys in town? Do you think they might be more inclined to send you referrals?

There are lots of ways to “wow” new clients. Here’s one that is both simple and incredibly effective: introduce them to other people in your office.

Take them on a little tour, show them the library and conference room, and introduce them to your partners and staff. Introduce them to the person who answers the phone. Introduce them to the office manager. Introduce them to everyone who will be working on their case.

Make sure everyone shakes hands with the new client, makes eye contact, smiles, and tells them they are happy to meet them.

How many attorneys do this? Very few. How many of any kind of professional or business do this? Same answer. So when you do this, your new clients will see that you are different, that you really care about your clients.

On their way home, the client is thinking about his or her experience. It will forever be imprinted on their brains.

But hold on. You can really hit a home run by following up with a welcome call.

Someone should call the new client later that day or the next day to see if they have any questions, remind them about the next appointment, and tell them to expect a new client welcome kit in the mail. If someone who will be working on their case wasn’t in the office or was with other clients when the new client got the tour, they should also call and introduce themselves.

How much effort does it take to show clients you are amazing? Not much at all. But it only works if do it because you really do about your clients, not because you think it might get you more referrals.

How to get more referrals from clients without asking for referrals: Click here

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Referrals

When prospective clients interview you for the job

February 24, 2014 by David M. Ward

I once had a client interview me before hiring me. It only happened once in my career, probably because 99% of my clients came from referrals. (She didn’t hire me. I never found out why. It was thirty years ago. I’m over it, now.)

Today, many clients find lawyers through the Internet and other means, and because there are so many articles and blog posts educating them about what to ask a lawyer before they hire them, if you haven’t been interviewed for the job, there’s a good chance you will.

Will you be ready?

One way to get ready is to post content on your website that addresses the questions prospective clients typically ask. The process of writing that content will also prepare you to answer those questions in the event someone bypasses your website. It also helps you codify your philosophies, policies, and procedures, forcing you to examine what you do so you can make improvements.

I read an article recently, for employers interviewing job candidates, that presented “killer questions” to ask to eliminate the duds. I thought the first question was applicable to clients hiring lawyers:

‘Tell me about a work achievement you are most proud of?’

Clients may not ask this per se, but isn’t this something lawyers should be prepared to answer?

Take 30 minutes this week and write three paragraphs about something in your career that you are especially proud of. What was your most gratifying or challenging case? If you were writing your obituary or eulogy, what would you like to be said about your work.

Post this on your website. When prospective clients interview you for the job, or a reporter or blogger interviews you for an article, you’ll be ready.

Did you know, Make The Phone Ring shows you how to create great content for your website? Check it out on thisÂ page.

Filed Under: Blogging, Client relations, Closing the sale, Marketing legal services, Online Marketing, Writing