Can pro bono legal work help you grow your law practice? Yes it can.

November 1, 2011 by
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marketing legal services with pro bono workWhen I opened my own office shortly after law school, I had an abundance of free time and a lack of clients or experience. Once or twice a week, I volunteered the day at a legal clinic for women. The clients had mostly domestic violence and other family law issues. When I began, I knew very little about family law but I quickly learned. I was able to use those skills in my private practice.

Last week was “pro bono” week. This article presents the “Top 5 Reasons to Do Pro Bono Work“. I’m sure I can lay claim to all five. The article misses a reason, however. My pro bono work helped me to build my practice.

The clinic I worked at allowed us to offer our paid services to the clients. Granted, most of them had little or no money, but I did get some paying work. And little or nothing was definitely better than nothing. It allowed my nascent practice to stay afloat, which allowed me to continue to volunteer.

I also got some referrals from those clients. Yes, most of them were in the same financial shape as the clients who referred them, but not all of them.

I was also able to network with the administrators of the clinic, their benefactors, and the other attorneys who volunteered. I met people who introduced me to others and as my network grew, so did my practice.

I’m not ashamed to admit that growing my practice was one of the reasons I volunteered at the legal clinic. I don’t think any of the hundreds of clients I saw for free or almost free would have any objections.

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Filed Under: Attorneys fees, Career satisfaction, Image, Increase your income, Marketing legal services, Networking, Referrals Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lawyer TV ad spoof: would you hire this firm?

August 4, 2011 by
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Lawyer TV ads are often criticized for being tacky. “The Tackiest Lawyer Ad. . .Ever,” is a fine example. A lawyer advertising firm, hoping to attract lawyers for their services, created a parody of bad lawyer TV ads, but does it work? Would you hire the firm that created this spot?

[mc src=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSKe42bxMZ0″ type=”youtube”]Bad ad about bad lawyer ads[/mc]

Do you think this is funny?

I didn’t laugh. Isn’t that the first objective of advertising that purports to use humor? In the first few seconds, I thought this was a cheesy lawyer’s attempt to advertise and I was embarrassed–for him and for our profession. Once I got the joke, I thought, “ah, a spoof, okay, we can all laugh at ourselves once in awhile.” But I still didn’t laugh; did you?

True, parody doesn’t always demand LOL and if this was just someone fooling around and poking fun, well, okay, it worked for some and not for others, but this is an ad by a company that wants us to give them their business.

Would you hire this firm?

The ad says, “lawyers’ ads are tacky and don’t work; we can produce an ad that’s not tacky and does work.” But they use a tacky ad to make that point. Is that good psychology? Is that good advertising?

I don’t think it is. At least not in this case.

If they showed us a successful ad they produced for one of their clients, would that be better? Yeah, I think it would. Show us what you do, not what you don’t do. Ads that demonize or make fun of “the other guy” can sell. But they have to get all the elements right and in this case, I don’t think they did.

What do you think? Click on the balloon above to add your comments.

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Filed Under: Advertising, Image, Just for fun Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lawyer marketing 101: the basics of getting articles published

July 22, 2008 by
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Getting exposure via published articles has long been a marketing mainstay for lawyers. In the age of the Internet, there are even more opportunities than ever as the need for quality content has multiplied.

Many books have been written on writing and publishing articles. If you are serious about promoting your practice this way, I recommend reading a few books and learning to do it right.

The basics of getting published never change. The first step is to identify those publications that are a suitable outlet for your articles. Offline, the venerable “Writers Market” (from Writer’s Digest) lists thousands of magazines and newspapers that accept outside submissions.

Online, numerous directories list electronic newsletters and web sites that accept articles. Go to any search engine and type in and you’ll find thousands of ezines and the directories that list them.

Once you have determined which publications you are interested in, the next step is to obtain their “writers’ guidelines”. This is a description of the kinds of articles they want, how many words, the rights they purchase (i.e., “first publication”), and the procedure for submitting the article for consideration.

You’ll probably find writers’ guidelines on the publication’s web site. If not, contact the editor and ask if they accept articles and if so, what they are looking for.

Once you know the guidelines, the next step is the “query”. Some publications want you to submit your article idea in outline form, along with a sample of your other writing, some publications want to see the whole article first. Whatever the guidelines, your query needs to sell the editor on three things:

  1. Why their readers would want to read your article
  2. Your credentials for writing it
  3. Your ability to write it

Your query letter should be well written and to the point. It should demonstrate that the article you propose will be relevant to their readership and interesting to read. Editors read hundreds of queries and sort through them quickly; if you want to be considered, you need to get their attention and immediately make them see the value in your article.

Getting the first article accepted is the hardest. Once you have built up a list of publications that have accepted your work, you should find yourself getting published more frequently. Until then, don’t assume that being a lawyer is enough of a pedigree to be accepted for publication. Actually, being a lawyer could work against you. If an editor assumes you “write like a lawyer,” you’ll have to work harder to show them that you can write something real people would want to read.

Don’t hesitate to start with small publications. It will give you experience in writing and submitting articles. You’ll also get a list of publishing credits and that will make it easier to get other editors to give you the go ahead.

Don’t be concerned about payment for your articles; most publications pay little or nothing anyway. But do negotiate a listing of your web site or other contact information at the end of the article. You want readers to be able to reach you.

Be patient; it will be worth the effort. Even if they don’t allow you to list your contact information in the article, just being able to say you have been published carries weight. Reprints of your articles make excellent marketing hand outs that can be used for years. And you can re-cycle your material (make sure you retained the right to do so) in other articles, speaking engagements, web/ezine articles, blog posts, reports, and so forth. Also, having been published can lead to interviews and speaking engagements and could also provide material for press releases. For example, your published article might be referenced in a press release where you offer a free report that amplifies the subject matter of the article.

Writing for publication will give you exposure and credibility as an expert in your field. It can also lead to even more exposure in the form of inquiries from other publications, joint venture partners, meeting holders, teleseminar promoters, and the like. Getting published will help you grow your mailing list, develop new referral sources, and create more clients.  It will also make your mother proud.

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Filed Under: Image, Publicity, Writing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A simple way to make a good first impression

July 9, 2008 by
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If I could recommend only one book on the keys to success, it would be "How to Win Friends & Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. It is a classic, a masterpiece of simple, effective advice for getting people to like you.

Mr. Carnegie’s second of six keys is this:

"SMILE"

When we smile, there is a chemical reaction in our brains that makes us good. Try it! Even if you don’t feel like smiling right now, do it anyway and take note of how it makes you feel.

When we smile at people, they tend to smile back at us. It is a natural human reaction. Our smile says "I like you" and people like people who like them, so they smile back. And they feel good when they do, and associate that feeling with their perception of you.

The more you smile, the better you feel and the more people will like you. This is clear. So why is it that people don’t smile more often? One reason is they don’t like their teeth. They may be discolored or crooked or there may be gaps or missing teeth. If your teeth need work or aren’t as white as they used to be, it’s hurting your business and probably your social life, too. Get them fixed, make them whiter, and SMILE!

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Filed Under: Client relations, Image, Personal development Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to get big personal injury cases

June 23, 2008 by
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A personal injury attorney wrote and asked me if I have a strategy for bringing in bigger cases. I was a personal injury attorney for most of my legal career and when I look back at what I did, I have to say that I did not have that strategy. In fact, I intentionally focused on bringing in a volume of smaller cases.

My thinking was that quantity would bring quality. Bring in thousands of clients over a period of years and you are bound to have some big cases in the mix. And that was certainly true for me. But I also recall thinking, as every personal injury attorney does, that one day, I’ll get a case that will bring me millions of dollars in fees and I’ll be able to retire if I want to. But in twenty years, that never happened. Big cases, yes, but not a single practice-making monster.

But there’s something else I understood and that was that I was not one of the big boys. The biggest cases are almost always handled by the biggest names and most of the time, they are referred there by other attorneys. I wasn’t prepared to compete in that arena. I didn’t have the expertise and, more importantly, I didn’t have the passion for developing it.

The best strategy for getting the biggest cases is to become one of the best lawyers. Win bigger and bigger verdicts, develop your skills and your reputation amongst the bar, and when you have the respect of your colleagues, you will get their referrals.

Another way to get big cases is the one adopted by a lot of attorneys who aren’t one of the best and that is to appear to be. They swing a big stick with multiple full page yellow page ads and TV commercials, they sponsor charitable events attended by centers of influence in their community, they network with the right people, send press releases celebrating their victories, and otherwise promote themselves so that they appear to be one of the biggest and one of the best. And by and large, it works.

To do this, you need money and some marketing skills, but most of all, you need drive. The biggest promoters have big, healthy egos. They are driven as much by the desire for attention as the desire for money. I’m not taking anything away from them. They are usually good enough to serve their clients well and smart enough to bring in one of the best when they aren’t.

If you’re not one of the best and you aren’t willing or able to become one, and if you’re not willing to do what the big promoters do, there is an alternative: target niche markets. Become the biggest fish in a small market where word of mouth is strong and limited resources (and hubris) can go a long way. Become the attorney everyone in that market thinks of when they think of injuries. Network in that market, write for that market, serve that market and the centers of influence in it, and over time, you’ll get big cases. Do it well enough and long enough and you may even get one of the very biggest.

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Filed Under: Advertising, Image, Increase your income, Marketing legal services, Networking, Press release, Publicity, Referrals, Specializing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“The 30-second rule”: more clients and better verdicts?

October 22, 2007 by
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In a recent post, How to make people like you, I said that a positive attitude is a key to getting people to like you, especially when dealing with people facing stressful situations. Being liked may not be first on the list of traits you associate with success in the legal field, but countless studies demonstrate that people prefer to do business with people they know, like, and trust. All things being equal, clients will choose you and referral sources will refer to you, because they like you.

Let’s face it, even litigators benefit when juries, judges, adjusters, and opposing counsel like them.

Books like The Likeability Factor: How to Boost Your L-Factor and Achieve Your Life’s Dreams by Tim Sanders and 25 Ways to Win With People:How to Make Others Feel Like a Million Bucks by John C. Maxwell and Les Parrott substantiate this and offer specific strategies for achieving greater likability.

Maxwell and Parrott say the way to make people like you is to make them feel good about themselves when they are with you. One way to do that is with something Maxwell calls, "The 30-Second Rule: within the first thirty seconds of a conversation, say something encouraging to a person."

Maxwell learned this from his father who taught him that when you make contact with people, instead of focusing on yourself, search for ways to make them look good. It could be saying thank you for something they have done for you or someone you know. You might praise them on an accomplishment, or offer a word of encouragement as they work towards a goal. Or you might simply compliment their appearance.

Maxwell encourages us to ask ourselves, "What positive, enouraging thing can I say to each person I will see today?"

With whom is your next appointment? Who will you be speaking with later today? Think about what you could say to them that will make them feel good about themselves, and say it.

This may feel uncomfortable, at first, but give it a try. What might surprise you is how good you feel making others feel good about themselves.

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Filed Under: Book review, Client relations, Image, Relationship marketing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

How to make people like you

October 8, 2007 by
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No, I’m not talking about cloning. (Sorry. Couldn’t resist.)

Psychologists tell us that the most important ingredient for success in personal and business relationships is “liking”. The more people like you, the more success you will tend to have.

The Law of Association says that people associate how they feel about you with how they feel at the time they meet you. If they are in a good mood when they meet you, they tend to associate those good feelings with you and, as a result, be more inclined to like you.

“If you want to be liked by a person, try talking to him when he is in a good mood or excited about something. These feelings are anchored and associated with you, and this person will then come to have positive feelings toward you,” says David J. Lieberman, Ph.d, author of “Get Anyone To Do Anything.”

Most people meet an attorney under times of stress and difficulty. Your challenge, then, when meeting new clients is to make them feel hopeful and positive about solving their problems and about the future. As early in your first meeting as possible, you need to make them feel that “everything is going to be alright”.

That ties into another psychological principle cited by Dr. Lieberman as being a factor in “liking”: positive attitude. “We all seek, like, and admire those who have a positive, happy outlook and perspective on life. Why? Because that is what we all want,” he says.

Don’t worry. Be happy. Get folks to like you.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Image, Relationship marketing Tagged With: , ,

Do you make prospective clients uncomfortable?

September 14, 2007 by
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After a wind storm left us in need of some roof repairs, my wife and I and some of our neighbors called several roofers and asked them to evaluate the damage and provide estimates for the repairs. It quickly became obvious that none of us was capable of judging the quality of one roofer’s work from another, and so we were left with comparing notes about our general impression of the individuals who came to give estimates.

One guy showed up to our house and without ringing the door bell, climbed on the roof. When he was done, he didn’t ring the bell to let us know who he was or what he found, he just left. He called four hours later, but we had already decided he was not going to get our business.

Another guy wrote his estimate on cheap "invoice" forms from a stationery store.

Most of the roofers didn’t show up on time. Some wouldn’t even give us a time.

We went with the one who showed up on time, looked clean and professional, had printed estimate forms, and looked us in the eye when he talked to us. He wasn’t the cheapest, and we don’t REALLY know if his work is any better, but his professional appearance and demeanor made us feel comfortable.

So my question to you is, What impressions do you give your prospective clients?

Most of your clients are not qualified to determine the quality of your work. They base their decision to hire you primarily on their overall impression of. . . you.

Time to take inventory. . .

Are you clothes neat and well-fitting? Are your shoes in good repair and polished? Is your hair neatly trimmed? Does your necktie have spots on it? Are your finger nails clean and trimmed?

My wife tells me women look at the nape of a man’s neck to see if they need a haircut. They look at your shirt collar to see if it’s clean. She says they don’t like men to wear nail polish (buffing is okay), pony tails, or ostentatious jewelry, and they always look at your shoes.

Is your stationery professionally printed? Is your office clean and tastefully furnished? Does your briefcase convey that you are successful?

First impressions are critical to your success. In fact, experts tell us that people make up their minds about us in the first two seconds.

Two seconds!

Their first impression determines whether they like you or not. Everything after that is colored by that first impression.

When people like you, they see the best in you. When they don’t, they tend to see the worst.

Make sure their first impression is a good one.

And be careful. You have to know your clients.

If you target middle class clients and they see you drive up in an exotic automobile or you have expensive artwork in your office, they may think you’re too expensive for them. I know one lawyer who swears he lost a trial because a few jurors saw him pull into the parking garage in a Porsche.

People have expectations about how an attorney should look and act, and you should meet or exceed those expectations. If you don’t, you’ll make them nervous. If they expect an attorney to have an office and wear a necktie, for example (and most do), and you work from home and wear bluejeans, don’t be surprised if they hire someone else. You may be the better lawyer, but it doesn’t matter–perception trumps reality.

But clients also want to hire someone they can relate to as a human being. Your task is to strike a balance. Give them the image they expect but also a person they can talk to.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Image Tagged With:
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