Image Archives - Page 7 of 13 - The Attorney Marketing Center

Another way to stand out and get noticed

May 6, 2015 by David M. Ward

Yesterday I talked about making your ad look like an article or feature story and thus get noticed and read.

Because people tend to ignore ads.

If your ad looks like an article, more people will read it. More readers eventually means more clients.

Are there any other ways to make your ad get noticed?

I’m glad you asked.

Another way is to get noticed is to make yourÂ ad. . . what’s the word?. . . oh yeah, UGLY.

Lost of copy, tiny print, random layout, “noisy” messages—-anything but pretty, anything but normal.

Why? Because in a sea of normality and prettiness, ugly stands out. People will notice your ad because it looks different.

When all the other ads look like they were designed by a slick graphic artist, your ugly ad gets noticed.

You still want the ad to be easy to scan and read. White space, short sentences and paragraphs, bullet points and sub-heads. But it should look different.

The same goes for your website and emails.

Show people that you’re not “advertising” you are telling them something they need to know.Â Put the magic into the words, not the photos and design.

When other lawyers use html emails, make yours plain text. When other lawyer’s websites use the same templates and layouts used by every other lawyer, along withÂ stock photos of The Scales of Justice, law books, and courthouse steps, make yours look anything but the same.

Be different.

Of course you don’t want to be so different that you scare people off. Clients have definite expectations about what a lawyer does and what they look like and you need to give them what they expect.

When you use a photo of yourself you should be wearing business attire. If you use a photo of your office, it needs to look like a law office.

Be different, but not weird.

Do you know what to put on your website? Find out here

Filed Under: Advertising, Communication, Email, Image, Online Marketing

Do you look like a professional?

February 16, 2015 by David M. Ward

I love watching a professional do his or her work. When I see a studio musician, a house painter, or gourmet chef doing what they do, I admire their skills and how they deploy them. There is a grace to what they do. It isÂ effortless and efficient.

They look like a professional.

If I was planning to hire them, seeing them work would inspire confidence. I’d know I was getting someone who knew what they were doing. I wouldn’t worry about them making mistakes. I would know they were worth every penny they asked. Once I gave them the job, I’d get out of their way and let them do what they do.

Wouldn’t it be great if our clients could watch us work and have that same confidence about hiring us?

But a lawyer’s work isn’t visual. We work in our heads, mostly, and on paper. When we talk to people, it’s nothing like what lawyers do on TV. What we do looks boring. Watching us work is unlikely to inspire anyone.

You might not wantÂ to show people what you do, but you can do the next best thing. You can show them what it looks like after you have done it.

Show people photos of your office, your library, and your staff. Show them photos of you coming out of court, shaking hands with clients, and speaking in front of a crowd. Make sure you’re wearing the uniform (suite and tie) clients expect you to wear.

Make sure your website looksÂ professional. You don’t need fancy (which can actually work against you), just not amateurish.

Let your content do most of the heavy lifting. The quality, depth, and quantity thereof should leave no doubts about your experience and ability to help your clients.

Make sure people see you doing things professionals do. Speaking, writing articles and books. Teach a CLE class (even once), because if you teach other lawyers, you must be good.

Promote the fact that you have forms and systems for everything. The chef has his tools, you have yours.

Don’t hide your light under a bushel. Highlight your awards, honors, and milestones. Post testimonials, endorsements, and positive press.

Clients and prospects are watching you. Show them the professional they want to hire.

How to earn more than you ever thought possible. Click here.

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

What will your clients want from you ten years from now?

February 5, 2015 by David M. Ward

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says that if you want to build a successful, sustainable business, donâ€™t ask yourself what could change in the next ten years that could affect your company. Ask what wonâ€™t change, and then put all your energy and effort into that.

Bezos knew that Amazon’s customers will always want low prices and quick delivery and he invested heavily in the infrastructure and systems that allow him to provide these. He sacrificed short term profits to build something great for the long term. “When you have something that you know is true, even over the long term, you can afford to put a lot of energy into it,” he said.

What should you invest in? What do your clients want today that they will still want ten years from now?

Well, more than anything, your clients buy “you”. So invest time and energy in becoming the best you can be. Invest in your skills, your knowledge, and your ability to communicate.

Work on your writing, speaking, and selling skills. Work on becoming a better manager and a better leader. Invest as much as 25% of your time in personal and professional development.

There are other things clients want from you, related to your specific practice area(s), services, and client types. Figure out what those are and invest in them, too. If you find that your clients really want services performed quickly, for example, focus your energy on finding ways to do that.

But mostly, focus on making the best you possible so you can attract the best clients possible.

If you want to learn how to differentiate yourself from other lawyers, get The Formula

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Communication, Image, Increase your income, Marketing legal services, Personal development

The key to networking is to stop networking

February 2, 2015 by David M. Ward

Venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and consummate networker, RichÂ Stromback, says, “The key to networking is to stop networking. Nobody wants to have a â€˜networking conversation,â€™ . . . They are hungry for real conversations and real relationships. It just has to be authentic, genuine and sincere.”

Smart words from a smart guy.

I also liked what he said about not caring about your first impression, although I don’t know if I’m prepared to follow his advice:

Everyone gets this wrong. They try to look right and sound right and end up being completely forgettable. Iâ€™m having a ball just being myself. I donâ€™t wear suits or anything like that. I do not care about first impressions. Iâ€™d almost rather make a bad first impression and let people discover me over time than go for an immediate positive response. Curiously, research I read years ago suggests that you build a stronger bond over time with someone who doesnâ€™t like you immediately compared to someone who does. Everything about Jack Nicholson is wrong, but all of the wrong together makes something very cool.

You can read more of Stromback’s adviceÂ in, 99% of Networking Is a Waste of Time.

Filed Under: Image, Networking

99% of attorneys give the other 1% a bad name

December 26, 2014 by David M. Ward

Attorneys are often regarded as selfish bastards who eat their young. We rank below used car sales people and politicians on the trust and likability meter. So I read with interest a story about an attorney who drove a stake through the heart of this stereotype.

It happened in an Oregon courtroom where Castor Conley, a 27-year-old married father of a 17-month-old girl, was charged with paying $150 to $200 for a stolen Nissan, which he sold for $275 to another buyer, who then sold it for parts. Conley pleaded guilty to a felony charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, but the deputy district attorney agreed to classify it as a misdemeanor if he paid $983 in restitution to the owner of the truck.

Conley couldn’t come up with the money, however.

Attorney Colin M. Murphy was in the courtroom on another matter and overheard the conversation. He didn’t know the defendant but realized that a felony conviction would affect his job and housing prospects and he volunteered to pay the money.

‘All of us sometime in our lives have done something we would rather not have done,’ he told The Oregonian. ‘And the time will come when perhaps we are going to be held accountable. And I think at that point we would like to have somebody show us mercy.”

The judge told Conley he should eventually pay back Murphy, but Murphy said he was happy to give the man a chance. “If I get paid back, great,” Murphy said. “If I don’t, no problem. I’m not going to hold the kid to it.”

I know it’s the Christmas season, but Murphy needs to stop this nonsense. He’s making the rest of us look bad.

Filed Under: Image, Inspiration, Legal industry

It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it

December 12, 2014 by David M. Ward

When I was in high school, lifting weights in the gym, I remember a song that played over and over on the radio. You might remember, “I never promised you a rose garden” by country singer Lynn Anderson.

If not, you can watch Ms. Anderson (and her big hair) on thisÂ video.

The song begins, “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden. . .” and that lyric is repeated throughout.

I heard that song so many times that eventually, I started playing around with the lyrics in my head. I changed the whole meaning of the title and primary lyric by emphasizing different words.

“I [emphasized] never promised you a rose garden.” Maybe it was someone else.

“I NEVER promised you a rose garden”. Nope, not once.

“I never PROMISED you a rose garden”. I might have mentioned it, but I never promised it.

“I never promised you a ROSE garden.” A garden, maybe, but not roses.

“I never promised you a rose GARDEN”. I said I’d plant a few roses, not a whole garden.

Crazy, but fun, especially for a word lover, and it passed the time while I was doing bench presses and squats.

Now, I’m not saying I think you don’t know the proper word to emphasize when you are speaking. I would NEVER think that. Okay, I might THINK that, but I would never say it.

Where was I? Oh yeah, the point is that while we probably don’t change the meaning of what we intend in such an obvious manner, we often do it in other, more subtle ways.

Suppose you’ve got a prospective client in your office and it’s time to talk about fees. You’re telling them the dollar amount they will have to pay. If you speed up your words even a little, or lower the volume of your voice, you might communicate that you are a little embarrassed about how much you charge, or afraid that they might say no. The same is true if you break eye contact.

Our body language and tonality often say things our words do not.

Our choice of words also matter. Telling the client that you hope to win isn’t the same as saying you expect to win. Saying you’ll do your best isn’t as good as saying you’ll do whatever it takes.

It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it.

Filed Under: Communication, Image, Public Speaking Tagged With: body language

Every lawyer needs to be able to tell these 5 stories

August 8, 2014 by David M. Ward

When speaking to prospective clients, an audience, interviewers, or professional contacts, you need to be able to tell them about you and what you offer in a way that is interesting and memorable. They should be able to see and understand the people behind the brochure or the web page.

Here are 5 stories you should be prepared to tell that make that possible:

1. Why us

What you do for your clients, the benefits you offer, the kinds of clients you work with, and why someone should hire you instead of other lawyers.

2. Your/your firm’s mission

The big picture about the work you do, your vision for the future.

3. Your personal story

Stories about your past, personal interests, family. The person, not the lawyer, although you can add why you became a lawyer.

4. Client stories

Success stories about people who hired you and received positive results. Have one or two for each practice area/problem and niche market.

5. Partner and/or staff stories

Be prepared to talk about other people in your firm. Clients like to know something about other people who might work with them.

A list of credentials and accomplishments has its place, but to be more effective, talk about people: yourself, your staff, and your clients. Tell stories that show who you are and how you make a difference. Because facts tell, but stories sell.

Filed Under: Communication, Image, Marketing legal services, Networking, Public Speaking Tagged With: stories

Judgments about trustworthiness are made in less than a second

August 6, 2014 by David M. Ward

According to new research, “people only need to meet someone for less than a second before they decide how trustworthy they are.”

Yikes.

When you meet a prospective client they make up their minds about you instantly. In a single glance, the jury decides whether or not to trust your client or witness. When you are networking or speaking, you areÂ judged before you say a single word.

It has to do with the human face and how our brains process the image. I’ll spare you the scientific details behind the research but the process occurs at a subconscious level, and quickly.

We used to think that people make up their minds about us in the first minute or two, giving us time to make a good impression. You know, smile, make eye contact, show people you are interested in them. Now we know that by the time we do that, people have already made up their minds about us.

Now what? We can’t change our appearance. Our face says “trustworthy” or it does not. All we can do is move forward with the things we’ve always done to make a good impression and earn trust. We’ll thus reinforce the person’s first impression of us as trustworthy, and thus strengthen it, or we’ll counter their first impression of untrustworthy and, one hopes, overcome it.

But then I’m assuming it’s possible to overcome a bad first impression. It has to be. If it were not, it would mean there are people walking around with a face that tells everyone, “you can’t trust me,” and there’s nothing they can do to change that impression. I know life isn’t fair but I think that’s going too far.

How to improve your trustworthiness. Click here.

Filed Under: Image, Networking, Personal development, Public Speaking Tagged With: trust, trustworthiness