Increase your income Archives - The Attorney Marketing Center

The cost of marketing your legal services

August 16, 2024 by David M. Ward

Lawyers choose which marketing strategies to use based on a variety of factors, not the least of which is cost (money, time, other resources). But cost is a misleading factor.

It’s not how much we spend. It’s how much we earn in return.

We might think a certain ad campaign (or any marketing strategy) is “expensive” but if the ROI is high enough, it might actually be “cheap”.

If you spend $1,000 per month on an ad, for example, and it brings in $5,000 per month in net revenue, that ad is profitable. If you can continue to get that kind of ROI, you would want to invest as much as you can in as many ads as you can.

The same goes for seminars, mailings, video production, other content, or other marketing endeavors.

It’s also pertinent to hiring additional staff (or better staff), a bigger office, or even a better wardrobe.

Nothing is expensive if it pays for itself and helps you increase your profits.

You might be reluctant (or unable) to spend $50,000 per month on advertising, but if you’re getting a 5-1 return (and you can handle all the new business), you’d be foolish not to beg, borrow, and steal to get more money to invest in that slot machine.

There is a risk that you won’t continue to get a sufficient ROI, however, so you have to watch your numbers.

But many lawyers don’t. They allocate a monthly or quarterly budget for “advertising” or “marketing” and hope it pays off.

But that’s not how a profitable business (or practice) should be run.

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

Leap and the net will appear

July 31, 2024 by David M. Ward

When I started practicing law, I took an office in a suite with other lawyers. It gave me access to a law library, receptionists who answered the phones and greeted my clients, copy machines, coffee service, and other features that allowed me to move in and get to work.

When a client came to see me, I didn’t look like a “beginner.” I looked established and successful.

The biggest advantage of this arrangement was that it gave me access to other lawyers with whom I could associate, learn from, and get some work.

I did appearances. I did research and drafted documents. And I got referrals.

If you’re starting your legal career, I recommend you consider a similar office arrangement.

When you are more established, however, when you need room for your growing staff and can afford to build out your own suite of offices (as I did), do it if you’re ready but wait a bit if you’re not.

Having your own office is nice. You get your name on the door and the building directory. Your clients like having an attorney who (looks) more successful than the average Joe.

But is the additional overhead and responsibility worth it?

Maybe.

My practice grew significantly after I got my own office and hired more staff. But did it grow because it was my own office, or were there other reasons?

I can’t say for sure, but I know one thing. The additional overhead forced me to do things I might not have done, or done as aggressively, if I hadn’t had to cover the additional overhead.

I got bigger, faster, because I had to.

If you are thinking about getting your own office or moving to a bigger office, if you’re considering hiring more staff, investing in more advertising, or spending more time marketing, I get you.

My advice? Yes, run the numbers. Talk to other lawyers who did what you’re thinking of doing. And, most of all, pay attention to what your gut tells you.

I was nervous about expanding. What if this and what if that? Ultimately, I did what I wanted to do and trusted that everything would work out.

And it did.

Filed Under: Increase your income, Inspiration

Long time no see. Let’s fix that.

July 15, 2024 by David M. Ward

Your best clients, closest friends, strongest business contacts, people who know, like, and trust you and with whom you communicate most—your “strong ties”—are often your primary source of referrals and opportunities to grow your business.

What about everyone else?

What about former clients and business contacts you haven’t spoken to in a long time? People who know your name but aren’t now actively involved in your life? Experts say these are your “weak ties” and if you’ve been around for more than a few years, there are far more of them than your weak ties.

And they represent a potential bonanza of business and prosperity for you.

They can provide you with valuable information about your (their) market, introduce you to people you’d like to know, send traffic to your website, promote your content and events, provide you with a testimonial or endorsement, and otherwise help your practice grow.

But their value isn’t so much what they can do for you, it is how easy it is for you to get them to do it.

You don’t have to spend time or money to identify them, and meet and get to know them. You just have to reconnect with them. You don’t have to win their trust, you just have to kindle it.

And it can be as simple as digging out their contact information, reaching out and saying hello.

Is that it? Just call or write and say hello?

Yes.

Acknowledge the passage of time, ask how they’re doing, and wish them well

You can do more. You can also send them something, perhaps an article you found (or wrote) and thought might interest them. You can offer to meet and buy coffee or lunch, or invite them to your upcoming event. Or find out what they need or want and help them get it.

What’s next? Perhaps you’ll get together with them and continue the conversation. Or invite them to sign up for your newsletter so you can keep in touch. Or simply calendaring a few months and contact them again.

You might not need to do anything else.

How about contacting them and finding out?

Filed Under: Communication, Increase your income, Relationship marketing

Have you lost your edge?

July 11, 2024 by David M. Ward

If your practice isn’t growing, it might be because you’re not doing the things you did when you started out, or you’re not doing them the way you did before.

You’ve become complacent. And lost your edge.

Fortunately, you can switch back to the way things were. But to do that, you need to get out of your comfort zone and be willing to take some risks.

Risks that you might fail. That you might lose money or embarrass yourself. Or you might not like doing the work, and then what?

But you can do this. It’s not like the work is inherently difficult. You don’t have to dig ditches or work for peanuts like I did starting out, taking cases that paid total fees of $300 and doing things I was not (yet) good at, or things I hated.

Don’t dwell on the negative. Give it a try.

It might be rough and make you question life, but (surprise) it might not. You might find it more fun than annoying, more invigorating than daunting.

Begin by making some goals. Make them big, nearly impossible; so big they make you laugh.

Why?

Well, when you were new, you might have been desperate (like me) and willing to do anything, put up with anything, risk everything, but now, if you’re not desperate and the fear of failure and becoming homeless isn’t driving you, you need different motivation.

To wit, big, hairy, crazy goals that put a smile on your face. That might be just what you need to let go of your resistance, get out of your comfort zone and get to work.

But tell no one. Make a pact with your ego to make something happen first, and then you can surprise anyone who might care.

Then, make a plan. Choose a target market, ideal client, and one or two marketing strategies. Grab your calendar, schedule time for marketing and practice development, and put one step in front of the other.

One more thing. No matter how hard it might be, it will be infinitely easier than it was when you were new. You have experience, now, professional contacts, and satisfied clients willing to work with you and refer others.

Compared to the old days, it will be a cakewalk.

This will help

Filed Under: Increase your income, Inspiration, Marketing Plan

You need another project

June 11, 2024 by David M. Ward

If I looked at your planner or task app, I would no doubt see several projects you’re working on, or are about to do. That’s good. When you finish one project, or run out of steam and don’t want to work on it right now, you have other projects you can work without delay.

That’s how you stay productive and get things done.

At the risk of overwhelming you, I’m going to suggest you add one more project to your list.

Not another regular project related to your work or personal “Areas”. Something different.

It might be a side business, an investment, a social or political venture, or a hobby. Something fun and exciting to work on when you’re not doing what you usually do.

Maybe you’ll finally write the novel you’ve dreamed about, or do something else creative. Maybe you’ll start an online business that brings in extra income or (finally) allows you to retire.

Your new project or initiative will give you something exciting to look forward to, and work on when you want to. No pressure. No guilt about taking time away from your usual work or obligations.

And there’s the thing. Even if your new project or venture doesn’t go anywhere, even if you fall flat on your face or abandon it in a few weeks, you will have learned some new things, been able to forget about the news or your problems, and restarted your dream machine.

We all need to tilt at windmills from time to time. It keeps us sane. And sometimes, leads to great adventures.

Filed Under: Increase your income, Inspiration, Just for fun

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

A simple marketing and management checklist

September 11, 2023 by David M. Ward

There are a lot of things you can do to increase the gross and net income in your practice. This checklist can help you identify strategies that might be a good fit for you to use or improve:

MORE CLIENTS

Client relations
Referrals
Following-up/Staying in touch
Networking
Advertising/Lead Generation
Public Speaking/Seminars
Public Relations
Content Marketing (Blogs, Articles, Books, Audios, Videos, Podcasts)
Event Marketing
Social Media Marketing

MORE OFTEN

Stay in touch (clients, prospects, business contacts)
Repeat Services/Updates/Maintenance
Other services (Yours, Partners’, JVs)

INCREASE FEES

Higher Rates
Bigger Cases/Clients
Upsells
Addons
Bundling/Packaging
Sell Value, Not Time

REDUCE COSTS

Better Employees/Vendors
Better Training
Outsourcing
Parnters/JVs
Systems
Personal/Professional Development
New Skills
Better Tools/Equipment

Which of these strategies do you currently use? Which need improving or expanding? Which should you let go of or downsize to make room for something else? Which seems like a good fit for you and is worth starting or exploring?

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

Are you giving clients too many options?

July 24, 2023 by David M. Ward

Have you ever heard the expression, “A confused mind says ‘no’?” Research confirms it—when we have too many choices, we often choose nothing.

A confused mind says ‘no’ because it is confused.

When you give people too many options, you make their decision more difficult. In your marketing, therefore, rule number one should be to make things simple for clients and prospects, and that usually means giving them fewer options.

Do you have an ad that describes all of your services? Do you feature all of your practice areas in your content? Clients might be impressed by your capabilities, but they’re usually looking for the solution to one problem. Too many options or offers, especially when most of them are not currently relevant, make decisions more challenging, which is why people tend to say no.

This is also true with content creation. If you give people too many articles or blog posts to read, videos to watch, or events to attend, it is more likely they will choose “none”.

This doesn’t mean you should eliminate other options. It means featuring or leading with the best, the most relevant, the most likely to become a gateway to your other content or services.

Post everything on your website, but make the visitor dig for it if they want it. Or send it to them later in your email sequence.

But just as offering too many options can lead to confusion and fewer “sales,” offering only one option can do the same. If the prospective client sees they can hire you for service X and service X doesn’t tick all the boxes for them, they have no other choice but to say “no”.

Which is why it might be better to give them two options instead of “hire me or don’t”.

When I created my first marketing course, I thought about offering several packages but eventually settled for just two: Basic and Deluxe. Instead of “yes” or “no,” the choice became this package or that one and it resulted in more sales.

If you want more people to read your content, sign up for your list, or choose you as their lawyer, don’t give them too many options, or too few.

Filed Under: Advertising, Content creation, Copywriting, Increase your income, Marketing legal services

It’s an investment, not an expense

July 18, 2023 by David M. Ward

Yesterday, I talked about following up with prospects and clients before, during, and after the case or engagement. Most lawyers get it. But many lawyers don’t do it because it takes a lot of time.

I say it’s worth the time because it helps you get new business, keep clients from leaving, and generate positive reviews that can multiply that effect.

But (surprise) lawyers are busy. Even if they want to do it, it’s too easy to let it slide.

I mentioned having an assistant do it. Have them make the calls, send the emails, and otherwise manage follow up and other marketing activities for you. Yes, there is a cost, just as there is a cost to you if you handle this function yourself. If you take an employee away from their other work, that work might fall through cracks and cause problems.

I say it’s worth the risk because the benefits outweigh that cost. Especially if you have a reasonable volume of cases or clients.

Think about it. Do the math. If you hire someone part time and pay them $4000 per month, and they’re able to save one case or client per month or get one client to return, your costs would be covered, wouldn’t they? And if that assistant is able to stimulate clients to provide more reviews and more referrals, and this generates two additional cases (or saves) per month, you would double your investment.

Over time, these numbers would compound.

You know I’m a big proponent of making referrals a primary marketing method for most attorneys. If you’ve read me for a while, you also know that you can stimulate referrals without explicitly talking to clients about the subject. But, let’s face it, talking to clients about referrals is a powerful way to get more of them. A lot more.

If that’s not something you want to do, have your marketing assistant do it for you.

I built my practice primarily with referral marketing. A key to making that happen was delegating as much as possible to assistants.

It was an investment, not an expense. And it paid off in spades.

How to talk to clients about referrals

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Closing the sale, Increase your income, Law office management, Referrals

It never stops

July 10, 2023 by David M. Ward

You may not want to hear this, but here it is: lawyers sell legal services.

Yes, you’re a professional and tiy are hired to provide professional services. No, you’re not a salesperson. But when a new client signs up, or an existing client hires you again, a sale has taken place, and you made that happen.

And guess what? Selling doesn’t stop when they sign the retainer agreement. In fact, it never stops.

You sell them on hiring you and then you sell them on staying with you.

You sell them on upgrading to your deluxe package or signing up for your monthly plan.

You sell them on coming back to you after the initial case.

You sell them on giving you their other legal work. All of it, now and forever. (Or at least asking you about it so you can introduce them to other lawyers who can do the job).

You sell them on sending you referrals. And, once they’ve done that, on sending you more referrals.

You sell them on introducing you to other professionals and influential people they know and work with.

You sell them on providing you with reviews and testimonials, sending traffic to your site, promoting your events, and passing out your business card and brochure.

And you sell them on having reasonable expectations about the outcome of their case (so you can exceed their expectation).

Of course, it’s not just prospects and clients you sell. You also sell insurance adjusters, opposing counsel, co-counsel, judges and juries, your client’s partners, directors and officers, and everyone else in your world.

It’s all selling. And it never stops.

And that’s a good thing because that’s how you build a more successful practice.

Filed Under: Client relations, Increase your income, Salesmanship