Marketing legal services Archives - Page 10 of 129

Yes, it is all about you

August 31, 2023 by David M. Ward

People connect with people, not businesses or law firms. Your clients may like your partners or employees and think highly of your firm’s reputation, but they hire and refer you.

That’s true of consumer and business clients alike.

When they have a friend or business contact with a legal situation or question, your clients tell them about YOU, not your firm.

They hand them your card. Tell them about their experience with you, the lawyer they know, like, and trust, and say, “Call my lawyer” — not, “Call me firm”.

They promote your brand. You should too.

Tweet (or whatever it’s called today) in your name, or at least create a handle that includes a version of your name, NOT your firm.

Promote your speaking events, even if your firm is conducting the event. Write articles and keep a blog with your byline, not the faceless entity you call your employer (even if it’s your firm).

When you are introduced, people should hear about you, your capabilities and your accomplishments. And hear something personal about you.

Because you are the one people will talk to, connect with, hire and refer.

It’s all about you, you stud.

You may work for the biggest and best firm in town, and that’s worth mentioning. But you are the main attraction, no matter how wet behind the ears you may be.

It’s your career. Your name and reputation. They are your clients. And you are their attorney.

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Image, Law office management, Marketing legal services

Want vs. Need

August 18, 2023 by David M. Ward

You want that cool task management app that does “everything”. But you don’t need it. You need a piece of paper and a pen. Or the free app that comes on your device.

You may want a lot of things you don’t need. If you can afford them and they give you a benefit, why not?

But ask yourself why you want it.

Will it make you more productive? Help you earn more? Save time? Give you a harmless way to distract yourself from long hours of work?

Is it fun? You’re entitled to have fun, you know.

It’s okay to buy things or do things you want but don’t need. You don’t need a reason.

And neither do your clients.

A client may need your basic service but want your deluxe package. Give it to them.

People want things they don’t need and their reasons are their reasons. They might want convenience, to feel safer, or feel more important.

If they want to give you more money, let them.

On the other hand, be prepared to give them what they need when they can’t afford what they want.

Make sure they get what they need, but if you really want to make them happy, give them what they want.

That goes for you, too.

Filed Under: Career satisfaction, Client relations, Marketing legal services

You never look better than when you’re helping others. I’m not talking about getting paid for your services, I’m talking about using your legal and business skills, your list of contacts, your creativity, your time, your money, and your reputation, to help people who need help.

It’s a good thing to do, and a good way to build your practice.

This might mean doing pro bono legal work, organizing a fundraiser, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or sponsoring (or playing in) a charitable golf tournament. You don’t have to be the organizer of the event. You can do a lot of good by participating in their events and otherwise supporting their cause.

Promote their organization or event in your newsletter, on your website, and on your social media channels. Interview the leaders and write articles about their work and their cause. Speak at their events, buy space in their publications, volunteer for their committees, and introduce them to people who are also willing to help.

There’s always something you can do and whatever you do will be noticed and appreciated.

Will it also be rewarded? Can you do well by doing good?

You know that’s true. But in case you need a reminder, consider that, if nothing else, your clients and contacts will see or hear about your efforts and see you in a positive light. How do you tell them what you’re doing? By asking them to join you.

Also consider that supporting these good causes will allow you to meet a lot of influential people in your target market or community. People who can hire you, send you referrals, and introduce you to other professionals and industry leaders who can do the same.

Promoting a cause also gives you a great “excuse” to contact people you would like to know and enlist their support.

Of course, the primary reason you do any of this isn’t for marketing. It’s because it makes you feel good to help people who need help. But keep in mind that the more your practice grows, the more people you’ll be able to help.

Filed Under: Career satisfaction, Marketing legal services

Make them come to you

August 4, 2023 by David M. Ward

You’ve heard it before—don’t chase clients. Because it looks bad (and feels bad) and usually pushes cliens away because you look needy and unsuccessful.

Clients want to hire successful lawyers, and if you’re chasing, that’s not you.

Something else, when they chase you, they’re usually willing to pay more to work with you.

So don’t chase, make them come to you.

How? What marketing strategies are best for attracting clients?

First (by a long shot) are referrals. When clients and professionals and business contacts recommend you, it is the ultimate affirmation of your success. They know you. They’ve seen your work. And their recommendations make their referrals easier to sign up.

You also tend to get better clients and bigger cases through referrals than any other marketing method.

On the other hand, you can’t scale as quickly as you might like via referrals, which leads to my second recommendation—advertising.

Surprised? Don’t be. Advertising allows you to maintain posture.

You’re not chasing anyone because you’re not talking to anyone—until they decide they like what they see and want to talk to you.

Yep, they come to you.

And advertising scales. And can pay for itself. When you have an ad (or campaign) that works, you can run more ads in more places. You can run bigger ads and run them more often. And bid on more competitive keywords.

You don’t have to advertise your services directly if that’s not something you want to (or are allowed to) do. You can advertise your book or report, your channel or blog, your seminar, or anything else that gets your name and offer in front of prospective clients and the people who can refer them.

They see, they like, they come to you.

The third way to get clients to come to you is through content marketing.

You share information about the law, explain problems and solutions, and show people what’s possible, and in doing that, those people see that you know what you’re doing and become interested in learning more about how you can help them.

They come to you.

You can do content marketing via a blog, newsletter, podcast, video channel, or by being interviewed on someone else’s channel or for their newsletter. You can speak at industry events, conduct seminars, network with people in your target market, or offer your content via social media.

Or through advertising.

Referrals, advertising, and content marketing. Three proven strategies for making clients come to you.

Filed Under: Advertising, Content creation, Marketing legal services Tagged With: attraction marketing, posture

How to promote (anything)

August 1, 2023 by David M. Ward

Promotion is the art of getting people to do things you want them to do. This might be attending your event, watching your video, buying your book, reading your blog post, downloading your report, making an appointment, or. . . hiring you.

You can promote a meeting or phone call. You can promote people—a business or professional you want to support, for example, or someone you’re working with and want your clients or prospects to meet.

You can also promote an idea, like a judge granting your motion, or why it’s important to have an attorney review important documents before signing them.

It’s an art because it takes skills and finesse. You don’t want to turn people off by your clumsy or overly aggressive manner; you want to turn them on and do what you’re asking them to do.

Sales skills are part of it. (NB: study salesmanship). More than that, it requires commitment to getting the results you want, and consistency in how you go about it.

Most of all, the art of promoting has these 3 key elements:

Intensity. Don’t merely announce it, put energy and emotion into your words, to show people why it is important, why you believe in it, and why they should act on it immediately. Let them see and feel your excitement, because excitement is contagious. (NB: if you’re not excited about it, pick something else to promote.)
Vision. Emphasize the benefits they get when they do what you’re asking them to do. What do they get? How will they be better off? Tell them what others got when they did it, so they can see how they can get it, too.
Repetition. Once is not enough. People don’t listen to or believe you, or they have other demands on their time. Promote it again and promote it often.

The art of promotion is one of the most valuable things you can learn and do. Use this skill in all aspects of your practice and watch your practice grow.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: promoting

3 stories you need to know (and use)

July 31, 2023 by David M. Ward

Marketing legal services is more effective when you use stories to show people what you do and the benefits your clients get when they hire you to do it. Stories provide context and help people understand and appreciate what you can do for them.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write (or have written) a few stories you can use in your marketing materials, presentations, and conversations.

And then use them.

Start with these 3 types of stories:

Your story
Your firm’s story
Client success stories

Your story is often the basis for the “about” page on your website, statistically the most read page by visitors of all stripes. It might include the reasons you went to law school or opened your own practice, people or events in your life that influence you, what you appreciate about your work, what you do during a typical day, and, of course, how you help your clients.

Your firm’s story, even if you are a sole practitioner, might talk about the firm’s mission, capabilities (practice areas, accomplishments, awards), reputation, charitable work, and the types of clients and industries you serve.

Client success stories are like testimonials but written in the third person. You describe clients who came to you with a problem or objective, the pain or secondary problems this caused, what you did to help them, and how they were better off as a result. If possible, quote the words of your clients describing their situation and praising you for helping them.

Write at least one client success story for each of your practice areas or services. Choose clients with different backgrounds or in different industries. You want prospective clients to recognize themselves or their situation and appreciate that you can help them, too.

These are the basics. They show people what you do, for whom, why, and how well.

And while first-party success stories, e.g., testimonials, reviews, and letters of endorsement from other professionals, are often more persuasive, you get to write these success stories and can have as many of them as you have clients.

Client success stories are some of the most powerful marketing tools you can use because they are about people and emotions, pain and relief, and are more effective than abstract facts and lists of features.

Facts tell but stories sell.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: Marketing tools

How to get more (and better) reviews

July 26, 2023 by David M. Ward

One of the most powerful tools you can use in your marketing is third-party validation of your work. You get more clients and better clients when other clients describe their positive experience with you.

It is (marketing) law.

But your clients are busy and don’t provide reviews or testimonials as often as they could, or as often you’d like. What can you do?

One of the simplest things you can do is survey your clients, to find out what they like about you and your services (and also what they don’t like because you need to know that, too).

Then, when a client fills out a survey and says nice things about you, thank them and ask if they would post their words on a review site you tell them about, or let you use their words as a testimonial.

Tell them they can do that anonymously if they prefer, i.e., initials or first name/last initial only. Yes, full names are better, but a review with initials only is better than no review.

Tell them how much you appreciate their providing a review, and how much other people will benefit by seeing it.

Get them to commit to doing it, help them if they need help, and thank them again.

What do I mean by “if they need help”? I mean, if they struggle to put their story into words, or what they write isn’t as clear or specific or interesting as you’d like, rewrite their review for them.

Don’t change anything material. Clean it up, flesh it out, and make it easier to read. You’re saving them time and making them look good. You should find that most clients appreciate that help.

You can do the same thing when a client thanks you or pays you a compliment over the phone or in person. Write down what they say, clean it up a bit, and send it to them, along with a request to post it or let you use it in your marketing materials.

Simple and effective.

What else can you do?

Every new client, in their “new client kit,” should get a list of review sites you recommend, along with a sampling of reviews you’ve received from other clients. Not only will this help them feel good about their decision to hire you, it will also make it easier and more likely to get reviews from them later.

Finally, always send a thank you note. Tell the client (again) how much you appreciate their kind words and how it helps other clients find the help they need. If the client was referred to you, send a copy of their review, along with a thank you note, to the referring party.

Showing them they made a good decision to refer their client or friend to you makes it more likely they will refer again.

The Attorney Marketing Formula

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

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

Unforced errors

July 17, 2023 by David M. Ward

We needed some work done on our house and got a couple of bids. Company number one made a compelling presentation and a reasonable bid (compared to what we expected based on our initial research). Company number two had an even better presentation, and we went with them even though they had a significantly higher bid.

NB: It’s not just about price or fees; you can get more customers or clients by doing a better presentation.

One thing that made the difference is the way the salesperson at company number two followed up with us after his presentation. He called and texted and emailed and showed us he was at the top of his game.

They did the work, and we’re happy with it. The building inspector who came out afterwards told us (without prompting) that the company had done excellent work.

So, we’re happy. But puzzled. We haven’t heard from the salesperson or anyone else at the company since we authorized the job.

Leaves you feeling like a commodity instead of a client. Slam, bam, thank you sucker.

Anyway, not following up with us was a mistake. And not just because there’s a cooling-off period and we could have canceled the job if we got cold feet. Following up after the sale gives the company the opportunity to keep the customer happy and take a step towards creating a “lifetime” customer or client instead of just another entry in the ledger.

We didn’t hear from them after the work was done, either. No calls to see if we’re satisfied or had questions.

And that’s another mistake.

To this day, weeks later, they don’t know if we’re happy. Or have other work we want to talk to them about. Or have a neighbor who might like to talk to them.

Nothing. Not even a note thanking us for our business.

Or a request to provide a review or referrals.

If they had asked for a review, we might have mentioned that the building inspector volunteered that they did a great job. Thorough and tidy. Very reassuring to a prospective customer who sees that review.

But now, because the company didn’t ask, no review.

If this is how they operate on every sale, they’re missing out on a lot of additional business. A cautionary tale for anyone in a service business or profession.

It’s so simple. Call the client after the work is done (or have an assistant do it), see if they have additional questions or concerns, send them some brochures or a referral card they can pass out to people they know, and if they’re happy, ask them to leave a review.

The only thing worse than not doing some simple after-sale follow-up is what company number one did after they emailed us their bid.

They did nothing.

They didn’t follow up to see if we want to go ahead with them, had any questions, or needed help with financing. They didn’t ask if we went with another company and, if so, why.

And now, weeks later, they haven’t followed-up with us to ask if we’re still interested (and hadn’t hired anyone). Or if we went with another company, had problems, and needed to talk to them about fixing it.

Follow-up during the presentation process, after the deal is signed, and after the work is done. Or after the prospect doesn’t sign up.

Never stop following-up. Because tthe fortune is in the follow-up.

Filed Under: Closing the sale, Marketing legal services, Referrals Tagged With: Follow-up, reviews

Build your email list offline

July 14, 2023 by David M. Ward

It’s probably not the best way to get subscribers, but there are a couple of advantages. For one, it’s free. You don’t have to pay for leads or traffic or anything else. Just the paper on which the information about your newsletter (or whatever list you want to build), plus postage if you decide to mail them.

Another advantage is you’re not competing with everyone else who is promoting or advertising their offer online. Thus, your message and offer will be more likely to stand out.

Finally, depending on how and where your offer appears, it will inherit the implied endorsement of the person or place where prospects see it.

For example, when a local business or professional puts your flyer, brochure, or card in their waiting room, it suggests to their customers or clients who see it that they know you and think you’re okay, resulting in more sign-ups than would occur without that implied endorsement.

You can distribute your brochure, report, or flyer in the back of the room where you are speaking or networking, or on the table at trade shows and events in your target market.

To start, put your flyers or brochure or flyer in your own waiting room. You have a captive audience who already know, like, and trust you (or soon will) and are more likely to sign up for your list with no additional prompting from you. You can also give extras to new clients, along with your business cards or regular brochures, and mail them to existing and former clients and business contacts.

One key to making this work is to offer a bonus to anyone who signs up for your newsletter or event. A free report, your ebook, a free consultation, or other bonus often results in a higher rate of response, just as it does online.

Offline isn’t likely to result in a flood of sign-ups compared to what you might see online, because it’s not as easy to scale. But if your flyer or brochure is well written and distributed through the right people, it certainly might.

It also might stimulate immediate inquires about your services from people who see your flyer and want to talk to you about their legal issue. Or referrals from folks who see your offer and pass it along to friends.

How to get more referrals without asking for referrals

Filed Under: List building, Marketing legal services

Yes, it is all about you

Want vs. Need

Help me help them