Marketing legal services Archives - Page 19 of 129

What’s the one thing you can do to build your practice?

March 2, 2022 by David M. Ward

One of my favorite questions to ask myself comes from Gary Keller, founder of Keller-Williams real estate and author of The One Thing. Keller asks, “What’s the ONE Thing you can do, such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?“

You can ask that about anything. Including the subject of marketing and practice development.

Let’s say your one thing is “referrals”. You’re thinking that if you could increase them significantly, everything else you might do for marketing would be easier or unnecessary. You’d have more income, which would allow you to hire more help and turn down marginal clients and open up new locations if you chose to.

More referrals would lead to better clients, meaning bigger retainers, less hand holding, more repeat business, and even more referrals.

It wouldn’t matter so much if your SEO wasn’t that great, you did fewer presentations (or none), and you pulled a lot (or all) of your advertising. Referrals would be your one thing. Focus on it and you’ll be on track to building your dream practice.

Make sense?

But once you choose your one thing, in this case, getting more referrals, you have another question to ask yourself: “What is the ONE thing you can do to get more referrals such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”

You would examine your options and come up with an answer. The “one thing” that would help you achieve your “one thing”.

You might answer “networking with financial professionals who represent (the types of clients you want to represent)”.

Or, “teach my clients how to recognize a good referral for me and the best way to refer them”.

Or, “offer (generous) referral fees to (a type of lawyer)”.

Or, “write a book and ask my clients and professional contacts to tell their clients and contacts about it,” e.g. , get them to refer people to the book and let the book sell those folks on hiring you.

Which of these or other options would be best for you and your practice?

What’s your ONE thing? And what’s the ONE thing you could do to accomplish it?

If referrals are your ONE thing, you need to study this

Filed Under: Increase your income, Marketing legal services, Referrals Tagged With: focus, The One Thing

Send in the clones

February 22, 2022 by David M. Ward

Some marketing goofball tells you to create a description of your ideal client. You sit down to do that and come up with some ideas.

You want clients with lots of money and lots of legal problems. Or you want clients who know a lot of other people with legal problems. Or you want clients who are easy to get along with and readily follow your advice.

Or you want all of the above.

You go through the exercise and make a long list of things you want and some you don’t want. You describe their industry or occupation, their market or niche, and other demographics.

Eventually, you come up with a profile. “There, that’s my ideal client.”

Very nice. Now you can optimize your marketing to attract more of these perfect specimens.

Sounds like a plan.

But there’s another plan you might want to follow, especially if you’re not sure what you want or how to describe them. Maybe you’re new to all this, or maybe you’re still not convinced you need to spend time on this exercise.

Fortunately, there’s another way you can go about this.

Sit down with a list or database of your current or former clients and point to the ones you consider your best clients. Your favorites.

Who paid or pays you the most? Who has the most work for you? Who sends you the most referrals, the biggest and best cases, or the work you most enjoy doing?

Don’t think too much. Go with your gut. And then narrow your list to no more than 30.

Pretend that marketing goof asked, “If you could only have 30 clients and would have to farm out everyone else, who would you choose?“

Once you have your list, study it and the people and/or businesses on it, and reverse engineer it.

What do these clients have in common in terms of industry or market, needs or wants, demographics, or other identifiable characteristics?

How did they find you? Why did they choose you? What do they like about you and what do you like about them?

Write down what you see and you have a profile of your ideal client.

Later, you can add to or modify that profile, to add different markets, practice areas, or other descriptors.

But you might not need to do that. Because you’ve already got a great list of clients you want to clone.

How to choose your ideal client and target market

Filed Under: Marketing legal services

Marketing leverage

February 15, 2022 by David M. Ward

When it comes to marketing your practice, if you’re not growing as quickly as you would like to, you might stop and ask yourself if you’re making things harder than they need to be.

You can use your back and legs to lift a boulder, straining and struggling, huffing and puffing, or you can use a lever to make the bolder easier to lift.

You can use a lever in your marketing, too.

Instead of trying to find clients one at a time, doesn’t it make sense to find a few influential people who have the phone numbers of those clients on speed dial? Why not direct (some of) your marketing efforts towards the people who sell to, advise, or otherwise work with the kinds of people and businesses you would like to have as clients?

You already know this works. You know professionals, business executives, consultants, entrepreneurs, and others who are influential in your target market. Some of them have sent you referrals. Some have introduced you to people who have asked you to speak or asked to interview you for their podcast or have asked you to write for their blog.

You want to know more people like this.

Because they can help you achieve your marketing goals in a fraction of the time than you could on your own.

It might take time to develop those relationships, but they can bear fruit for decades to come. They can also expedite your growth as they introduce you to other centers of influence in your target market.

Where do you start?

Step One: Identify them

That’s easy. They look a lot like your existing referral sources and business contacts. Start by identifying categories, by profession or business, industry or niche, and by other factors.

Once you have a list of categories, identify individual candidates. Talk to the people you know and ask them who they know who fit that description. Or hit up your favorite search engine and find their websites.

Step Two: Contact them

Also easy. Ask your existing contacts to introduce you, or pick up the phone and introduce yourself. Most have their phone number on their website.

Step Three: Build a relationship with them

This is where the rubber meets the road. This is what takes time and effort.

But not as much as you might think.

We’re talking about a business relationship, not courtship and marriage.

You talk to them, find out more about what they do, and tell them a bit about yourself. And you explore ways you can help each other (and each other’s clients or customers).

You find out if there is any synergy, and chemistry. And you see where it goes. Which is no doubt what you did when you built relationships with your current business contacts.

The key is to be willing to help others without the expectation of getting something in return.

When you do that, when you approach this with an open mind and heart, you build trust and open doors to new opportunities.

Where will it lead? Maybe nowhere. But if just a few of these new contacts want to work with you, it could be the start of a new and exciting chapter in the story of your career.

How to identify, approach, and build relationships with influential people—step-by-step

Filed Under: Leverage, Marketing legal services, Referral sources, Relationship marketing

Taking inventory

February 14, 2022 by David M. Ward

We’re told to focus on the process, not the results, that if we continue doing the work, the results will take care of themselves. And that’s true. The more you do, the better you get, and, over time, your results compound and you grow.

But like any journey, it makes sense to stop and assess your progress along the way.

Check your numbers. Count the beans. See what you have so that you’ll know what’s working–and what isn’t.

Once a month or so, take inventory. Record your numbers:

New cases
New subscribers
Referrals from clients
Referrals from professional contacts
Leads/calls/inquiries
Percentage of leads closed
Consultations
Testimonials/positive reviews

Ask yourself what’s working and what needs to be improved.

Also track the activities that generated those numbers:

Blog posts/articles/videos/podcasts published
Seminars/live presentations
Guest appearances/interviews
Networking events attended
Ad spend/letters mailed
Conversion ratios
Etc.

Ask yourself what’s working and what needs to be improved.

Also take inventory of the people in your professional life:

Calls/emails to clients/former clients
Calls/emails to professional contacts
Calls/emails to prospective referral sources/bloggers, etc.
Follow-ups with prospective clients
Etc.

Don’t overcomplicate your marketing. But don’t ignore the numbers.

Track what you did this month, so next month you can do more of what’s working and less of what isn’t.

The easiest way to stay in touch with clients and prospects is email

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: marketing metrics

My services are for everyone!

February 7, 2022 by David M. Ward

Lawyers, hear me. While it’s true that you can perform your services for anyone with certain legal problems, if you target your marketing to “everyone,” you’re making a mistake.

Not everyone will hear your message, let alone relate to it. Not everyone will be ready, willing, and able to hire you. Not everyone will be able to provide you with repeat business and referrals, which you should know by now are the sine qua non of a successful practice.

When you target everyone, you target no one.

Instead of targeting everyone, define and market to the clients you define as ideal.

You’ll get more clients and better clients when you do.

You may not want to narrow the field, because you don’t want to miss out on someone who might hire you or refer you. But if you’re willing to let go of people who aren’t your ideal, you’ll more than make up for any lost business from the people who are.

Because the narrower you define your target market and ideal client, the easier and more effective (and profitable) your marketing will be.

You’ll get more clients with less effort. You’ll spend less time and less money to find them (actually, have them find you), deliver your message, and convert them into clients.

Those clients will also pay you more because they know you are the one everyone in their niche is hiring and talking about.

More good news.

Targeting an ideal client (instead of “everyone”) doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t reach others. You will. Other people will hear about you and make their way to your door.

Take their money. Tolerate clients who aren’t in your target market.

But don’t target them.

Spend your time and money and tailor your marketing message to a laser-focused ideal client.

Who is your ideal client? That’s what you have to figure out.

To start, ask yourself, “Who is NOT my ideal client?”

I’ll help you start your list:

People who don’t live or work in a jurisdiction where I am licensed
People who don’t hire lawyers
People who don’t have/won’t spend money to hire a lawyer
People who are hard to work with, e.g., they’ve previously hired and fired (or been fired by) several lawyers on the same matter
People who aren’t married (if you’re a divorce lawyer); yes, they might get married some day, and they might have referrals for you, but we’re looking for your “ideal” client

And go from there. (And yes, “people” includes businesses.)

You can define your ideal client by age, industry or profession, and many other factors.

And you should.

The more specific you are, the more likely you’ll be to be sought after and hired by clients who are a great match for you.

To learn how to choose a target market and ideal client for your practice, pick up a copy of The Attorney Marketing Formula.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: ideal client, Niche marketing, target market

Daily commitments for growing your practice

February 1, 2022 by David M. Ward

If marketing is important to you, you might want to create a list of core activities you are committed to doing every day. 3 is a good number. If you get your 3 done for the day, it’s a good day.

Daily is better than weekly because when you do it every day, it’s easier to form a habit.

Now, here’s the key: make them small. Because if they’re not, you won’t have time to do them (or want to do them) and that defeats the purpose.

Put pen to paper and brainstorm small tasks you could do every workday to grow your practice. Keep them general, at least for now, until you see the value of being more specific.

For example, your list might look like this:

Something to get more traffic and grow my list
Work on my current marketing project
Reach out to a client or contact

Traffic and growing your list might mean leaving a comment on an authority blog or submitting a query for a guest post. You might ask your current subscribers or social media contacts to forward your article or the link to your site to someone who might need that information.

Working on your current marketing project might be continuing to write your book, create your presentation, or outline a new podcast episode. You might work on a new lead magnet, a new ad, or updates to your website.

Reaching out to a client or contact could be as simple as sending an email, asking how they are doing or what they’re working on.

It’s not the size of the activity, it’s that you do something every day.

A minute or two, a call or two, a page or two. But every day. Make them a part of your daily routine and see where they take you.

How to use email to do most of your marketing

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan

Do what works (better)

January 31, 2022 by David M. Ward

Mistakes, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention. . .

Actually, that’s not true. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Too many to mention.

But that’s why I’ve had a lot of success.

I get an idea, try it, see if it works. If it doesn’t, I change it and try again. Or abandon it and move on.

Many things don’t work. Most things, maybe. But when I find one that does, I keep doing it and expanding it and making it work better.

Trial and error. The “secret” to success.

In marketing, it’s called “testing”. And you do it with ideas, headlines, offers, and other variables. To see if anyone is interested in what you are offering, and to see which version works better, i.e., gets a bigger response.

You want to know which title or headline or image to use? You try two or more different options (with software or advertising) and see which one gets the most clicks or calls, sign-ups or sales.

One title or headline might generate ten or twenty percent more clicks than another, adding thousands of dollars in additional revenue. Sometimes, one title or headline will generate 300% more clicks than another, and you smile all the way to the bank.

Logic and experience might tell you one is better than the other. Logic and experience don’t know.

The only way to tell for certain which variable is better, and by how much, is to test.

Try lots of things. Track the numbers. When you find something that works, use it, but keep trying other things until you find something that works better.

The Quantum Leap Marketing System (for Lawyers)

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: Testing

Your better-than-ideal client

January 19, 2022 by David M. Ward

If you’re writing or updating the description of your ideal client, you might want to add an additional factor that might make your ideal client even better.

That factor: they’ve hired or worked with attorneys in the past.

People who have hired attorneys usually understand the need and the cost, as well as the process that ensues after they hire them. You don’t have to work hard to persuade them to hire an attorney, you only need to persuade them to choose you.

Okay, but:

How do you find them?
How do you persuade them to choose you?

I’ve covered the second question before and will do so again. Right now, a few thoughts about the first question.

One way to find people who have likely hired attorneys before is to network and speak to groups whose members or clients typically use attorneys. Rental property owners, retailers with collection accounts, homeowners associations, hospital boards, to name a tiny few.

Look at the groups your (ideal) clients belong to. Do they have local events you can attend? Are they looking for speakers? Do they have publications or blogs you can write for or advertise in?

You could also do PPC ads with keywords (and copy) slanted to appeal to members of those types of groups. If you do direct mail, you can rent lists of people who belong to those groups.

You could also rent lists of litigants, gleaned from public records. People who have sued or been sued are statistically more likely to sue or be sued again.

A great way to find prospective clients who have experience working with attorneys is via referrals.

Attorneys who don’t do what you do, or do but have a conflict, can be an excellent source. They can identify clients who are “between” firms and actively looking for a new one, and clients who have legal issues that are a good match for you. When they introduce and recommend them to you, those clients are more likely to trust you and less likely to keep looking.

Accountants, business consultants, and financial professionals have clients and contacts who have worked with attorneys and are also a good source of referrals.

Start by identifying attorneys by practice area who are likely to have clients or contacts who have worked with attorneys (or otherwise quality as “ideal clients” for you). Find out what you can about them and approach them to see if you can work together.

What’s the best way to find these attorneys and other professionals? What’s the best way to approach them? And, most importantly, how do you get them to send you referrals?

I’ve laid out the entire process in my course, Lawyer-to-Lawyer Referrals.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Referrals

The most powerful word in marketing

January 14, 2022 by David M. Ward

In the app store is a relatively new productivity app for iPad that’s that’s getting rave reviews. Judging by their comments, people love what it can do, especially compared to the competition, but what they really love is that it’s free.

They gush. They praise. They can’t believe their good fortune in finding an app that does everything the competition does, arguably better, and doesn’t cost a cent.

By the way, the competition cost less than $10.

Some people said they don’t want to pay for an app. Some said the competition is too expensive. Some said they were broke and can’t afford it.

I don’t care how broke you are, you can afford $10.

Let me put it this way, if you can afford an iPad, you can afford to buy a $10 app. Especially one you just said is ‘perfect’ for you.

Alas, people get hypnotized by the word ‘free”. It’s almost irresistible, as in, “I have to have it.”

I’ll bet someone reading this right now wants me to identify this app so they can get it post haste; some of them don’t even own an iPad. (The app is CollaNote. Check it out if you like to take handwritten notes).

The lesson is that “free” is a powerful word (and concept) and you should use it in your marketing. Find or create something your target market wants and give it away. And use the word liberally in your content.

You’ll get more traffic, more subscribers and followers, more leads, and more clients.

But a word of warning.

There are people who won’t hire you or do anything that’s not free, no matter how much they need your help.

Don’t worry about them. They don’t take up a lot of space. And who knows, maybe things will change for them someday, or maybe they’ll tell people about you and they’ll hire you.

But there are also those who can pay you but have been conditioned to wait for the free (or discounted) offer.

You can’t play that game. You can’t give away too much, or do it too often, and expect people to pay full retail.

A good rule of thumb is to give away content (unless you sell this) but not your time. (If you offer free consultations, or entry level free services, put limits on them).

Yeah, that’s free advice. Don’t get used to it.

The Attorney Marketing Formula isn’t free, but it’s worth it

Filed Under: Copywriting, Marketing legal services