Marketing legal services Archives - Page 40 of 128

When is the best time to ask for referrals?

August 8, 2019 by David M. Ward

According to a financial advisor who posted an answer to this question, the best time to ask for referrals is at the time you deliver the work-product (document, settlement check, etc.) or other benefits.

I agree. This is the best time.

The client is feeling good about you and their decision to hire you. They’ve seen tangible evidence of your ability to deliver results. They may be thinking about people they know who could benefit from your services.

But while this is the best time, you can also ask at other times.

Of course, it depends on what we mean by “asking”.

You can “ask” by handing the client a letter or brochure that describes your “ideal client” (how to spot them, how to refer them) at any time.

Your “new client welcome kit” should include such a document.

You can “ask” in your newsletter. After sharing a client success story, you could include a call to action to download your aforesaid document or read it on your website.

When a client is in the office for any reason, you could hand them a few of your business cards and casually say, “in case you know someone who needs an attorney. Tell them to mention your name.”

You can (and should) also talk to prospective clients about referrals. After a free consultation, for example. You can also ask in your declination letter.

There are different ways to “ask” for referrals. Pick something and use it.

The more you do, the more referrals you’ll get.

Here’s how to get maximum referrals

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Referrals

Following up with prospective clients

August 7, 2019 by David M. Ward

Most people don’t hire you the first time they speak to you, visit your website or watch your presentation. You need to follow up.

When you follow-up you get more clients.

But how? And when? What do you say, what do you offer, what do you send them? How often should you contact them?

That’s what you need to figure out.

You need a follow-up plan for each point of contact with prospective clients, and each stage of the “buying process”.

Your plan should spell out what you will do

after a free consultation–in the office and on the phone (they’re different)
with people you meet at networking events
with people who attend your presentation (in person, online)
with people who subscribe to your newsletter or download your report
with first-time clients, to convert them to repeat clients and stimulate referrals
with lapsed clients
and so on.

Your plan should also answer the following questions:

Who? Should you follow-up personally or can an assistant do it? Should you do it the first time and then have someone on your staff do it?
When? You’ll want to send a “thank you” or “nice to meet you” note immediately but what’s the schedule for additional follow-ups? How often? Over what period of time?
How? Calls, emails, letters? A combination? Should you text? Invite to lunch or coffee? What can you automate?
What? What will you say? What will you ask? What will you tell them or invite them to do?

You also need a follow-up plan for the professionals and prospective referral sources you meet.

Your plan doesn’t need to be complex, nor do you need to figure out everything in advance. Start with one point of contact and one or two follow-ups; once you have this in place, you can add more.

But start. Because in business, the fortune is in the follow-up.

If you need help creating or implementing your plan, let me know.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: follow up

Better than average

August 6, 2019 by David M. Ward

Marketing goo-roo Dan Kennedy once said, “Your success in business is directly proportional to the number of industry norms you defy.”

In other words, if you do what everyone else is doing, you will be unlikely to achieve more than average results.

What can you do if you want to do better than average?

!. You can offer better services than the competition.

If you deliver better results, more benefits or value, or a higher level of “customer service,” you will probably get more clients, higher quality clients, and/or be able to charge higher fees than average.

You should also get more repeat business and referrals.

2. You can use better marketing.

If you do a better job of getting leads, packaging and selling your services, and building relationships with your clients and other professionals, you will get more clients and earn more income than average.

That’s because more prospective clients (and the people who can refer them) will hear your message and/or be persuaded by it.

Both options are good. Either one can help you become more successful.

But why not do both?

If you want to learn a step-by-step system for marketing and building your practice with email. . .

Go here

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, success

Most attorneys miss this

July 29, 2019 by David M. Ward

People want to know about the solutions you offer–your services, how they work, what you do better or differently than other attorneys. But if you only talk about your solutions, or you open the conversation or presentation by talking about them, you’re missing the boat.

Prospective clients are far more interested in themselves than you. If you want them to appreciate what you offer and how you can help them, you need to talk more about their problems than your solutions.

In consultation, in a seminar, in your newsletter or blog, on your website, talk about problems. That’s what a prospective client is thinking about, after all. That’s what’s keeping them up at night.

Ask questions to help them identify the nature and extent of their problems. Help them understand their risks and how bad things can get.

Then, get them to acknowledge that they want to fix their problem.

Now you’ve got their attention. Now, they’re ready to listen to your solutions and much more likely to take the next step.

Focus on problems and pain. They’re far more interesting than your legal services and far more likely to get prospective clients to say, “Where do I sign?”

Need help writing effective marketing messages? Let me know

Filed Under: Communication, Copywriting, Marketing legal services

If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave

July 17, 2019 by David M. Ward

I heard a public service radio spot featuring advice from Smokey Bear and the need to make sure your campfire is completely out before you walk away. “If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave,” Smokey advises.

That’s the takeaway. The nugget listeners should remember. In my opinion, it’s better than the traditional, “Only you can prevent wildfires (previously “forest fires”).

It’s better because it doesn’t lecture us about preventing forest fires, (yes, but how?), it reminds us to make sure our fire is out and provides a simple way to do that.

Easy to remember, easy to do.

Anyway, it got me thinking again about tag lines and slogans, something most attorneys don’t usually adopt but perhaps should.

A slogan or tag helps people understand what you do and how you can help them. It helps them remember this so that when they have a legal situation, they think about you. And it gives them something they can tell others about you.

He’s the lawyer who. . . , She helps people with. . ., They’re the law firm that. . .

My website has the tag line, “Earn more, work less.” That’s what I want visitors to know, remember, and tell others about me and what I offer. It’s simple, easy to understand and contains important benefits.

Tags or slogans don’t need to be brilliant, and this certainly isn’t. But it does the job.

Give some thought to creating a tag or slogan for your practice. Ask yourself, What do I want people to know about me, remember about me, and tell others about me?

Once you have something, take it for a test drive. Share it with your staff or a lawyer friend. Add it to your email footer. Survey your clients.

But don’t take what anyone says as the last word on the subject. Friends may tell you “it’s great” because they don’t know what to think or they don’t want to hurt your feelings.

The best place to test it is with prospects. Someone who doesn’t know you or what you do. If they hear your tag and ask you to tell them more about your services, you may just have a winner.

For more advice on building your practice, go here

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: Slogan, tag line

Do you look like an attorney?

July 9, 2019 by David M. Ward

I was running errands with my wife and we parked so she could run into the market for a few things. After a few minutes, an older woman with a foreign accent came up to my car window, told me she was parked nearby and another car hit hers. She wanted to know what to do.

“What, do I look like an attorney?” I thought. Wait, that’s silly. She’s not from the US and is just being careful.

I told her to exchange information, get the other person’s insurance info, take a photo of the damage, and so on. She said there wasn’t much to see but she has a Tesla and you never know.

She thanked me and went back to her car.

I thought about what happened and asked myself if I would have done anything different if I was still practicing. Like handing her my card and telling her to call me if she had any questions.

That’s what you would do, right? Even though there weren’t any injuries. Even if you don’t handle personal injuries?

You’d do that because it’s a nice thing to do and because the woman might have other legal issues you could help her with.

You’d do that because she might have another accident some day, or know someone who does. Even if you don’t do PI, you know PI lawyers and would make a referral.

You’d do that because passing out a card (with your website on it) and telling people to call you if they have any questions is marketing 101.

You’re nodding your head in agreement right now, right?

Good. Now, just one more question. Do I look like an attorney?

Need a simple marketing plan? Here ya go

Filed Under: Marketing legal services

The key to earning more and working less

July 8, 2019 by David M. Ward

If you want to earn more without working more, or earn more and work less, the simplest way to do that is to find ways to use leverage in your work.

Leverage means getting more with less. Less time, less capital, less effort.

When you hire an employee, you’re using leverage. When you create a checklist that allows you to get your work done faster or better or with fewer errors, you’re using leverage. When you conduct a seminar and deliver your message to 100 people at the same time, you’re using leverage.

Leverage also means using what you’ve got to get more of what you want. It can help your practice achieve compound growth.

When you win a big case or land a big client, your income grows. Featuring that win in your marketing can bring you new clients who choose you as their lawyer because you win big cases or represent big clients.

That’s leverage.

Use what you have to get more of what you want.

You have a base a clients. You can leverage that base to stimulate more referrals.

You have knowledge and experience. You can leverage this to improve your services, your marketing, and your productivity.

You have business contacts. You can use these relationships to meet new contacts and discover new opportunities.

Why work hard when you can work smart? Why spend a fortune in time and capital when you can get bigger results with less?

Leverage allowed me to quadruple the income in my practice while simultaneously reducing the number of hours I spent in the office.

If you want to grow your practice quickly, leverage what you have to get more of what you want.

This system shows you how to do that.

Filed Under: Law office management, Leverage, Marketing legal services

A lawyer who’s having fun with his marketing

July 5, 2019 by David M. Ward

A “real” lawyer has a youtube channel where he “reacts” to trials on TV shows and movies, like My Cousin Vinnie, The Rainmaker, and Star Trek TNG (where Picard defends Data’s humanity). He shares his take on the accuracy of these fictional trials.

Today, he released a video titled Real Lawyer Reacts to Lawyer Jokes.

I haven’t watched any of these videos yet but his nearly 500,000 subscriber-count tells me all I need to know.

He’s doing something right.

And, by the look of his laughing face on the thumbnail of his lawyer joke video, I’m thinking he’s also having fun making these.

Yes, marketing can be fun. Even for lawyers.

Marketing doesn’t need to be something you hate doing. You don’t have to be as serious as a heart attack all the time.

Years ago, when I first launched my website, I had a page with a collection of humorous things said in courtrooms, taken from trial transcripts.

For example:

Lawyer to witness: “All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
Witness: “Oral”.

Another:

Q: How old is your son–the one living with you?
A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can’t remember which.

Q: How long has he lived with you?
A: Forty-five years.

One of my favorites:

Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
A: No.

Q: Did you check for blood pressure?
A: No.

Q: Did you check for breathing?
A: No.

Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
A: No.

Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.

Q: But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?
A: It is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere.

Anyway, you don’t need to share jokes or make videos, but you should find ways to have some fun with your marketing. I do it; you should, too.

By the way, did you know there really is only ONE lawyer joke? All the rest are true stories.

Okay, I’ll work on it.

Are you ready to take a quantum leap in your practice?

Filed Under: Just for fun, Marketing legal services

Pay-per-ouch!

June 18, 2019 by David M. Ward

I read an article about the options available to lawyers for marketing their services. One of the options was pay-per-click ads.

But, it’s expensive, the article says. To wit: “The search term “Los Angeles personal injury lawyer” can cost as much as $140 per click.”

Not for a lead. Just for the click.

If ten people click on your ad, you’re in the hole for over $1,000 before you talk to anyone to find out if they have a case and can show them your dog and your pony.

That’s crazy, right?

Not necessarily.

There’s a reason PPC ads for PI lawyers in Los Angeles are expensive. They’re expensive because there are a lot of lawyers competing for those clicks, and they do that despite the high cost per click because they’re still able to make a profit.

If they weren’t, they wouldn’t bid so much for those clicks and the price would come down. Supply and demand.

The seemingly high price is proof that “Los Angeles personal injury lawyer” is a profitable keyword. At least for some lawyers.

If you’re a PI lawyer in LA, it is precisely the kind of keyword you should consider.

If you have the money. And you’ve got your act together and can convert enough of those clicks into clients, and those clients back into dollars.

Lawyer #1 thinks:

“If I spend $10,000 for 100 clicks and sign up just one case that earns me a $20,000 fee, I double my investment. Plus, I might get an a smaller case or two out of those clicks. Plus, I can build my list and generate some referrals. Sure, I might not bring in any business the first few months doing this, but eventually, I could bring in one or two massive cases.”

Lawyer #2 thinks:

“Yeah, but I might not get any cases. Or the cases I get might not be any good. I could lose my shirt.”

Both lawyers are right, of course.

There are other options. Other keywords to bid on, other forms of advertising, and other forms of marketing.

Be thankful you have options. And don’t rule out anything just because it’s expensive. It might be expensive for a reason.

If you’re ready to take a quantum leap in your practice

Filed Under: Advertising, Marketing legal services