I got an email this morning from a representative of the company that develops Write!, a text-based writing app. He offered to set me up with a free account so I could try the software and, perhaps, mention it or review it on my blog.

I’m a good candidate for that since I have mentioned my use of Scrivener and other writing apps before, and because lawyers do a lot of writing. But I already own the app. I bought it several months ago and use it nearly every day. I like it and recommend it. You should go take a look.

So there. I mentioned it. I won’t review it because that’s not something I ordinarily do.

The email I received is a good example of simple but effective marketing that anyone can do.You probably won’t contact strangers and offer free legal services but you might offer a free report or book. (If you don’t have one, get cookin.)

But there’s another point I want to make about the pro-active nature of contacting people you don’t know.

Most lawyers do little or no outbound marketing. They sit and wait for their ads to work or for search engines to send them traffic. They wait for someone to find them and invite them to speak at their event. They wait for someone to send them referrals.

There’s so much more they could do.

Reach out to someone you don’t know, by email or phone, and introduce yourself. Invite them to submit a guest post for your blog or ask if they would like you to provide one for theirs. Offer to interview them for your podcast or video channel. Query a publication about an article. Post comments on someone else’s blog. Go to a meeting and shake some hands.

Attraction marketing is good. I love it when people find me and send me money (or free software). But we shouldn’t always wait for something to happen. We should get off our bums and make something happen.

How to write a report that could get you more referrals

You know that the most important question to ask a new client is, “Where did you hear about me [us]?” If they were referred, you need to know who to thank. If they found your website through search, you need to know what they searched for so you can focus on that keyword. If they saw one of your ads or articles or heard you speak or saw your video or heard you interviewed. . . you need to know.

You need to know what’s working in your marketing so you can do more of it. You also need to know what’s not working so you can reduce or eliminate them.

But there’s a second question you should ask new clients, and in some respects, it’s even more important than the first:

“Why did you choose me [us]?”

There are lots of other attorneys they could have hired. What was it that convinced them that you were the better choice?

It could be any reason or a combination of reasons. Maybe they liked a certain article on your site. Maybe their friend said you were nice. Maybe they liked the way you treated them when they called to ask a question.

Maybe they saw all the good reviews you have on online. Maybe they’ve been on your list for awhile and your emails helped them get to know, like, and trust you. Or maybe they chose you because they can see that you focus on helping people like them (e.g., same business niche, same ethnicity, same neighborhood, etc.)

You won’t know unless you ask.

Ask, “Where did you hear about me?” upon greeting the new client. Or ask them when they are on the phone, in case they don’t make or keep an appointment.

Ask the second question after they’ve signed your retainer agreement and put some shekels into your sweaty palm.

One more thing. If you have thick skin (and an elastic heart), you should also ask prospective clients who DIDN’T hire you why they went with someone else.

How to get your clients to send you more referrals

Not everyone in your target market needs your services right now. Not everyone is ready to hire you. Not everyone has someone they can refer.

Someday? Sure. Just not today.

So when they talk to you or read your blog post or email, a lot of what you say goes in one ear and comes out the other.

They may hire you (again) someday. They may love you like a brother. But if they don’t need your services right now, they probably aren’t interested in hearing you endlessly talk about what you do.

What if you talked about something else once in awhile? What if instead of talking about what you do and promoting your practice, you promoted someone else?

Do you know any real estate brokers? Anyone you think highly of and openly recommend? How about promoting them?

Write a post or article about them. Interview them. Put one of their cards in the envelope when you mail invoices and attach a sticky note saying something nice about them. Put a link to their website on yours.

When you hear someone talking about buying or selling property, tell them you know a great broker. When you speak with another professional, bring up the subject: “By the way, if you have any clients looking to buy or sell property, I have a great broker I can recommend”.

You could promote any professional you know, any contractor, car dealer, insurance agent, or small business. Do you have a VA you use and like? A graphic artist, video whiz, or website developer?

They don’t need to be a client, just someone you know and trust.

Why wouldn’t you do this? If you would recommend them when anyone asks for a referral, why not recommend them before anyone asks?

The people you talk to (who don’t need your services right now) may be looking to buy or sell a home. When you bring up the subject of a good broker, they may be all ears. They’ll appreciate you for helping them find someone and remember you when they do need your services.

They’ll also appreciate you for talking about someone other than yourself.

Oh yeah, the broker you promote? They’ll appreciate the hell out of you. And maybe they’ll promote you, too.

If you want other lawyers to recommend you, get this

Over the weekend I bought a piece of software I first looked at several years ago. I wasn’t ready to buy it back then, or maybe it wasn’t ready for me, but that was then and this is now.

I got it, set it up and fooled around with it all weekend. I’m happy. Yay me.

A few thoughts.

First, I didn’t go looking for this. I happened to find it again when I was looking at something else. I got lucky and so did the developer.

I was lucky because the software will help me save time and make money.

They got lucky because I found them again and I might not have.

I wasn’t on their email list so they couldn’t stay in touch with me and sell me on their product. They couldn’t tell me about updates and new features, prompt me to watch videos to help me see how I could use it, build trust by showing me reviews, make me special offers, encourage me to tell others, and all of the other things you can do when you have clients and prospects on an email list.

Had they done that, I might have purchased this a year ago. I might have told others about it, on my blog and newsletter, and on social. I might now be ready to buy something else they offer, aka “repeat business,” or recommend their product to other people I know, aka “referrals”.

Lesson: get thee an email list and stay in touch with folks.

Second, I found the software (again) not through search but while browsing through a site that recommends software in different categories. I recognized the name as something I had looked at before and took another look.

Lesson: find sites, blogs, directories, et. al., that sell to or advise your target market(s) and do something with them.

Show them what you do and how you can help their customers, clients, subscribers and visitors. Offer to write articles for them. See if they want to interview you. Comment on their blog posts. Share their products and services and content with your subscribers.

Your clients will appreciate you for telling them about things that can improve their life and the people who sell the products and run the sites will see you as someone they should work with and promote.

Third, I didn’t find this product through search, but I might have. Not by searching their name (I didn’t remember it until I saw it) but by searching keywords related to what the software does.

Lesson: use keywords on your site(s). Don’t obsess over it, don’t pay companies exorbitant sums to work voodoo magic, just use those keywords in your content.

That’s all for now. I’ve got to get back to playing with my new toy.

Turn your site into a client magnet

Some professionals host events for marketing purposes—a party, picnic, seminar, fundraiser, golf tournament, and so on. They invite their clients and prospects and encourage them to bring their friends.

It’s a form of “member get a member,” an old-school marketing strategy that still works today.

But suppose you don’t have the funds to do this, or the time to organize it? Or you don’t know how to put it all together?

You can start small and host a “get acquainted” event in your conference room. Serve some food, pass out some information, and go from there.

Or you can piggyback on someone else’s event.

One way to do that is to find a professional a business that targets your market and is holding an event and talk to them about joining forces. You might pay for half of their convention booth, for example, or pay a fee to have them pass out your free report to passersby. You might offer to speak about tax issues at their investment seminar. Tell them that in return, you’ll promote their event to your clients.

Or you can do it informally.

Perhaps a Tony Robbins event is coming to town and you plan to attend. Announce to your list that you’re going and invite them to join you. Encourage them to invite their friends or clients who might also want to attend.

The more the merrier.

There may be 3000 people at the event but your group of 20 can get together at the breaks, go to dinner together, meet and compare notes. You get to meet some new prospective clients or referral sources, without doing anything more than promoting someone else’s event that you were already planning to attend.

You could do the same thing with a golf tournament: “a bunch of us are going to play. . . come join us and invite your clients and prospects. . .” You might spice things up by offering your own prizes–whoever has the most people join them, the lowest scoring foursome, or a random drawing for your group, for example. Or give everyone who comes some kind of freebie or special offer.

Every summer, our city has a “concert in the park” series with music and food. If there’s something like this in your area, you could promote it. “Join me, it’s going to be fun! I’ll be near the hot dog stand and I’d love to see you. Bring your neighbors and come say hello.”

Keep your eyes open for events someone else is doing and think about how you can piggyback on those events. If nothing else, it gives you an opportunity to contact your clients and prospects (to tell them about the event) and keep your name in front of them.

Marketing is easier when you know the formula

Four or five years ago a business partner bought me a magazine subscription as a gift. After a year, the subscription ran out. I didn’t renew it but I continued to get the magazine each month, and still do.

It’s no secret why the publisher continues to mail the magazine to lapsed subscribers. They earn most of their money through advertising, renting their list, and selling other products. The more “subscribers” on their rolls, the more they earn.

Business 101.

So how can you use this strategy to build your practice? What can you give away that will bring you more clients and more revenue?

How about your services?

Do you have (or could you cobble together) a free service that is likely to lead to paid services? Example: a free simple will package, because a certain percentage of those new clients will need a trust or other services.

More examples: first hour free, first collection case free, free incorporation, free consultation.

Like the magazine publisher, it’s not how much you give away, it’s how much you earn on the back end.

Onward.

Do you volunteer time on committees or to raise funds for a cause? If not, you might look into doing that, not just because you want to help the organization or cause but because you get something in return.

You get to meet people who can hire you, refer you, or introduce you. You get invited to write or speak or be interviewed, exposing you to other people’s clients, customers, and subscribers. You get to be seen in the public eye, associated with a worthy cause.

Yes?

Okay, what else can you give away?

Information. Reports, books, videos, blog posts, articles, and so on. Give them away and get traffic to your website, new social media followers and newsletter subscribers, and new clients who consume your content and sell themselves on hiring you.

Give away lots of information and get lots of traffic to your website, new social media followers and newsletter subscribers, and new clients who consume your content and sell themselves on hiring you.

They read, they like, they call. They also share with other people who need your help.

So yeah, free is a viable marketing strategy for lawyers. And yeah, that’s free advice I’m giving you.

Legal marketing made simple