Marketing legal services Archives - Page 9 of 128

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

A simple marketing plan

July 12, 2023 by David M. Ward

It’s got to be simple or you won’t do it, right? At least not consistently. You can always do more if you want to, but if you’re pressed for time or don’t want to do anything else, this plan can deliver meaningful results.

And I promise, you can do this. No matter how busy you are.

There are only 3 things you need to do:

ONE: CONTACT 2 PEOPLE A DAY

Again, you can do more but it’s better to contact 2 people a day, every day, than what you can, when you can, because when you do it daily, it becomes a habit, you get better at it, and your results compound.

You can contact them by phone, text, mail, email, or a combination thereof. Or, if you roll that way, you can talk to them in person.

Who do you contact? Your choice:

Existing clients
Former clients
Prospective clients
Business or professional contacts

In short, anyone who has or could hire you, provide referrals, or send traffic to your website.

What do you say to them? That depends on who they are and how you know them (and how well). Some examples to ponder:

Welcome aboard (new clients, new subscribers, new seminar attendees)
Nice meeting you
How can I help you? (What do they need or want, besides legal services?)
Thank you (for hiring me, for your referral, for your review, etc.)
Just following up (with prospects, clients, and others you’ve talked to or communicated with, after a meeting, conversation, or consultation)
Here’s something I thought you might want to know (article, website, news story, a report, gossip)
Just checking in (see how they’re doing, say hello, find out about their family, client, business, etc.)

Okay, so that’s part one. Easy to do, but extremely effective. Try it for 30 days and you might be pleasantly surprised.

TWO: A WEEKLY EMAIL

Send an email to everyone you know and keep them informed about the law, their market or industry, your new blog post or article, someone else’s blog post or article, or anything else you think will benefit or interest them.

You don’t have to call it a newsletter. It doesn’t have to be long. It doesn’t have to be brilliant. You don’t have to sell anything or promote anything. But provide a link to a page where they can learn more about you and your services or event.

Tell them something, remind them to do something, warn them about something, share something, or tell them what you’re doing they might want to know.

If weekly is too much, send it monthly. But send them something as often as you can.

Because no matter what you send, every time you show up in their inbox, you remind them that you’re still around and can help them and the people they know.

THREE: 10 PAGES/30 MINUTES A DAY

You are your business, and your business is you. To become more successful, work on yourself as much or more than you work on your business.

Read 10 pages of a good book. Listen to audiobooks or podcasts for 30 minutes. Watch videos, take classes, or talk to people who can teach you something you need to know.

You can read about marketing, business, writing, speaking, negotiating, productivity, and the tools and resources for making what you do easier or better. You can also read about leadership, managing or working with people, history, creativity, and anything that inspires you.

Professional development is important; personal development arguably more so.

Bonus tip: Take some of what you learn and put it in your weekly email.

Okay, that’s it. A simple plan. Commit to doing these 3 things consistently. It may be (nearly) all the marketing you need to do.

For a more comprehensive marketing plan, get this

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan

Why should I believe you?

July 6, 2023 by David M. Ward

You’ve been practicing for thirty years? Handled thousands of cases? Have a billion dollars in settlements and verdicts?

Impressive. But so what? Maybe you got that way by cheating your clients. You’re a lawyer and I’m scared. Just because you tell me you’re good and will help me doesn’t mean I’m ready to believe you.

What’s that? You have reviews? Testimonials? Things other people say about the good things you did for them? Or for their clients?

In their own words, not yours. Their stories, with enough details to convince me they’re telling the truth?

Much better. But hold on. I see other lawyers who also have good reviews. Maybe y’all only post the good ones and pay off the bad ones.

The struggle is real.

Hold the phone. I just remembered my friend hired you once and asked him about you. He said you did a great job for him.

I know him. And trust him. Sign me up.

Yes, there are other ways to get people to trust you. But these are the best. These are the ones you should focus on getting and deploying.

Number one, referrals from clients and from other professionals (whose clients have hired you).

Number two, reviews and testimonials from your clients and endorsements from lawyers and other professionals who know you and your reputation.

Number three, articles (by you or about you) in prestigious publications, awards you’ve received from prestigious organizations, and presentations you’ve given at prestigious events.

If you say it, they can doubt it. If other people say it, it’s probably true. If someone they know and trust says it, it must be true.

How to get referrals from other lawyers

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: building trust

How to get new clients to pay you more

July 5, 2023 by David M. Ward

Actually, you can do this with existing clients, too. Anyone who is about to hire you or authorize you to do some work. Before you hand them the retainer or ask for the go ahead, ask them one more thing:

“Do you want fries with that?”

That simple question sells more fast food and it can sell more legal services.

It’s called an upsell, and it’s an effective way to get clients to hire you to do more than they originally contemplated.

It’s good for them, because they get something else they need but might have postponed. It’s good for you because you get paid more, but also because it’s one less thing to ask them about later.

It works because the client is in “buying mode”. They’ve already decided to hire you for something and thus are more likely to hire you for something else.

Instead of asking if they “also” want your additional service or add-on (your fries) you can ask if they want to upgrade their entire “purchase.” If you offer a basic service and a deluxe version, explain why they should consider the upgrade—the additional protection they get, the convenience of not coming back for more later, and, if (if you want), that they will save money by buying the package instead of getting all of your services separately.

You could instead position the extra services or addons as a free bonus for electing your deluxe package.

Another option for you is to “cross-sell” instead of “upsell”. Bundle your other unrelated services, or the services of another lawyer in your firm, and give the client reasons to get everything at the same time.

Upsells and cross-sells are simple ways to get clients to pay you more (and be happy about it).

Filed Under: Attorneys fees, Closing the sale, Fees and Billing, Marketing legal services Tagged With: increase-law-firm-profits

Always be closing?

June 19, 2023 by David M. Ward

Sales people are taught to continually look for opportunities to close the deal and that these can occur at any time. When a prospective customer or client says something about price or fees, for example, this is often one of those opportunities, because it usually means they have decided they (probably) do need or want the product or service and are thinking about how they can get it.

So, generally speaking, “Always be Closing” is good advice. But there is such a thing as trying to close too soon.

When you talk to a prospective client for the first time, handing them a retainer agreement and a pen may be the right thing to do, or it might blow up in your face if they see it as being too presumptive or aggressive.

Which is why sales experts tell you to not only look for opportunities to close but to see if you can create them.

You do that by using “trial closes” or questions designed to elicit responses that are consistent with someone who is ready to buy. “Are you leaning towards (Package A) or (Package B)?” is one example.

When the prospect looks they are ready, go for the close. If they don’t, don’t push it. Don’t close before they’re ready.

But we see marketers do this all the time.

You see ads with a call to action that says, “Call today for an appointment”. That might be the right way to go, but what if the prospect is just starting to research their problem and isn’t ready to consider hiring an attorney? If the choice is between “Call for an appointment” or nothing, guess which one they’re going to choose?

On the other hand, doing nothing might be best for you, too. If you’re doing lead generation advertising, you might only want leads of people who are ready to talk to or hire an attorney.

But what about people who are ready to make an appointment? Shouldn’t you encourage them to do that?

Maybe. Or maybe you should give them a choice: “Call for an appointment or to learn more. . .”

What should you do?

Should you close for the appointment? Tell them to sign up or your webinar? Tell them to call to ask questions or to download your report? Visit your website to learn more about the law or to learn about you and how you can help them?

Lots of options.

I can’t tell you the right approach and neither can your marketing or advertising team. The only way to know for sure is to try several approaches and see works best.

One offer may get lots of leads, but very few new clients. Another offer might bring in relatively few leads, but result in enough new clients to be very profitable. Another offer might lose money on your promotion but bring in a few clients who have lots of work for you after the initial case or engagement.

You “test” one offer against others. And let the numbers tell you what works best. And it works the same way with closing. When a prospective client looks like they’re ready to sign up, close them. If they aren’t ready, they will let you know.

Filed Under: Advertising, Closing the sale, Marketing legal services

Why clients hire you

June 8, 2023 by David M. Ward

Sure, they need help with a legal issue, but they have other options. Why do they choose YOU instead of any other lawyer?

Good to know that, isn’t it?

NB: Make sure you ask (survey) every new client about this.

Did they choose you because you have, or they believe you have, more experience? A better track record? Or because you specialize in the very thing they need or want?

Maybe they trust you (more) because they’ve met you or were referred to you by someone they trust. Maybe they read some favorable reviews or testimonials. Or maybe they saw something you wrote, or that was written about you, in a publication they respect.

Or they heard you speak and were impressed at how smart (and good looking) you are.

Do you provide extra services that other lawyers don’t (or don’t mention)? More reasonable fees? Payment plans?

Could it be something as simple as convenience? Your office is close to them or you make house calls? Or they’ve used your services before and it was just easier to use you again?

Maybe they hired you because, unlike other attorneys they’ve spoken to, you followed up with them after the initial consultation or conversation. Maybe they’ve been getting your newsletter for a long time and feel like they know, like, and trust you.

Lots of reasons. Pay attention. Your clients will tell you why they choose you, so you can keep doing those things.

NB 2.0: When someone doesn’t choose you, that is, they consulted you or considered you but hired someone else, it’s even more important to know why.

Often, the reason someone chooses you, or doesn’t, isn’t because of how many boxes you ticked (or didn’t). It comes down to a feeling.

They liked you or felt good about you. There’s something about you that tipped the balance in your favor. Something you said or they read about you that made them feel like you were the one.

Simon Sinek, in his famous TED talk, said, “People don’t buy what you do, they by why you do it”.

So, no matter what else you tell them about yourself and your services, make sure you also tell them why you do what you do.

The Attorney Marketing Formula

Filed Under: Marketing legal services

The simplest (and best) way to improve your marketing results

June 7, 2023 by David M. Ward

We had some work done on our house recently. We researched contractors, read reviews, got a couple of bids, and then choose the contractor we preferred.

The bid we chose was thousands of dollars higher. Why did we choose it? There were a few reasons, but one thing the winning bidder did, more than anything, made the difference.

After they sent their bid, they followed up. The other company didn’t.

One company “hit and ran”. And never contacted us again. Like a lot of lawyers do when they say, “They know where to find us if they’re interested”.

The other company, the one we chose, called to confirm that we received their proposal, asked if we had any questions (we did), and gave us additional information about the job that convinced us they were the better choice.

And that, my friend, is the simplest and best way to improve your marketing results.

You can do okay in a business (or profession) by getting in front of more prospective clients. But if you want to do more than okay, one conversation or appointment or bid isn’t enough.

The fortune is in the followup.

Follow up by phone. And email. And text. And phone again. And email again. And continue to follow up until you get the job (case) or they tell you to stop.

Give them more information. Remind them about what they said they wanted and show them again how you can help them get it.

The more you follow up, the more the prospective client sees that not only can you help them, you want to help them.

No, that isn’t bad posture on your part. It doesn’t make you look desperate, any more than the athlete who asks for the ball.

It’s a sign of confidence, not weakness.

Following up shows prospective clients that you’ve done “this” before—you are a professional and work hard at what you do. Just like you’ll work hard for them.

People find that attractive. And will choose you instead of the competition who might cost less but aren’t as diligent.

We did. And we’re glad we did.

One more thing.

When you find out that the prospect signed up with another lawyer, or decided not to do anything right now, continue to follow up. Because they might change their mind or need help fixing what the other lawyer messed up.

You want to be in their mailbox when that happens.