You know that it’s much easier (and less expensive) to get a client to hire you again than to get a new client. You know that the number one reason people who can refer (or refer more often) don’t do it is that they “just didn’t think about it”. You know the value of staying in touch with prospective clients until they are ready to hire you.

So, what are you doing to stay in touch?

Regular mail is expensive. You can’t possibly call everyone on the phone, even if you wanted to. Social media is not the answer. A Christmas card once a year won’t get the job done.

Nothing personal, but my guess is that if you’re not using email to stay in touch with clients and contacts, you’re not staying in touch at all.

And that’s sad because it means you’re working too hard and spending too much to bring in business.

Email is cheap. It’s easy to use. And it’s the simplest way to remind people about what you do and how you can help them.

You don’t have to write every day, or even once a week.

You don’t have to write brilliant prose. A few hundred words about something you saw online, a client story, a smartphone app you like, and you’re golden.

C’mon, what do I talk about half the time? Nothing that’s going to wind up in the National Register, that’s for sure.

More important than what you say is that you say something often enough to remind people that you’re still around. So they call you instead of another attorney.

Two lawyers. One sends an email to his clients and contacts once or twice a month, the other never does. If that’s all you know about these two lawyers, which one do you think will get more repeat business and referrals?

I know, I tell you this a lot. Two reasons. First, many lawyers still don’t use email or use it enough, and I feel duty-bound to remind them. Second, it’s easy for me to do that because all I have to do is type a few words, click a few buttons, and within a few minutes, you’re reading it.

What a concept.

How to use email to make your phone ring

Yesterday, I poked you in the eye and dared you to write an email newsletter to your clients and prospects, or if you already do that, to do it more.

Gordon Firemark practices in Los Angeles and is a long time subscriber and friend. He told me what he does email-wise and kindly agreed to let me share it with you:

Hi David,

Just to add to what you’ve said about emails… Often the challenge for people is not knowing where to start… So having “framework” set up in advance makes it much easier.

Here’s what I do for my weekly newsletter emails.

1. Something “this week” related or personal. (i.e., “This day in legal history”, Trivia, etc.) ( This typically takes a quick google search if I don’t already have something in mind.)

2. Something “curated” – “I read this blog post about ___ and thought you should know about it…” (just bookmark it when I see it during the week)

4. Something I have created or made (video, podcast episode, blog post, or a downloadable checklist, worksheet, etc.) ( which allows me to segment the list based on who downloads what materials) (this is the heavy lifting, but I’m doing it pretty regularly. If not, I do a throwback to something I did last year, or whatever)

5. Some kind of OFFER: “Call for a consultation about [trademark registration|forming a corporation|collaboration agreement] etc.]” “Sign up for Xyz”

6. And a quick personal-feeling sign-off: “enjoy the weekend.. I’m going to the ___ film festival, what are you up to?”

And done. 6-8 paragraphs that almost write themselves. And I’ve got an appointment on my calendar each week that’s set-aside for creating this.

Easy as pie. (and if I’m coming up short on one of these once in a while, I just omit it)

I always try to ask a question that gets them to respond to me… (like I’m doing now), since the engagement improves relationships. My favorite: “What are you struggling with about XYZ these days? What problem can I help you solve?”

Here’s last week’s as an example: https://ckarchive.com/b/mvu7h5hq98od

This went out to a few thousand people on my list. I got dozens of responses to the questions about struggles (valuable data)… 5 unsubscribes, and 3 booked appointments for trademark consultation, which I predict will lead to about $5000 in business. (about half of that already in hand) Not bad.

Thanks for all you do.

-Gordon

So, there you go. Email newsletters work. And if you use a “framework” like Gordon does, you’ll have an easier time of it.

Or you can do like I do, fart out some words and click “send”. Whatever floats your boat.

Anyway, I hope this inspires you to start a newsletter and most of all, to have some fun with it.

Because if it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right.

More

A subscriber sent an email recently, praising my newsletter. I share it with you because it reveals my “secret” for building readership, fans, and clients.

See if you can spot the secret:

—
David

Thank you for your newsletter.

Yours is one of the few newsletters that I read everyday!!!

It always adds value and it is not always hyping the latest greatest webinar or makes me watch a 5-minute video to find out if I am even interested (which means I usually DONT watch the video).

I like how you provide value in a time efficient manner but also include a link for more information.

To me, this positions you as a more credible expert who gets someone’s interest by providing value so the person wants to learn more.

If I have to jump through a lot of hoops (aka watch a bunch of LONG videos) then I will probably never do it.

By the way, I have bought several of your publications and books.

Have a great day!!
—

He also forwarded an email he got as an example of what he doesn’t like. It was a freak show of graphics, hype, and obnoxious calls to action. A melange of “yuck”. (It was also unclear what they were even selling).

If you compare that mess with my emails, you’ll know that my secret isn’t really a secret at all.

It’s not that my emails are plain text emails instead of a “pretty” HTML newsletter, although that’s part of it. It’s not that I’m not “in your face” with aggressive sales pitches and hype and zero value. It’s not that I just say what I want to say instead of forcing you to go watch videos.

It’s not any of those things, it’s all of them. And more.

It’s the subject matter of the emails. I share ideas that can help you increase your income, be more productive, and make your day a little less stressful and a little more fun.

It’s the stories I tell, often based on personal experience, which illustrate my points and provide a glimpse into me, the person, and not just me, the attorney.

It’s my informality and (lame) humor. You may not laugh but you won’t fall asleep.

It’s that I write “to” you, not “at” you. Just the two of us, having a chat.

And it’s the brevity of the messages. In a few minutes, you get a dose of something to think about or something to do. I give homework, but it’s not overwhelming.

The secret is that I write what I would want to read. And because I was in your shoes for many years, I know what you want to read.

So there you have it. Write to your clients and prospects what you would want to read. You know them, so give them what they want.

Keep it short. Keep it real. Keep it simple. And have some fun with it.

If you do, your clients will look forward to hearing from you, praise you, and buy everything you sell.

Here’s how to use email to build your practice

As I’ve mentioned, I’m a beta tester for a plain text writing app under development. The app still has a way to go, but I’m excited about its future.

I don’t use the app every day, however. I’m using another new plain text app which is further along in the development curve. In fact, I’m using it right now to write this post.

The two apps approach releases differently. With the first app, months go by with no news and then we get a big update.

The second app provides small updates almost every week.

When I get notified that the next update is available, I get excited. Even though the updates are usually minor, I can’t wait to download the app and try it out.

But this isn’t about writing apps or software development. It’s about the psychological effect of frequent updates and why you should use them to connect with your clients and contacts.

Don’t save up all your news and information and send a big newsletter once or twice a year, as many lawyers do. Send shorter messages more often.

A few paragraphs is all you need. Mention the new article on your website. Offer a legal tip. Talk about an interesting case or client. Recommend a book, website, or app.

Say something interesting or entertaining and your clients will look forward to hearing from you.

No, they probably won’t get as excited about your news as I get about updates to writing apps. But whatever level of interest they have will be enhanced by hearing from you often instead of once in awhile.

How to get more clients online