Paying for referrals and getting away with it

February 20, 2015 by
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Okay, let me first say that you need to check with whoever regulates you and make sure that this is something you can do. I’m covering my behind by telling you this so please cover yours.

It’s a very simple idea, really. But it could bring you a lot of business in the short term, and a lot more long term.

You’ll need a website (that you control) and a way to capture email addresses. An autoresponder is your best bet. You can see what I use and recommend here.

Yes, you can also do this “old school,” i.e., manually, but you’ll get better results if you automate everything and spare yourself some calluses.

Now, you’re not really going to be paying for referrals. You’re not even going to ask for referrals. Not directly, anyway. Instead, you’re going to ask people to help you build your email newsletter list. You ask them to refer subscribers, not clients.

As people come to your website to subscribe, they see what you do. Some of them hire you, or take the next step in that direction.

After people subscribe, you stay in touch with them. You send them helpful information, and information about what do. Over time, some of them hire you. Or send you referrals. Or send you other subscribers who hire you and send referrals.

Build your subscriber list and you build your client list.

You can stop right there if you want to. Simply ask your clients, friends, readers, subscribers, social media connections and anyone else who will listen to help you build your subscriber list. They’ll help you because they like you. They also want their clients and contacts to know about you and the goodness you offer.

Ask them to Tweet, Like, post, and otherwise recommend your newsletter or download link (for a report, ebook, or other incentive) and your list will grow.

No legal or ethical issues with this, right? Where it gets iffy is when you offer to compensate them for doing so. But doing so could multiply your sign-ups manifold. If you would otherwise get 100 sign-ups, offering compensation might get you 1000.

What you do is announce a contest. Anyone who sends subscribers has their name entered in a drawing for a prize.

How do you track this? How do you know who sent subscribers?

The simplest way is to hold another drawing for all of the new subscribers, with an equally spiffy prize. When you draw their name as the winner, you email them and ask them who referred them and they both get a prize.

There are other ways to “pay” people for their help in building your list. You can sell your book, for example, and set up an affiliate program. There are many others. But if you are allowed to do so, a drawing is a simple and effective way to pay for referrals and get away with it.

For more ideas, get The 30 Day Referral Blitz.

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Filed Under: Email, List building, Newsletters, Referrals

You get a lot done by consistently doing a little

January 15, 2015 by
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I just passed the 1000 blog post milestone. 1009 to be exact. That’s 1009 ways someone could find my blog through search engines. 1009 snippets of my wisdom that could convince a visitor to follow me. 1009 pages someone might share with their connections or link to from their blog.

It’s a body of work that brings prospective clients to my virtual door and convinces them to do business with me.

Sound good? Sure. And daunting. If you had told me a few years ago that I would write 1009 posts, I would have thought you were crazy. And yet here I am.

How do you write 1009 posts? You don’t. You write one post, and then you write another.

You get a lot done by consistently doing a little.

That’s why I say you can successfully market your practice in as little as 15 minutes a day. It’s not how much you do today necessarily, it’s what you do in the aggregate over time.

If you have some big projects you’re thinking about tackling, don’t let their immensity put you off. Any project, no matter how big, can be broken down into bite size pieces. Isn’t that how we eat an elephant?

Also, the more you do something, the better you get at it. I’d like to think I write better today than I did a few years ago. I’m also faster. I can knock out a blog post or email in just a few minutes.

What do you want to accomplish this year? Okay, hit the deck and give me 15 (minutes).

Do you know the formula for marketing your law practice? Here it is

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Filed Under: Blogging, Email, Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Personal development, Productivity, Writing Tagged With:

How much selling should a lawyer do?

January 14, 2015 by
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How much selling should you do in your letters and emails and blog posts?

More than you think.

The people on your list, your readers and subscribers, your friends and followers, need your help. If they’re not getting that help, if they don’t hire you, they will continue to have those problems and needs.

Your job isn’t to wait until someone taps you on the shoulder and asks you to get to work. It is to reach out to them and persuade them to hire you, or at least take the next step in that direction. If you don’t do that, you’re doing them a disservice.

Educate your prospects about the law and procedure and their options, but don’t merely deliver information. Sell them on why they need to hire you to get the solutions and benefits they want.

Pound your drum with warnings about what could happen if they don’t hire you, or if they wait too long. Share horror stories about people with the same issues who failed to act. Make your prospects feel what it was like for those people, and imagine what it will be like if they follow the same course.

Do everything in your power to convince people to hire you. Pull out the big guns. Don’t leave them to suffer their problems and pain when you can help them get relief.

Don’t be all thunder and brimstone, however. They’ll tune out. Mix things up. Share success stories. Back off the main message and talk about something else. But never stop reminding people about their problems and how you can help them.

And don’t leave it up to them to figure out what to do next. Tell them to hire you, or tell them to call with questions, schedule a consultation, fill out a form, or read more about the issue.

How much selling should you do? More than you think.

If you want to get more clients and increase your income, get this.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Communication, Copywriting, Email, Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Salesmanship

How to write a blog post in ten seconds

December 5, 2014 by
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Every day, I quickly go through my blog feeds. I delete most of the articles, skim one or two, and save the rest to Instapaper to read later. I often use these saved articles as blog post ideas.

This morning, I opened an article which had an intriguing quote as the headline. It said, “Be the type of person you want to meet“.

I expected to find some advice on personal development. Or networking. Or how to “mirror and match” the people you meet.

But that was the entire article. Just the quote. Nothing else, not even the name of who said it.

Can you really use a single sentence as the entirety of a blog post? Or an email to your client list?

Why not?

If the quote inspires you or makes you think, if it’s something you’d like to share with your readers or subscribers, if you’re pressed for time and all you can come up with this week is a one sentence quote, then that’s what you should do.

Nobody will report you to the blog police.

The whole idea of staying in touch with your list is that they hear from you on a regular basis. You want to be “in their minds and their mailboxes” when they are ready to hire you or have a referral.

Sometimes you write substantive posts. Sometimes you share a story. Sometimes you promote something. And sometimes, you share a link, a photo or infographic, or a quote.

Of course if you’re like me, you’ll be forced to add something. Lawyers are windy, don’t you know. So you’ll add a comment or two about why you like the quote or whatever else you’re sharing. And sometimes, you’ll find that you’ve written 300 words. Like I found I just did in this post.

For more on how to write a blog post (or how to start a blog or newsletter), get this.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Client relations, Email, Newsletters, Relationship marketing

Even more ideas for writing quick blog posts

November 6, 2014 by
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This week, you learned three ways to write quick blog posts. You learned the three point model (with opening and summary), you learned about commenting on someone else’s post, and you learned the question and answer post. Today, I want to talk about the another method of writing quick blog posts: the series.

Writing a series means taking a bigger topic and breaking it up into a series of smaller posts. This week, I could have written about the subject of writing quick blog posts in one long post. Instead, I wrote a series of short posts.

You might write a series about litigation, for example. You could write short posts about liability, damages, filing a complaint, statutes of limitations, discovery, motions, trial, and appeal. You could undoubtedly break down most of these topics into multiple posts.

With some series topics, you’ll have enough material for many weeks of posts, and yet each post will only take you a few minutes to write.

One advantage of a series of short posts is that each post represents another point of entry to your website for prospective clients who are searching for information about one of your topics. Put links in each post to the other posts in the series and you’ll get more visitors reading more of your content.

What’s that? You want even more ideas for writing quick blog posts? Your wish is my command:

  • Update old posts. Add new information, new links, new or revised comments, and links to other resources, including your other posts
  • Round up posts. Grab five or ten of your old posts on a given topic and write a new post that simply links to each of them. Add a sentence or two describing each post
  • Graphic post. Photos, infographics, charts, survey results, videos, and the like, don’t require a lot of writing.
  • Re-purpose other content. Post excerpts or entire transcripts of your articles, slides, presentations, white papers, books, reports, videos, audios, and so on. You can also break these up and create a series.
  • Resource post. A list of websites, apps, books, blogs, and other resources you recommend relative to a theme.
  • News. One paragraph summaries of recent news stories, appellate decisions, or upcoming events.
  • Interviews. Interviews with professionals, bloggers, authors, speakers, and other subject matter experts, make good posts and are easy to write. Ask questions (over the phone, via email) and let them supply the material for your post. You can post a video or audio, a transcript, a summary, or any combinations thereof.
  • Guest posts. Let others write posts for you. They get exposure to your subscribers, you get good content. You may also open the door for writing a guest post on their blog.

The more content on your site, the more opportunities you have to show visitors how much you know and how you can help them. I hope you can see that there are many ways to write quick blog posts and you are encouraged to do so.

For more ways to use content to get more traffic, more subscribers, and more clients, get this

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Filed Under: Blogging, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Web traffic

Look Ma, I’m blogging!

November 5, 2014 by
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Over the last two days, I’ve provided you with a couple of ways to quickly write a short blog post. Today, I have another method for you and it’s the quickest of them all.

It’s also easy because it’s something you do every day.

You guessed it, I’m talking about answering questions.

People ask lawyers questions all the time. What does this mean? What happens next? What’s the best way to accomplish this? What are my options? What should I do?

Write down as many questions as you can think of and answer them. Quickly.

  • What questions do you often receive in emails? (Start saving those emails.)
  • When you do a consultation, what do people usually want to know?
  • What do new clients want to know about their case?
  • What do people ask you during your presentations?
  • What do people ask you at parties or while you’re networking?
  • Look at the comments on your blog (or another lawyer’s blog); what are people asking?
  • Go look at forums where people post questions. What are they asking?
  • Do a keyword search and see what people are searching for in your practice area
  • Ask your social media followers and email subscribers what they want to know
  • Find interviews of other lawyers in your practice area; what do people routinely ask them?

A blog post can be three paragraphs. You can write this type of post in a few minutes. In fact, you could write ten or twenty this weekend and post them over the coming weeks or months.

So get crackin. Here are a few more questions to prime your pump:

  • What should someone ask a lawyer in your field before they hire them?
  • How do I go about hiring a new lawyer if I already have one?
  • What is legal malpractice?
  • What should I do if I think my lawyer has committed malpractice?
  • My lawyer wants me to settle but I don’t think I’m getting enough. What should I do?
  • How much do lawyers charge in your area?
  • What are contingency fees?
  • How much of a retainer should I expect to pay up front?
  • My lawyer won’t give me a copy of my file. What should I do?
  • My lawyer won’t call me back. What should I do?
  • How can I get a second opinion about my case?

Simple questions that people ask (and search for) every day.

For more ideas for blog posts, this is what you need

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Filed Under: Blogging, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Writing

Another example of how to write a blog post quickly

November 4, 2014 by
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Yesterday, I showed you how to write a blog post quickly, in about 15 minutes. Today, I’m showing you another kind of blog post that’s quick to write.

It’s based on the notion of serving your readers by providing them with valuable or interesting information, including information that was written by someone else. You’re like a librarian or bookseller: “Here’s something I think you might like to read”.

So, you find an article or post that would be appropriate to share with your list and link to it. Add a few comments to add interest and value. You could say what you like about the article, or what you agree with, and what you don’t like or don’t agree with.

You might also add something the author didn’t mention, or add a story about how you or someone you know have used the information or concept in the article.

To illustrate, here’s an article I thought was interesting for anyone who has a boss or is a boss. It’s called, “10 Traits of a Bad Boss”.

Can you see yourself or your employer in any of these 10 traits?

  1. Speaks offensively and seldom communicates with the team.
  2. Fear is his/her form of motivation.
  3. Wants complete control over your job.
  4. Blames the team for failures.
  5. Does not consider suggestions other than his own.
  6. Does not do his/her job properly and you work harder than him/her.
  7. Does not provide guidance.
  8. Does not have a firm goal or vision.
  9. Ignores the importance of team-building activities.
  10. Your boss makes you work hard but the compensation is low.

My favorite is number 3 since I see so many attorneys having difficulty delegating work to their employees. Learning how to delegate much of the work in my office was one of the keys to multiplying my income. It allowed me to earn more and work less. It freed up time so I could do more marketing which further grew my income.

I take issue with number 10. Compensation is a two way street. If you don’t like what you’re being paid, improve your skills and ask for more, or simply go work somewhere else.

Offering low compensation doesn’t make you a bad boss. It could hurt your profits, however. Offering higher compensation generally allows you to hire better employees who usually earn you far more than the increased salary you pay them. You also have lower costs for turnover and training.

So there you have it. Another type of post that you can write quickly.

Did you write a blog post yesterday? Will you write one today?

For lots of ideas for writing blog posts and marketing your legal services online, get this

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Filed Under: Blogging, Newsletters, Productivity, Time Management, Writing

Stop writing blog posts and articles and do this instead

October 27, 2014 by
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Instead of writing blog posts and articles and emailing them (or a link thereto) to your email list, I suggest you consider doing the opposite: write emails first and then post them on your blog.

Why?

Because an email is faster and easier to write. You can write one in a few minutes. And because emails get more engagement and a higher response to whatever it is you’re asking your subscribers to do.

Emails are short. They are personal, natural, and direct. They simulate you talking to your ideal client.

Blog posts and articles tend to be longer and more formal, or so we tend to make them. They take more thought, more research, more writing. There’s a natural tendency to delay and defer writing something so “important.”

If you want to write more easily and more often, write more emails. If you want to have more engagement with your list, if you want to get your readers to respond  (call, write, fill out a form, sign up for your webinar, promote your event, etc.) in greater numbers, write more emails.

Post some or all of those emails to your blog, with graphics and links if you want. Or not. Your blog can continue to provide lengthier content and serve as link bait and proof of your legal prowess. But do that in addition to, not in place of sending more emails.

How to write blog posts and emails, and make the phone ring

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Filed Under: Blogging, Communication, Email, Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Writing

The three quickest ways to get new clients

October 17, 2014 by
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You want (need?) new clients and you want them fast. You want them today. Next week at the latest.

I understand and I can help.

Here are three quickest ways to get new clients:

1. Referrals

Not only can you get clients quickly through referrals, those clients tend to be better clients. Because they trust the person making the referral, they are more likely to hire you, more likely to follow your instructions, and less likely to complain or argue about fees. They are also more likely to refer other clients.

The simplest way to get referrals is to ask for them. Contact your clients and former clients and professional contacts and social media contacts and ask for referrals. You can do this in an email, letter, post, or phone call. Say, “Who do you know. . .[who fits the description of your ideal client/might have a specific legal need]. Ask them to have these people call your office to schedule a free consultation or visit a page on your web site to learn all about how you can help them.

Instead of asking for referrals directly, you can ask indirectly. You do this by offering a copy of your free report, ebook, planning guide, checklist, coupon, or other goody, and telling your contacts they can forward your email or share you post with anyone they know who might want one. Give them a download link to make it easy. For step-by-step instructions, get The 30 Day Referral Blitz.

You’ll get referrals, build your email list (which will lead to more new clients and more referrals), and self-referrals, i.e., people who hear about your request or offer and contact you with their own legal matter.

2. Advertising

If you get it right, advertising is an incredibly quick way to bring in new business. You can place an ad today and have new clients calling within minutes.

The key is to test different headlines, offers, and media/lists, until you find a combination that works. When you do, repeat those ads, and run them more often and in more media.

You can offer your services directly, or offer a free consultation or other incentive for new clients. You can also offer your free report, planning guide, etc. Which leads me to the third method of getting clients quickly.

3. Special offer to your list

If you don’t have a list, you need to build one immediately. Include prospects, friends of the firm, people who have attended a seminar, newsletter subscribers, former clients, and other people in your target market. People who know who you are and what you do.

If you have a list, you know you can make things happen with the click of a button.

Send your list an email and remind your subscribers about what you do. Some of them need your services right now and will contact you. Others will know people who need your services and refer them.

Spice up your email with a time-sensitive special offer, something that gets the maybes off the fence. Your special offer could be a bonus service for new clients who come in this week, a one-time discount for new clients, something extra for returning clients, or you can get creative. For example, you could enter all new clients into a drawing for free tickets to the World Series or dinner for two at a good restaurant.

You wanted quick, you got quick. Go forth and slay ye some new clients.

Create a referral blitz in your practice with this

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Filed Under: Advertising, List building, Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Referrals, Social media, Web traffic

A simple way to find hot ideas for blog posts

September 26, 2014 by
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Are you running out of ideas for blog posts or newsletter articles? Do you want to zero in on topics prospective clients want to know about?

No problem. Your competition can help you. Ideas are just a few clicks away.

Go find a few popular blogs in your niche. You can find legal blog directories here, here, and here, just to name a few. While you’re there, submit your blog. Get you some links and traffic.

When you’ve found a few popular blogs by lawyers in your practice area, (in any jurisdiction), visit those blogs and have a look around. Subscribe to their feeds. Follow them on social media.

Then, look at their sidebars, “Start Here” pages, and lists of “Popular Posts”. Look at the posts that have received the most “Likes” or shares and comments.

These are the posts visitors are reading and sharing. They are likely to be about topics they have been searching for.

Got ’em?

Now, what do you have to say about that topic? Do you agree? Disagree? Think you could do a better job?

Is the law different in your jurisdiction? Any pending legislation you know about? Have you had any cases on these issues you could write about?

Chew on these posts and brainstorm ideas and get writing.

For more ideas for blog posts, traffic, and getting clients online, get this.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Web traffic, Writing Tagged With: ,
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