Legal Marketing & PR

Law Practice Development

By Edward Poll, J.D., M.B.A., CMC

Q: Ed, do you have any fresh ideas about how I can market my law business?

A: There is no better way to establish effective prospect relationships than by establishing a presence for your firm or your practice at industry trade shows and association meetings. By properly researching and targeting your audience, you can meet more prospects in one day than you might otherwise meet in months. And by physically being present at these meetings of potential clients, you demonstrate that you know their business, understand their concerns, and are serious about offering solutions.

Trade show attendance, if done right, requires renting booths, setting up referral arrangements with other exhibitors, speaking at event sessions, and above all spending otherwise billable time in the booth actually meeting and talking to the attendees. You should take an active role in preparing to attend. Above all, make sure you get the attendee list so you can evaluate and single out your targets. Conduct pre-meeting mailings (letters and emails both) to let these targets know you'll be there and invite them to your booth or display. Identify other vendors who are prospects you want to meet.   Find out which trade publication editors and reporters are planning to attend the event so you can get on their calendars and talk about your industry views and experience. When you meet with them share some new piece of news, tell them about where your firm is going (strategically), and offer to help them in anyway you can.

A cardinal rule of trade show success:  Follow up, Follow up and Follow up!

Full post as published by Law Biz Blog on December 03, 2007 (boomark / email).