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5 Ways Paralegals Can Market Their Firms Every Day

By Lynne DeVenny

How does a smart paralegal level the playing field and make the lawyer realize the true value of a great right-hand (or left-hand) man (or woman)? Simple, really - start bringing in business. ~ Jay S. Fleischman, Esq.

Jay is a New York bankruptcy lawyer and legal marketing consultant who blogs at Legal Practice Pro. The above quote is from Jay?s recent guest post at Paralegalese, ?Why Paralegals Need to Market Their Firms.? He also recently guest-blogged for Paralegal Gateway, sharing ?4 Ways That Paralegals Can Get Involved in Marketing The Law Firm.?

Jay?s posts inspired me to think about the ways that paralegals can market and share information about our firm?s services, as well as our own profession, every day.

5 Ways Paralegals Can Market Their Firms Every Day

1. Represent yourself and your firm well at all times. You?re one of the many faces that your firm presents to the world. In some phases of their cases, the clients may see more of you than the attorney. Your professionalism and genuine concern for your clients? problems earn their trust and inspire them to recommend you and your firm to their friends. Even on bad days - and we all have them - try to maintain your patience and composure. Remember that lawyers are in the business of customer service, and your clients are placing their trust in you to improve their lives.
2. Encourage clients to call you. I frequently hear clients say, ?I don?t want to bother you with my stupid questions? or ?I know you?re busy and probably don?t have time to talk.? Remind them that?s what you're there for, to assist them. Tell them that no question is stupid, and mean it when you say it. Remember, the legal system is a foreign country to them. Reassure them that you'd rather have them call and ask questions, rather than not asking them and risk making mistakes that might affect their legal rights and remedies. When ending a conversation, reiterate, ?Please call me any time that you have questions.?
3. Talk about your job. Don?t do it in an oily used car salesperson manner, but when the topic comes up naturally, tell people that you?re a paralegal and where you work. Think about the number of people you may encounter every day in community social settings who know your name but have no clue as to what you do for a living (and vice-versa). When meeting new people, introduce yourself as a paralegal and briefly discuss your specialty areas. Tell people what you like about your job.
4. Give people your business card. Again, this doesn?t have to be done in an obnoxious manner, but use your business cards for short memos or personal notes. If someone asks for your telephone number or email address, for personal or professional reasons, say, ?I have my card right here? and personalize it by writing a quick ?call me if I can ever help you? on the back of the card. When you?re sending a letter under your signature to a client, include a business card with the letter and jot a personal note on the back, such as, ?If you have any questions, please don?t hesitate to call me.?
5. Use a professional email signature. If your firm doesn?t have a standardized signature template for its employees, create a straightforward and professional-looking one which includes your name and job title, the firm?s name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and its website URL. If the firm doesn?t have a logo, don?t create a personal one for yourself, and don?t include kitschy sayings or cute photos of puppies, flowers or cherubs in your professional emails.

Remember that you?re a key contributor to your firm?s livelihood and to the paralegal profession. If you love what you do and believe that you and your firm offer valuable services to the public, then live it every day.

Related Post: Every Paralegal Should Have a Firm Business Card

Full post as published by Practical Paralegalism on December 03, 2009 (boomark / email).