Legal News

Tips for Lawyers from Legal Marketing Experts: Part 2 Competitive Advantage

By Brian Harris

In my last post, I shared my Twitter notes from James A. Durham?s 2010 Legal Marketing Association (#LMA10) Annual Conference program, Establishing a Goal-Oriented Client-Development Business Plan. Jim is the chief marketing and business development officer with McGuireWoods LLP (and author of The Essential Little Book of Great Lawyering). He presented as part of the Just JDs: Business Development Strategies for Lawyers along with me (as the CEO of Furia Rubel Public Relations and Marketing), Ross Fishman, CEO of Fishman Marketing (organizer of the Just JDs program), Alvidas A. Jasin, director of business development of Thompson Hine LLP, John Hellerman, partner and co-founder, Hellerman Baretz Communications, Richard P. Klau, business product manager, Blogger, Google, and Deborah Knupp, partner with Akina Corporation.

During the second hour of the program, Deborah Knupp addressed Business-Development Tactics to Increase Your Competitive Advantage. I have compiled my Twitter stream of 140 character tips (or less) from Deborah?s excellent and energetic program. But before you read my take on Deborah?s tips (below), check the new Akina Corporation campaign: I ? Lawyers complete with I ? Lawyers bumper stickers. I?ve been wearing my new I ? Lawyers baseball hat around town in Bucks County, Pa. It?s great.

March 10, 2010 / 10:15 a.m.

• Deborah Knupp Akina Corp up next at Just JDs #LMA10 on Biz Dev tactics to increase competitive advantage.
• "I love lawyers" bumper stickers from Akina available at break ? very fun ? changing the way lawyers are viewed, one at a time.
• Don't try to "convert" people into clients. No one wants to be "converted." Be a great resource, solve problems and create value.
• Authenticity = trust, natural, caring, friendship, collaboration, mutual respect, which makes it easier to land business.
• Biz Dev: be clear about your top 20 target contacts (prospects, connectors, alliances, etc.) then be focused on communications.
• Have an authentic reason to connect with your prospects, connectors and alliances: make intros, send info, & send invites.
• DON'T DO LUNCH! Productivity drain! Not good for biz dev unless with A-level contacts, says Deborah Knupp ? @neenjames would agree!
• Be able to answer "What do you do?" in a way that will engage in deeper conversation - memorable messaging for your value proposition.
• When asked "What do you do?" answer by responding to "What problems do you solve for who?"
• Obviously lawyers who say "I'm busy" or "I'm swamped" don't need more work right?! Never say either.
• Can your lawyers answer, "What's new?" Don't say "Same ole same ole." "I'm so busy I can't see straight" or "Nothing."
• There's a really simple question to always ask (with authenticity): "What can I do for you?" or "How can I help you?"
• Biz dev tip: do what you say you are going to do! Keep your word.
• Biz dev rule: always set a definitive next step with time-boxed follow-up.
• Biz dev tip: be competent in prep/plan/strategy and utilize a marketing roadmap to be intentional / purposeful ? be competent.
• Competence in biz dev = 1. Have goal; 2. Know key messages; 3. Prep questions; 4. Know the potential outcomes and next steps.
• Golden Rule ? Do unto others... (self-focused). Platinum Rule ? "Do unto others as they would be done unto." Make it about them.
• Biz dev tip: have biz cards at hand but don't just give them to everyone - wait to be asked.
• Biz dev tip at events: stand in a long drink line to meet people in front and behind ? great way to get comfortable in room.
• Biz dev tip: 3-min rule to learn if good fit; 10-min rule w/ great conversation; 15-min rule for great prospect so you can follow-up.
• Biz dev tip: write, speak or sponsor = 3 for 1 payback ? get more for less. So true!
• Biz dev tip: line up 6 Silver Bullets w/ prospects: problem, solution, urgency, access, expectations, budget.
• Being on a "preferred list" of counsel doesn't mean you're THE counsel. Need to continue biz dev efforts.

Since I last blogged, many legal marketing and social media experts from across the country have shared their thoughts and insights from the LMA Conference. Here are some you should check out:

- John M. Byne, director of communications for Drinker Biddle shares his story about social media at The Byrne Blog;

- Lance Godard blogged about what he learned from two days at the Legal Marketing Association?s annual meeting (which includes various links to other experts? commentary);

- Lindsay Griffiths tells us about relationships and Social Media Strategies for the Small to Mid-sized Law Firm in her blog: Zen and the Art of Legal Network Maintenance;

-Adrian Lurssen (better known as JDTwitt) and  Aviva Cuyler from JD Supra (which if you are an attorney and not on JD Supra, check out my previous blog Social Media for Lawyers Part 7: JD Supra);

-Heather Morse Milligan (The Legal Watercooler blogger) shares a great perspective from the LMA conference;

-Nancy Myrland, shares a message to marketers and a video recap from the Legal Marketers Tweet-Up and even I made the photo cut;

-Jayne Navarre shares The Social Web Revolution and Law Firm Marketing Professionals on the Virtual Marketing Officer blog; and

- Rebecca Wissler, Laura Gutierrez,  Gail Lamarche, Lydia Bednerik, Russell Lawson and Tim Corcoran are all people you should follow.

To learn how the use of Twitter shaped my conference experience, you can also read The PR Lawyer blog: Confessions from a Social Networker: How Twitter Shaped My #LMA10 Experience.

I will be adding more blogs on tips from many experts over the next few weeks so stay tuned to hear more tips on business development, marketing, public relations, and measuring ROI.

Note to readers: When reading the tweet tips above, please note that the language and text are informal and stay within Twitter?s 140-character rule. The first tweet set the stage for those that followed during the program.

Gina F. Rubel, Esq., is the owner of Furia Rubel Communications, Inc., a public relations and marketing agency with a niche in legal communications. A former Philadelphia trial attorney and public relations expert, Gina is the author of Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers. Gina and her PR and marketing firm have won numerous awards for legal communications, public relations, media relations, strategic planning, corporate philanthropy and leadership. She maintains a blog at www.ThePRLawyer.com, is a regular contributor to The Legal Intelligencer Blog and blogs for The Huffington Post. You can find her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ginafuriarubel or follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ginarubel.  For more information, go to www.FuriaRubel.com.

Full post as published by The Legal Intelligencer Blog on March 23, 2010 (boomark / email).