Legal Marketing & PR

Should Lawyers Check Their Blackberries hourly?

Posted on October 27, 2009
In our fast-paced world, it seems like such availability is expected. Certainly, a partner at a BigLaw firm apparently thinks associates should, sorta. You can read about it on ABA Journal's Law News Now and Above the Law. In a nutshell, a partner asked an associate to send a fax to a client before the latter left the office, but junior forgot to check his emails and never got the word...

Implement a Referral Thank You System

Posted on October 22, 2009
During coaching sessions I always ask clients 'did you thank (so and so) for that referral you just mentioned?' Sometimes the response is 'oh yeah, I need to do that.' Thanking referral sources should not be something you have to remember to do. It should be automatic...

Seriously, Cutting Legal Costs Is Top Priority Says ACC Survey

Posted on October 20, 2009
According to the recently released survey by the Association of Corporate Counsel and Serengeti Law, the top priority for CLO's, for the first time in the survey's eight years, is 'controlling the costs spent on outside counsel,' as reported in today's issue of The AmLaw Daily...

Use "We" vs. "I" In Asking For Referrals

Posted on October 15, 2009
In my early lawyering days as an assistant attorney general in North Carolina, I had the privilege of having one of the best, most efficient secretaries possible. (I even tried to get her fiancée a job in town, so they wouldn't move out of state after the wedding...

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Is Your Firm In Trouble In this Economy? Six Reasons It Might Fail

Posted on October 13, 2009
In a down economy, more law firms are likely to fail for a number of reasons that might not cause their downfall in boom years. And the reasons can run from how the firm is managed to how it isn't marketed. Judd Kessler has an article in the October issue of the Texas Bar Journal in which he shares his 'Six Simple Reasons Practices Fail...

Recession Tips for Solo and Small Firm Lawyers

Posted on September 29, 2009
Ran across the July/August issue of the ABA's Law Practice magazine which contains an article by Linda Oligschlaeger with the The Missouri Bar. Although her advice to solos and small firm lawyers covers practice management generally, I was particularly taken by 7 of her 15 tips which relate to marketing in these (or any for that matter) economic times: Develop a marketing and business development plan ASAP, if you don't have one; Rekindle relationships with other lawyers and business acquaintances (or any of your contacts) who might refer work to you; Work on providing the best client service possible, and that includes every person (lawyer and staff) that has any contact with clients; Consider refocusing your niche(s) to take advantage of new opportunities in the current climate; Drop the billable hour (okay she doesn't put it that strongly) in favor of alternative fees...

What's Your Tagline and Have the Partners Bought Into It?

Posted on September 24, 2009
A lot of law firms are into taglines. I've been involved with the practice when I was in-house. At times I like them, and other times I'm ambivalent. The important question, however, is: Do they help bring in business? I was talking with a large well-known firm last week that has had a slogan for a number of years that I really like...

Are You Being Served?

Posted on September 22, 2009
More importantly, are you serving others. I have always gotten a kick out of the British TV comedy by that name. My mother-in-law still watches it every chance she gets. If you want a laugh, check out some episodes on YouTube. I thought about that show when I saw Thom Singer's recent post on Some Assembly Required, where he mentions the importance of helping others to help yourself...

Do You Need A Reason To Do A Marketing Plan?

Posted on September 17, 2009
Isn't the need self-evident? By that I mean, if you don't plan what road your marketing should take, any frivolous (activity) path will get you there – to paraphrase the Cheshire cat in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which I've mentioned before...

Are Your Clients Satisfied With Your Services?

Posted on September 15, 2009
Do you know the real answer or are you just guessing? Those of us who provide client feedback services, and have reported how favorable clients react to satisfaction surveys, have an obvious bias. But that makes it no less important to ask your clients how you are doing...

Free Directory Assistance for Mobile Phones

Posted on September 09, 2009
There is no longer a valid excuse to not make that marketing call to a client or referral source from your mobile phone just because you don't have the number handy. Thanks to a heads up from Jim Calloway's Law Practice Tips Blog , I learned about a post on ABAnet...

Marketing Tools: Software & Gadgets to Die For - II

Posted on September 03, 2009
Well, okay to die for is a bit strong, but here is some software I really like. PersonalBrain 5.0 – the best and the most versatile database I've found to organize all your stuff. Check out the 3 min, 50 sec. demo below the banner on the home page...

Marketing Tools: Software & Gadgets to Die For

Posted on September 01, 2009
From time to time I have thought about sharing some of my 'toys' with my readers. Well, with the summer winding down, I thought I would take the opportunity to do just that. First, I'll cover three 'gadgets' I've found helpful. Next time, I'll cover some software I like, and that you may find useful in your marketing efforts...

Public Speaking Tip: Hold Eye Contact With Your Audience

Posted on August 28, 2009
Here's an interesting idea worth trying. Tom Antion over on Great Public Speaking suggests making eye contact with individuals  in the audience and hold it for 4 seconds. I think that four seconds is a l-o-o-o-o-n-g time. So, maybe 2-3 seconds...

Offer Fixed Fees NOW!

Posted on August 24, 2009
For those who rushed out this past weekend to take advantage of the 'Cash for Clunkers' program (like my son), now it is time to rush to offer fixed fees. According to a front page story in today's Wall Street Journal the ''Billable Hour' (is) Under Attack,' and more and more companies are demanding fixed fee arrangements from their outside law firms...

A Couple of Don'ts When Dealing With Reporters

Posted on August 20, 2009
Establishing good relations with reporters and editors is always a good thing. It is also one of my top ten best practices (check out No. 8 – 'Take a Reporter to Lunch'). Press coverage increases your credibility and is free vs. advertising, which both requires out-of pocket costs, and by its nature is less credible because it's you talking vs...

Avoid Malpractice by Improving Your Marketing Skills

Posted on August 18, 2009
It's easy! Listen to and communicate with your clients. Not only will it cut down on malpractice claims according an ABA article on avoiding such claims. In this month's issue of Law Practice Today the article highlights Mark Goulston, M.D., who states that lawyers can improve their communications with clients by doing one thing: 'listening...

Get Indirect Referrals By Educating Your Target Audience

Posted on August 13, 2009
In March I wrote a post about a client of mine who admitted being timid when it came to asking clients for work (or friends as I recall). There are also many lawyers who are shy when it comes to asking for referrals. One reason is that they don't want to appear 'pushy' or come across as a snake oil salesperson...

Return Phone Calls ASAP!

Posted on August 11, 2009
Some years ago at a seminar, I heard a story (likely just anecdotal) about the lawyer whose client called, but because he was busy and 'knew' what the client was calling about, he did not return the call. As the story goes, the client eventually called and retained another lawyer after reporting that she was seriously injured by a Coca Cola truck that ran a red light...

In-House Counsel Want Their Law Firms To Seek Feedback

Posted on July 30, 2009
More and more it seems that in-house counsel are expecting their law firms to ask for their feedback. Even though 'most general counsel and consultants say those law firms (seeking client feedback) are still in the minority and there isn't nearly enough of this type of dialogue going on' according to an article on Law...

Working A Room - A Big, Big Room

Posted on July 28, 2009
The jury is still out on social media's contribution to my bottom line. And tracking the tweets, updates, etc., on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Plaxo can be time consuming. Accordingly, I've dipped my toes in (to mix metaphors with my jury), but clearly not convinced as to value…yet...

Writing And Speaking Can Be Like Getting A Free Lunch

Posted on July 23, 2009
Time for another marketing moment from 365 Marketing Meditations from Levick Strategic Communications for July 22: 'Publish. Gain internal credibility by first getting external imprimatur. Professionals will believe you're important if someone else thinks you are...

Help Corporate Counsel Manage Their Outside Legal Matters

Posted on July 21, 2009
A new survey by The BTI Consulting Group, as reported in Law.com's In-House Counsel, tells us that corporations are reducing the number of secondary law firms they use, not just to save costs, but to save administrative time in managing outside law firms...

Opportunities Do Exist For Firms That Really Change The "Legal Model"

Posted on July 16, 2009
As mentioned on several blogs, and in an ABA Journal online article, a recent survey of CLO's made clear that in-house counsel aren't buying the concept of a 'new legal model.' It isn't that they don't want one, it's just that 75% gave their firms a 0 to 4 (out of ten), 'indicating that firms have little or no interest in change;' that is, delivering greater value for the services provided...

Does Your Firm Have a Marketing Cop?

Posted on July 14, 2009
If it doesn't, it needs one. I've enjoyed Patrick Lamb's posts over the years at In Search of Perfect Client Service; and have been remiss in not linking to them more recently. He had a post last month that I missed at the time, but I'm glad I ran across it...

How To Make Your Website's Content Better

Posted on July 09, 2009
We all know that content is still king, right? I discussed this in a recent post,  however I didn't talk about specific ways to improve your content. My friend Trey Ryder, as is so often the case, provides some really good ideas in his current newsletter...

Billy Mays "the pitchman" and Legal Marketing

Posted on July 07, 2009
Being totally honest, when I first saw the title of Jeff Berman's post on AttorneySync about Billy Mays, who recently died suddenly, I thought it was a bit insensitive in its timing. But, as I started reading '6 Things We Can Learn From Billy Mays About Lawyer Marketing' (and before I saw his cite to one of my posts -- honest), I realized I had rushed to judgment...

Keep Your Web Site Fresh

Posted on June 30, 2009
It should be no secret that web site content continues to be king for purposes of search engines. Keywords, title tags, etc. are just additional jewels on the crown. So, keeping your web site fresh in terms of new content, fresh tags and keywords is important...

Enjoy Your Practice and Your Clients

Posted on June 25, 2009
Unfortunately, too many lawyers don't enjoy either. What a shame! I remember in David Maister's book True Professionalism where he recounts that 75% to 80% of lawyers he has surveyed merely tolerated or disliked the work they did in the past year or so...

Entertaining Clients And Referral Sources Isn't Enough

Posted on June 23, 2009
Entertaining clients and referral sources will not, by itself, result in new client work or a new matter. However, taking a client out to a ballgame or to the opera can enhance a relationship and help build a friendship. It can also help maintain long-term clients and referrals...

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