Legal Marketing & PR

Stay Close To Your Clients In These Times: Reinforced

Posted on October 28, 2008
Recently, I did a post on how important it is to stay close to your clients in these troubling economic times. Well, it seems that the idea is supported by Hildebrandt’s “Special Client Advisory: Fall 2008.”   The special advisory suggests nine steps for firms to consider in weathering the storm; and includes such things as concentrating on collections early vs...

Warren Buffett's (and Wayne Gretzky's) Advice Applies To Law Firm Marketing

Posted on October 23, 2008
While some may be in denial, Warren Buffett writes in an Op-Ed piece in The New York Times (free registration required) that the “financial world is a mess”… but that he is now “buying American stocks.” He’s talking about his personal account (not his Bershire Hathaway holdings) which traditionally has been entirely in U...

Invite Your Clients to Your CLE Sessions

Posted on October 21, 2008
By providing additional services to clients at no charge is, of course, an excellent business development strategy. One example of such services might include inviting your clients to your internal CLE seminars. This isn’t a new idea, and some firms have been doing this for years...

Don't Be a Marketing Sinner

Posted on October 16, 2008
It is important, particularly in the current, dismal economic climate to communicate well, especially with clients. Our message needs to be clearly, concisely and competently conveyed (how about that alliteration, huh? - yeah, you’re probably right)...

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Make Every Effort to Recession Proof Your Law Firm

Posted on October 14, 2008
 Some law firms will feel the pinch more than others during the current downturn. But all firms will feel it one way or another. Whether it is less work, losing clients because of mergers/acquisitions, or because of difficulty in collecting fees from financially stressed clients...

Who's Quarterbacking Your Marketing Plays?

Posted on October 09, 2008
Smaller law firms are usually in a better position to make a marketing decision than larger firms. It’s a numbers game. Often in BigLaw too many people are involved, which not only means the process takes longer, but a decision can become so diluted as to lessen the effectiveness of any business development program...

More on What GCs Look For in Outside Law Firms

Posted on October 07, 2008
A panel of general counsel at the September meeting of Legal Marketing Association’s Metro Philadelphia Chapter told the audience that they REALLY crave better communications and efficiency from outside counsel. As reported on Law.com’s Small Firm Business by reporter Zack Needles, the GCs:   Don’t Like: “centralized attorney structure” (where client must go through a senior lawyer not working on the matter, rather than just dealing directly with lawyers who are); Relationship partner being too involved (thus, creating less efficiency in handling their matter); Glossy advertisements, “trumpeting “firm accomplishments, which have “little bearing on (the) opinion of a firm”; Formal RFPs (although apparently one or more have used them), and especially where firm sends big guns (who won’t be working on matter) to the presentation; and The firm adding new attorneys to a matter, and finding out about it on the bill...

"Thank You for that Referral - Last Year"

Posted on October 02, 2008
Oops. That note to a referral source might be a bit tardy, but a late “Thank You” is better than no thank you according to Thom Singer on Some Assembly Required, and I agree completely. Further, I’m a big fan of handwritten notes, since they are used so infrequently these days...

In-Person Client Satisfaction Interviews DO WORK

Posted on September 30, 2008
I’ve been doing client interviews since 1990, and I know they do two things well. One, they can save clients before they leave the law firm for another (I really have a dynamite story on that point, but it will take too long to relate it here, so call me if you want to hear it)...

Time to Get Closer to Clients

Posted on September 25, 2008
To borrow from the quote by J. Wallace Day about keeping friends close and enemies closer, I might suggest that in a down economy, one should keep their family close and their clients closer.  My colleague Jim Hassett over at Legal Business Development blog talks about some scary stuff that is occurring to law firms in the current economic climate ...

Email vs. Phone vs. In-Person Meeting? Four Viewpoints

Posted on September 22, 2008
The e-mail question is: "To what extent can you substitute emails for telephone calls and face-to-face meetings when maintaining and developing relationships with clients and other key market contacts?”   My answer: You can’t. Period...

Turn Off That Blackberry and Listen

Posted on September 17, 2008
Have you noticed how some people during a pitch or while listening to a speech will be checking their iPhone (or whatever), instead of giving their undivided attention to the one talking? I’ll bet you’ve never done that, right? Careful, your nose is growing...

Reminder: Coming on September 22 - Email vs. Phone vs. In-Person Meeting? Four Viewpoints

Posted on September 15, 2008
Watch for the synchroblog next Monday, where four bloggers will answer the same question on the same day on their respective blog. And the question is: "To what extent can you substitute emails for telephone calls and face-to-face meetings when maintaining and developing relationships with clients and other key market contacts?”   On September 22, four bloggers will post their answers simultaneously...

Firm's Message to Associates: "If You Can't Steal The Firm's Clients, We Don't Want Ya"

Posted on September 12, 2008
My friend Dan Hull of What About Clients? blog and Hull McGuire PC law firm, has an extremely provocative post about the message he believes should be conveyed to associates in his firm and others.  Here’s the message:    We want you to provide such fabulous service to our clients, that they will think the world of you; and yes, if you were ever leave this firm, the client might go with you...

Don't Have Time for Marketing? Preposterous!

Posted on September 10, 2008
Following up on my post of last week "Too Busy for Marketing? Or Just Unfocused?,”  I ran across a post by John Jantsch over on Duct Tape Marketing where he uses the “P” word. He apparently encounters small business owners (like some lawyers I meet), who say that they're too busy to market, and he takes issue with that...

Coming on September 22: Email vs. Phone vs. In-Person Meeting? Four Viewpoints

Posted on September 08, 2008
Watch for the upcoming synchroblog. A WHAT you might ask? It’s where four bloggers will answer the same question on the same day on their respective blog.  And the question is: "To what extent can you substitute emails for telephone calls and face-to-face meetings when maintaining and developing relationships with clients and other key market contacts?”   On September 22, four bloggers will post their answers simultaneously...

Too Busy For Marketing? Or Just Unfocused?

Posted on September 04, 2008
Often one hears from lawyers “I’m just to busy to be marketing.” Maybe they are just focusing on the wrong stuff?  Reasons might include they're too busy with: Administrative tasks best left to others, or Working on files they wish they didn’t have, or Representing clients they don’t like working for...

No Client Base? Start Working Referral Sources Now

Posted on September 02, 2008
The two best sources of new business for lawyers are current clients and referral sources (also referred to as word-of-mouth). Having just finished an action plan last week for a relatively new, young lawyer who does not have his own client base, it became pretty obvious that the place for him to start in building a client base is with referrals...

What Happens When A Gorilla Firm Moves into Town?

Posted on August 28, 2008
There has been an interesting discussion going on over on both the LMA (Legal Marketing Association)’s listserv and The LawMarketing Listserv (membership required for both) the past few days about what a small law firm should do when BigLaw moves into their marketplace...

Seeking Feedback: Before, During and After A Matter

Posted on August 26, 2008
There is no wrong time to seek client feedback about your firm’s performance. Not only should law firms ask how they are doing on current matters, but how they have done in the past, and how they can provide better service in the future. Although nobody likes to get bad news, it is better to learn if a client has an issue or problem prior to their walking away and never using the firm again...

Networking: Better to Give, Then You'll Receive A Plenty

Posted on August 21, 2008
As I was working today to finalize an action plan for a client, I realized how important networking was going to be for this young lawyer who is interested in building an immigration practice.  Networking is not every lawyer's favorite thing, in fact, many attorneys are just not comfortable with it...

Networking: Better to Give, Then You'll Receive Plenty

Posted on August 21, 2008
As I was working today to finalize an action plan for a client, I realized how important networking was going to be for this young lawyer who is interested in building an immigration practice.  Networking is not every lawyer's favorite thing, in fact, many attorneys are just not comfortable with it...

Should You Pay Attention To The Social Networking Craze?

Posted on August 19, 2008
Most everyone who has heard about the Internet, or has a child capable of educating them, has heard about social networks like MySpace, LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo, etc. etc. etc. The “etc’s” are part of my point. There are new ones springing up almost every day...

Seek Client Feedback For The Right Reasons

Posted on August 14, 2008
Although I believe that law firms will gain more work from clients because they seek feedback on how they are doing, that cannot be the reason for undertaking such a program. The honest reason for seeking client feedback must be based on caring for the client and the relationship...

Get Top of Mind Awareness and Increased Revenues Through Innovation

Posted on August 12, 2008
A recent survey spells out how innovation not only helps keeps certain law firms top-of-mind, but also more profitable.  My friend Stacey West Clark has another great article (her standard fair) that appears on Law.com’s Small Firm Business about BTI's Survey of National Market Awareness 2008...

Time to Get Religion When It Comes to Client Service

Posted on August 07, 2008
Building on an earlier post of mine about avoiding paying lip service to client service.  Dan Hull over on What About Clients? blog has a very interesting post he calls “All Hat, No Cattle.”I am a fan of Dan’s blog, and as the name implies he is BIG on client service...

Take Your Web Site Up A Notch With SEO

Posted on August 05, 2008
There probably isn’t any lawyer (who has heard about the Internet) who doesn’t know the importance of search engine rankings. Over last couple of years I’ve become big believer in the importance of search engine placements, since this blog during that period has been ranked second on Google and Yahoo for legal marketing...

Dont B 2 Casual w/ Ur Mktg Comms!

Posted on July 31, 2008
Whether you are sending an email message from your Blackberry or desktop, don’t be too clever when it comes to business development communications with clients, referral sources or prospects. Leave such for your closest friends and family.Why? Because it isn’t cute any more (I know, I know – old foggy-speak)...

Why Aren't Law Firms Talking To Their Clients More

Posted on July 29, 2008
An article (available to Association of Corporate Counsel members) by Susan Jacobsen that appears in the April 2008 issue of ACC’s “Hands On” addresses some “Lessons for Law Firms” as a result of a GC panel discussion at the 15th Annual Marketing Partner Forum this past January...

Niche It: Stop Chasing Those Undesirable Cases and Clients

Posted on July 24, 2008
Can’t imagine anyone arguing with the statement that lawyers are happiest when they are doing the work they enjoy for clients they like. Although I have covered this topic more than a half-dozen times, it is worth mentioning again. Especially when you run across a succinct article that emphasizes the point so well...

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