Archives for April 2014

Periodic maintenance on your law practice

April 29, 2014 by David M. Ward

I was sitting in our backyard this morning, looking at the house we’ve lived in for the last twenty years. We’ve had to replace appliances, make repairs, and do regular maintenance inside and out, of course, and because we have, the house is still in very good shape.

A law practice also needs upkeep. Periodically, you need to take inventory, make repairs and upgrades, and improve your processes.

I jotted down some of the areas to consider in this partial checklist:

PEOPLE

Hire? Fire?
Training/certification
Updated info for HR
Build culture (retreats, days off, recognition)
CLE/Personal development

OFFICE/INFRASTRUCTURE

Furniture/fixtures (repair, replace, clean)
Computers/software (upgrade, backup, replace, new)
Re-negotiate/extend lease?
More space? Less? New location? Second office?
Off site/Cloud storage
Insurance
Supplies

PROCESS

Greeting clients
Intake (forms, procedure)
Closing files
Litigation
Archiving documents
Forms/checklists (update, new, purge, digitize)

MARKETING

Client relations/stay-in-touch
Professional relations/joint ventures
Website(s)/traffic
Reaching out methods (speaking, networking, advertising, social media, blogging, etc.)
Content marketing (blog, newsletter, articles, seminars, etc.)

Every practice is different. Use this as a starting point to create your own checklist. Then, calendar once or twice a year to review it and see what you might need to do. Some items, like office space, will need attention every few years. Others, like supplies and CLE and marketing, more often.

Filed Under: Law office management

What do you like best about being an attorney?

April 28, 2014 by David M. Ward

It’s time to write another article for your website, blog, or newsletter. If you’re ready, say, “I’m ready!” and let’s get started.

The title of your post is: “What I like best about being an _______attorney in ________”. The first blank is your practice area. The second blank is your city or town. This will give you a title with some keywords prospective clients are likely to search for.

So, what do you like best about being an attorney? Your answer will give clients and prospects some insights into why you do what you do. They want to know what drives you because they want to hire an attorney who is passionate about what they do.

You might start your article by describing several things you like, followed by the one thing you like the most. You might describe a typical day, showing what you do and how you feel about what you do. Or a crazy day that tested you but ultimately defined you. You might talk about why you went to law school.

Whatever you like about being an attorney, make sure you tell the reader why. Sure, you like being able to help people solve problems, but why? Share a story about what you did for a client in the past, how it changed their life, and how this made you feel.

What about money? I say, don’t hide from the subject. If you do well financially and that’s something you like about your practice, say so. Clients want to hire successful attorneys. I probably wouldn’t make it number one on the list, however, unless you can also show how you use the money to make the world a better place by supporting charitable causes and the like.

If it helps, you might want to pretend that you’re writing this to a young relative who is considering a career in law. What would you say to show them that it’s hard, but worth it?

Give your readers some insights into what you do and why you do it. Clients hire attorneys they know, like, and trust and your article will help them do just that.

Want more ideas about contentÂ for your website? Get this

Filed Under: Blogging, Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Web traffic, Writing

How do I become an expert in my field?

April 25, 2014 by David M. Ward

“How do I become an expert in my field?” Good news. In the eyes of most prospective clients, you already are.

You have the license, the big leather chair, and you wear a suit and tie. With most consumers, it doesn’t take more than that. With many business clients, it doesn’t take a lot more.

But what about other lawyers? Do they see you as an expert? If they do, you probably get lots of referrals from them, and not just any referrals but big cases and valuable clients. You may also be sought after for interviews and speaking engagements that further enhance your reputation.

Being an expert has it’s privileges, yes? So, how do you develop an expert reputation?

Winning big cases and having prestigious clients, that’s how. But. . . how do you get the big cases and prestigious clients if you don’t have the reputation?

It is a “Catch 22”. But fortunately, in marketing, perception is everything. You are an expert if people perceive you to beÂ one and there are things you can do to enhance that perception.

One of the best things you can do to be seen as an expert is to associate with experts. Identify people who are already acknowledged as successful in your field or marketÂ and associate with them. Go to the events they go to and meet them. Get your picture taken with them. Introduce them to other people you know at the event (even if you just met them that day).

Mention their name on your blog. Congratulate them on their recent victory. Link to their website. Quote them in your writing and speaking.

Contact them and ask to interview them for your blog, article, or newsletter. Suggest their name as a guest speaker at other events you attend. Send them some business.

You start where you are. Eventually, you’re having lunch with acknowledged experts, being seen with them, learning from them, and being introduced by them to other experts, on your way to being seen as an expert in your own right.

We are judged by the company we keep. If you associate with successful people, othersÂ will assume that you have their seal of approval and accept you into their circles. Then, someone hires you or give you a referral and you’re on your way.

I love it when a plan comes together, don’t you?

Your clients and contacts can help you quickly get a lot of business. Here’s how.

Filed Under: Image, Networking, Referral sources Tagged With: Law of Association

Most Clients Find Lawyers Through the Internet, but. . .

April 24, 2014 by David M. Ward

Findlaw conducted a surveyÂ about how people go about finding a lawyer. To nobody’s surprise, the top two answers were the Internet (38%) and referrals (29%). This compares to results of a similar survey they did nine years earlier which found that only 7% used the Internet and 65% asked for referrals.

(If you’re curious, only 4% use the Yellow Pages, compared to 10% in the earlier survey).

So, yes, everything you’ve heard about having an Internet presence is true.

You know my position on this: even if they don’t find you through the Internet, you need a website to showcase your talents so that if they find you through any means, including referrals, they can “check you out” online. This includes YOU sending them to your site.

The survey says nothing about the type of case or engagement, fees, or other criteria. It just says most clients find lawyers through the Internet, but “most” doesn’t mean “best”.

I maintain that the best clients, the ones who pay the biggest fees, ask the fewest questions, and remain loyal over time, come from referrals, not the Internet. Clients who use the Internet to find attorneys tend to be price shoppers, harder to please, and fickle.

You need an Internet presence, and you will get clients that way. But Internet marketing will never replace referral marketing for building a law practice, no matter what the survey says.

Marketing online for attorneys. Click here.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Online Marketing, Referrals Tagged With: findlaw

Lawyers: the world’s second oldest profession

April 23, 2014 by David M. Ward

We’re mouthpieces. Clients pay us to advocate their position. We don’t have to believe in what our client wants, or like them personally, we do their bidding. Kinda like the world’s oldest profession.

Now, now, don’t get your panties in a festival. I’m being real here. We don’t care if our client is ugly or smells bad, we only care if the check clears. We do our jobs. If we don’t, we’re out of business. Besides, if we don’t do it, some other shyster will, so all our righteous indignation and standing on principle is for naught.

At least that’s what some people think.

The truth is, we can decide who we will and won’t represent. We don’t have to represent anyone who shakes a bag of money in our face. We can refuse to take cases and causes we don’t believe in or represent any client who needs our help. And we can make a fine living doing it.

But I don’t want to talk about policy or the image of the profession. I want to talk about marketing.

At some point, you should have written a description of your ideal client. (If you have not and you need help doing so, get The Attorney Marketing Formula.)

Once you have decided on your ideal client. . . Don’t keep it a secret.

Tell people what kinds of clients you want to work with. Publish this on your website. Let everyone know.

Practice areas are easy: here’s what I do, here’s what I don’t do. (But I know a lot of other lawyers, so if you have X problem, give me a holler and I’ll introduce you to a lawyer who can help.)

What’s more challenging is describing clients by industry or demographics.

You represent only men or only women, only landlords or only tenants. You represent clients in certain industries or of a certain size or market sector.

“Yeah, but if I declare to the world that I represent clients in the automotive industry, I won’t get hired by clients who manufacture appliances.”

What you have to realize is that this is a good thing.

You may not get appliance manufacturers, but you’ll get more from the auto industry. They will be attracted to you because they see you are dedicated to serving them. They’ll see that you understand their needs and speak their language. You have helped others like them, so it’s obvious that you can help them, too.

We may be the world’s second oldest profession, but this doesn’t mean we have to represent everyone who can pay.

Specialize in the clients you represent. And don’t be afraid to announce it.

Choose a target market. If you don’t know who to choose, choose anyone. Jim Rohn said, “It doesn’t matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions.”

On the great road of life (or business), some choose the left side, some choose the right side, and both can do well. The ones who stay in the middle of the road are the ones who usually get run over.

This will help you choose your ideal client and target market.Â

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan, Specializing Tagged With: choosing a target market, ideal client

Remember presentations better by structuring your content

April 22, 2014 by David M. Ward

Matt Abrams is an expert on public speaking and a lecturer at Stanford. In a recent article, he says you will be better able to remember presentations by “structuring your content,” rather than presenting it randomly.

He explains:

“Having a structure helps you remember what to say because even if you forget the specifics, you can use the general framework to stay on track. For example, when using the Problem-Solution-Benefit structure–which is good for persuading and motivating people–you first lay out a specific problem (or opportunity), then detail a solution to address the problem, defining its benefits. If you are in the middle of the Solution portion of your talk and blank out, recalling your structure will tell you that the Benefits portion comes next.”

Not only does the structure give you a framework for recalling how the information fits together, I can see how it helps your audience better understand and remember your message.

Abrams says his favorite structure is, “What?-So What?-Now What?, which can help you not only in planned presentations but also in spontaneous speaking situations such as job interviews.”

What: Your message or claim

So What: Why it matters; the benefits if it is accepted

Now What: What to do next; the call to action.

I like this, too. It can be used for formal presentations, papers, briefs, articles, letters, oral arguments, and blog posts. You can also use it to help a client understand where things are in a case and why they should follow your recommendation.

The article has additionalÂ tips on public speaking, including how to practice a presentation.

For more ideas forÂ structuring reports and other content, see my 30 Day Referral Blitz

Filed Under: Communication, Copywriting, Presentations, Public Speaking, Writing

The Fortune is in the Follow-up

April 21, 2014 by David M. Ward

One of the most important aspects of marketing any business or professional practice is follow-up. For many, it’s also one of the most challenging.

Because they must, most attorneys have a process for communicating with existing clients. This process is driven by the demands of the case or legal matter. Copies are mailed, calls are made to discuss strategy, progress reports are sent on a pre-determined schedule. Once the case is settled or the matter is completed, however, follow-up is often done haphazardly and too often, not at all.

And then there’s everyone else.

Prospective clients
Former clients
Referral sources/professional contacts/”friends of the firm”
Prospective referral sources
Bloggers/editors/publishers
Meeting planners
Etc.

Each category has a different purpose. Following-up with former clients, for example, can lead to repeat business, updates, referrals, traffic to your website or sign-ups for your event. Following-up with bloggers can lead to guest posts, interviews, and links to your web content. Following-up with prospective clients can lead to new cases or engagements but can also lead to referrals.

Within each category are individuals who are further along in their relationship with you and thus more likely to respond to your contact. There are also individuals who have more potential than others, e.g., a prospective referral source who is well known in your target market, a prospective client who could bring you a lot of business, etc.

I’m sure you appreciate the value of following-up with these people. You know that former clients are your best source of new business (repeat, referrals). You know that staying in touch with prospective clients is good for business.

But how do you manage everything?

You start by creating lists. There are many software solutions for doing that. Pick one. Import your existing database or create new lists manually. It is time well spent.

Add a code or tag or field to each contact in your database so you can sort your lists by type and date range and other criteria. For example, you should be able to do a sort and find a list of former clients with whom you haven’t spoken OR emailed in more than 90 days.

Now what?

You’re almost there. The hard part is done. Now, you just need a plan for staying in touch with everyone. There are three parts to the plan:

Schedule. How often will you contact them?
Media. Will you use email, phone, regular mail, or social media?
Content. For example will you send them personal emails, a general newsletter, or both?

You’ll probably find it easier to start with one category. Create a plan for following-up with former clients, for example. Once that’s done, you can consider other categories.

Once you have things set up, flag key individuals for customized follow-ups. You’ll want to call certain people more often, for example, or call some people but only send email to others.

This may seem a daunting task but if you take it step by step, you can do it. Once you have, you’ll be glad you did.

Marketing is easy, when you know The Formula

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Communication, Law office management, Marketing Plan, Referral sources, Referrals Tagged With: follow up, staying in touch

How to get your work done on time

April 18, 2014 by David M. Ward

The statute runs on the ninth, so we get the complaint filed by the eighth. We have to, so we do.

What about things that don’t have a deadline? We put them off. We procrastinate. Especially if it’s something we don’t want to do.

But we know this is a bad habit and we want to overcome it. So we make up a deadline. A firm date when we will have the work done. We put it on our calendar. It’s in writing. We see the due date coming up. We’re determined to beat the deadline.

But we don’t.

The day comes and goes and we don’tÂ do the work. We were probably busy doing things that had a real deadline.

I read about a study that confirmsÂ what we already know: self-imposed deadlines don’t work. At least for things we really don’t want to do. We procrastinate for a reason, and writing down a deadline doesn’t eliminate that reason.

There is a solution. A way to make a self-imposed deadline work.

You need a deadline AND a penalty for missing it.

When you set a deadline, tell someone. Someone who will hold you accountable.

Tell your client when the work will be done. Promise to deliver it on that day. Put that in writing. You don’t want an unhappy client. Or a client who thinks you are incompetent. Or a client who sues. So you get the work done. Because you have to.

If you really have a problem with procrastination, put in your retainer agreement that the work will be delivered on the date promised or there will be no fee. Or, 10% reduction for every day it is late. Or some other costly consequence.

You’ll get the work done on time, won’t you? Yeah, you will.

You can do something similar with non-billable work or projects. Have you beenÂ procrastinating on your website?Â Tell your boss, partner, or spouse when the work will be done and ask them to hold you accountable.

If you have difficulty estimating when you can finish a big project, break it down intoÂ componentsÂ and set a deadline for the first one. If you want to write a book, for example, set a deadline for completing the first chapter or the first draft. After that, set another deadline for the next component.

You can use penalties to finish any project or achieve any goal.Â I know a vegetarian who publicly promised that if she didn’t meet a certain goal, she would eat a McDonald’s hamburger every day for a month. Her goal was a big one, but yeah, she made it.

Get serious about marketing. Here’s help.

Filed Under: Goal Setting, Law office management, Personal development, Productivity, Time Management Tagged With: procrastination

Getting more bang for your content marketing buck

April 17, 2014 by David M. Ward

If you have a website or blog, write a newsletter, or post anything on social media, you are engaging in content marketing. I just read an excellent articleÂ about the value of evergreen content for bringing a steady stream of traffic, in contrast to, well, non-evergreen content.

I’ve always been inclined towards writing evergreen content because I’m ~~lazy~~Â smart. If you write about technology, as soon as it’s posted, it’s out of date. The same is true of many other timely and news-oriented topics. If you write evergreen content, however, it will bring traffic today and for years.

This doesn’t mean that one should avoid non-evergreen topics. They can bring a lot of short term traffic, which can lead to long-term followers and subscribers. When Steve Jobs abruptly resigned, I did a post that mentioned his resignation in the headline and got a big spike in traffic. I’m sure some visitors still read my blog today and that post still gets new traffic.

Evergreen content should be the foundation of your site, however. Make most of your content something people will always be interested in.

The articleÂ does a good job of listing what constitutes evergreen content (and what doesn’t), and it’s what you might expect. How to’s, authoritative answers to FAQ’s, and basic information that beginners search for qualify. Best of the year roundups, statistical pieces, and event-specific content don’t.

There are also some good suggestions for sharing evergreen content. I like the idea of creating an “evergreen hub” on my site, something I should have done a long time ago. This can take the form of a “start here” page or a “top posts” widget in the sidebar.

Anyway, you can access this article on this page. Let me know what you think in the comments to this post.

To learn more about online content marketing, get this.Â

Filed Under: Blogging, Newsletters, Online Marketing Tagged With: content marketing, evergreen content