I’m like a peeping Tom

August 1, 2017 by
Share

I have a secret indulgence. I like to watch videos about building gaming computers and gaming desk setups. This wouldn’t be remarkable except I don’t play video games, I’ve never built or repaired a computer, and I know next to nothing about how computers work.

I just like to watch.

I find it relaxing. A mindless diversion from everything else I do.

Kinda lame, isn’t it?

Maybe not.

Some people read this and think, “Me too!” They love looking at water-cooled graphic cards and RGB lights and get a thrill out of proper cable management.

Some people like to watch cooking shows but don’t cook, or travel videos and never travel. Some have unusual hobbies, collect odd things, or do things that make the rest of us shake our heads.

And it’s all good. It’s all part of being human.

If you do something different like this, I challenge you to share it with your list. Let your subscribers, clients, and colleagues see a different side of you.

Some will say, “Me too!” They like to do what you do and will feel a connection to you.

Some will think you’re weird. Okay, maybe you shouldn’t tell anyone that you wear a Superman costume under your suit when you go to court.

But most people will appreciate your transparency and like you more for giving them a glimpse into what makes you tick.

So c’mon, out with it. Share your secret. I showed you mine, now show me yours.

Share
Filed Under: Client relations, Relationship marketing

Don’t just tell me about your legal services, tell me what problems you solve

July 31, 2017 by
Share

People contact you and ask about your services. Or they find your website and have a look around. Some of those people are looking for X service because they believe that X is what they need. Other people don’t know what they need, they just know they have a legal problem.

If you’re smart (and you are), you’ll tell people about both the solutions (services) you offer and the problems you solve.

You have a “Services” or “Practice Areas” page on your website, right? If you don’t, uh, hello, McFly? If someone finds your website by searching for X, you want to show them that you do X, right?

Okay.

You should also have a “Problems We Solve” or a “How We Can Help You” page that describes the problems you solve, prevent, or mitigate, or the objectives you help clients attain.

Your “Problems” summary page should then link to pages where you present text and video content about those problems and the solutions you offer. You can then link to your specific “Services” pages(s).

Make sense? Sure. It also makes dollars.

Learn more about creating a website that sells

Share
Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Online Marketing

Mark the date, you’re invited!

July 28, 2017 by
Share

An attorney friend sent me this email:

“Have you heard? The sci-fi classic film, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” is being re-released on September 1st, on its 40th anniversary. It’s Spielberg’s “director’s cut” and has been remastered in 4k. I can’t wait to go and I want to invite you to join me as my guest.

I’m sending this email to my entire list. The first 25 who RSVP will get a free ticket for themselves and a plus-one. After the movie, I’ll buy you a burger.

Why am I doing this? Why not!? It will be fun!

Bring some business cards and I’ll introduce you around.

I need to hear from you before August 15th, so don’t wait. Hit reply to this email and let me know.”

Wow, what a great marketing idea. For less than $20 a head, he gets to reward some of his clients and/or referral sources, and create a buzz among everyone on his list. Whether they go or not, everyone who hears about this will tell people about the attorney who invited his clients to the movies.

Good will. Word of mouth. Repeat business. Referrals. And fun!

I salute the attorney for coming up with this idea.

One more thing. I AM that attorney. I didn’t get that email, I made it up. But now, you can send this email (or one like it) to your list. (I hope I’m on that list.)

Lawyers are complicated. Referrals are simple.

Share
Filed Under: Marketing legal services

Stop telling clients you’re not in your office

July 27, 2017 by
Share

Your clients don’t need to know that you are away from the office. Or on vacation. They don’t need to know that you received their email, or be told that you will reply as soon as possible.

So why do you tell them?

Being accessible is important, especially when so many attorneys aren’t. But that doesn’t mean you should put yourself on a leash.

Away messages, vacation messages, and “I got your email” messages send the wrong message. They say, “I’m here, you can always reach me, and if I’m away for a bit, I’m sorry, don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”

It’s bad posture. It says, “I need your business,” when in truth, the message you want to convey is just the opposite.

Your clients need to know that you’re good at what you do, you work hard for them, and if they have you as their attorney, they are very fortunate.

They need you. You don’t need them.

Most clients shouldn’t even have your personal email address. They should have an “office” email and know that it is monitored by someone who works for you. If a client writes, they need to know that someone will read it and reply promptly.

That someone probably won’t be you.

You want clients to know that you’re busy, in demand by other clients, and successful. Your time is extremely valuable and you have people working for you who do most of the front line communication on your behalf.

You’re there, behind the scenes, calling the shots. If your staff can’t help them, or there’s an emergency, they can reach you.

But your clients need to go through them.

Just like when they call.

Delegate more and you will earn more

Share
Filed Under: Client relations, Law office management Tagged With:

This may help you find more time for marketing (or anything else)

July 26, 2017 by
Share

Many consumer advocates recommend setting up different savings accounts for different purposes. One for an emergency fund, one for travel, one for retirement, one for investment, that sort of thing.

The idea is that separate accounts will keep you from spending too much on one thing to the detriment of others. It’s a variation on the separate “envelope budget” idea where people cash their paycheck and put the cash in different envelopes, to make sure they had enough for rent, groceries, and so on

Anyway, it’s not a bad idea, especially for those on a tight budget.

Well, guess what? We’re all on a tight budget when it comes to time. There are only so many hours in a week and if we “spend” too much time on some things, we might not have enough for others.

Therefore, if you ever say you don’t have time for something you know you should be doing, (like marketing), you might want to set up a “time budget”.

Some experts call it “time blocking”. Basically, you decide in advance how much time you’re going to spend on certain activities and you schedule that time on your calendar.

I’ve been advocating this for years. At the beginning of the month (or week), you block out 15 minutes each weekday at 3 PM (or whatever) for marketing. You then keep that “appointment” with yourself.

But hold on. If you find yourself looking at your calendar and seeing you have scheduled 15 minutes for marketing and you don’t know what to do with that time, you might not do anything. Soon, you start canceling those appointments.

You might want to modify your schedule using the household budget analogy and decide in advance what you will do during your appointments.

On Mondays, you might schedule 15 minutes for writing an email newsletter. Tuesdays might be for making phone calls to introduce yourself to other professionals in your niche. Wednesdays might be dedicated to working on your next report, book, or presentation.

You get the idea.

By setting up your “time budget” in advance–what you will do and when–you won’t have to think about what to do at the appointed time, you’ll just do it.

Especially recommended for those who say they don’t have time for marketing.

Leverage is the key to earning more and working less

Share
Filed Under: Productivity, Time Management

We’ve got trouble. Right here in River City

July 25, 2017 by
Share

According to the Wall Steet Journal, there’s a lot less suing going on these days. “Fewer than two in 1,000 people. . . filed tort lawsuits in 2015,” down significantly from 20 years ago.

Why? You know the drill: higher costs, caps on damages, changing jury sentiment against “frivolous” claims, carriers taking a hard line, and the list goes on.

Alternative legal services (paralegals, mediation document prep services, legal plans, etc.) and self-help measures are also thinning the herd. The latest? You can now use a chatbot to get answers to a variety of legal questions and help (advice, sample letters) in fighting parking tickets.

On top of this, more firms offer “low cost” legal services, educating the public to not pay “retail”.

Should we panic? Yes. If panicking is what you need to do to wake up and smell the coffee. Otherwise, no. There may be less business overall, but there is (and always will be) more than enough for you.

But you may need to make some changes. It’s not your father’s profession anymore.

  • Consider changing practice areas. If you handle tort litigation, consider refocusing on business litigation. Or at least adding this to your menu of services. Also consider “emerging” practice areas like “Drone Law”. (I mentioned this the other day, not realizing it’s not “coming” it’s already here, according to the email I got later in the day offering a CLE class on the subject.)
  • Don’t expand your practice areas in order to compete with multi-practice-area firms, in fact, don’t compete at all. Specialize. Be the best you can be in fewer practice areas. Clients prefer specialists, remember?
  • Target the high end of the market and charge higher fees to clients who are willing and able to pay them. Of course you’ll also need to up your game and offer more value and premium services.
  • Target niche markets and dominate them. Become the best known and most highly regarded lawyer or firm in smaller markets. Leverage word of mouth and “influencer” marketing and take the lion’s share of the business.
  • Make marketing an even bigger priority. Pick a handful of strategies and get good at them.

On the latter point, you’re in luck. Many lawyers still don’t get it. Some don’t believe they need to do any marketing at all. You should find them easy to beat. But don’t get complacent. There’s a new crop of young attorneys coming up who do understand the need for and power of marketing, and they’re eager to take business from you.

But don’t get complacent. There’s a new crop of young attorneys coming up who do understand the need for marketing and they’re eager to take business from you.

So basically, do what you should have been doing all along. Narrow your focus, develop your skills, offer more value, and hustle.

There’s plenty of work out there. Go get it.

Good marketing comes down to getting good at the fundamentals

Share
Filed Under: Legal industry, Marketing legal services Tagged With: ,

Who says you have to charge all clients the same fees?

July 24, 2017 by
Share

I’ve had penthouse offices on Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. I’ve also had storefront offices in not-so-nice parts of town. I charged different fees at each office for the same services.

And why not? Why not charge more at the office with higher overhead and nicer furniture? Why not charge what the market will bear?

What about clients in the same office? Can you charge some clients more than others?

Of course.

If a client gives you a ton of work, why shouldn’t you give them a break? If you provide elite services to some clients who are willing to pay a higher fee, why shouldn’t you?

Insurance defense firms and firms that handle subrogation and collection charge less per matter because of the volume of business they get, less than they would charge if you walked in with a single case.

Living trust mills hire outside lawyers to do the legal work. The lawyers earn less per client than they charge their regular “retail” clients.

By the way, you could do something similar no matter what your practice area. Joint venture with an attorney in a lower-end part of town who doesn’t provide the services you do. He brings in the clients, you do the work, and maintain your other office where you charge higher fees.

(Verily, make sure your bar is okay with this, yada, yada.)

Anyway, people pay different fees for the same goods and services every day. Ever buy a hot dog at the ball park?

Clients will pay different fees, too, because they’re willing to pay for convenience or prestige, or because they like and trust you and don’t want to go anywhere else.

How could you charge more (or less) for your services?

More ideas for joint ventures with other lawyers

Share
Filed Under: Attorneys fees Tagged With:

Why you might want to take your grandma to lunch

July 21, 2017 by
Share

Let’s rap about this niche market thing I’m always talking about.

Suppose you’ve looked at a niche market but rejected it because it looks like it’s not lucrative. Let’s use the “senior” market as an example.

Most people consider the senior market to be “price sensitive,” given the preponderance of fixed incomes in that market. If you want to find the best deals on dinner, go where the seniors go. If you want to charge premium fees for your services, seniors aren’t the first demo you think of.

You might want to think again.

Not all seniors live on a fixed income. Many have investments and real property, some have retired from running businesses but still draw an income, some are still running their business, and some are quite wealthy.

These folks may identify as seniors but lack of money isn’t an issue.

Okay, what about a lack of need? Most seniors aren’t as active as they once were, most have already taken care of their estate planning needs, and many have long standing relationships with attorneys and don’t really need you.

Many, but not all.

What if you could identify well-off seniors with unmet legal needs? A niche market within a niche market.

You could own that market.

Seniors get divorced. They get into car accidents. They even commit crimes.

They have tax issues, real estate issues, investment issues, business issues. And more than a few have not yet taken care of their estate planning needs because, you know, 70 is the new 50.

And even if they don’t need you. . .they know a lot of people. They have a lifetime of contacts: family, former co-workers and employees, professionals they have hired, and centers of influence in your niche market and community.

They can send you referrals and they can introduce you to prospective clients and referral sources.

In other words, even if they don’t hire you, their contacts can be very profitable for you.

I’m not trying to get you to choose the (wealthy) senior market as a niche necessarily. I’m simply trying to get you to think outside the box about what makes a viable niche market.

Okay, that’s it for me. I’m off to an early lunch and some networking. I hear Denny’s has a great senior special.

Need help choosing a niche market? Here you go

Share
Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: ,

What’s wrong with this picture?

July 20, 2017 by
Share

Yesterday, my wife and I were speaking about some legal work we had done a few years ago. We had a question, the answer to which might lead to more work for our attorney. Unfortunately, we couldn’t remember his name.

We got lucky and found the old file and my wife called him.

He answered the phone himself. My wife explained the situation and asked the question. She said he didn’t remember us but he was very pleasant and helpful. He answered her question by telling her what we could do to handle our issue that would not entail additional legal work.

Nice.

Now, what’s wrong with this picture? What’s wrong is that we didn’t remember his name.

We didn’t remember because after he did the work for us, we never heard from him again.

Not a card, not an email, nothing.

If we hadn’t found the file, we might have called another attorney.

What if we did need additional legal work? What if we had a referral?

Some other attorney would get the work.

So, for the 298,304th time, do yourself a favor: stay in touch with your clients.

The simplest way to stay in touch is an email newsletter

Share
Filed Under: Client relations, Marketing legal services

I would if I could but I can’t so I won’t

July 19, 2017 by
Share

It looks like self-driving vehicles are here to stay. As this new industry grows, a lot of people will make a fortune.

Wouldn’t it be great to get some of that action?

Maybe you can.

Maybe you can target your legal services towards companies in the supply chain. Help them grow, comply with new regulations, protect their IP, make deals. Maybe you could focus on torts, representing manufacturers or consumers. Or maybe you can work the legislative side of things, representing associations, consumer groups, lobbyists, or municipalities.

How could you leverage your current skills, experience, and contacts to get a foot in this gigantic door? What new practice areas could you take on? What new skills could you learn?

Study the industry. Read everything. Become an expert on the legal issues. Go to industry events. Spend time with experts, entrepreneurs, consultants, and other professionals.

Ask lots of questions. Look for problems that need solving. Look at what others are doing and see if you can do the same.

If you find a way to participate, go for it. In two years or ten, you could be a major player in this new industry, or your research could lead you to other opportunities.

If you can’t see a way to leverage this trend–let it go.

You tried, it wasn’t there for you. Go find something else to get excited about. Maybe “drone law” is a thing.

Unless you can’t let it go.

If you are enamored with the self-driving wave, if you love reading about it and watching videos and talking to people, if you want to be the first kid on your block to drive, uh, own a self-driving vehicle, stick with it.

You may never find a way to marry your interest with your law practice but it’s nice to have a hobby that fulfills you. A happy hobbyist makes a happy lawyer.

At least that’s what I tell myself.

How to find and approach new referral sources

Share
Filed Under: Increase your income
« Previous Page
Next Page »