David M. Ward, Author at The Attorney Marketing Center

Promote a local organization or event, not your law firm

July 17, 2014 by David M. Ward

Me me me. Look at me. Call me. Hire me. I’m good. I’m really good. Hire me. Tell others about me. Like me. Share me. Love me.

Uh, no. Well, maybe. But listening to you prattle on about yourself is such a turn off. I don’t know if I want to have anything to do with someone who is so self involved.

When your marketing message is all anyone hears from you, it can become tiresome. People tune out. They label you as just another self-promoter. Nothing special here.

Talk about something else. At least once in awhile.

Perhaps you are involved with a local charitable organization that’s doing good things. Wow, you’re helping them? That’s very cool. Tell me more.

Get involved in your community. Organize an athletic event for children at your local park. Volunteer for your local blood drive. Join a committee. Get involved in a fund raiser.

And promote that, not your services.

You’ll get people listening when you speak. At some point they’ll say, by the way, what do you do?

You’ll meet other centers of influence in the community. They’ll also ask, what do you do?

You’ll have a good reason to reach out to other professionals and business owners and ask them to help. Can they donate, can they volunteer, can they mention the event on their website? Yep, what do you do?

Find something going on locally that you believe in and offer your help. Promote a local organization. Start an event. Pass out fliers, promote it in your newsletter, mention it when you speak.

You can do well by doing good.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: charitable work, local community, volunteering

Lawyer networking and the 80/20 rule

July 16, 2014 by David M. Ward

Lawyer networking–is it a good use of your time?

Some say that formal networking (the way most people do it) is a low yield activity. They say that the people you meet at chamber of commerce and other formal networking events are unlikely to have much business to give you. They are networking because they need business. The ones who have plenty of business, and thus plenty of referrals to give you, are not at the events, they’re at the office helping their clients.

I’m not sure I’m willing to accept this as a universal truth, but let’s say it was true. If you’re thinking about networking as a means to grow your practice, does this mean you should reconsider?

No. It means you need to approach networking with a different agenda.

One way to do this is to forgo meeting most of the attendees at these events and instead focus on meeting the organizers and speakers. These people know the people at the events, and many more who aren’t. They can steer you towards prospective clients and other professionals who might be a good match.

Meeting these centers of influence allows you to leverage your time. You will have to work just as hard to build a relationship with them as you would with anyone else, but if you are successful, that relationship could yield far more results than a relationship with someone who is just starting out.

On the other hand, networking with people on their way up can also be a good thing. They may not have much business to give you right now, but if you stick with them while they grow and become successful, they could become good clients or referral sources.

Spend 80% of your networking time courting high-value connectors and centers of influence. Note that these people are probably sought after by others who want to know them and may also have attorneys to whom they are already committed. These people may be a tougher nut to crack, but if you are successful, they could open many doors for you.

SpendÂ 20% of your networking time building relationships with people who can’t do much for you now, but might someday. They may be small potatoes, but in a few years, they may be so busy, you’ll never have a chance to meet them.

The Attorney Marketing Formula helps you create a plan for marketing your practice

Filed Under: Leverage, Networking, Productivity, Time Management Tagged With: 80/20 principle, 80/20 rule

The Better Business Bureau for lawyers: what are the benefits?

July 14, 2014 by David M. Ward

What are the benefits of the Better Business Bureau for lawyers? More than anything: trust. Being able to say that you are a member in good standing of the BBB tells clients and prospective clients (and those who might refer them) that you are one of the good guys.

Being accredited by the BBB allows you to post their badge on your website and in your office, and use it in your advertising. If that makes even one prospective client choose you instead of another attorney, it will be well worth it.

To prospective clients, lawyers’ ads and websites all look pretty much the same. Clients look for anything that can distinguish you from your competition in even the smallest way. BBB membership could be just the thing that tips the balance in your favor.

Being a member also gives you verisimilitude when you talk and write about the subject of trust. As a member of the BBB, you are holding yourself accountable by aligning yourself with an organization that encourages feedback from the public.

The BBB doesn’t rate you in the same way that Martindale or AVVO might. An A+ rating from the BBB is easier to achieve than A-V, however, and more people are familiar with the BBB.

There are additional benefits to belonging, as this articleÂ points out. I wouldn’t count on getting any business through the directory or through these other methods, but you certainly might.

In a world that increasingly distrusts lawyers, anything you can do to foster trust is a good thing. Take a look at what your local BBBÂ has to offer.

For more ways to build trust, get this

Filed Under: Image, Law office management, Marketing legal services Tagged With: BBB, Better Business Bureau, building trust

Getting new clients with just one click

July 11, 2014 by David M. Ward

Yesterday, I announced the publication of my new book. Even though it’s not related to marketing legal services, I sold a small boatload of books. If you bought one, thank you. If you did not see yesterday’s post, you can see the book in the Kindle store here.

I was able to do this because I have an email list. One email, click, and sales.

If you have a list, getting new clients can be just as easy.

Wait, what if you practice criminal defense, personal injury, or consumer bankruptcy, where something has to happen before people hire a lawyer? What good is having a list if the need for your services has passed, or has not yet occurred?

Good question.

Here’s the answer.

Let’s say you have a list of several thousand people who were at one time interested in what you do or something you offered. Your list may include former clients, prospective clients who never hired you, and many others with whom you crossed paths. Â Putting aside the notion that out of thousands of people on any list, there is always somebody who needs your services, let’s look at what else that list can do for you.

Let’s start with referrals. The people on your list know people who need your help. Ask them for referrals. Or ask them to refer people they know to a web page where they can download your free report (and sign up for your list). Or ask them to refer people to your social media channels to follow you. Or ask them to forward your email announcing your new seminar to people they know.

You may not get “instant clients” this way, but on the other hand, you might. You will also get your name and information in front of a bunch of people who might need your help some day, or know someone who does.

Use your list to grow your list and use your list to grow your practice.

What else?

What if instead of promoting your own services or offering, you promoted someone else’s? Your former bankruptcy clients may not need you today, but they may need the services of an estate planning attorney. Or a financial planner. Or an accountant. Or an immigration attorney. A divorce lawyer. Business lawyer. Real estate agent. Insurance broker.

Find someone with a list and promote their services to your list. Ask them to promote you to theirs.

What else?

What if you write a book and put it up for sale. The book helps people with issues in your practice area. Book sales build your reputation and generate leads and inquiries for your services. You ask your list to buy it and promote it. Their efforts help you sell more books. The books help you sell more services.

Getting new clients is much easier if you have a list. If you don’t, there are other things you can do to bring in business, but you’ll have to do a lot more than click.

To learn how to build a list and what to send it, get this.

Filed Under: List building, Marketing legal services

“Recruit and Grow Rich” ebook just released on Kindle

July 10, 2014 by David M. Ward

How many ways can a lawyer create passive income? I’ll give you a minute. . .

The answer is not many. That’s the conclusion I came to over a decade ago when I was contemplating the concept of retirement. I realized that I would have to save or invest several million dollars to be able to retire and live off the interest or cash flow that those assets produced, and I knew that wasn’t going to happen.

Even if you earn hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, after taxes and expenses, most attorneys aren’t going to arrive at their retirement years with a big bucket of cash or a steady stream of cash flow.

When I admitted this to myself, I knew I had to find a plan b.

I started a network marketing business and began earning passive income. That income grew to over six-figures a year, which provided me with the retirement income I sought but had never achieved in over twenty years of practicing law.

I’ve written a book about it and it’s now available on Kindle.

It’s part “my story” but it is mostly training. It presents the system I’ve used to recruit hundreds of people (mostly lawyers) who wanted the same thing I wanted. It’s called “Recruit and Grow Rich” and it shows you how to work smarter in your network marketing business, instead of merely working harder.

If you have a network marketing business, or you have been thinking about starting one, this book could shave years off of your learning curve, and help you achieve your goals quicker and with less effort.

The first review came in, from an attorney, who said, “This book is an absolute must read for any attorney considering a network marketing opportunity.” He also said, “Building a network organization is counter-intuitive to the way attorneys have been taught to think and act.” He’s right.

Of course you don’t need to be an attorney to benefit from the lessons in this book. So if you know anyone who has a network marketing business, tell them about it.

Here’s the direct link to the book in the kindle store where you can get more information.

NB: You don’t need to own a Kindle device to read Kindle books. Amazon has free appsÂ that allow you to read Kindle books on your computer, tablet or phone.

Filed Under: Increase your income, News Tagged With: network marketing, passive income, retirement

Keep it simple, stupid

July 9, 2014 by David M. Ward

One of the most valuable skills for any lawyer is the ability to make complicated subjects simple and easy to understand.

Simple communicates. Simple persuades. Simple sells.

KISS or “Keep it simple stupid” is a principle that acknowledges that most systems work best if they are simple rather than complicated. Simplicity is a key goal in design, where the concept originated; unnecessary complexity should be avoided.

If your website is filled with complex documents and analyses, you’re not doing your clients or yourself any favors. The same goes for your ads or marketing documents, speeches andÂ articles. Unless you’re writing for other lawyers, and I would argue that even if you are, your number one goal should be to write simply and plainly.

Robert Louis Stevenson, said, “Don’t write merely to be understood. Write so that you cannot possibly be misunderstood.”

When a prospective client comes to your site, or reads your marketing document, they want to be able to quickly understand your message. Make it easy to read and easy to understand. Use lots of white space, short sentences and paragraphs, and bullet points. Use active verbs and vibrant word pictures. Illustrate your points with relevant stories and examples.

But simple doesn’t necessarily mean less.

When someone has a legal problem and goes shopping for an attorney, they want to see lots of information. Choosing an attorney is a serious undertaking. Most people want to make sure they make the right decision.

When I go shopping for a new product on Amazon, I read everything about the product. All the reviews, too. I’m sure you do, too. Why would anyone do less when shopping for an attorney?

An article on Forbes makes the case that because people are bombarded with too much information today, offering more information “isn’t working like it once did”. The author uses Apple as a paradigm of the “less is more” approach to marketing. Their ads are indeed simple, and I have no doubt they are effective. But selling computers isn’t the same as selling legal services.

Apple can get away with less information because people are familiar with their products and what they do. They see them everywhere. Their friends have them, and rave about them. All the cool people in movies and TV have them. Apple has a well-known reputation and doesn’t need to load up their ads or their website with an abundance of information.

Apple also doesn’t have any competition. Yes, there are many other computers available, but there is only one Apple.

Buying a computer is usually not an emergency situation. Hiring an attorney often is.

Buying a computer isn’t intimidating. It’s fun. I don’t think the same could be said for hiring an attorney.

Lawyers need to keep things simple, but don’t confuse simplicity with paucity. When it comes to marketing legal services, “more is more”.

What to put on your website. GoÂ here.

Filed Under: Communication, Marketing legal services, Writing

Getting things done by getting rid of your to do list

July 8, 2014 by David M. Ward

No matter which method of task management we use, the challenge we all face is having a task lists that has become unmanageable.

Right now, I have over 600 “next” items on my list. (I keep everything in Evernote using tags.) That’s too many.

The “Getting Things Done” (GTD) system requires us to go through our lists once a week, to update our priorities for the following week. But my list is too big and it’s been a long time since I have done a weekly review.

Please don’t tell anyone.

The weekly review is what makes the whole system work. When you stop, you no longer have a task management system, you have a library.

How do I fix this?

I’m thinking about doing something drastic.

I’m thinking about starting over. Clean out the list and start a new one.

Yep, get rid of all of my “next” items and start from scratch.

What’s the worst that can happen? I’ll forgot something I haven’t thought about in months? It couldn’t be that important, could it?

Don’t we pretty much know what’s important? Aren’t we already working on what we need to do right now? Don’t we also know what we’ll probably do after that?

And we’re got our calendars for anything with a deadline.

A clean slate sounds like it would be delightful, doesn’t it? After you add back a handful of “next” tasks you remember or that come up this week, your weekly review will be quick and easy. You won’t avoid it. You’ll start getting things done.

But letting go is hard to do for a lawyer. Too many “what ifs”.

So here’s an safer alternative:

Move all of your tasks to a temporary folder or apply a temporary tag. Then, go through everything one time and decide if it should still be on your next list. If so, add it back. You will probably delete a good portion of your list this way.

Of course the danger with this safer method is indecision. We have too many things we are sure we need to do, and we can’t eliminate them.

Being a lawyer can be a royal pain in the arse.

Okay, if you can’t decide, move those tasks to “someday”. Keep your next list lean and mean.

Yes, we’re also supposed to go through our someday list during our weekly review. But if you don’t, if you go through it every six months, or every once in awhile, I won’t tell anyone. Pinkie swear.

See how I use Evernote to manage tasks and projects. Click here.

Filed Under: Productivity, Time Management Tagged With: evernote, evernote-for-lawyers, getting things done, gtd, next list

Send your clients to client school

July 7, 2014 by David M. Ward

Wouldn’t it be great if there was such a thing as client school? A place where clients would learn about the law and procedure, so they would understand what’s going on with their case and not have to ask you so many questions.

They would also get schooled on how to work with you: how to help you do a better job for them, how to contact you, what to send you, what is expected of them, and what to avoid. Client school would teach them about other services you offer and how they can benefit. They could learn about fees and billing, costs and retainers, and everything else a client needs to know.

No client school would be compete without a course on how to provide referrals. Clients would learn why sending you referrals helps them (i.e., it keeps your marketing costs low and you can pass the saving onto them, you don’t have to spend as much time marketing so you can give your clients more attention, etc.) and how it helps the people they refer (i.e., they get high quality help, they don’t have to spend time finding someone, they don’t take a risk of making a bad choice, etc.)

They would then learn what to do to make the referrals, i.e., what to say to their referrals, and/or what to email them or what page to send them to.

Client school would be great, wouldn’t it? Fewer questions, happier clients, more referrals.

So, why not start one?

All you have to do is put all of this information in writing, or record videos, and post everything on your website. You can put some or all of it in a password protected “clients only” area, or make it public so prospective clients can see all that you do for your clients. You can print transcripts and mail these to clients who prefer this, or put everything on DVD’s and give them to every new client.

You could have some of your staff record a video or two. Directions, where to park, office hours, and so on, or more substantive matters. They could do a walking tour of your office, or demonstrate the process for opening a new file. If appropriate, ask some articulate clients to record something.

More ideas? How about quizzes and a diploma for those who take all of the classes? How about things for kids, like legally themed pictures they can print and color, word search, crosswords, and so on?

Start with basic information. Add what you already have: articles, blog posts, recorded webinars or speeches, forms and checklists, reports and ebooks. Then, make a list of other areas you want to cover. Record one or two five minute videos each week. Don’t get fancy. Just talk into your webcam. Or put up a few slides and narrate them.

If you make some or all of this public, every time you do an update, notify your email list and your social media followers.

So, what do you think? Would you give this idea a passing grade?

For more ideas for your website, get this

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Law office management, Online Marketing, Social media marketing

Striking a balance between accessibility and availability

July 3, 2014 by David M. Ward

At one extreme are lawyers who are always available. They give out their cell phone number to everyone, answer their own phone, and respond almost immediately to email. There is no buffer between them and the world.

At the other extreme are lawyers who are hard to reach and hardly ever available. Clients and prospects speak to intermediaries. If they want to speak with the lawyer, they make an appointment and it might be days or weeks before that takes place.

Always being available is neither good posture, nor a good way to value and manage your time. If you are always reachable, people will start to expect it. You don’t make your schedule, others do. Â It doesn’t allow you to focus on the most important people and tasks in front of you. And, if people can’t reach you when they want to, as they have come to expect, you will have disappointed them.

Some lawyers can (and do) successfully maintain the other extreme. They are very difficult to reach and are thus seen as successful and desirable. Not everyone can pick up the phone and speak to Donald Trump whenever they want to. You have to pass through the gauntlet before you get an audience with The Donald.

It takes the right practice area and clientele to pull this off, however, as well as a high degree of confidence. If you are inclined towards this position, do you establish these guidelines first, before you are busy and successful, or do you evolve into this persona when you’ve got the chops to prove it? Tough call.

For most lawyers, it’s probably best to strike a balance between availability and accessibility. Be reasonably accessible but not always available. Don’t give out your cell phone number to everyone, reserve that for your inner circle or perhaps also for your best clients. Don’t make people wait weeks to see you, but don’t tell them they can see you “any time this week”. (Give them a couple of open time slots later in the week.) Don’t ignore messages or turn everything over to intermediaries. Return messages in a reasonably timely manner.

Show people that you are accessible but that you value your time and are busy doing important work. Unless it is an emergency, they need to accommodate your schedule, and they may need to speak to someone else before they can speak to you.

Filed Under: Career satisfaction, Client relations, Image, Law office management, Productivity