4 reasons you should run a contest or drawing

April 17, 2013 by
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You don’t see too many attorneys running contests. That’s one reason why you should. You don’t want to be like every other attorney, do you? I’ll answer for you: no you don’t.

You want to stand out. Be different.

No, a contest or drawing doesn’t demonstrate fundamental differences that prove your superior abilities or experience. But anything you can do to look different in a positive way is a good thing.

Besides, contests are fun and everyone likes to have fun.

Here are four reasons you should consider running a contest or drawing:

  1. It’s news. It gives you a great excuse to connect or reconnect with clients and prospects in a fun and positive way. You could see some repeat business and referrals as a result.
  2. It gets people engaged. They have to do something to enter the drawing or contest. That makes them more likely to do something else you ask them to do, like promoting your webinar or forwarding your new report.
  3. It makes you more likable. People like people who are positive and like to have fun. Attorneys are known for being stodgy and serious. Not you!
  4. Results. If the contest requires participants to Like or Tweet your page, for example, your traffic and email list will grow. But even if Liking or Tweeting isn’t required, many will tell their friends and followers about your contest and encourage them to enter, especially when you tell them to “invite your friends”.

If you’re thinking a contest is unprofessional or inappropriate for your market, think again. There’s always a way to do it in an acceptable (and ethical) way. If you’re still not sure, do a tie in with a charity or cause you support. For example, ask participants to Like or Tweet on behalf of your local dog shelter or blood drive. Or, “anyone who donates $5 or more (send your receipt to me) will get a free (one of your services)”.

The easiest way get started is to use a template. Pay attention to the contests and drawings you encounter online and in your email. You’re bound to find one or two you can adapt to create your own.

Marketing is easy. Start here.

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Filed Under: List building, Marketing legal services, Social media marketing, Web traffic Tagged With:

I know you are but what am I?

April 16, 2013 by
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What do you do when someone posts a negative review on Yelp?

When an unhappy client goes on a rant about what a terrible attorney you are, should you respond? When someone publicly criticizes you, says you’re dumb ass, or greedy, or the Devil’s spawn because you defend child molesters.

What do you do?

Do you defend yourself? Fight back? Send them a horse’s head?

The best thing to do about negative comments is to ignore them. There’s nothing to be gained by getting into a pissing match. Even stupid people are entitled to their opinion.

You’re not going to change the mind of the opinion holder, and if you try to explain or defend yourself in public, you’ll only make yourself look worse.

If the negative comment is on your blog or on your Facebook wall, you should respond. It would look weird if you didn’t. But don’t respond in kind, just point out the facts. Your friends and followers will probably come to your defense and neutralize the negative comment, maybe even smother it.

But if someone posts a negative review about you on Yelp or another public forum, or they give your book a one star review on amazon.com, ignore it.

Let it go. Pour yourself a stiff one.

I see lawyers who are afraid to dive into social media or do anything online because they are afraid of what unhappy clients might say about them.

That’s operating out of fear. Maybe guilt.

Life (and the practice of law) isn’t about the complete avoidance of risk. It’s about the intelligent management of it. If you are alive (or open for business) there will always be risks.

You may have some unhappy clients, and they may share their unhappiness publicly, but. . .

they may not.

Are you going to forgo all of the benefits of being on the Internet because of what one or two Bozos might say about you?

How about all of the other clients who think you’re great? You’re going to get good comments, too.

A lot of people are saying negative things about Dell right now. They get tons of negative reviews. But people still buy their products.

Now if someone is posting untruths about you and not just their opinion, if someone is defaming you, that’s different. You may have to do something. A letter from your lawyer, perhaps. Or a horse’s head.

I say you “may” have to do something because sometimes, it really is better to ignore things like this. Yes, even when they are untrue and causing harm. Life is too short to get all worked up about everything.

Probably the smartest thing to do is to stop reading your reviews. The bad ones will only upset you and the good ones, well, you’re an attorney. You don’t need an even bigger ego.

Marketing for smart attorneys. The Attorney Marketing Formula.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Client loyalty, Image, Online Marketing, Personal development, Social media Tagged With:

Marketing legal services like a trial lawyer: show them the evidence

April 15, 2013 by
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Marketing legal services is like conducting a trial. No matter how charming and eloquent you are, you’re not going to win the case or the client unless you show people the evidence. But you can’t just throw the evidence at them all at once. First, you need to lay a foundation.

If your prospective clients aren’t convinced they need an attorney, for example, you’re probably wasting your time showing them why you are the best choice. Start by educating them about the benefits of hiring an attorney and the risks of doing things yourself, before you show them your bona fides.

The Wall Street Journal’s recent article, When it Helps to Have a Lawyer, references a 25 year study that shows that trademark applicants represented by attorneys are 50% more likely to get their application approved than those who try to do it themselves. Solid evidence in favor of hiring an attorney. The kind of evidence that IP attorneys should be pointing to and writing about.

No matter what your practice area, you should be utilizing studies and surveys and other evidence that proves the need for and value of what you do. Quantify the benefits of hiring an attorney. Show people that doing it themselves is ultimately more expensive, more risky, or less effective. Personal injury attorneys, for example, can point to studies showing that clients tend to net more after legal fees.

SIDE BAR: If you have a choice, it’s almost always better to target prospective clients who already know they need an attorney and are trying to decide which one. You don’t have to convince them to spend money, only why they should spend it on you.

Of course you should also present evidence that shows the client why he should choose you. You probably can’t prove you get higher settlements or verdicts but you can show him you’ve tried more cases or represented more clients than most.

Testimonials are very persuasive (if you are permitted to use them). So are endorsements by other lawyers and centers of influence in your target market or community. Speaking and publishing credits, awards and honors, number of years in practice, prestigious employers (or clients), all serve as credible evidence of your abilities.

If you aren’t already collecting evidence to prove why clients need a lawyer and why they should choose you, start now. Open a file and call it, “Why you should hire me.” Start collecting evidence you can use in your marketing. The next time someone asks, “Why you?” you’ll be ready to show them.

Want more ways to show clients why they should choose you? Get this.

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Filed Under: Closing the sale, Marketing legal services, Presentations, Salesmanship

Pick two: Good. Cheap. Fast.

April 12, 2013 by
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With any task or project, you have to consider the results you want, how long it will take to produce those results, and any costs. You almost always wind up with good outcomes with two of these three factors and not so good with the third.

You can vacation in Italy (good) this weekend (fast) but it won’t be cheap. You can lose weight quickly and cheaply by fasting for a week but it won’t be good (healthy).

If you have a document to prepare you can do it yourself (good, cheap), but if you’re busy, it probably won’t get done quickly. You can hire someone to do it and they might do a good job and do it quickly but it could be expensive. Or, you could hire someone that’s fast and cheap but not very good.

It’s all about choices. Good. Cheap. Fast. Pick two.

So, let’s see how this works with marketing professional services:

  • Blogging: Good, Cheap, (but not Fast)
  • Advertising: Good, Fast, (but not Cheap)
  • Networking: Good, Cheap, (but not Fast)
  • Speaking: Good, Cheap, (but not Fast)
  • Articles: Good, Cheap, (but not Fast)
  • Social media: Good, Cheap, (but not Fast)
  • Cold calling: Good, Cheap, Fast (but not a good idea)

Conclusions? Advertising can produce good results quickly so if you have more time than money and advertising is appropriate for your practice, you might include it in your marketing mix. Everything else is relatively inexpensive but good results usually take time.

Of course if you do it yourself (i.e., networking) you have to consider your time as an expense. It might not cost a lot of dollars, but if it takes up too much time relative to the results, it’s expensive.

Also, “good” is a relative term. You might get good clients from a given activity, but not a lot of them. Or, you might get a lot of clients but if they can’t or won’t pay what you charge, that’s probably not a good result.

It’s funny, the one thing lawyers don’t (can’t, won’t) do, cold calling, can actually produce good results quickly and cheaply. Fortunately, there’s something similar that you can do and it works even better: warm calling.

Call your clients and former clients and say hello. Fast, cheap, good results, almost guaranteed.

Marketing is everything you do to get and keep good clients. Click here for the formula.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan, Productivity, Time Management

Don’t let your reason why become your excuse not to

April 11, 2013 by
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You say that one of the reasons you want to increase your income is to have more free time. Time for family, hobbies, travel, fun.

Those things are important to you but you’re always working and don’t have enough time.

More free time is the “reason why” you want to earn more.

But then I hear you say you don’t have time for marketing. You’re too busy.

Do you see the problem here? You want time (your why) because you don’t have time (always working) so you use the fact that you don’t have time as your excuse for not marketing, even though marketing is what will eventually give you more free time.

It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

You’re letting your reason why become your excuse not to.

“But I have to do the work,” you say. You can’t slow down. It’s a Catch 22.

You could hire someone to do some of the work.

“I can’t afford to hire anyone,” you say.

Okay, now you’re being difficult.

You hire someone so you can work less so you can have more time for marketing so you can earn more so you can have more free time.

Try saying that ten times really fast.

It’s called leverage. Working smart. Treating your practice like a business.

You can’t wait for more free time to appear before you start marketing. You must start marketing to create more free time.

You can make money or you can make excuses, but you can’t make both.

I can teach you how to leverage your time. Click here.

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Filed Under: Increase your income, Personal development, Productivity, Time Management Tagged With:

How do you find out why they didn’t hire you?

April 10, 2013 by
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In yesterday’s post, How often should I call a prospective client? I said you should follow up with a prospective client after a free consultation, but not call them because calling is bad posture. In response, I got an email from an attorney who said, “If you don’t call them how will you find out why they didn’t hire you?”

It’s a good question.

If they don’t call you within a suitable period to give you the go ahead on their case or matter, you can send them a form letter seeking feedback about your office’s “customer service”. Were you well treated, Did we answer all of your questions, that sort of thing. Then, ask if they plan to go ahead with their case or matter and if not, why not. You might provide multiple choice answers for them to tick off, and room for additional comments.

Send this with a cover letter about how you are constantly seeking to improve your services to your clients and you would greatly appreciate it if they would fill out the survey and return it in the envelope provided. You might offer to send them a free report or a $10 Starbuck’s gift card to say thank you.

Anyway, this should give you some feedback on what you’re doing right and what you need to improve. But there’s an even better way to find out why someone doesn’t hire you: ask them while they are still in the office.

 

Before you hand them a retainer agreement and pen, ask if they see the need for your services and how it will help them. If they do, ask if they are ready to get started. (There are other ways to close). If they aren’t ready, politely ask why.

If they need to discuss it with someone, that’s your cue that the next time you set an appointment, you need to find out if you are speaking to the decision maker and if not, make sure they come, too.

If they are reticent to share their reasons, there’s a good chance it’s money: they don’t have it or they think you’re too expensive. If they don’t have it, you can remind them that you take credit cards or have a payment plan. If they think you’re too expensive, you need to do a better job of building the value of what you do before they see you (i.e., on your web site) and during the consultation.

By the way, “I want to think about it,” almost always means they have another objection. Ask them what they want to think about: Is it the need? Is it the fee? Is there something else that’s holding you back?

The best time to get feedback is when they are in the office, feeling a little guilty for turning you down.

Do you have The Attorney Marketing Formula? If you want to get more clients, you should. Click here.

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Filed Under: Attorneys fees, Client relations, Closing the sale, Law office management, Salesmanship

How often should I call a prospective client?

April 9, 2013 by
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A lawyer wants to know, “How often should I call a prospective client after a free consultation or a first phone call?”

The answer is you shouldn’t.

Don’t call. But do follow up.

Don’t call, because calling is bad posture. It makes you look like the pursuer, not the pursued. And that’s true even if you have someone in your office make the call.

You want to attract clients, not chase them. You are a professional. Highly sought after. Booked up.

Let them call you when they’re ready to hire you.

There are exceptions. If the prospect asked you to call. If they called you and you’re returning the call. Or if you are calling to find out if their wife’s surgery went okay.

Otherwise, don’t call.

Follow up by email or regular mail. Send them a thank you note. I enjoyed meeting you, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.

Courtesy, not sales.

Then, put them on your mailing list. Send additional information about their legal issue. Articles and reports. Emails that direct them to relevant content on your website.

But no personal mail or email.

Stay in touch with them and all of your prospects by mail or email. Each time you mail, it reminds them that you still exist and you’re still available to help. You maintain a bit of distance and the correct posture because you’re mailing this information to everyone on your list, not just them.

Information, not sales.

If they came to see you and didn’t hire you, there’s a reason. If they don’t have the money, or they need someone else’s permission, sending information is about all you can do. When they’re ready and able, they’ll call.

If there’s another reason they didn’t hire you, you need to figure out what it is and fix it. Because until you do, no amount of information is going to get them to call.

Get more clients and earn more from the clients you get. Click here.

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Filed Under: Closing the sale, Communication, Email, Image, Marketing legal services

Give up good to go for great

April 8, 2013 by
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You can do anything you want to do in life; you just can’t do everything.

You have free will. You have unlimited choices. But you don’t have unlimited time. So you can do anything, just not everything. You must choose.

As you choose what to do, you also choose what not to do. The word “decide” means to “kill the other option”. When you chose to go to law school, you also chose not to go to medical school.

If you want to accomplish great things, you must focus on great things and let go of things that are merely good. Give up good to go for great.

What is important to you? Family. Faith. Career. Community. It’s probably not a long list. What’s important to you is where you will find your greatness. Get those things right and you’ll have a happy and fulfilling life.

—

Quick note: Today is the last day to get Cash Flow for Attorneys and The Quantum Leap Marketing System (at 50% off). I’ll be taking down these two products tonight and they will no longer be available.

Get the details here.

Is marketing important to you? It should be. Here’s a good place to start.

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Filed Under: Personal development, success

Why clients stay with a bad attorney

April 5, 2013 by
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Ever wonder why clients stay with a bad attorney? Because human beings are creatures of habit. They’ll stay with the same dry cleaner, mechanic, or attorney, even if they aren’t thrilled with the service, because it’s too much work to find a new one. Plus, the next one might be even worse.

So things might be bad but until they get bad enough, they stay.

But sometimes it doesn’t take much to go from bad to bad enough. How many clients are just one unreturned phone call away from leaving?

How about your clients? You may think everything is fine but is it?

You need to know.

Survey your clients. Take a poll. Talk to them privately. Do whatever you have to do to find out how they really feel because if your clients don’t love you, you will never be able to build the kind of practice I’m sure you want.

But here’s the thing. Other lawyers’ clients are staying with them because things aren’t bad enough. That’s an opportunity for you.

No, don’t go courting other lawyers’ clients. There’s someone at your state bar with a stick up his ass who’s just waiting for you to do that.

What you can do is write and talk about how important your clients are to you. How you bend over backwards to keep them happy. And how any attorney who doesn’t do the same just doesn’t get it.

Post articles on your web site. Do a video. Develop a talk.

Become an advocate for treating clients with respect and kindness and appreciation. If you do, it won’t be long before you are approached by clients whose lawyers didn’t get it.

Marketing is simple. If you know The Formula.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations

Why you should get a marketing partner

April 4, 2013 by
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You may not want a law partner but you should definitely have a marketing partner.

Seriously.

It will mean more traffic to your website. More sign ups for your newsletter. And more new clients.

Maybe a ho lotta new clients.

So, this is how it works. You find another attorney, or any other professional who targets the same market you do. It could also be a business owner.

It should be someone who does good work (or sells good products). Someone you would recommend to your clients and contacts if they needed those services or products.

You call them, and ask them if they want to be your marketing partner.

They say yes. Sounds like a plan.

And then. . .

You promote him and he promotes you.

You tell everyone on your list and on social media about how great your partner is. You tell everyone to go visit his website and see all of his great content and sign up for his list.

Your partner does the same thing for you.

You both get traffic. And sign ups. And clients.

Of course your web site should have great content. And a mechanism for signing up visitors on an email list. So if you don’t have these things, you might want to do that first.

And then go get you a marketing partner.

But don’t stop there. Go get another marketing partner. Get as many as you can. Because more is better.

And then, you can talk to your marketing partners about doing more things together to promote each other. Like webinars or teleconferences. Or writing articles for each other’s newsletter or blog.

This is easy. And smart. And very highly leveraged.

It’s called a strategic marketing alliance. Or joint venture. Or cross promotion. And it is one of the best ways for any lawyer to build their practice.

Start making a list. Who do you know who is good at what they do, has a decent website and an email list? Then make some calls.

The Attorney Marketing Formula teaches you more ways to leverage other people’s lists. Click here to get your copy.

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Filed Under: Leverage, List building, Marketing legal services, Online Marketing, Relationship marketing Tagged With: ,
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