David M. Ward, Author at The Attorney Marketing Center

The best way to get prospective clients to find you

September 12, 2023 by David M. Ward

The best way to get prospective clients to find you is to get them to find YOU (not your blog or content, not “a lawyer or law firm” that does what you do—YOU.

By name.

Because if they search for a lawyer who does what you do, or content offered by lawyers who do what you do, they’ll wade through countless pages of content from your competitors and may or may not find your ad or article or listing. And you’ll pay a fortune to even be in the running.

But if they search for you by name, they’ll find you. And it might not cost you a dime.

Brand yourself. Your name. Your story. That’s what you want prospective clients and the people who can refer them to think about when they need help.

Yes, you should also create content that can capture their attention (if they happen to see it) but the best way to use this is to show it to people after they find you.

Get people to notice and remember your name and what you do. Then, when someone needs the kind of help you provide, they’ll go looking for you—the lawyer whose name they’ve been hearing about.

Do this and whether or not you advertise, your marketing will be much more effective. And profitable.

How do you do it? By doing things worth talking about. And by making sure your existing network knows about them because they will tell others.

Do something different. Something other lawyers aren’t doing or aren’t talking about.

Do something bigger. Something that provides more value or benefits. Or something newsworthy.

Do something that promotes a cause that is important to the people in your target market, or align yourself with people who do that. Sing their praises, recognize their accomplishments, and let the world hear your name when their name (and cause) is mentioned.

Lawyer, promote thyself. That should be the mantra underlying all of your marketing.

Filed Under: Image, Marketing legal services Tagged With: Branding

A simple marketing and management checklist

September 11, 2023 by David M. Ward

There are a lot of things you can do to increase the gross and net income in your practice. This checklist can help you identify strategies that might be a good fit for you to use or improve:

MORE CLIENTS

Client relations
Referrals
Following-up/Staying in touch
Networking
Advertising/Lead Generation
Public Speaking/Seminars
Public Relations
Content Marketing (Blogs, Articles, Books, Audios, Videos, Podcasts)
Event Marketing
Social Media Marketing

MORE OFTEN

Stay in touch (clients, prospects, business contacts)
Repeat Services/Updates/Maintenance
Other services (Yours, Partners’, JVs)

INCREASE FEES

Higher Rates
Bigger Cases/Clients
Upsells
Addons
Bundling/Packaging
Sell Value, Not Time

REDUCE COSTS

Better Employees/Vendors
Better Training
Outsourcing
Parnters/JVs
Systems
Personal/Professional Development
New Skills
Better Tools/Equipment

Which of these strategies do you currently use? Which need improving or expanding? Which should you let go of or downsize to make room for something else? Which seems like a good fit for you and is worth starting or exploring?

Filed Under: Increase your income, Law office management, Marketing legal services

How to make the right decision

September 8, 2023 by David M. Ward

Yes or no? This or that? Now or later? How do you figure out what to do?

Yeah, it depends.

What’s at stake? What’s important to you? Are you trying to solve a problem or achieve a goal?

And, what else is on your plate right now?

Here are some options to help you decide:

Trust your gut. Your first impulse is often the right one.
Research. Read, talk to people, see what others have done and how it worked out, and see what they advise for you
Think on paper. Brainstorm ideas, write down what you know, what you want, what you could do, the risks and the rewards. Writing fosters clarity and focus.
Do a little. Start, see what happens, and how you feel about it. Do you like what you see? Did you learn something? Get other ideas?
Give it time. Get away from the idea and let your subconscious mind work on it. And then, trust your gut.

Any one of these could help you decide. Try one or try them all. And, if you don’t know which one to try first, I suggest the last one: give it time.

Because you may already know the right answer and just need time to give yourself permission to do it.

Filed Under: Personal development, success Tagged With: decision making

Do more of what works?

September 7, 2023 by David M. Ward

Yesterday, I quoted Peter Drucker’s comment about the “aim of marketing” and shared my thoughts. Today, I want to chew on another quote from the man which you will surely recognize. It begins:

“Do more of what works. . .”

That sounds like good advice, but how do we know when something works?

If we get desirable results, we have to say it’s working, but what if we could get better results doing something else?

Or doing the same thing, but differently?

We might dramatically improve our results by changing our words, our process, our timing, or by involving different people. In which case, continuing to do what’s working might not be best.

We should always look for ways to make what’s working work better.

Hold on. What does “better” mean?

In the context of marketing, better might mean bringing in more clients, but it might instead mean bringing in clients who have more work for us, bigger cases, or work that is more profitable.

“Better” could also mean “easier”. Or more enjoyable. Or more consistent with our values and long-term goals.

Okay, we get the idea. Don’t stop doing something that produces desirable results unless you find something better and always look for something better.

But we can’t ignore the second half of Drucker’s quote, “…and quickly abandon what doesn’t (work)”.

What does this mean?

No results? Poor results, compared to what? Results that require too much time and effort, i.e., aren’t worth it?

And, if we determine that something doesn’t work, should we completely (and quickly) abandon it? Doesn’t it make sense to see if we can fix it?

So many questions.

The full quote, “Do more of what works and quickly abandon what doesn’t” is easy to understand and remember. It isn’t bad advice, just incomplete.

But it’s a great place to start.

Filed Under: Productivity, success

The aim of marketing

September 6, 2023 by David M. Ward

Peter Drucker said, “The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous”.

Sounds good, but what does it mean?

It means giving prospective clients enough information to convince them they need an attorney and why they should choose you.

It means creating websites and marketing documents that speak to the prospective client’s needs and wants, and the solutions and benefits you deliver.

It means collecting and sharing testimonials, reviews, success stories, and endorsements attesting to your abilities, results, and what it is like to work with you.

It means creating answers to frequently asked questions so prospective clients don’t have to ask you those questions.

It means setting up simple methods for following up with prospective clients who have contacted you, offering them additional information, inviting them to ask you about the specifics of their case or matter, and making it easy for them to do that.

And it means establishing systems that help prospective clients and the people who can refer them find you.

If you do it right, prospective clients are pre-sold on hiring you. The only thing left to do is to make the arrangements.

Well, almost. There’s more. Marketing is everything we do to get and keep good clients.

Big things and small things. Things we do once and things we do repeatedly. Things we do to get the client to sign up, things we do to get them to pay us, and things we do to get them to come back (and bring others).

And while “selling” is an essential component, when you do things right, your clients do most of it for you.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services

Leverage what you’ve got to get what you want

September 5, 2023 by David M. Ward

You have a network—your clients, prospects, colleagues, friends, business contacts—and everyone in that network is a conduit to growing your practice. Your clients can send you referrals, your business contacts can introduce you to their counterparts, your social media friends and followers can tell their friends and followers about you and direct them to your site or offer.

All you have to do is ask.

Want to grow your email list? Ask your subscribers to forward your email to people they know who might be interested in your newsletter or report.

Want to get get more sign-ups for your webinar or presentation? Tell the ones who have already signed up you want to get more people to attend and ask them to help by getting the word out.

Don’t hesitate to ask. People are willing to help.

When you sign up a new client, give them extra business cards to give to people they know who might need your help. Yes, that’s asking.

If you want to get interviewed on more podcasts, email your list and say, “I’m looking to get on more podcasts about (your subject). Do you know any podcasts that might like a guest on this topic?”

After you are interviewed—on a podcast, blog, or other outlet—ask the producer or host if they can recommend other podcasts, blogs, or meeting holders that might be interested in a guest or speaker on your subject.

Everyone you know (and meet) knows other people who need or want what you offer. Get in the habit of asking everyone to refer or recommend you or your offer and you will never run out of opportunities to get more clients and grow your practice.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Referrals Tagged With: Leverage

Keeping your powder dry

September 1, 2023 by David M. Ward

What do you do when someone won’t call you back? I had an adjuster write to me on a case and ask me to contact him to set up a time to talk, ostensibly about settlement.

I called. I emailed. Called and emailed again. No response.

The statute was coming up soon but this was a small case, not worth filing on unless there is no other choice.

What do you do?

You could keep trying. More calls and letters and emails, increasingly urgent and sterner, maybe threatening, or maybe using some humor. That’s what most lawyers do most of the time, and it works most of the time.

Another option is to go around the adjuster.

Call their supervisor and ask if the claim has been re-assigned, “because I can’t seem to get ahold of him and I’m going to have to file soon”.

The supervisor looks at the file, see’s it’s ripe for settlement, rattles the adjuster’s cage, and you get a call.

That woks. But sometimes it pisses off the adjuster (and his supervisors) and since you will have to deal with one or both of them on other cases, maybe it’s better to use the “idea” of talking to the supervisor to wake up the adjuster.

Leave another message for the adjuster and ask if they’re still handling the claim. Tell them you’re concerned they might not be getting your messages, or they’re ill, (and you’ll have to file soon).

And then you say if you don’t hear from them, you’ll contact their supervisor to find out.

Not in a threatening way but in a way that suggests, “this is a problem for both of us, let’s work together to resolve it”.

You know they don’t want you to call their supervisor. It makes them look bad. They also don’t want to force you to file because it makes more work for them (and they look bad). So they call.

By positioning the issue as a mutual problem, you increase the odds of getting a mutual solution.

You can always play hardball. But maybe it’s best to save that for another case.

Filed Under: Law office management Tagged With: Negotiaton

Yes, it is all about you

August 31, 2023 by David M. Ward

People connect with people, not businesses or law firms. Your clients may like your partners or employees and think highly of your firm’s reputation, but they hire and refer you.

That’s true of consumer and business clients alike.

When they have a friend or business contact with a legal situation or question, your clients tell them about YOU, not your firm.

They hand them your card. Tell them about their experience with you, the lawyer they know, like, and trust, and say, “Call my lawyer” — not, “Call me firm”.

They promote your brand. You should too.

Tweet (or whatever it’s called today) in your name, or at least create a handle that includes a version of your name, NOT your firm.

Promote your speaking events, even if your firm is conducting the event. Write articles and keep a blog with your byline, not the faceless entity you call your employer (even if it’s your firm).

When you are introduced, people should hear about you, your capabilities and your accomplishments. And hear something personal about you.

Because you are the one people will talk to, connect with, hire and refer.

It’s all about you, you stud.

You may work for the biggest and best firm in town, and that’s worth mentioning. But you are the main attraction, no matter how wet behind the ears you may be.

It’s your career. Your name and reputation. They are your clients. And you are their attorney.

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Image, Law office management, Marketing legal services

Do you care about your clients?

August 30, 2023 by David M. Ward

I see a doctor who is well regarded in her field, technically skilled (at least as far as I can tell) but severely lacking in bedside manner. She tells me what to do but doesn’t explain why or solicit questions. If I ask, she’ll answer but oh-so-briefly and (it seems) begrudgingly.

She makes me feel like she doesn’t care about me. Like I’m just a billing code to tick off on her way to her next patient.

I get that she has to see so many patients a day and doesn’t have time to chat. But that’s part of the job.

It wouldn’t take much. Asking how I’m doing (besides medically), telling me she’s happy when I tell her I’m doing better, an occasional smile or light moment, or even mentioning the crazy heat we’ve been having—you know, the kinds of things humans do when they want other people to feel like you give a fig.

Why don’t I leave? Because I’m a big boy and can take it, and because it would be inconvenient to have to find someone new, especially since I’m almost done with my treatment.

But I do think about it. A lot.

So, I stay. But would I return? Recommend her? Probably not. And if I was writing a review, I’d write what I just told you.

I know she may be under a lot of pressure and may have problems of her own. It doesn’t matter. Patient care is a crucial part of her job.

She may actually care about her patients. But unless she makes them (us) feel like she does, she’s not doing her job. Or doing herself any good.

Lawyers have the same challenge, of course. Making the people we serve feel like we care about them.

So simple. And some of the most effective marketing a professional can do.

Here’s the formula

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations

If you don’t like networking, do this

August 29, 2023 by David M. Ward

When I was fresh out of law school, I tried networking because I thought I should meet new people, acquire some new skills, and (I hoped) bring in some business.

I hated it.

Going out at night and talking to strangers, playing the “tell me about yourself” game, was (for me) unpleasant in the extreme. I did meet people and eventually signed up.a few clients (most of whom were broke), but it was a good experience, primarily because it forced me to find other ways to bring in business.

If you’re brand new, do it and find out for yourself. If you’re not knew and you don’t like networking, or aren’t good at it, stop doing it. Why punish yourself?

There’s something easier (and more fruitful) you can do.

Instead of trying to meet new people, simply re-connect with people you already know. Not your regular contacts—people who used to be regular contacts that you’ve lost touch with.

No doubt you know many people you haven’t spoken to in a while. Make a list. Clients, prospects, business contacts of all types. It’s probably a long list. These are people who once hired you, referred you, or introduced you to others, or were at least open to doing these things.

They might be open to doing them now.

They are certainly more likely to do that than strangers you meet at a networking event. Because they know you and remember you. You don’t have to play the “tell me about yourself” game. Just contact them, say hello, and see what they’re doing.

Your so-called “weak” or “dormant” ties represent a big opportunity to bring in business and opportunities because you have “history”. When you connect with them, mention something you recall about them, their case, their business, or a mutual contact. Or thank them for how they helped you (or your clients) in the past and how you appreciate their help and friendship.

And then, find out what you can do to help them.

Traditional networking ends to be about “chasing” people and opportunities. Re-connecting with people from your past is about sharing that past with people from it.

It’s easier to re-kindle a fire that has died down than to start one with dry wood.

Filed Under: Networking