David M. Ward, Author at The Attorney Marketing Center

The best way to grow a valuable network

March 23, 2023 by David M. Ward

Every lawyer in private practice wants to develop a network of business contacts, referral sources, and influential business connections. People who can lead them to others and lead others to them.

Ready for some good news?

You don’t have to have a massive network to accomplish that. If they are the right people, you only need 5 or 10.

The right people are those who know have influence with people in your target market and are willing to work with you.

That means they like and trust you and want you to prosper, or believe you can be of value to their clients and contacts.

These people are worth their weight in gold, which is why you only need a few.

Where do you find these folks? Generally, not at formal networking events. The kinds of people you want to meet rarely attend these.

The best way to find influential people and connect with them is to deliberately target them.

That means identifying high quality prospective clients in your target market, or people who sell to or advise them, and creating a plan to meet them.

Sometimes, that can be as simple as contacting them and introducing yourself. But the most effective way to meet them is to talk to your existing network and find out who knows them and will introduce you, or let you use their name.

Where do you start? By identifying twenty or thirty key people in your target market. Make a list, study them, and create a plan to meet them.

What then? What do you do after you meet them? You find out what they need or want and help them get it.

That’s where the work begins.

It may sound daunting, but this is a lot easier than trying to build a network of hundreds of people who aren’t influential or won’t work with you.

Find out the top twenty or thirty people in your target market and focus on them. Because you only need a few.

How to find and meet lawyers and other referral sources in your target market

Filed Under: Networking, Referral sources, Referrals

I quit!

March 21, 2023 by David M. Ward

I start a lot of books, articles, and videos, I never finish. I start a lot of projects and abandon them. I download a lot of apps and delete them in seconds.

I guess you could call me a serial quitter.

If you do, I’ll say ‘thank you’ because quitting is smart. A productive use of our time.

When you try things, you get ideas for other projects that are quicker or easier or a better fit. I get a lot of ideas for content that way.

Trying lots of things helps you confirm that what you’re already doing is “good enough” and you don’t need to spend more time on something new. I do that with apps all the time.

You learn things you can use with the things you currently do. You may find a better way to organize your notes or tasks, for example, by watching videos about other apps or what others do with them.

When you start a project, you learn whether you enjoy working on it, or whether it will succeed. If you don’t try, you may continue thinking about it when you would be better off moving on.

You may start something, like it, but realize that now isn’t the time to do it and put that project on hold for the future, giving you time to plan and collect more information you can use when you’re ready to dive in.

Trying new things can also be a pleasant distraction from your regular work. It may or may not lead to something, but it is a productive use of your time because it might.

In fact, I just read about a productivity expert who makes “quitting” his default. He starts a lot of things with the express intention of not finishing them.

By quitting a lot of things, he has time for the best ideas. Sometimes, he finds them right away. Sometimes, they stick with him after he’s quit, and he goes back to them.

If you’re still not convinced of the value of quitting, think about what would happen if you never quit. You’d be overwhelmed with projects and ideas that eventually go nowhere.

Quit fast and avoid the mess.

Filed Under: Productivity, success

Sorry, I don’t want to live out of my calendar

March 20, 2023 by David M. Ward

Let’s talk about your schedule. The things you put on your calendar, like appointments, conference calls, court appearances, and other time-bound tasks. Things you need to do on a certain day and at a certain time.

Not a lot to say about that. You schedule them so you don’t forget them and you do them.

But what about everything else?

What about things you want to do or need to do at some point, perhaps soon, but not necessarily today or this week? What about routine tasks you need to do to keep the wheels greased and the motor running?

Some people put those on their calendar, too. They schedule time for their morning routine, for example, or block out time during the day to work on a certain project.

Some people schedule everything.

They know what they’re going to do today, tomorrow, this week and next. Sometimes, down to the minute.

This is a great way to get things done, but it’s not for me.

What do I do?

I calendar appointments and meetings, of course, but for everything else, I make lists.

Every day, my task app gives me today’s list (based on what I decided to do during a weekly review). At the top are the “must do” tasks, e.g., appointments, etc., and anything else I need to do that day. What you’re reading right now is one of those things.

Under the must do’s are other things I should do or want to do today, but not necessarily at a specific time. Nor are they “must do’s” so I can do them the next day or in the days to come.

Finally, there are my routine tasks. Things I try to do every day (or week).

It’s a simple list and, other than appointments and must do’s, everything is a suggestion.

Actually, it is a very sensible way of working.

I don’t force myself to do anything “now” (unless it’s a must do). I can do it later.

As long as you do what you need to do, it doesn’t matter when you do it, does it? (If it does matter, it should indeed go on the calendar.)

By the end of the day, I usually finish most of the things on my list. Not everything, but that’s okay. Tomorrow or next week are okay.

If you want to try this, here are some guidelines:

Make your list for tomorrow the night before, after you’ve looked at tomorrow’s calendar.
Keep this list short. A few things, not everything.
Keep a second list of things you want to do this week (or so). Keep this short, too.
If you finish today’s list and have time and energy to do more, look at “this week” and choose something else.
Keep additional lists for daily, weekly, and monthly routines. Reference these when you make tomorrow’s list or let an app remind you.

Working this way allows me to stay productive without pushing myself to do more than I can do, and flexible enough to keep me getting things done.

But maybe tomorrow.

Filed Under: Productivity

Have fun with this

March 17, 2023 by David M. Ward

If marketing was fun, would you do it more? Get better at it? Get better results?

No doubt.

So, how can you make it fun?

First, by believing that it can be fun. Not drudgery, something you enjoy and are good at. Because if you don’t believe that this is possible, you’re always going to have a rough time.

And then, you draw a line in the sand and do only those things you like doing and delegate or outsource or ignore everything else.

You don’t have to do paid advertising or social media. Not one bit. You don’t have to go to formal networking events and talk to strangers. You don’t have to get on stage or in front of a camera and do presentations.

Unless you want to.

Do what you enjoy or find a way to make what you do enjoyable.

Yeah, but what if I don’t like any of it? Not. One. Stickin. Bit?

Really? You don’t enjoy doing good work for your clients and treating them with kindness?

That’s marketing. The best kind there is.

You don’t like staying in touch with the people who put food on your table? That’s marketing, too.

You don’t like providing information about your practice area and your services with people who tell you they want to know?

C’mon now.

Anyway, do yourself a favor and make having fun a priority. “If it’s not fun, I won’t do it” would be a good mantra.

If you don’t want to write a 500-word newsletter every week, write 150 words whenever you feel like it.

No rules. Do what you have time to do and want to do, and don’t worry about anything else.

If it’s not fun, don’t do it.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan

Come with me if you want to live

March 16, 2023 by David M. Ward

You want your clients and contacts to see you as someone they can count on when they are in trouble, need help or information. Legal advice or anything else—business advice, referrals or introductions. Whatever they need, you want them to contact you first, so you can help them or help them find someone who can.

Why would you want to do something that seems so time consuming and may not lead to legal work?

Because it might indeed lead to legal work, but you won’t know that if they don’t contact you.

And while it might not lead directly to legal work, it might provide give you someone you can refer to another lawyer and that lawyer might then reciprocate and send you a referral.

Helping your clients and contacts this way might also lead to goodwill, which eventually leads to legal work, e.g., traffic to your site, growing your list, filling seats at your event, or other things that bring you more leads or business contacts.

And hey, what’s the alternative? People ask for something and you turn them away?

Bad karma. And bad business.

For starters, make sure you tell your clients, prospects, and business contacts to call you about any legal matter, because “I know a lot of lawyers in other practice areas.” (If you don’t, this is your chance to go meet some.)

If you have the ability to refer 5 or 10 clients a month to other attorneys, even if it’s just to get some questions answered, do you think that might bring you some referrals from those attorneys?

If it takes up too much of your time (it won’t), you can stop doing it. But you won’t want to. Because the more you help people, the more people will help you.

Prove me wrong. Try it for 60 days and see what happens.

Once you see good things happening, teach your clients and contacts to call you if they need anything else—an accountant, a real estate or insurance broker, a financial advisor, a vendor or business, or. . . anything.

You want people to call you first because it’s good karma and good for business.

Filed Under: Networking, Referrals

Goals 2.0

March 15, 2023 by David M. Ward

I don’t set goals anymore. I found that I rarely hit them and it was discouraging. My goals were big and exciting, but not always believable. And clearly not achievable.

I lowered my goals to a level I believed was attainable. But they weren’t exciting. “Why bother?”

So I gave up on setting goals. And I’m much happier.

Instead of goals, I focus on a general direction, e.g., the growth of my business, but without a specific target, such as income or profit.

Writer Srinivas Rao says:

“When you set your sights on a target, you limit yourself to one possible future. You’re trying to control and predict something that is out of your control and unpredictable. Choosing a Direction Instead of a Destination opens you up to more than one future. And the future you end up with could be better than what you set your sights on. A direction expands what’s possible in your life. A destination limits it.”

But that’s not the end of the story.

While I no longer set “results-oriented” goals—dollars, outcomes, etc.—I do set “activity goals”. Things I will do to help me move in the direction I want to go.

What do those look like?

How many calls or emails I will send, how many words or pages I will write, how many dollars I will invest, how much time I will spend on a project.

Because these are completely within my control. And can help me achieve results even better than my expectations.

Filed Under: Goal Setting

Speaking of mistakes. . .

March 14, 2023 by David M. Ward

I’m subscribed to an email list and every time this company writes to me, they make the same mistake. They change the name of the “sender”.

One week it’s Mary, the next week Sally and Melinda, people I don’t know. The only way to tell that the email is from the company I know is to open it.

Why make people do that? Why take the chance of confusing people, getting people to delete the email unopened, or sent to spam.

Not good. And completely unnecessary.

If you’re smart, and I know you are, you put your name in the sender field, not your firm’s name, not your administrator’s name, your name—first and last—because the email is from you.

You want people to recognize your name and read your email because it is from you. Even if the subject doesn’t promise a benefit or make them curious.

Even if it’s click-bait-y or goofy like many of mine.

Your email isn’t just a conveyer of information and offers. It is also a means by which to build relationships with people who can hire you or refer you.

Which they will do if they know it is you who is writing to them.

Email Marketing for Attorneys

Filed Under: Email, Newsletters

Quick, grab this headline for your next blog post

March 13, 2023 by David M. Ward

It’s called “fear of loss” and it’s powerful. More powerful than the desire for gain. People want to protect what’s already theirs, their money, for example, and will take action to do that, more than they’re willing to take action to get more of it.

Watch what’s happening in the financial markets right now to see “fear of loss” in action.

So, when you write a blog post or article, do a presentation, run an ad, or create any message to prospective clients, et al., and you can point out what your reader or listener might lose if they DON’T hire you, accept your offer, follow your advice, etc., you would do well to mention that.

Sure, tell people what they can get if they hire you, talk to you, etc. and what they might lose if they don’t.

Which leads to the headline I promised to give you in my headline.

A headline that gets your prospective clients’ attention and motivates them to read your article, which is what a headline is supposed to do.

The headline: 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a [type/specialty] Lawyer

Because anyone who is looking for a lawyer who does what you do, surely doesn’t want to make those mistakes.

You could spice this up with words like “deadly” or “costly” or “exceedingly painful” to amplify the word “mistakes” and give it even more emotional firepower. Depends on your market, the tone of your article, and your style.

But “mistakes” will often be all you need, particularly if your headline is seen by someone who is decidedly afraid of making a mistake.

Once your reader reads your article, they find out what those mistakes are (and how to avoid them). They also learn what could happen if they do nothing.

And their fear of loss motivates them to take the next step, i.e., respond to your call to action.

In your article, make sure you explain why these are mistakes. This gives you the opportunity to show them you know what you’re doing and differentiate yourself from the crowd. You might tell them about one or more of your clients who made that mistake prior to finding and hiring you, and how you helped them out of that mess.

How to use a blog to make your phone ring

Filed Under: Communication, Copywriting

Consider the context

March 10, 2023 by David M. Ward

Every time you send an email, talk to someone, conduct a presentation, or otherwise seek to persuade someone to do something, you can’t deliver your message and expect everyone who hears or reads it to hear the same message.

Because they won’t.

It depends on the context. Your reader or listener’s prior experience, their needs and wants, their perception of you, and other factors make a difference.

Especially the actual words you say and when you say them.

The latter is based on a phenomenon known as “the framing effect” which says that people’s perceptions and decisions are influenced by how and when the information is presented to them.

A product may be more appealing, for example, if the price is framed as a discount rather than the regular price. Your client may see an offer to settle his claim as more acceptable if it is made after a series of lower offers.

Consider the context in which the other person will receive your message. And modify your message to suit that context.

Some people won’t decide without hearing more information. Others might be overwhelmed and shut down if you give them more.

How do you know what to do?

You have to know your client (prospect, opposition, etc.) Which is why it is better to target niche markets.

And you need to pay attention. Because the other person’s response to your message will often tell you everything you need to know.

Filed Under: Communication

Slow down to speed up

March 9, 2023 by David M. Ward

Yesterday, I talked about the advantages of following a non-linear workflow, that is, working when and how your body and brain tell you is right instead of slavishly following the calendar.

Among other things, this means taking breaks when you feel you need them, and not feeling guilty because you’re doing that “too often”.

Taking breaks also gives you the opportunity to evaluate what you’re doing, and how you’re doing it, and make improvements. You’ll be able to see things you might not have seen because you’ve been too busy doing the work.

If you continually run from one project or case to the next one, your practice or business is running you instead of the other way around.

You want to go faster and grow bigger, but you can’t do that if you’re constantly running. You need breaks so you can evaluate what you’re doing, make improvements, or change course.

Maybe you need to do something different on that project, or put it aside in favor of another. Maybe you need to let go of doing everything yourself and get some help so you can free up some time and energy for projects that are more in line with your goals and purpose.

Periodically slow down (or stop). Go through your projects, your cases, your client list, and your plans. Stand down for a day or a week and figure out what you can do better or instead.

When you get back to work, you’ll be able to go faster.

Success isn’t just about doing the work to the best of your ability. It’s also about doing the work that best serves your future. Sometimes, you need to back away and figure out what that means.

Filed Under: Law office management, Productivity, success