David M. Ward, Author at The Attorney Marketing Center

What to do about a 1-star review

February 8, 2023 by David M. Ward

Ugh, bad reviews. You don’t want to think about them, you just wish they would go away. But they don’t go away, you have to do something about them.

There’s too much at stake if you don’t.

Don’t do what one lawyer did. When a client accused him of scamming her, sued him, and posted a scathing 1-star review, the lawyer threated to sue her for defamation if she didn’t remove it.

In response, the client updated her review and noted the threat. That’s when all hell broke loose.

Her review was repeatedly upvoted and went viral. The lawyer started getting “random 1-star reviews harassing him from everywhere” and, according to the client, the lawyer became “a laughing stock”.

Note to self: don’t become a laughing stock. It’s bad for business.

So, what is the best way to handle a bad review?

Right, do your job and do it well so clients write 5-star reviews.

Still, bad reviews happen, and when they do, you shouldn’t ignore them.

It’s not like someone left a bad review on your book. You have (had) a relationship with the client, and not only is that worth saving, your history with them potentially makes that easier to do.

You know the case, the client, and what buttons shouldn’t be pushed.

But you can’t write or email the client, you have to talk to them.

That might lead to shouting or more unpleasantness, and it might make things worse, but you have to try.

That means you have to apologize.

Even if you don’t think you did anything wrong. Even if the client is being unreasonable. Even if you really don’t want them back.

Find something to apologize for because you’re not going to get anywhere if you don’t.

Maybe you didn’t explain things as well as you could. Maybe you read the wrong signals or made assumptions you shouldn’t have made. Or maybe you allowed your other work or a personal situation to distract you.

Don’t make excuses. Take the blame, say you’re sorry and fix it. Even if hurts to do that, because losing a client can hurt you more.

Strange as it might seem, studies show that no matter how much a client is upset with a lawyer, if that lawyer makes amends (apologizing, fixing), that client will often become a lifelong client and one of the lawyer’s biggest fans.

Maybe because they feel guilty.

Anyway, once you’ve kissed and made up, you can ask them to upgrade or remove their review. But they might do that on their own.

No, not every client will accept your apology or your offer to fix things. When you’ve got a stinker and the client won’t talk to you, some review sites allow the reviewee to post a response, explaining their side of the story. Should you?

No. Either let it go or ask the client (in your response) to contact you to discuss the situation in private.

Take the conversation “offline”.

Whether or not the client agrees to do that, at least you’ll be showing others who read the review (and your response) that you’re being reasonable and trying to make things right.

Which is a lot better than threatening litigation and making things (much) worse.

Filed Under: Client relations

Missed opportunity

February 7, 2023 by David M. Ward

My wife bought a cosmetic product she’d used before, and liked, but the doo-hickey to open the thing was defective. The next time she was at the market, my wife spoke to a sales clerk, showed her the problem, and asked for a replacement.

The clerk said she’d had the same problem with that product and exchanged it.

The thing is, when my wife got home, she had the same problem with the replacement. She couldn’t open it.

She looked at the container, to see if there was something she was missing, and saw a toll-free number to call the manufacturer. They admitted they’d had this issue with that product and offered to send her another replacement.

Two days later, it arrived in the mail and it’s fine.

The manufacturer did the right thing, didn’t they? They replaced the product, no questions asked.

They did the right thing, but they could have done more.

They could have sent her two or three bottles instead of the one replacement. They could have given her some coupons. They could have enclosed a note apologizing for the inconvenience and thanking my wife for her patience and for her patronage.

By not doing anything besides mailing a replacement, they missed the opportunity to surprise and delight my wife.

Why do that? How would they benefit?

By giving the customer more than they expect, they get a customer who won’t complain to others (or online) about the company’s defective packaging or tepid customer service, but instead, is likely to share her story about how well the company handled the situation.

They’d get a customer who is likely to become a repeat customer, perhaps a lifetime customer, and possibly a “raving fan”.

Which is something every business (and professional) wants to do.

When something goes wrong in your practice, I’m sure you apologize to your client (even if it’s not your fault) and do what you can to make it right.

That’s good. But making it better than right is even better.

Treating clients better than they expect is good for business

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations

February 6, 2023 by David M. Ward

Ginormous

If you’re like me, you download or clip a large number of articles and other materials you plan to read, process, or use later. And, if you’re like me, you often fall behind. Even though you regularly process and/or purge your inbox, it always seems to get bigger.

Like The Blob, it continually grows. And it’s coming to get you.

To get this mess under control, one thing I’ve done for my notes and clippings is to set up multiple inboxes instead of putting everything into one. Smaller inboxes are less overwhelming, making it more likely I will get through them instead of avoiding them as I sometimes do when I’m tired or busy with other things.

It’s easier to get thorough 20 articles than it is to get through 200.

Break your big inbox into smaller, more manageable chunks. Divide and conquer.

You can do this with notes, email, articles you want to read, documents you need to go through, or anything else where you tend to fall behind.

You might have separate inboxes for different clients or cases. Anything that comes in regarding Smith vs. Jones, for example, goes into its own inbox. When you’re working on that file, you have everything in one place and don’t need to find these notes or documents among 300 others in a general inbox.

You might have separate inboxes for

Different clients
Major projects
Blog or newsletter ideas
General reading
Marketing or productivity articles (e.g., my emails)
The book you’re working on
Documents or correspondence to file
Items you need to review this week

When something comes in, it goes in the appropriate inbox. When you’re ready to work on that project or file, or you’re in the mood to read about a certain subject, you’ll have everything in one place and can get through it more quickly.

You can also give the contents of a certain inbox to an assistant and let them do the processing and filing for you.

Another advantage is that sometimes you find you don’t need the contents of a certain inbox and don’t have to read the contents at all. When a project is completed or you decide to abandon it, for example, you can either delete all those new and unread articles or archive them for a later date.

Productivity experts tell you to have as few inboxes as possible to make collection and processing easier. But when you’re falling behind and have a big backlog staring at you, I find that multiple inboxes is the way to go.

https://www.attorneymarketing.com/2023/02/06/14080/

Filed Under: Dealing with stress, Productivity

Where did I put that?

February 3, 2023 by David M. Ward

I was at the DMV the other day to renew my license. I had the letter with the details in my pocket.

Yeah, paper.

It got me thinking about the notes app in my phone where I can call up most of my work and personal notes. I didn’t scan the DMV letter, but I if I had, I’d be able to retrieve it almost as quickly as the letter in my pocket.

And that got me thinking about the many ways we can organize our notes and docs and find them when we need to.

So, I made a list:

Search/Saved Search
Folders/Notebooks
Tags/Labels/File Number
Links/Backlinks
External Links, e.g., from a task manager or reminders app
Shortcuts/Stars/Hot List
Indexes/Maps of Content
Alphabetically

Did I miss any?

I use (or have used) most of these. Clearly, the more ways we have available to find things, the better. But to use these methods properly, we need to do something to our notes to make them findable, i.e., we need to add labels or hyperlinks, or add them our shortcuts. Even if you primarily rely on search, you need to make sure your notes have the right keywords or other metadata.

Recently, I added another option, a WIP folder, which lives at the bottom of the list of folders in my notes app. I use this for short-term works in progress—writing, research, decisions I need to make—or for an upcoming call or meeting or doctor’s appointment. This is where I would have stored the DMV letter if I had digitized it.

I generally keep only 5 or 10 items in this folder, which means I can quickly find what I need without adding tags or keywords in advance.

What’s next? AI, no doubt, which should soon be smart enough to bring us things before we even know we need them.

Like my secretary did back in the day.

Filed Under: Productivity

Write for yourself first

February 2, 2023 by David M. Ward

We write for our subscribers and followers, to show them we understand them and can help them. So, besides talking about their problems and our solutions, we talk about their world—their industry or market and subjects that interest them.

Because if we don’t, if all we talk about is the law and “how-to’s”, prospective clients might read us today (when they need us) but might not read us tomorrow.

And tomorrow might be the day they do need us, or talk to someone they can refer.

Writing a blog or newsletter or other content isn’t just about “getting the sale”. It is also about building relationships.

And that’s why marketing folks (myself included) tell you not to make your content all about you.

But this doesn’t mean you should never make it about you.

You are important in this equation. People want to know not just about your work, or even exclusively about their world, they also want to know about you.

A relationship is about two people and you’re one of them. So, in addition to writing for your readers, it’s important that you also write for yourself.

That means sometimes you write at length about your life and weave in lessons or stories that apply to your readers. You might talk about your trip to the bookstore, something interesting you saw in the courthouse, about your kids, or something about your hobby, and share a lesson told by the experience.

Other times, you simply mention these things in passing. “I was running errands on Saturday, looking for a parking space, and thought of something I want you to know”.

If you don’t write for yourself, writing a blog or newsletter can eventually feel like drudgery. You’ll run out of ideas and energy and your writing will become boring and ineffectual. If you write for yourself, however, you’ll enjoy it and continue doing it because talking about yourself is enjoyable.

A good rule of thumb is to write your first draft for yourself. Write what you want to write about, not just what the market wants or needs. Say what you want to say, what you find interesting, inspiring, or that made you laugh. Forget about your reader on this first pass and tell your story the way you want to tell it.

Then, on a second pass, bring them into the picture.

This will help you write more effective content

Filed Under: Content creation, Writing

How to appear more successful than you really are

February 1, 2023 by David M. Ward

We could call this ‘Fake it till you make it 2.0.’ but you can also use this if you’re already a top gun.

You might not want to, however, because it can seem cheesy, especially if you overdo it.

I used to share an office in Beverly Hills with an attorney who represented some celebrities. I know that because I used to see them in the waiting room. Sunglasses and all.

I also know that because he had photos of some of his well-known clients on his desk and on the walls of his office, autographed to him by name. Many of these photos were “two-shots” of him with the celebrity.

The message was, “I’m good at what I do; just look at some of my famous clients.”

The thing is, not all the celebrities he posed with were his clients. Many he met at an event and made sure photos captured those moments.

And from what I could tell, his strategy worked.

Let’s face it, people judge you by the company you keep. If you represent successful people, especially the rich and famous, or even appear to know them (by being seen with them), people think you’re also successful.

Those photos are a kind of implied endorsement and mean something to many people.

But you don’t have to get photos or autographs of celebrities to achieve this effect.

When you’re at a networking event, being seen speaking to someone well-known to and well-regarded by the attendees can get you some attention, even if your conversation is just in passing. So can being seen speaking on the same panel or on the same slate of presenters.

So can some well-placed name-dropping. In person or in your content.

Mentioning the CEO of a well-known company, a famous author, or a big shot politician, by name if appropriate, or by category if it’s not, perhaps quoting something they said to you (or even something they said or wrote that resonates with you), imbues you with some of their magic dust.

The trick is to not be too obvious. Or overdo it. Because if you do, you risk appearing to be a wannabe, not a player.

Filed Under: Image, Publicity

Activating client referrals

January 31, 2023 by David M. Ward

If you treat them right, many of your clients will tell others about their great experiences with you. They’ll also give you referrals, post positive reviews, send traffic to your website, promote your events, and otherwise help your practice grow.

But not everyone will do that.

Some clients don’t know you want this kind of help. (True). Some don’t want to “share” you with others. (Also true). Some are willing to help, but don’t know what to say or do.

And some won’t do anything, even if they love you to pieces. Just the way it is.

So that’s it? You take what you get? Do good work and hope for the best?

Negatory.

While organic word-of-mouth is best, there are things you can do to get more clients to talk about you and (directly or indirectly), send you more business.

First on that list is to educate clients, prospects, and professional contacts about you.

They know some things; make sure they know more.

Inform them about all of your practice areas, services, and offers. Your clients might not need something, but talk to someone who does.

Tell them why your clients get better or quicker outcomes from you, or other features and benefits not available from other lawyers.

Share your success stories, testimonials, and reviews, showing how you’ve helped others, why they chose you, why they would hire you again, and why they recommend you to others.

Tell them about endorsements you’ve received from other lawyers and judges, business leaders and respected individuals in your niche or local market. Tell them about your awards, the books you’ve written, and your speaking and writing credits.

Second, when someone does something nice for you, e.g., referral, review, etc., go out of your way to acknowledge them (publicly, if appropriate), and genuinely express your gratitude.

That doesn’t mean a form letter.

Send a hand-written thank you note. Say something nice about the friend or client they referred. Take them out to lunch or send them a small gift—a book is a good choice.

Show how much you appreciate what they’ve done and they’ll be more likely to do it again.

Third, make it easier for them to spread the word. Equip them with language they can use to describe what you do and for whom you do it. Give them handouts, links to your best blog posts or articles, forms and checklists they can share.

Fourth, do all the above more than once. Because people forget and because over time, they make new contacts who haven’t yet heard about you.

Finally, do what you can to make it more likely that prospective clients and referral sources hear your name from others, so that when your client mentions your name to them, they’ll recognize that name.

The simplest way to do this? Niche marketing. Go deep into business or industry groups, for example (even if you don’t handle business matters), because word-of-mouth is strong in niche markets.

For more about how to stimulate word-of-mouth, get this

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Marketing legal services, Referrals

Everybody’s talking about you

January 30, 2023 by David M. Ward

Word-of-mouth. Buzz. Reputation. When it’s good, it’s one of the best ways to market any business, but especially a law practice.

Why a law practice? Because so many people have a negative image of lawyers, based on past experience, what they’ve heard from a friend, or what they see on TV, it doesn’t take much to exceed their expectations, and when you do, word gets around.

Even if it’s grossly exaggerated, or completely untrue, people often believe lawyers charge more than they’re worth, use confusing billing practices, are arrogant, fail to explain things, make them wait for 40 minutes after their scheduled appointment time, and never return calls.

Am I right or am I right?

Look at client survey results from your bar association, look at online reviews, and it’s easy to see what clients complain about.

And when you don’t do those things, clients notice.

The bar is so low, you don’t have to do much to develop the reputation for treating your clients well. Avoid the negative things other lawyers do, or are thought to do, and you’ll stand out. And get talked about in a positive way.

But don’t leave it at that.

Call attention to what you do by explaining to new clients, and in your marketing, what you do to keep your clients informed, your transparent fee and billing practices, and your guarantee to see clients no later than 5 minutes beyond the time for their scheduled appointment.

Explain it, put it in writing, and deliver on your promises, and your clients will tell others about their amazing lawyer.

Marketing made simple

Filed Under: Client relations

Lawyer advertising is expensive. Or is it?

January 27, 2023 by David M. Ward

“How much are the ads?” is the wrong question. The right question is “how much can I profit after I pay the cost of the ads?“

Because if you spend $30,000 per month on ads but take in $150,000 in fees, that $30k ad budget looks like a pretty good deal.

The cost of ads is relative. It doesn’t matter how much you invest, what matters is how much your investment earns. Your net profit after the cost of the ads and your overhead.

Is it really that simple? Yes, and no.

Yes, because it’s just math. No, it’s not that simple because you have to consider the risks.

The risk that you won’t take in enough revenue to cover the cost of the ads (and overhead). The risk that the ads that work today won’t continue to work tomorrow. The risk that you’ll get complacent and mess up something, or you’ll let your guard down and some charlatan will take you to the cleaners.

I’ve lost a lot of money on advertising. I’ve run ads that bombed, been cheated, and spent more than it tuned out I need to spend. But I’ve also made a lot. More than enough to cover my costs and turn a handsome profit.

But if you’re considering advertising, there’s something else you need to know. You can still make a profit on ads that break even or even show a loss.

How can you lose money and still make money?

On the backend.

Your front end is the business (and revenue) you get directly from your ads. The backend is the business and revenue you get from repeat business and referrals.

If your ads bring in a client who has a lot of legal work, you might break even on the first case they hire you to handle, but get a steady stream of repeat business (and referrals) for years to come.

And all that backend profit is net profit, since you already paid the advertising costs to bring in the client.

Many attorneys lose money on every one of their ads, but make a fortune on the backend.

So, that’s the big picture. Advertising could be the best thing you ever do for your practice, but if you’re not careful, it could leave a big red stain on your books.

Fortunately, you can minimize your risks and simultaneously maximize your profits.

You minimize risk by learning all you can about advertising and not blindly turning everything over to someone else.

You minimize risk by starting small and testing. See what works on a small scale before rolling out on a bigger scale. You don’t invest $5000 on an ad until you see that the $750 version is doing okay.

I started out with classified ads. Then 1/4 page. Then 1/3 page. Then 1/2 page. And eventually, full page.

Start small and if you see a profit, continue running the ads and, eventually, expand into more ads, bigger ads, more publications or sites, and more keywords.

If profits decline, you fix things, or scale back.

You minimize risk and increase profits by continually testing other ad copy, headlines, keywords, and offers.

You can also minimize risk by targeting smaller markets and niches where there is less competition and the cost to advertise is lower. These can be as profitable as bigger markets, and are often more profitable.

Another way to minimize risk is through multi-step marketing. Instead of expecting to make the sale on your frontend ads, you capture leads and stay in touch with prospects, some of whom will “buy” weeks, months, or years down the road.

And you minimize risk by avoiding the same kinds of ads other attorneys run and making yours different or better.

Risk is part of advertising. But so is opening an office, hiring help, going to court, and everything else you do to build a law practice. That’s business.

But in business, success doesn’t require the elimination of all risk (even if that was possible). It requires intelligently managing your risks.

Same as everything in life.

How to get more repeat business and referrals

Filed Under: Advertising, Law office management

3 ways clients can help you

January 26, 2023 by David M. Ward

Would you like an expert to help you build a bigger and better practice? Someone who knows, likes, and trusts you, wants to help you, and is willing to do that without being paid?

Yep, we’re talking about your clients who are experts at being your client. Here are three ways they can help you.

Find out what’s working

You can talk to your clients, in a post-case interview, for example, and that might be a good idea, but sending surveys is easier and can be responded to anonymously, which will probably generate more candid feedback.

Either way, you can ask

What they liked about the work you did for them (outcomes, how they were treated, fees, keeping them informed, seeing them “on time”)
What needs improving?
Would they recommend you to others? What would they say?
Where did they hear about you (friend, another professional, saw your article or ad?)
Did they read any reviews? Where? What did they like best?
What keywords did they use in their online search?
Before hiring you, did they read any of your blog articles? Sign up for your newsletter? Attend your seminar?
Why did they choose you instead of other attorneys?
Do they know about your other services?
And a lot more

Improve your marketing

Clients can also help you improve your marketing and advertising. Show them two ads or headlines or images, for example, and ask which one they prefer. Give them a variety of topics (for your blog or newsletter or presentation) and have them choose the ones that interest them.

Ask which format(s) they prefer for consuming your content, if they like long articles or short, and how often they would like to receive it.

Ask them to tell you about their industry or market, about their work, the publications they read, leaders they follow, and organizations they belong to.

Lead gen

Ask your clients to share your content, tell others about your upcoming events, hand out your handouts, or invite friends to schedule a free consultation.

Ask them to provide a testimonial and a review.

Ask for referrals and introductions.

Will your clients help you? Not only are most (satisfied) clients willing to do that, they are flattered that you asked.

So, ask.

Marketing is simple when you know The Formula

Filed Under: Law office management, Marketing legal services