David M. Ward, Author at The Attorney Marketing Center

Sell me your legal services

May 2, 2022 by David M. Ward

You do it every day. You do it so well and so often you may not realize you’re doing it, or want to admit it.

But you do. You sell your legal services.

You do that by following 5 steps:

Questions. You ask lots of them, to get the information you need to diagnose the client’s problem and prescribe the solution.
Listen. You do that to make sure you understand what the client says, what they don’t say, what they want and what they don’t want.
Options. You tell the would-be client what you can do to help them, and what might happen if they delay or do nothing.
Objections. They tell you why they aren’t ready, don’t have the money, or otherwise can’t get started, and you respond by helping them understand why they can and should.
Close. You ask them what they want to do, or you’ve done a good job of the preceding steps and they tell you.

And, just like that, you have a new client.

Or you don’t. They may not need your help or be ready and able to hire you. So you stay in touch with them until they are ready, or they have another matter for you, or a referral.

Yes, that’s selling. That’s what you do. And while you’re good at it, why not get better?

Work on improving all the steps, but especially number 2.

Listening is not only important for understanding, it shows the client you care about them and what they’re telling you. It’s how you validate the client and their problem, which is why it is arguably the most important step.

So, you make eye contact. Let them speak without interruption. Ask follow-up questions. And repeat back to them what you heard them say, to make sure.

You also let them see you write down what they say, because what they say is important and because you are thorough and pay attention to details.

Listening is an art. When you’re good at it, the client often sells themself.

Marketing (and selling legal services) is easier when you know The Formula

Filed Under: Salesmanship

You need all 3

April 29, 2022 by David M. Ward

You’ve got a new case, project, business, or idea and you want it to be successful.

You create a plan—what you want to accomplish, the resources you’ll need, research to do, the first step and the steps after that. Your plan might be a simple list of tasks or ideas, but but the process of thinking it through and writing it down helps you clarify what you want and what you need to do to get it.

“Doing” is obviously the most important part. The actions you take and how well you do them are the mechanism that delivers your results.

Most of us do the first two well enough. We plan and we do. Where most people drop the ball, myself included, is with what we do after that.

Once we have some results, we need to review what happened.

Reviewing means:

Noting the size and scope of the outcome. How many leads or subscribers, how many new clients, how much revenue? Did you hit the goal? Make a profit? Get what you expected?
Thinking about the process. What did you do well, what could you have done better, what will you change?
(Optional): Getting feedback from others. Talk to your client, staff, partners, and other stakeholders. What do they think about the process and the results? What suggestions do they have for the future?
Using what you’ve learned to create a better plan or decide to kill the idea and try something else.

The review process might only take a few minutes, but it’s key to achieving sustained growth.

Plan, do, review. You need all 3.

Filed Under: Productivity, success

7 ways to grow your law practice with videos

April 28, 2022 by David M. Ward

Everybody (and their brother) likes to watch videos and you can use them to build your practice.

You don’t need expensive equipment or software or spend a lot of time recording and editing. And you don’t have to appear on camera.

Because it’s not about the videos, it’s about the content.

Here are 7 ideas for videos to make that content:

Explain something. Tell people about the law, legal issues in the news, teach them how to do something, share your opinions, and anything else your market would like to know about your area of expertise.
Interview someone. Ask another lawyer a series of questions about their practice area. Interview your business clients, authors, bloggers, and subject-matter experts. Ask a friend to interview you.
FAQs. Invite your subscribers, clients, or followers to submit questions and answer them.
Talk about your work. Describe your services, who might need them, and when. Tell folks what you can do to help them and how to get more information or take the next step.
Show how you make the sausages. Demonstrate your document creation software, calendaring system, research systems; explain how you open a new file, investigate, or prepare for trial.
Recommendations and reviews. Software, books, websites, businesses, trade shows, courses—anything you recommend or have heard good things about.
Promote your other content. Show folks your website, blog, articles, books, podcasts, newsletter, and other videos, and your upcoming presentations or publications. Tell them what they’ll learn and encourage them to read, watch, listen, subscribe, and share.

You can also re-use content you’ve previously created. Convert your blog posts or articles into videos (read and record), upload your presentations, podcasts, webinars, or panel discussions.

Post your videos on your channel and blog and encourage others to share them on theirs.

You’ll get more traffic, subscribers, followers, leads, repeat business and referrals.

You might also have a lot of fun, you ham.

Filed Under: Content creation, Online Marketing, Social media marketing, Web traffic

Pen and paper

April 27, 2022 by David M. Ward

I’m trying an experiment today. I’m taking my task list and calendar entries, which ordinarily reside in digital form, and rewriting them on a single piece of paper.

I’m going to keep that page in front of me throughout the day and when I complete something, important task or routine, that’s where I’ll check it off.

I’m not doing this to achieve an esthetic look. Nothing fancy. Just scratch paper and the first pen I grab.

I’m doing this to see how it affects my planning and execution.

By rewriting my list, my theory goes, I’ll be more likely to think about each task and ask myself questions such as, “Do I really want to do this today? Is it necessary that I do this at all? Is it aligned with my current goals? Is there anything I need to do first? Do I have all the resources I need to do a good job with this?“

The idea here is to be more thoughtful and intentional about what I do, and to consider things I should do but aren’t. It’s too easy to do things out of habit, which may not be the highest and best use of our time.

I’m also thinking that having everyone on one page that I look at throughout the day will help me focus and get everything done. That’s how we did things in the pre-digital age. We didn’t have to open an app to see what was next, just look at our calendar or the legal pad on our desk.

At the top of the page, I wrote “Today” and the date. Then I wrote “P1“ and listed my “must do’s” for today. There are two—this post and working on my latest book.

Under that, I wrote “P2”. These are other things I’d like to do but don’t have to do today. I listed some things I want to research and a phone call.

Finally, I wrote 4 routine tasks, the kinds of things I do pretty much every day.

No appointments or errands today, so that’s it.

As soon as I post this on my blog and send it out via email, I’ll check off the first “Must do” task on my list for today.

Tomorrow, I’ll write a new list and we’ll see how this goes.

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: focus

Don’t just do something, sit there

April 26, 2022 by David M. Ward

Do the work, bill the client. That’s what brings in the bacon. Or the kale if that’s your thing. Billable work is your bread and butter. (Okay, now I’m getting hungry.)

But your work involves more than dictating, drafting, and negotiating. At least it should.

You need time when you’re not outputting but inputting.

Digesting information you can use to create content (to bring in more business), to better understand and relate to your clients’ industry or niche, and to have something to talk about when you’re not talking about the law.

You also need time to learn about marketing, productivity, technology, and other subjects that help you improve your skills and drive the growth of your practice. And CLE, to make sure you’re at the top of your game.

Building a successful practice requires more than cranking out billable work.

You should embrace the idea of spending time doing no “work” and instead, doing nothing but soaking up information.

Put time for this on your calendar. Blocks of time every day for reading and listening and taking notes, and to ponder what you’ve learned and how you can use it.

It may feel like this you’re goofing off. You may feel guilty watching videos or reading something from me and tell yourself to get back to work. But learning is just as important as doing, because it helps you do what you do better.

The Quantum Leap Marketing System — everything you need, nothing you don’t

Filed Under: Content creation, Law office management, Personal development

Success inside your comfort zone

April 25, 2022 by David M. Ward

It is often said that success lies outside our comfort zone. When we try new things, we’re often scared, we risk failure and embarrassment, but that’s how we grow.

Inside our comfort zone, it is safe but little changes.

We’ve all heard this, and said it to others, but it it true?

In high school, a friend suggested we go ice skating. He was a good skater but I’d never done it and was afraid I’d get hurt or look like a fool, but I agreed to go. I fell a lot but eventually did okay, and I had a lot of fun.

Score one for trying new things.

Of course, it doesn’t always work that way. We often try new things, hate them, and never do them again.

That’s also part of the process.

You date a lot of people until you find “the one”. You change your major, your employer, even your career, until you find something that feels right.

That’s your comfort zone. And that’s where you build long-term success.

Inside your comfort zone, things are familiar. You do them over and over again and get good at them. Over time, you build a successful career, a successful marriage, a successful life.

Success lies inside your comfort zone, but you need to get outside it from time to time to explore.

Try things that make you uncomfortable. Seek new adventures and challenges. You’ll learn a lot about a lot of things, but most of all about yourself.

When you do, come back to your comfort zone with the knowledge and experience you’ve gained, use it if you want to, or forget about it and try something else.

You say you don’t like a certain marketing strategy you have never tried? I’m your friend inviting you to try it and see.

You might fall a lot and look foolish. But you’ll learn something about yourself.

You might also have a lot of fun.

The Attorney Marketing Formula

Filed Under: Personal development, success

Just make sure you copy the right cat

April 22, 2022 by David M. Ward

“Don’t be a copycat,” our parents told us. But we didn’t listen, did we? We copied our friends, our siblings, our parents and teachers, and people we saw on TV.

If someone did something we thought was cool, we wanted to do it. If they didn’t die riding their bike down that steep hill that scared the beans out of us, we knew we wouldn’t die either.

I’m still here, aren’t I?

We wanted to be like others. Do what they do. So we copied them.

And we still do that today.

There’s nothing wrong with that. We learn by copying. Seeing what others do, how they do it, and how it turns out.

I did it again the other day.

I watched a video about GTD and the narrator said he does his daily planning every afternoon at 4 pm. He has a ten-minute appointment with himself posted on his calendar. I’ve always done my planning at the end of my workday, whenever that might occur, but hearing how this guy does it, I had to try it.

So now, don’t try to contact me at 4 pm. I’m busy.

He mentioned something else I liked. He schedules his weekly review on Fridays at 3 pm.

Why not, I thought?

I’ve been experimenting with different days for my weekly review. For a long time, it was every Sunday morning. I recently tried Saturday, but something about doing it Friday to close out the week (and keep my weekends open) appealed to me, so I’m doing that now.

It’s okay to be a copycat. But don’t copy blindly. Do what makes sense to you and for you.

If you hear about a lawyer who built his practice by sending unsolicited email and cold calling 12 hours a day, that’s one cat I wouldn’t copy.

Filed Under: Productivity, success

How to add value (and why should you)

April 20, 2022 by David M. Ward

What do you think would happen if you became more valuable to your clients and business contacts?

You’d get more repeat business and referrals. You would increase your gross and net income. Gross income because you’d have more work coming in. Net income because you could spend less on outside marketing and enjoy the economics of scale.

You would be “in demand”. Clients and influential people in your market would learn of your good work. They’ll want to hire you, network with you, interview you, and recommend you.

The more value you bring to the market, the more value you will receive in return.

It is law.

How do you become more valuable? You find out what the people in your market need and want and you help them get it.

What are they talking about, reading, asking, and doing? Survey your lists or talk to them individually. Everyone likes to talk about themselves. Encourage them to do that and they’ll tell you what you need to know.

You’ll discover their problems—legal, business, and personal. They’ll share their goals. You’ll learn what they want and what they need—information, advice, recommendations, ideas, clients or customers.

They’ll tell you how you can become more valuable.

If you can’t deliver what they need yourself, talk to your clients and business contacts and see what they can do.

Does a client need more customers for their business? Introduce them to a blogger or podcaster you know who can get them some exposure.

Does a client have a personal issue with a member of their family? Tell them about a book you heard about on that subject or give them some advice that has worked for you.

Did a professional you know mention the high cost of his insurance premiums? Maybe you know something about that and can offer some advice, or refer him to a broker you know who has worked miracles for some of your clients.

Adding value doesn’t just mean giving clients more deliverables or better outcomes, or helping them get more clients or customers. It also means doing things that give your clients a better experience.

It might mean simplifying your billing process or offering alternative payment methods. It might mean communicating more often, sharing information and ideas and recommended resources via a newsletter, videos, or podcast. Or it might mean cutting down the frequency and quantity of that information if that’s what they prefer.

Adding value can be as simple as getting to know your clients on a personal level and being there for them when they need another set of ears to listen to their idea or a shoulder to cry on when they’re having a rough time.

Value means different things to different people. Your job is to find out what it means to your clients and contacts, and then do what you can to help them get it.

The Attorney Marketing Formula

Filed Under: Increase your income

How much should you charge?

April 19, 2022 by David M. Ward

How much should you charge for your services? Well, how much are your services worth?

You don’t want to charge less than what you’re worth. That’s not fair to you or your kids.

But you can’t charge more than you’re worth because that’s not fair to your clients (or sustainable).

When it comes to fees, follow The Goldilocks Rule: Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold (but how much is ‘just right’?)

Well, you have to consider:

The size and complexity of the problem or goal
Clients’ willingness to pay to solve that problem or achieve that goal
Clients’ ability to pay
Urgency (deadlines, risks, pain, associated problems)
Your experience and reputation
The clients’ sophistication and experience in working with lawyers
How much other lawyers charge
The economy
And other factors

Yeah, it’s complicated. You can’t figure this out with a spreadsheet. So, let the market give you the answer.

It starts with you. How much do you want? Quote a fee and see what clients are willing to pay.

Willing buyer, willing seller.

If most clients complain or try to negotiate, if they hire you once and never again, you may be asking more than your services are (or appear to be) worth.

If most clients pay without blinking, however, you may be asking less than you could. A common affliction among our kind.

But if most clients pay what you ask, readily hire you again and refer others, your fees are probably about right.

But that doesn’t mean you should set them and forget them.

Over time, your kids (and creditors) want you to increase your fees and continue doing that until the market tells you no more.

But that’s not necessarily the last word on the subject.

If you want to increase your fees but the market says “too much,” you have three options:

Add more value so more clients are willing to pay more
Improve your marketing and salesmanship and increase the perceived value of your services
Target a different market

The market tells you how much you can charge. But you have to ask. And listen.

The lawyers’ guide to stress-free billing and collection

Filed Under: Attorneys fees, Fees and Billing, Increase your income