The Attorney Marketing Center--Earn More. Work Less

Beta testing your law practice marketing

March 6, 2017 by David M. Ward

I’m a beta tester for the new version of a writing app I use. I have the app on my desktop and laptop computers and use it every day.

I try and re-try all of the features, looking for bugs and other issues. I note what I like and what I’d like to see improved. I compare features and ease of use to other writing apps I’ve used.

Through this process, I’m able to influence the development of something that interests me and I get to use it months before anyone else. I also learn the ins and outs of using the app and thus get more out of it.

When you adopt new software in your practice, you may not be an official beta tester but you do many of the same things. You spend time playing with the software, trying out all the functions, learning how everything works.

You don’t just install it and expect to use it like a pro. You give yourself time to learn and practice using it.

You should do the same thing when you take on a new marketing strategy or go into a new market.

Study the market. Learn everything you can about the newÂ strategy. Flip all the switches and pull all the levers. Test everything, try everything, and look for ways to incorporate the new strategyÂ into your existing workflow.

When you get a new website or redo your existing site, examine it through the eyes of an end user. Read all the pages, fill out all the forms, test all the functions, and make sure everything works the way you want it to. Ask others to look at it and give you their feedback and suggestions.

If you join a new networking group, don’t just show up and hope for the best. Study it. Learn their process. Spend time talking to other members.

If you are thinking about hiring a new ad agency, learn all you can about the creative people behind it. Ask lots of questions about markets and campaigns, pricing and ROI.

Just like new software, you may be using your new marketing strategy for a long time. Beta test it so you can get the most out of it.

The elements of law practice marketing start here

Filed Under: Marketing legal services

Decide what you want before writing the first word

March 3, 2017 by David M. Ward

You’re preparing a presentation. An email. A blog post, article, or report. Whatever it is, the best place to start is at the end.

Before you write the first word, think about what you want your reader to do.

When they are done reading your email or watching your video, what do you want them to do next?

Examples:

Call to schedule an appointment
Call or email with questions
Visit a web page for more information
Sign up for your email newsletter or download your report
Fill out a form and turn it in at the end of the seminar
Tell your friends about this offer, article, or link
Register for the upcoming webinar
Pass out the enclosed referral cards
Watch a video
Comment, Like, and share
Tell your friends to call, subscribe, or download
Write a review on xyz

And so on.

All designed to get your reader or viewer to do something that helps you to get more clients, subscribers, traffic, referrals, or other benefits.

They get benefits, too. They learn something, get legal help, save money, or protect their family or business. Or they get the satisfaction of helping their friends or helping you.

Both of you get something.

The call to action at the end of your message is the most important part of that message. Think about what you want them to do before you start writing.

When you get to the end, tell them what to do.Â Don’t make them figure out what to do next. Tell them: Click here, call this number, go to this web page.

And tell them why. Don’t assume they know. Don’t be vague. Spell out exactly what they get or how they benefit.

Like this: “To learn how to easily get more referrals from your clients, get this“

Filed Under: Copywriting, Writing

A simple way to improve your marketing

March 1, 2017 by David M. Ward

Marketing has been defined as “everything you do to get and keep good clients”. Or something like that. They operative word is “everything”.

Everything you say, everything you do, but also everything you don’t say or do.

When you speak to a client on the phone, even if all you’re doing is talking about their case, that’s marketing because when the call is done, you will leave them with an impression of you. That impression will either be favorable or unfavorable. It either increases trust and likeability or it does not.

If that impression is neutral–no change from their previous impression–it has to be considered negative because it was a missed opportunity to enhance theirÂ previous impression.

I’m not suggesting that you manically parse every word and overthink every deed. But it does make sense to think about what you say and how you say it.

One way to get better at building trust and likeability in your client conversations is to use a checklist or script. They will help you to remember what to say and give you the ability to polish your delivery.

Examples? How about a checklistÂ for answering FAQs, especially with new clients? No doubt your clients will be impressed with the clarity and completeness of your answers.

How about a checklist for small talk–asking about family or work? Each time you use it with a client, take notes and put them in their file so you will remember to ask follow-up questions the next time you speak.

You might consider a script for delivering bad news, convincing the client to “take the offer,” or explaining “what happens next”.

Much of the value of these documents comes from the process of creating them. Writing them forces you to think about what’s important to your clients, what you want them to know, and how you want to be perceived.

To get started, over the next week or so, write some notes to yourself after each conversation. What did you do well? What could you improve? What did you leave out?

Remember, to your clients, you are more than the sum of your legal knowledge and abilities. You are the person who makes them feel more confident about their future.

Marketing legal services starts with a plan

Filed Under: Client relations

Is too much positive thinking bad for you?

February 28, 2017 by David M. Ward

The Law of Attraction posits that “like attracts like” and that we attract what we think about. Think about the outcomes you desire, they say, because that’s what you will attract or create.

Research confirms that our subconscious mind does in fact cause us to act in a way that is consistent with our thoughts, whether those thoughts are about what we observe (our current reality) or what we imagine (our desired outcome).

But some psychologists warn that too much positive thinking can make you complacent. According to one researcher, â€œPositive thinking fools our minds into perceiving that weâ€™ve already attained our goal, slackening our readiness to pursue it.â€

Is that true? If we imagine things the way we want them to be are we are less likely to take action towards their achievement?

I’m going to go with “no”.

I know that when I think about what I want, I feel good. Research confirms that positive thinking can relax you and lower your blood pressure and that’s a good thing.

I also know that I’m not a fool. I know the difference between imagining a positive outcome and believing that it has already been achieved, even if my subconscious mind does not. Thinking about what I want makes me more likely to take action, not less, and to do so with clarity, deliberation, and positive expectation.

As I imagine things the way I want them to be, I spend more time thinking about them. I’m more likely to notice things around me that I can use to pursue my objective. My positive thoughts invoke my instincts which lead me to make better decisions and take the right actions.

I also know that when I think about what I don’t want, whether that’s based on my observation of “what is” or my imagining what might happen, all I want to do is change the subject. If a thought feels bad, why continue to think it?

If your current reality is negative, don’t dwell on it. Staring at the problem is unlikely you to lead you to the solution.

But don’t ignore a negative reality. Peak at it, because knowing what you don’t want can help you to know what you do want.

Once you know what you want, think about it a lot, imagine it in all its glory, enjoy the feeling, and then do what your inner self guides you to do.

That’s what I do. How about you?

I built my practice with referrals. You can, too

Filed Under: Personal development Tagged With: law of attraction, positive thinking

What are you afraid of?

February 27, 2017 by David M. Ward

In a recent post, Seth Godin wrote about why we tend to do what’s urgent instead of what’s important:

The reason we go for urgent is that it makes us feel competent. We’re good at it. We didn’t used to be, but we are now.

Important, on the other hand, is fraught with fear, with uncertainty and with the risk of failure.

He’s right, of course. We spend our time putting our fires, running errands, and dealing with deadlines, all necessary but not at the expense of our most cherished plans and projects.

We’ve gotten good at dealing with urgent matters. It’s how we live most of our days. And because we’re good at it, or used to it, we seem to go out of our way to find them, even going so far as to create them by conveniently forgetting somethingÂ or waiting until the last minute to start.

Because we fear doing what’s important (and failing at it), we make sure we don’t have enough time to do them.Â Our dreams are thus banished to the land of “one day”. Years later, we realize that we’ve run out of time.

Instead of hiding from our fears, however, we should embrace them. They’re telling usÂ what’s important. We need to heed their message. We need to do the very things we fear.

Mark Twain said, “Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.” He might have added that it is also howÂ we give birth to our biggest dreams.

Get more clients and increase your income by following this formula

Filed Under: Personal development Tagged With: do what you fear, urgent vs. important

Everyone you know can give you referrals

February 24, 2017 by David M. Ward

Many lawyers don’t realize that everyone they know can give them referrals. Even if their client or contact doesn’t know anyone who needs the lawyer’s services, they know people who know people who do.

Your client or personal friend has an accountant or insurance agent who can send you referrals. Or they know someone who knows a business owner who knowsÂ an accountant or insurance agent.

It’s the old “six degrees of separation” idea.

One of the smartest things you can do with the people you know is to find out who they know. You can then ask for an introduction or permission to use their name when you contact them yourself.

Start with your client intake forms. Add language prompting new clients to identify their insurance broker, accountant, and financial planner (or whatever is appropriate for your practice).

When you speak with a client or business contact, ask them if they know any (real estate brokers, restaurant owners, physicians, other attorneys, or whatever). Explain that you get a lot of business by networking with other professionals and you’re always looking to meet new people.

Contact the people they identify and introduce yourself. Tell them that you have a mutual client or friend. Ask them to tell you about their business or practice and tell them briefly about yours. Stay in touch with your new contacts. Some of them will send you referrals.

This is one of the easiest ways to expand your referral network and you don’t even have to leave the office.

Everyone you know knows people who can send you referrals or introduce you to people who can. Get in the habit of asking everyone, “Who do you know?” and watch your practice grow.

Learn what to say and what to send your new contactsÂ hereÂ and here

Filed Under: Referrals

A simple way to get rid of clutter

February 23, 2017 by David M. Ward

I know someone who’s computer desktop perpetually looks like it was the site of a bombing run. Every inch is covered with shortcuts, downloads, documents, and set-up files. She has multiple copies of jpegs and pdfs, because she wasn’t sure if the original downloaded properly, or she couldn’t find it.

I don’t know about you but I couldn’t function that way.Â I’m not a clean freak. I just find it easier to get things done when my work space is reasonably uncluttered and organized.

And yet there are times when my desktop gets messy. When that happens, the first thing I do is gather up everything and put it in a new folder.

Out of sight, out of mind.

The next step is to clean out the folder and put things where they belong. I might do this right away but I usually do it later, when I have some downtime.

Doing it this way allows me to quickly get back to work. When I’m ready to tackle the folder, I’m able to take my time and make better decisions about what to keep and where to put it.

Okay, maybe I do have some issues.

Anyway, if you find clutter distracting or it impairs your productivity, you might give this method a try.

You can do the same thing in the physical world.Â When you have too much clutter on your desk–papers, files, books–put everything into one or two piles and when you’re ready, chop those files down to size.

If you have a messy closet, put everything into boxes as the first step. Later, go through the boxes deliberately, putting away the things you know you need and getting rid of everything else.

You can do the same thing on your smartphone. If you have too many apps, put them all into digital folders or push them to another screen. Or delete everything. Only put back (or re-download) the apps you know you will use.

De-clutter first. Organize second.

I keep my digital world organized with Evernote

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: get rid of clutter

How to overcome procrastination and train your brain to resist distractions

February 22, 2017 by David M. Ward

I was watching a video about how to overcome procrastination. The presenter talked about the Pomodoro technique which I sometimes use to help me focus, particularly on tasks I’m avoiding.

Basically, you set a timer for 25 minutes (or whatever you choose) and work until the timer goes off. You then take a break for five minutes and go at it again. If you’re still not done after three or four sessions, you take a longer break and then get back to work.

The idea is to get ourselves to focus with the promise that we only have to do it for a short period of time. It gets you started, which is the hardest and most important part of getting anything done.

Anyway, if you ever find yourself procrastinating on certain tasks, get yourself a Pomodoro app or use your kitchen timer and give it a whirl.

But here’s the thing.

Even though you have promised yourself to keep working until the timer sounds, if you’re like most people, you will be tempted to stray. You’ll feel the urge to check your email or take a peak at social media. Or you’ll realize you need another cup of coffee. Or the phone will ring and you’ll feel compelled to at least see who is calling.

You know you must resist these urges but sometimes they get the better of you.

The video presented a simple technique forÂ conquering these urges and resisting distractions. Have a sheet of paper handy, or open a text file, and whenever you feel tempted by the urge to do something else, write it down.

Writing it down allows you to acknowledge the urge and postpone it until your next break. It helps to dissipate the urge and release its hold over you.

It also allows you to identify things that typically distract you. You can then take steps to eliminate them before they can distract you by doing things like turning off your phone or closing browser tabs that don’t relate to your work.

Write down (and postpone) your urges and you will become their master instead of their servant.

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: dealing with distractions, overcoming procrastination, Pomodoro technique

A simple way to dramatically improve your next presentation

February 21, 2017 by David M. Ward

In any presentation, you want to engage your audience. You want them to think about and remember your words and feel an emotional connection to your message.

What’s the best way to accomplish this?

Carmine Gallo studied 500 of the most popular TED Talks and found a pattern:

65 percent personal stories
25 percent facts and figures
10 percent information to back up the speaker’s credibility on the subject

In short, the key factor for better presentations is something I’ve been telling you since day one: stories.

But note that Gallo said “personal” stories, meaning stories that involve the speaker. Since you want your audience to know what you do and how you help people, when you tellÂ stories in your presentations, articles, blog posts, or anything else, look for ways toÂ include yourself in those stories.

Here’s a template for a client story you might use that shows you doing what you do:

A client had a problem and came to you. Opposing forces (other parties, the law, factual issues, etc.) worsened the problem and/or made it more difficult to resolve. You worked hard, overcame difficulties, and solved the problem.

As you tell the story, turn up the heat by describing the client’s pain–how the problem affected them emotionally, financially, or physically–and the relief they felt when you eventually solved the problem.

If possible, also describe how you felt. Show your empathy for the client’s situation. Mention how you struggled with some aspect of the case before you conquered it.

Yes, this type of story is easier to tell when you’re dealing with litigation but with a little effort, you can also tell an effective story about a simple transactional matter.

If a client wanted you to review the lease for their new business, for example, you can talk about the problems they might have encountered if they hadn’t had you review the lease, and the excitement they felt about their new business, which you helped them start.

Make sure your presentations include stories. Because facts tell but stories sell.

Need more referrals? ThisÂ will help

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Presentations