Selling legal services without breaking a sweat

January 6, 2015 by
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I once had a secretary who asked me for a raise. I thought I paid her well but I told her that I would consider paying her more if she would first show me that she was worth more. I knew she capable of a lot more and was only doing enough to keep her job.

She countered. She said that if I wanted her to do more, I had to pay her more. First.

She used to work for the government, so I know why she didn’t get it. In the real world, if you want to earn more, show your employer that you are worth more. If you do, you may not even have to ask for a raise.

The same goes for lawyers in private practice. Show your clients and target market that you are worth more to them, and then you can easily raise your rates.

I talked about this yesterday. I said that the foundation of marketing and building a successful law practice is delivering value to your clients and target market. The more value you give, the more clients, repeat business, referrals, and other benefits you get, and that includes being able to charge higher fees.

Give more value, FIRST.

One of the benefits of doing this is that it practically eliminates the need to do any selling. The value you deliver does the selling for you.

Something as simple as posting high quality information on your website tells your market what they need to know about you and how you can help them. Through this information, and the client stories you tell to illustrate your points, people can see that you have knowledge, experience, and a work ethic that they want in an attorney.

Prospects get to know and trust you through your content. They sell themselves on hiring you. Referral sources see how much you know and how much you do for your clients and they know that their referrals will be in good hands.

How else can you deliver value to your market?

By providing referrals, making introductions, and promoting their business or practice.

By sharing their content with your lists and contacts.

By helping their causes through donations and volunteering your time.

When you deliver enough value to your market, you don’t need to sell your services. You need do little more than mention them.

They already know and trust you. They already know you’re good at what you do. If they need your help, or know someone who does, they’re not going to go anywhere else.

Selling legal services is easier when you know the formula

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Filed Under: Increase your income, Marketing legal services, Relationship marketing, Salesmanship Tagged With: ,

The foundation of all attorney marketing

January 5, 2015 by
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The foundation of all attorney marketing is value. The more value you deliver to your target market, the more successful you will become.

When you deliver more value, you get more clients, and better clients, and you’re able to charge higher fees. You get more referrals and fewer complaints. You build a base of loyal fans who are not only willing to help you, they go out of their way to do it.

Value starts with your services, of course, but it’s not just the excellence with which your perform those services. It is a function of everything under the umbrella of “client relations”.

It is the little things you do for your clients that improve their entire experience with you. It’s the way you show them that you care about them as individuals and not just names on a file. It’s how you make them feel about themselves and their decision to put their trust in you.

Maya Angelou said it best when she said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Value doesn’t stop with clients. You also deliver value to your prospects, referral sources, and others who work in, advise, or sell to your target market. Give them more value, make them feel good about knowing you, and they will remember you when they need your services or know someone who does.

You can deliver value to your prospective clients and referral sources through content-rich websites, videos, podcasts, articles, books, and speaking engagements that educate and empower them and help them make better decisions. You can deliver value through free consultations and free seminars, or paid seminars, books and courses.

The foundation of all attorney marketing is value. Find out what your market wants and deliver it to them. Over and over again. Surprise and delight them by giving them more than anyone else in the market, and you will own that market.

Marketing is easier when you know The Formula.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Increase your income, success

We get what we expect, not what we want

January 2, 2015 by
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Years ago, my wife and I attended an annual New Year’s party at her agent’s home. Every year, all of the guests wrote down what we expected to happen that year. Not our goals, our expectations.

The agent collected our scribbles in a basket and before we wrote our current expectations, we read what we had written the previous year. We could share with the group if we wanted to, or not.

The idea is that we don’t get what we want (our goals), we get what we expect. Goals are aspirational; expectations are objective.

I believe this is true. Our subconscious mind is a servo-mechanism, after all. It accepts our beliefs (expectations) as reality and works to create that reality.

I never quite got the hang of it, however. Every year, I wrote down what I wanted to happen, in the guise of what I expected. And every year, I missed the mark by a long shot. But this was my fault. I didn’t put a lot of thought into the exercise.

Maybe I was afraid my wife’s agent would secretly sneak a peak at what we had written so I wrote down something acceptable.

Anyway, if it is true that we get what we expect and not what we want, how does this help us? How do we access our deepest beliefs, and how do we use them to get what we want?

You got me.

Hypnosis? Meditation? Prayer?

All I know is that as we write down our goals for the year, we should give some thought to our expectations. That way, instead of choosing random goals that we hope will magically come true, we will choose goals that come true because they are the natural progression of our current reality.

If it turns out that our goals and are current reality are miles apart, and we’re honest with ourselves about that, after we write our goals, we will write down a list of things we need to work on in order to close that gap.

Need a simple marketing plan that really works? Get this

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Filed Under: Goal Setting, Personal development Tagged With:

Give it away, give it away, give it away (but not everything)

December 29, 2014 by
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You’re thinking about next year, aren’t you? If you’re not, just check your email. It’s undoubtedly filled with messages about goal setting, resolutions, organizing your work flow like a boss. . .

Oh, and don’t forget to register for the next goo-roo webinar that promises to reveal the secrets to profligate wealth. (Note to self: the free webinar is a sales pitch).

Not all free webinars are like that. Just most of them. You don’t learn that much. Or they tell you the “what” but not the “how”.

I know, they can’t give away everything for free. They’ve got a business to run. Just like you do. You don’t give away all of your wisdom and advice during a free consultation (nor should you), so you get that.

But you’ve got to give people something.

I’m not saying you can’t sell your services without “content”. You certainly can. Advertising still works. But if you’re asking people to invest an hour of their time with you at your seminar, watching your videos, or reading your blog, you’ve got to give them something in return.

And the more you give them, the more likely they are to see you as the solution to what ails them.

So, as you plan your next move, I suggest you add “content creation” to your list. If you already do this, ask yourself how you can do it more or make it better.

Put some articles on your website. Write a report or ebook. Make some screen capture videos. Teach people something about your area of expertise, so they can see that you know what you’re doing and get a sense of what it would be like to work with you.

People go online for information. Give them some.

The Attorney Marketing Formula comes with a simple marketing plan that really works. Go here.

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Filed Under: Goal Setting, Marketing Plan

99% of attorneys give the other 1% a bad name

December 26, 2014 by
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Attorneys are often regarded as selfish bastards who eat their young. We rank below used car sales people and politicians on the trust and likability meter. So I read with interest a story about an attorney who drove a stake through the heart of this stereotype.

It happened in an Oregon courtroom where Castor Conley, a 27-year-old married father of a 17-month-old girl, was charged with paying $150 to $200 for a stolen Nissan, which he sold for $275 to another buyer, who then sold it for parts. Conley pleaded guilty to a felony charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, but the deputy district attorney agreed to classify it as a misdemeanor if he paid $983 in restitution to the owner of the truck.

Conley couldn’t come up with the money, however.

Attorney Colin M. Murphy was in the courtroom on another matter and overheard the conversation. He didn’t know the defendant but realized that a felony conviction would affect his job and housing prospects and he volunteered to pay the money.

‘All of us sometime in our lives have done something we would rather not have done,’ he told The Oregonian. ‘And the time will come when perhaps we are going to be held accountable. And I think at that point we would like to have somebody show us mercy.”

The judge told Conley he should eventually pay back Murphy, but Murphy said he was happy to give the man a chance. “If I get paid back, great,” Murphy said. “If I don’t, no problem. I’m not going to hold the kid to it.”

I know it’s the Christmas season, but Murphy needs to stop this nonsense. He’s making the rest of us look bad.

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Filed Under: Image, Inspiration, Legal industry

You need new clients every month, not every day

December 23, 2014 by
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If you don’t get a new client today, I’m sure you’ll be fine. If you don’t get a new client this month, however, you may have a problem.

I don’t know what your client quota is, or what it should be. I just know that you should have one. Whether that’s weekly, monthly, or daily (if you dare).

Whatever this number is, use it measure your performance and growth.

It’s not a mandatory minimum, mind you. It’s an average. A target to shoot for. A number to watch.

Let’s say you have a target of one new client per week. If you go a week without a new client, you notice that, but you don’t worry about it. Two weeks without a new client and you should try to figure out why. Three weeks without a new client and you need to DO something.

You can’t let things go too long without taking action.

Of course you might have three new clients this week and zero for the next three weeks. That’s why these are averages.

Anyway, figure out what your current average is. How many clients are you signing up right now? Then, choose a bigger number for your next goal. If you get one new client per week now, your goal might be 1.5 new clients per week (on average), within 60 days. Or two new clients per week within 90 days.

Then, all you have to do is figure out how you’re going to hit that goal.

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Filed Under: Law office management, Marketing legal services

The turning point

December 22, 2014 by
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During World War II, when it seemed like the allies were destined to go down in defeat, Winston Churchill told the world that a single allied victory was the turning point in the war. It was when the British routed Rommel’s forces at Alamein, driving German troops out of Egypt.

Speaking about the significance of this victory, Churchill said,

Now this is not the end.
It is not even the beginning of the end.
But it is, perhaps,
the end of the beginning.

It was indeed.

Churchill later wrote in his memoirs, “Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat.”

If you’ve had a rough time this year, if the last few years have felt like we are at war and we are losing, take heart. Things are about to change.

I can’t tell you when, but I believe the world will soon reach a turning point. And so will each of us. Yes, I see the news, and things are bad. But I have faith in the future, and you should, too.

Our families, our clients, our community, depend on leaders like us to point the way towards a better future. We must remain steadfast in our beliefs and our prognostications. No matter how bad things have been, things will get better.

We must believe this, and we must never give up. There is too much at stake.

There will be other battles fought, but the turning point will come and we will win this war.

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Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With:

The best way to get more legal work

December 19, 2014 by
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I spoke to an estate planning lawyer the other day. He’s getting ready to do another mailing to his client list to encourage them to make an appointment to review and update their estate plans, due to a change in the law. It seems many people are either unaware of the new law or believe it doesn’t apply to them.

We spoke about the content of the letter, including whether or not to extend a special offer or incentive to get more people booking appointments.

I am sure he will get more work out of this, but not nearly as much as he could.

One letter (or email) isn’t enough. Selling your services to prospects or clients is a process, executed through a series of communications. Even if the letter he sends is brilliant and makes the phone ring, a second letter would bring even more.

Some people won’t read the first letter. Some will mean to call, but forget. Some will need time to take care of other business. Some won’t have the money today, or not want to spend it today, but that will change over time.

Never rely on a “one off”. If you do, you’re leaving much dinero on the table.

Your letters and emails, your newsletters, and everything else that comes out of your office, should be part of a sequence of communications, designed to educate and stimulate response.

But don’t stop with the written word. Or other static ways to educate and motivate your list (e.g., videos, seminars, speaking engagements, etc.)

I told this lawyer that if he wants to book more appointments, there’s something else he needs to do.

Call the clients.

You are their lawyer. They need to have this work done. You’ll book more appointments and get more legal work if you talk to them.

Actually, have someone else in the office call on your behalf: “Mr. Twinkletoes wanted me to call you to make sure you received his report about the recent changes in the tax law and to see if you have any questions. He knows you’ll want to take care of this immediately, so we’re booking appointments right now for the week of the 5th. I have an opening on. . .”.

You’ll get waaay more appointments if you call.

What’s that? You don’t do estate planning? Your practice area doesn’t have a lot (or any) repeat business?

No problem. Here’s a couple of things you can do.

  1. Team up with an estate planning lawyer and promote his or her services to your client list. That lawyer can then promote your services to his or her list.
  2. Call you clients and tell them you have a special offer or promotion going right now and you want to let them know so their contacts can take advantage of it. Referrals, baby.

Your list is incredibly valuable. Repeat business, updates, and referrals await you. Call and get some.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Marketing legal services, Referrals Tagged With: , ,

Is hard work the key to success? Umm, no

December 18, 2014 by
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Everyone and his brother says that hard work is the key to success. But is it?

I can point to many times in my life when I was successful without hard work. In fact, many of my successes came with little or no effort.

I can also point to times when I worked my fingers to the proverbial bone and accomplished nothing. Goose eggs. Bupkis.

I’m sure you could say the same thing.

A mentor of mine once said, “If you’re not having the success you want, there are only two reasons. Either you’re not doing something right, or you’re not doing it enough.”

No mention of hard work.

“Doing it enough” implies persistence, but that isn’t necessarily hard. In fact, the more you do something, the easier it usually gets.

“Doing something right” is important, of course. With a little practice, you can usually improve your skills (and your results).

Let’s flip around the phrase “doing something right”. Could this also mean “doing the right things”? Yes it could. In fact, I think doing the right things is the key to success.

It’s the 80/20 principle that I talked about recently. We are much more successful at some things that others. Choose the right things to do, and you will have more success.

Don’t tell anyone, but I found law school and the bar exam to be relatively easy. I have always been good at exams, especially essays. Essays are a “right activity” for me.

Other things, not so much.

Ever meet someone who seems to lead a charmed life? They don’t work hard and yet they go from one successful outcome to another. They have a great career, and everything seems to come to them quickly and without a lot of effort. Is it talent? Luck? Magic spells?

Maybe. Or maybe they’ve simply made the right choices.

I’m not saying “don’t work hard”. Working hard is a way to hedge our bets, in case we’re not as good as we think, or in case we haven’t chosen the right activity.

Work hard if you want to. Just don’t depend on it.

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

Bah, humbug, period, paragraph.

December 17, 2014 by
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Tis the season to be jolly. Or not.

The last two weeks of the year is either a time of joy and celebration, or a time of stress and regret. You either want this time to last forever, or you can’t wait for it to be over.

If you love this time of year, Mazel Tov. Savor every moment. Give thanks for your blessings. Enjoy the big meal. Save me a hunk of pie.

If this isn’t your favorite time of year, or even if it is, recognize that lots of people are stressed out right now. They have too much to do. They may be spending money they don’t have. They may be worried about their future.

You can help.

You can be a ray of sunshine in their lives and make them glad they know you.

Ask yourself, “how can I make this a better time for my clients?

You might send them a funny video, like last year’s Christmas Jammies.

How about taking $100 off of their bill and telling them to have a nice dinner on you?

Or maybe give them a call, yes a phone call, and tell them how much you appreciate them.

Surprise and delight them. Show them you care.

If your clients are happy right now, hearing from you is going to make them even happier. If they’re having a rough time right now, your message or gift could be just what they need to realize that everything is going to be okay.

But here’s the thing. When you make other people’s lives better, you make yours better, too.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Inspiration Tagged With: ,
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