Client relations

If your law firm were a sports team

July 18, 2014 by David M. Ward

Your clients want you to win. They are cheering for you and will celebrate with you when you win their case or favorably resolve their issue.

If you don’t win, they will be disappointed, but they will accept it, as long asÂ you put up a good fight.

I’m sure you do your best for your clients. You advocate and argue and try every angle. You stay in shape mentally, so you can perform at your peak. You come in early and stay late, to prep for the game. You give yourÂ clients your best efforts.

But do your clients know this?

Do you let your clients know everything you do for them? Can they see your effort?

When a sports fan watches a game, they see the players in action. They see them execute strategy, take the shots, and suffer the blows. You need to show your clients no less.

That means documenting everything. It means explaining everything. It means putting everything you do in context, so they can see why you did it one way and not another.

Legal services aren’t like dry cleaning. The client doesn’t just drop off the clothing and pick it up when it’s done. Legal services involve important issues and great expense. When a client hires your law firm, they need to see what they are paying for and they are paying for your effort.

Your clients can live with the fact that you didn’t score the goal. But they have to see you take the shot.

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Law office management

Send your clients to client school

July 7, 2014 by David M. Ward

Wouldn’t it be great if there was such a thing as client school? A place where clients would learn about the law and procedure, so they would understand what’s going on with their case and not have to ask you so many questions.

They would also get schooled on how to work with you: how to help you do a better job for them, how to contact you, what to send you, what is expected of them, and what to avoid. Client school would teach them about other services you offer and how they can benefit. They could learn about fees and billing, costs and retainers, and everything else a client needs to know.

No client school would be compete without a course on how to provide referrals. Clients would learn why sending you referrals helps them (i.e., it keeps your marketing costs low and you can pass the saving onto them, you don’t have to spend as much time marketing so you can give your clients more attention, etc.) and how it helps the people they refer (i.e., they get high quality help, they don’t have to spend time finding someone, they don’t take a risk of making a bad choice, etc.)

They would then learn what to do to make the referrals, i.e., what to say to their referrals, and/or what to email them or what page to send them to.

Client school would be great, wouldn’t it? Fewer questions, happier clients, more referrals.

So, why not start one?

All you have to do is put all of this information in writing, or record videos, and post everything on your website. You can put some or all of it in a password protected “clients only” area, or make it public so prospective clients can see all that you do for your clients. You can print transcripts and mail these to clients who prefer this, or put everything on DVD’s and give them to every new client.

You could have some of your staff record a video or two. Directions, where to park, office hours, and so on, or more substantive matters. They could do a walking tour of your office, or demonstrate the process for opening a new file. If appropriate, ask some articulate clients to record something.

More ideas? How about quizzes and a diploma for those who take all of the classes? How about things for kids, like legally themed pictures they can print and color, word search, crosswords, and so on?

Start with basic information. Add what you already have: articles, blog posts, recorded webinars or speeches, forms and checklists, reports and ebooks. Then, make a list of other areas you want to cover. Record one or two five minute videos each week. Don’t get fancy. Just talk into your webcam. Or put up a few slides and narrate them.

If you make some or all of this public, every time you do an update, notify your email list and your social media followers.

So, what do you think? Would you give this idea a passing grade?

For more ideas for your website, get this

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Law office management, Online Marketing, Social media marketing

Striking a balance between accessibility and availability

July 3, 2014 by David M. Ward

At one extreme are lawyers who are always available. They give out their cell phone number to everyone, answer their own phone, and respond almost immediately to email. There is no buffer between them and the world.

At the other extreme are lawyers who are hard to reach and hardly ever available. Clients and prospects speak to intermediaries. If they want to speak with the lawyer, they make an appointment and it might be days or weeks before that takes place.

Always being available is neither good posture, nor a good way to value and manage your time. If you are always reachable, people will start to expect it. You don’t make your schedule, others do. Â It doesn’t allow you to focus on the most important people and tasks in front of you. And, if people can’t reach you when they want to, as they have come to expect, you will have disappointed them.

Some lawyers can (and do) successfully maintain the other extreme. They are very difficult to reach and are thus seen as successful and desirable. Not everyone can pick up the phone and speak to Donald Trump whenever they want to. You have to pass through the gauntlet before you get an audience with The Donald.

It takes the right practice area and clientele to pull this off, however, as well as a high degree of confidence. If you are inclined towards this position, do you establish these guidelines first, before you are busy and successful, or do you evolve into this persona when you’ve got the chops to prove it? Tough call.

For most lawyers, it’s probably best to strike a balance between availability and accessibility. Be reasonably accessible but not always available. Don’t give out your cell phone number to everyone, reserve that for your inner circle or perhaps also for your best clients. Don’t make people wait weeks to see you, but don’t tell them they can see you “any time this week”. (Give them a couple of open time slots later in the week.) Don’t ignore messages or turn everything over to intermediaries. Return messages in a reasonably timely manner.

Show people that you are accessible but that you value your time and are busy doing important work. Unless it is an emergency, they need to accommodate your schedule, and they may need to speak to someone else before they can speak to you.

Filed Under: Career satisfaction, Client relations, Image, Law office management, Productivity

How well do you know your clients?

June 24, 2014 by David M. Ward

When your clients like you, they tend to stay with you. And give you referrals. And send traffic. And say nice things about you on social media and review sites.

Yes or yes?

So, how do you get your clients to like you? One way is to show them that you like them. People like people who like them.

Yes or yes?

One of the simplest ways to do this is to show them that you remember some personal details about them. Like the names of their spouse and kids. Like their birthdays. Like whether or not they have pets.

When youÂ know your clients well enough toÂ remember these details, you tell them that you think they are important and that you care about them as people, not just bill-paying clients.

I got a call from a lawyer I haven’t spoken to in a couple of years. I asked him about his wife, by name. He didn’t say anything, but I’m sure heÂ noticed.

When you first meet with a new client, or a prospective clients, get them talking about themselves and take notes. Enter this information into your client database, and continue adding this kind of information, over time. The next time you speak with the client, have your database open and use this information during the conversation.

We are in the people business, you and I. We may sell products or services, or our problem-solving abilities, but what we really sell is ourselves.

Want to make your phone ring? ThisÂ shows you what to do.

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Referrals, Relationship marketing, Salesmanship

20 hours a week marketing your law practice?

May 28, 2014 by David M. Ward

Email provider Constant Contact conducted a survey of 1,300 small business owners. They found that, “A small business owner â€” along with another employee â€” will spend an average of 20 hours per week on marketing.”

Does this sound like a lot?

The business owners weren’t selected at random. They were part of the company’s “Small Biz Council,” which suggests they weren’t your average small business because (a) they use email marketing, and (b) they areÂ part of a “Small Biz Council”.

Before you read further, how would you answer this question? How many hours per week do you spend marketing your law practice?

Your answer will depend on how you define marketing.

If you believe that “marketing is everything we do to get and keep good clients,” as I do, you will realize that marketing is deeply baked into our daily activities. It’s not something we put on our calendars and “do” once a week, we do it all day long.

Take client relations, for example. If you spend ten hours a week speaking with, or writing to clients, all of the little things you say and do (and avoid saying and doing) count as marketing. How you greet them–your smile, your handshake, offering them something to drink, cleaning up your desk before escorting them into your private office–it all counts.

Now how about the time you spend writing blog posts, articles, and newsletters, and time spent speaking and networking (including on social media)? You can also count the time you spend reading things you can use in your writing or in conversation with clients and prospects and referral sources.

You’re reading this post right now, either in your email or on my blog. Â In my book, time spent learning about marketing counts as marketing.

Are you adding this up?

Don’t forget the time you spend communicating with staff or outside vendors about your website, advertising, PR, or content creation.

Are you on any committees? Do you do any charitable work? The time you spend at meetings or playing in charity golf tournaments is at least partially marketing related since you are building relationships with people who can send you business or otherwise further your career.

So, you spend a lot more time on marketing than you thought. Now that you are aware of this, you can consciously improve your marketing.

The next time you meet with a client, think about how you can improve their experience. What else can you do or say? What can you give them?

Look at everything you do throughout your day and think about how you can do it better, faster, or more effectively. Because marketing is everything we do to get and keep good clients.

Want to get better at marketing your law practice? Here’s what you need.

Filed Under: Client relations, Law office management, Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan

The lifetime value of one-time clients

May 19, 2014 by David M. Ward

I got an email from a marketing expert I follow who asked us if we would prefer to have a customer or a buyer on our list. What’s the difference? A customer is someone who buys something or hires you once and then goes on their merry way. They might come back, they might not. A customer, on the other hand, is someone who makes a custom of buying from you, “because of the trust, respect, and loyalty they have for you.”

So, customers are better than buyers.

Repeat clients are better than one-time clients.

Does this mean lawyers should only practice in areas where clients make a custom of hiring again and again? Should we choose business law, for example, with lots of repeat business, over consumer bankruptcy where the client might hire us once in a lifetime?

Not necessarily.

Someone who “buys” from you once and never again isÂ potentially just as valuable as someone who hires you frequently. They should be courted and nurtured. We should build relationships with one-time clients, even if they never hire us again.

The lifetime value of a client is only partially measured by the fees they pay us. There are many other ways they can deliver value and help our practice grow. They can provide

Referrals
Website traffic
Recommendations and positive reviews
Introductions to other professionals, meeting holders, editors, bloggers, etc.
Invitations to networking events
Feedback about our services (so we can make improvements)
Information about our target market or community
Likes, re-tweets, and sharing of our content
Forwarding our emails to others in our target market

They can send us business, help us build our list, and otherwise help us bring in more business. In fact, what a client does for us outside of paying fees could easily be worth far more than the fees they pay. In terms of referrals alone, some clients who never hire you again could be worth many times the fees generated from clients who hire you again and again.

In fact, someone who never hires you could be worth far more to you than someone who hires you repeatedly.

The lesson? Treat everyone as though they are your biggest client. Provide extras. Help them every way you can. And stay in touch with them, before, during, and after the engagement or case.

You never know what someone can do to help you.

The Referral Blitz is one way to get clients and contacts to help you build your practice. Click here for details.

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, List building, Referral sources, Referrals, Relationship marketing Tagged With: lifetime value

How to make a better second impression

May 2, 2014 by David M. Ward

I admit it, I donâ€™t always make a good first impression. Sometimes, I say things that come off as insensitive or inappropriate and my sense of humor sometimes leaves people wondering if Iâ€™m still in junior high.

Do you ever do these things? Do you ever wish you could go back and un-say what youâ€™ve said?

You can. And doing so will often create a better impression than you could have hoped to create the first time around.

The answer to a good second impression is to admit your mistakes. First, to yourself. You have to know when youâ€™ve messed up. Then, to the person or persons you have insulted, confused, or otherwise left scratching their head.

Apologize. Itâ€™s as simple as that. You donâ€™t need to explain, although that might help if you do have an explanation other than â€œIâ€™m an idiotâ€. Usually, a simple, Iâ€™m sorry, I didnâ€™t mean it,â€ is enough.

Most people understand. Most people are forgiving. Most people will like you better for being honest enough to admit your mistakes and for caring enough to come forward.

Itâ€™s well known in marketing that when a customer or client is upset, making things right often leads them to become long-time clients and ardent supporters. I think it has something to do with releasing the tension created by the initial mistake or problem.

As lawyers, itâ€™s often difficult for us to admit weâ€™re wrong. We donâ€™t want people to know we make mistakes. Because of this, when we admit our transgressions, it can make an even bigger impact.

If you have made a bad first impression, fess up and fix it. You can make a better second impression. Unless you own an NBA team and you just donâ€™t care.

Need help with marketing? Here you go

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Communication, Networking, Personal development Tagged With: Donald Sterling

What do clients want from their lawyers?

April 3, 2014 by David M. Ward

What do clients want from their lawyers? You can ask your clients what they want. You can conduct surveys. You can do research. But as Steve Jobs once said, “A lot of times, people donâ€™t know what they want until you show it to them.”

A client comes in, thinking he wants a certain document or course of action. You show him his other options, recommend one, and tell him why.

A prospective client visits your website, looking for a solution he thinks he needs. He reads your articles and learns that something else might be better for him.

A client comes to see you, asking about your cheapest solution. You show him why this will cost more in the long run, or expose him to too much risk, and suggest a more expensive option.

A client wants you to go to trial. You show him why it makes sense to settle.

But your job is about more than the delivery of your core services. It is about creating the complete client experience. This includes how you answer the phone, how you schedule appointments, how you keep clients informed during the case, your billing practices, how you dress, your office decor, your bedside manor, and everything else.

If the client has hired an attorney in the past, they are probably expecting you to treat them the way other attorneys have. It probably won’t take much to exceed their expectations.

If they client hasn’t hired an attorney before, they may not know what to expect. That means you have to work a little harder to explain your recommendations. It means you have to manage their expectations, by under-promising, so you can over-deliver.

In your marketing, are you advertising or promoting the same services and features other attorneys offer or are you taking some risks and offering something different?

In any business or professional practice, you have to give clients what they want. But sometimes, they don’t know what they want until you show it to them.

Filed Under: Client relations, Law office management, Marketing legal services Tagged With: exceeding expectations, innovating

Queen for a Day: Marketing Legal Services Like a 1950’s TV Show

March 28, 2014 by David M. Ward

When I was a kid, there was a TV show called “Queen for a Day”. I think it started on radio.

The premise was that some lucky housewife would be brought to the studio, surprised with a multitude of gifts, and treated like royalty. She received clothing, furniture, appliances, jewelry, dinners, and trips. And with a lot of fanfare, she was anointed “Queen for a Day,” complete with a crown, a fur wrap, and a scepter.

Corny, but cute.

Anyway, in marketing legal services, we usually think in terms of what we can do for all of our clients, collectively. We send everyone a certain email, we upgrade our waiting room for the comfort of all clients.

Today, I’d like to suggest that you start your own “Queen for a Day” program.

Every day, choose a different client who will become “Queen (or King) for a Day”. You don’t have to buy them expensive gifts, or film them jumping up and down with excitement. You don’t even need to tell them they were chosen as part of your “Client of the Day” marketing program.

Choose someone, at random, and send them something, orÂ do something, to surprise and delight them. Something that’s not part of the regular service they receive from you and not something you regularly do for all of your clients.

Here are some examples:

A handwritten note of appreciation
Flowers or a plant
Cookies or donuts
Enter their name in a drawing for the month, with prizes (e.g., gift certificates, etc.)
Mention their business in your newsletter or on your website
Make a charitable donation in their name
Offer to meet and buy them coffee
Offer them a free or heavily discounted service
Send them a book

Imagine how the client will feel when he or she gets this unexpected attention. Do you think they will feel good about having you as their lawyer? Do you think they might keep you as their lawyer? Do you think they might tell their friends about how you treated them?

You don’t have to give the same thing to each client. You can spend more on better clients if you want. And, there are lots of things you can do that cost very little, or nothing.

It’s not about the “prizes,” it’s about the recognition. It’s about showing your clients you appreciate them.

Choose one client every day and make them feel special. Like a Queen or a King for a day.

Marketing is easy, when you know The Formula.

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Marketing legal services Tagged With: client appreciation, client appreciation ideas, Queen for a Day