Law office management Archives - Page 35 of 45 - The Attorney Marketing Center

What does your law firm voicemail message say about you?

May 16, 2013 by David M. Ward

When someone gets your law firm voicemail, what they hear (or don’t hear) can be the difference between them leaving a message and dialing the next attorney on the list. First impressions are sometimes last impressions.

I returned a call from an attorney the other day and got his voicemail. Did I hear a business-like message for his law office? No. I heard an electronic voice telling me the person I was calling was unavailable, meaning he had not recorded a personal voicemail message. I wasn’t sure I had reached the right person and had to double check the number. I left a message, but had that uneasy feeling you get when you’re not sure if you’re speaking to the right person.

Granted, I may have been calling his personal cell, not his office, but still, it didn’t make a good impression.

If someone gets your law firm voicemail, it should tell them the name of your firm, so the caller knows they have reached the right number, your office hours, and invite them to leave a message. If appropriate for your practice, it should also state what to do after hours or in an emergency.

The message should be recorded by someone other than you and should be warm and business like. The caller should come away with the impression that you are professionals who pay attention to detail.

If someone calls your direct line, or cell, you should record a similar message. At least state your name, so the caller knows they have reached the right person.

One more thing. Listen to your message after you record it. Make sure there are no background noises. Messages that were obviously recorded in your car are not professional. And make sure you sound like you care. If you sound bored, distracted, or rushed, you’re telling callers they aren’t important.

My best tip: stand up and smile when you record your message.

Now, excuse me while I go listen to my voicemail.

Marketing legal services made simple: The Attorney Marketing Formula.

Filed Under: Image, Law office management Tagged With: law firm voice mail message, law firm voicemail

Building a high volume law practice

May 8, 2013 by David M. Ward

When I started practicing, my goal was to build a high volume law practice. Lots and lots of smaller cases and clients.

Why?

Because there are more of them. I figured I had more chances to get small cases simply because there were more of them.

And because when I was getting started, I wasn’t good enough to handle the big ones.

But even when I was good enough, I still focused on small cases. My thinking was that a high volume of small to medium size cases would scale. As I brought in more business, I could hire more employees and get a bigger office. Or, as I later did, I could open a second office. And, if things didn’t work out, I could just as easily scale down.

Small cases meant smaller risk. Big cases require a big investment of time and resources and with only a handful of those cases, I could suffer some big losses if one or two went south.

The other reason is that a high volume law practice would make marketing easier. More clients meant more opportunities to get referrals from those clients. 500 clients meant 500 fishing lines in the water.

And I was right. I got lots of referrals. And life was good.

I always thought my exit strategy would be getting one or two monster cases that would allow me to cash out and be “done”. In law school, we heard that’s what our torts professor had done and it sounded good to me. But it never happened. I got some decent sized cases, but no monsters.

Many attorneys turn away small cases. They want bigger cases, with a bigger potential payoff, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

They probably don’t get as many referrals as I did, but the referrals they do get are bigger. If they’re really good, they get referrals from other attorneys who don’t handle big cases.

Some attorneys do it all. Small cases, medium cases, big cases. Bring it! The small cases allow the firm to finance the bigger cases. That works, too.

There’s no right or wrong way. You have to find your way.

If you aren’t (yet) a great attorney, be a prolific attorney. If you are a great attorney, you’ve got options.

If you want to get more clients and increase your income, learn The Formula.

Filed Under: Law office management, Legal industry, Marketing legal services, Referrals, Relationship marketing Tagged With: high volume law practice

How do you find out why they didn’t hire you?

April 10, 2013 by David M. Ward

In yesterday’s post, How often should I call a prospective client?Â I said you should follow up with a prospective client after a free consultation, but not call them because calling is bad posture. In response, I got an email from an attorney who said, “If you don’t call them how will you find out why they didn’t hire you?”

It’s a good question.

If they don’t call you within a suitable period to give you the go ahead on their case or matter, you can send them a form letter seeking feedback about your office’s “customer service”. Were you well treated, Did we answer all of your questions, that sort of thing. Then, ask if they plan to go ahead with their case or matter and if not, why not. You might provide multiple choice answers for them to tick off, and room for additional comments.

Send this with a cover letter about how you are constantly seeking to improve your services to your clients and you would greatly appreciate it if they would fill out the survey and return it in the envelope provided. You might offer to send them a free report or a $10 Starbuck’s gift card to say thank you.

Anyway, this should give you some feedback on what you’re doing right and what you need to improve. But there’s an even better way to find out why someone doesn’t hire you: ask them while they are still in the office.

Before you hand them a retainer agreement and pen, ask if they see the need for your services and how it will help them. If they do, ask if they are ready to get started. (There are other ways to close). If they aren’t ready, politely ask why.

If they need to discuss it with someone, that’s your cue that the next time you set an appointment, you need to find out if you are speaking to the decision maker and if not, make sure they come, too.

If they are reticent to share their reasons, there’s a good chance it’s money: they don’t have it or they think you’re too expensive. If they don’t have it, you can remind them that you take credit cards or have a payment plan. If they think you’re too expensive, you need to do a better job of building the value of what you do before they see you (i.e., on your web site) and during the consultation.

By the way, “I want to think about it,” almost always means they have another objection. Ask them what they want to think about: Is it the need? Is it the fee? Is there something else that’s holding you back?

The best time to get feedback is when they are in the office, feeling a little guilty for turning you down.

Do you have The Attorney Marketing Formula? If you want to get more clients, you should. Click here.

Filed Under: Attorneys fees, Client relations, Closing the sale, Law office management, Salesmanship

How to use scarcity to get more clients and increase your income

April 2, 2013 by David M. Ward

Scarcity creates value. When something is in short supply and people want it, its value increases. A soda may cost less than a dollar at any supermarket but that same soda costs $4 at the baseball game where there is no competition.

If you are the only attorney in town, the value of what you do increases. When a client needs you, they will pay a premium price for your help. On the other hand, if there are lots of attorneys in your market who do what you do and a client can choose any of you, the value of what you offer goes down.

This is why you must show prospective clients that you aren’t like other attorneys. You must show them that you are different in a way that is important and valuable to them.

If you specialize in personal injury cases for clients who ride motorcycles, for example, and ride one yourself, your superior knowledge and commitment to that niche market gives prospective clients a clear reason for choosing you instead of other attorneys.

You can learn more about showing people why they should choose you instead of other attorneys you in The Attorney Marketing Formula. Right now, I want to talk to you about another form of scarcity you can use in your marketing: “limited availability”.

You know that people want what they can’t have, right? When you put a time limit or a quantity limit on something you are offering, (assuming it is something people want), it tends to increase demand.

Why?

The first reason is “fear of loss”. They don’t want to miss out. Limited availability suggests that other people are getting something that could be theirs, thus, they are losing something they already “own,” i.e., whatever you are offering. Fear of loss is one of the most powerful motivations there is.

The other reason is “social proof”. As people see others buying what you are offering, it strengthens the perceived value of your offer. It’s like when you see a long line waiting to get into a restaurant. It tells you the food must be good.

You can use limited availability to get more people to sign up for your webinar or other event by letting them know there is limited seating or phone lines. If they wait too long, they might not get in.

You can use the same idea with impending fee increases. “Book your appointment now and lock in our current rates before they go up on the first of the month”.

Anything with a deadline invokes scarcity. If you ever use special offers–discounts, bonuses, freebies–a time limit on the offer (e.g., “This week only”) will almost always increase response.

I do this when I release a new product or service. I offer a discount to early bird purchasers and put a strict time limit on that discount. Wait too long and you miss it. I do the same thing when I hold a sale. The time limit forces people who might otherwise procrastinate to make a decision that allows them to get something they want.

Limited availability also applies to you and your time. If you are always available, you appear less valuable. If you answer your own phone, for example, it suggests that you are not “in demand” by others. Better to have someone else answer your phone and grant limited access to you and your valuable time.

The same goes for setting appointments. You don’t want clients to think you aren’t busy and that they can see you at almost any time. Put them off for a day or three or give them a short window of availability (i.e., “The only time available is Tuesday between 4 and 4:30 and Thursday at 2”.)

Put limits on what you offer, including your time. Especially your time. You’ll get more people waiting in line to get it.

Learn how to get prospective clients to choose you instead of other attorneys. Click here.

Filed Under: Image, Increase your income, Law office management, Marketing legal services

Pros and cons of starting a law practice

March 27, 2013 by David M. Ward

I was reading some statistics about the failure rate of small businesses. The numbers are brutal. 50% fail in their first year. 95% are out of business within five years.

It got me thinking about the survival rate for a new law practice. I don’t know what the actual numbers are but it wouldn’t surprise me if you told me that 95% are still going after five years.

Then I got to thinking about why. What is it about the business model of a small law practice that allows for such a high survival rate compared to other small businesses?

If you’re thinking about starting a law practice, here are the pros and cons I came up with:

THE PROS

Lower start up costs. You have rent deposits, furniture and computers (which can be financed), but no inventory or expensive equipment, and you can start without any employees.
Lower overhead. Your biggest fixed costs are rent and insurance. As you grow, you can hire employees or outsource, unlike a restaurant which cannot operate without employees.
Lower marketing costs. You need a web site. You can bring in business by networking. You don’t need to advertise.
Higher margins. You don’t sell a $10 product, you sell a $5,000 product. You can break even with just one or two new clients a month.
Steady work (business clients). Business clients tend to have ongoing legal needs. (But see below.)

THE CONS

Limited time. There are only so many hours in a day available for you to produce work product. If you have employees, you must supervise them. You have to reach a certain size before you can justify hiring staff to manage staff.
Limited growth options. You can’t franchise. You can’t take on investors. Bank financing is more difficult without inventory or other assets as collateral. If you want to open additional offices, you must be willing to stretch your time even thinner.
Competition. There are more lawyers today and fewer clients (with money). You also have competition with legal form companies, paralegals, and legal plan companies.
Feast or famine. Business clients go out of business and take their legal work with them. Consumer clients hire you once and often never again.
Limited retirement options. It’s difficult to sell a law practice for a decent multiple. You usually have to carry a note and depend on the buyer’s ability to pay (and many of your clients won’t stay with the buyer).

So, what do you think? Did I miss any? Does it look like a law practice is a sound business model? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Learn how to earn more than you ever thought possible in your law practice. Click here.

Filed Under: Law office management, Legal industry Tagged With: starting your own law firm, starting-a-law-practice

Gmail users now have another way to achieve inbox zero

March 18, 2013 by David M. Ward

In my Evernote For Lawyers ebook, I described how I (finally) achieved “inbox zero”. In case you don’t know, that means my email inbox is empty. The short version of how I did it: I identified the important emails that needed a reply or further action or that I needed to save and then archived everything else.

If you’ve never experienced an inbox zero, you should try it. Looking at an empty inbox and knowing that you have everything under control is a great feeling.

Now, what about the important emails? No surprises. I forward them to Evernote where I tag them for further action or assign them to a project. This allows me to keep my email inbox empty.

But there is a niggling issue. To reply to the original email I have saved to Evernote, rather than starting a new email, I have to find the original email in my Gmail archive. Not terribly difficult, but I just leaned something that makes it so much easier.

It turns out that Gmail allows you to bookmark your emails. Every email has a unique URL that you can access from your browser address bar. By copying and pasting that URL into an Evernote note or other note taking app, you can retrieve that email by clicking on the url. If you are logged into your Gmail account, the bookmarked email will open, ready for your reply.

Gmail gives you other options for curating and retrieving emails. Labels, filters, and stars are all helpful. But there’s nothing faster or more accurate than clicking on a URL to find a specific email.

You can also use this function to bookmark emails you need for an upcoming meeting or event. Paste the URL into your todo app or calendar and everything you need is just one click away.

Do you bookmark your email URLs? How has this helped you become more productive?

Evernote for Lawyers shows you how to get organized and increase your productivity

Filed Under: Email, Law office management, Productivity, Technology Tagged With: bookmark gmail emails, evernote, evernote-for-lawyers, inbox zero

Improve law firm marketing with daily and weekly routines

March 12, 2013 by David M. Ward

My wife and I know a family who eats roast chicken for dinner every Monday night. Tuesdays, it’s meatloaf. On Wednesdays, you’ll find them chowing down on pasta.

Every day of the week has a specific dinner meal and they have been eating that way for years.

I always thought this would be boring. I like not knowing what’s for dinner. Variety is the spice of life.

And yet, I can see the logic behind it. Shopping is easier. You don’t have to learn any new recipes. Besides, don’t most people regularly eat the same five or ten basic meals for dinner? We just don’t eat them on the same day every week.

Anyway, while routine dinner planning may not be your cup of tea, when it comes to marketing legal services or managing your law office, a routine could be just what the doctor ordered.

“Did he just put three cliches in one post? He’s weird.”

Homage to one of my favorite comedians, Jim Gaffigan.

Hot Pockets.

Back to work.

What if you established a routine in your office where every Monday was “communication day”. That’s the day you send out emails to former clients, make calls to check in with your professional contacts, and write an article for your newsletter or blog.

Tuesdays might be networking day. You have lunch with a professional or a prospective client, and schedule lunch for the following Tuesday.

Wednesdays could be “clean up and organize day”. You clean out your email inbox, tidy up your desk, consolidate notes, and plan the rest of your week.

Thursdays, might be seminar day. You work on planning, writing, and promoting your latest seminar, teleconference, or video.

Fridays? Pizza day, of course. You bring in pizza for lunch, meet with your staff, and brainstorm marketing and management ideas.

You could set aside two hours every Thursday and make that “writing time”. Or 30 minutes every morning at 10 am as “calling time.” You call people you met at networking functions or you call former clients to say hello and update their contact information.

You get the idea.

With daily or weekly routines, you don’t have to think about what to do. You already know.

And because you know that next Wednesday is writing day, throughout the week, your subconscious mind will come up with ideas. On Wednesday, you’ll be ready.

Do you use routines in your practice? Please share in the comments.

Marketing is simple. Click here to find out what you’re missing.

Filed Under: Law office management, Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan, Productivity Tagged With: daily and weekly routines, daily-method-of-operation, marketing routines

How clients find lawyers

February 28, 2013 by David M. Ward

My wife needed dental work. After she was seen by her dentist and the work was scheduled, she saw an article in one of the newsletters she reads about a new and “better” procedure. After reading more about the new procedure, she was convinced that this is what she wanted to do and started looking for a dentist who offered it. She found one close by, had her first visit, and booked an appointment to have the work done.

She found “candidates” through a search engine. She choose the dentist she did because

They have a great web site. It has lots of information about the dentist and their office, and about the technology and procedures they use. There are also lots of testimonials on the site.
They have over 200 five star reviews on Yelp
They were friendly and helpful on the phone and when she went in for her first visit. They made her feel like she could trust them and that they cared about her.

By contrast, aside from not offering this new procedure, her now former dentist

Doesn’t have a web site
Doesn’t have any reviews on Yelp, or anywhere else she could find
Didn’t make her feel like he cared

Oh yeah, the new dentist is actually less expensive than the former dentist. Not critical, but nice.

People find lawyers like they find dentists. I’m just saying.

Marketing is easy. But you have do it. Here’s how.

Filed Under: Law office management, Marketing legal services, Online Marketing Tagged With: testimonials, www-attorneymarketing-com, yelp

What to say when a prospective client’s first question is, “How much?”

February 26, 2013 by David M. Ward

The phone rings and a prospective client is on the line. His first question is, “How much do you charge for [a service]?” Is this a danger sign? Should you avoid price shoppers like him?

Yes, it is a danger sign. This is someone who is no doubt calling several attorneys and comparing fees. We can assume he intends to choose the lowest priced attorney and I will assume that this is not you.

But that doesn’t mean you should automatically reject him.

Just because someone is shopping price doesn’t mean he is incapable of understanding and appreciating value. Once he sees that you offer so much more than other attorneys, even though your “price” is higher, he may persuade himself that you are the better choice.

The trick is in how you handle his question.

If the initial question is, “How much do you charge for a Living Trust?” most attorneys would answer with a dollar amount. If you do that, then what you offer is a commodity and commodities are bought and sold based on price.

Let other attorneys compete on price. You don’t sell a commodity like they do, you offer professional services and your services are unique.

The better answer is something like this: “We offer a variety of estate planning and protection packages; the attorney needs to speak to you to determine which one is best for your situation.”

You want to be different from other attorneys. You don’t want people comparing the price of your apples to the price of their apples. Get prospects into the office where you can do a complete job of diagnosing their needs and showing them benefits they won’t get from other attorneys.

You should be prepared to give callers a broad idea of what they can expect if they hire you, however. If your least expensive package is $15,000, and they have a $1,000 budget, you’ll be doing both of you a favor by letting them know.

When someone asks, “How much?” answer with a lawyer-like, “It depends.” Because if it doesn’t depend, you are selling a commodity and there will always be someone else with a lower price.

Want to know how to ask for (and get) higher fees than other attorneys? ThisÂ has the answer.

Filed Under: Attorneys fees, Increase your income, Law office management Tagged With: httpwww-attorneymarketing-com20130226what-to-say-when-a-prospective-clients-first-question-is-how-much, www-attorneymarketing-comwhat-to-say-when-a-prospective-clients-first-question-is-how-much

Why thin lawyers starve to death

February 25, 2013 by David M. Ward

You can almost hear the death rattle.

Lawyers who are too thin, offering too many services to “anyone who can pay” instead of a focusing on what they do best and offering it the most profitable clients. Settling for leftovers when they could be enjoying a feast.

ForbesÂ did a piece on why too many choices hurt a small business. (Replace “small business” with “law practice.”) When you offer too many options or otherwise spread yourself too thin, you have problems:

Focus. Trying to be all things to all people dilutes your efforts to become excellent. (One reason specialists earn more is that they focus on what they do best .)
Brand. You can’t build your reputation or stand out from the crowd when you do everything for everybody.
Delays. If you give customers too many choices, you make it harder for them to choose. (I don’t think this bedevils most attorneys, but we do need to keep things simple when presenting our services because “a confused mind chooses nothing.”)
Capital. The more products you offer, the more you have to invest in inventory. (The more practice areas you offer, the more you have to invest in maintaining your skills, library, procedural safeguards, and mental energy.)
Competition. You can’t compete with everybody. (Better to be a big fish in a modest sized pond than a guppy in an ocean.)

The author says that to be successful, small business owners should develop a niche expertise and I agree. Focus on what you do best. Offer it to the best clients. Let go of the rest.

Marketing is easier when you focus. More effective, too. Choose one or two strategies and master them. Spend an hour on one thing instead of a few minutes on ten things.

When it comes to your health, being thin may be in, but in building a law practice, fat is where its at.

Focus is one of the six keys in The Attorney Marketing Formula. Learn more here.

Filed Under: Law office management, Marketing legal services Tagged With: attorney-marketing-networking-strategy