Marketing legal services Archives - Page 2 of 134

“Thank you” is the next step, not the last

October 16, 2025 by David M. Ward

The case is closed. The client’s happy. You got paid.

Now what?

Yes, you say thank you. And send a handwritten thank-you note. And call the client the next day or the next week to see if they have any additional questions or issues.

But there’s a lot more.

“Thank you” isn’t the end; it’s the beginning of what’s next. And you should have a process in place for making the best of it.

This is the best time to get (or lay the groundwork for getting):

Additional work from the happy client; what else do they need or want?
Referrals from the client; who do they know who might also need your help or might want some information?
Additional referrals from the client or professional who initially referred the case or client to you
Testimonials from the happy client (and permission to share them).
Feedback: asking the client to fill out a survey and tell you what they liked best about what you did, how they were treated by you and your staff, and anything they think you could improve
Social sharing: encouraging the happy client to post their great results, talk about how happy they are with your work, and making it easier for them to do that by proving templates, checklists, and showing them what other clients have said about your work on their social pages
A stronger relationship with the client, e.g., a celebratory lunch, photos, tickets to the ball game

This is also a good time to write notes about the case or matter, the issues or problems presented, what you did and how it worked out. These notes can be invaluable for sharing with your partners and staff and any advisors you might consult about what and how you’re doing.

You can also use these notes in your content creation or marketing, e.g., as a success story in a blog post or article, to add to your ads and newsletter, or to reference on the “what we do” or “how we can help you” page on your website.

The end of the case is a special time, and most lawyers don’t take advantage of it.

You can and should.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan

Marketing is easier today than when I started my law practice

October 14, 2025 by David M. Ward

I’m not going to tell you that marketing is easy. It isn’t. It takes focus and consistency and hard work, and you often have to do things you don’t want to do. So, no, it’s not easy. But. compared to the way it was when I opened my law practice decades ago (cue “old man” rant), it is almost laughingly easier.

When I opened my first office, I had very few clients, very little experience, and very little money. I used what I had available—time and the need to pay my rent—and did everything I could think of to bring in business.

One thing I did was volunteer several hours a week at a legal clinic. I actually got some clients that way, but most of them were as broke as I was, so while this gave me some valuable experience speaking with prospective clients, it generated little income. Eventually, I got a few cases and some paying clients, but I survived mostly on savings.

I knew I needed to focus on marketing, but my options were limited.

As soon as I could afford it, I advertised in the Yellow Pages. I did some networking but hated it and wasn’t very good at it (and I was very young and looked it). That left referrals, which became my favorite strategy.

It took years, and I struggled mightily, but eventually. I made it.

It’s much easier today because the opportunities for building a practice are unlimited.

Social media provides you with free access to prospective clients and people who can refer them, and you can connect with them without getting up from your sofa or going to a single networking event.
YouTube, podcasting channels, and other portals looking for content allow you to get your name and face or voice in front of your target market and show them how you can help them. Medium, Substack, and other platforms not only give you exposure without asking you to pay for it, some of them actually pay you.
You can post articles on a (WordPress) blog, or get exposure by guest posting on others’ blogs, or be interviewed on their channel, allowing prospective clients to find you and get to “know” you before they ever speak to you.
Search engines weren’t a thing back then. Today, that’s how most clients find attorneys.
You can use Amazon KDP to self-publish a book, which can build your reputation and generate targeted leads from prospective clients.
You can build an email list and continually follow-up with everyone who expresses interest in something you said or wrote.
Referrals are more plentiful today because clients and professionals don’t have to actually know you to refer you; they can share your website or blog or article, recommend your book, or tell someone they heard you interviewed and thought you had some good things to say.
And the list goes on.

You don’t need a big budget for advertising or to hire marketing consultants—you can tap into everything that’s available today, at little or no cost, without putting in years building your reputation.

Yes, there is more competition today, but there are so many more opportunities to bring in business, if you’re willing to put in a bit of effort, it almost doesn’t matter how much competition there is.

You have unlimited potential today and can be as successful as you want to be, without breaking the bank—or your back.

Of course, that also means you have no excuse for not being as successful as you want to be.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, success

Marketing without the hype

October 9, 2025 by David M. Ward

Some attorneys resist using certain types of marketing, e.g., blogging, advertising, or email, because they don’t want clients or colleagues to see them as “needing” business and think less of them. Of course, some lawyers think this applies to most marketing and either don’t do it or do it reluctantly.

Whatever the cause of their resistance, one way to engage in marketing without the stigma attached to it, real or perceived, is to do it mindfully. In particular, this means paying attention to

Your content or message,
Your language and tone,
Your calls-to-action or offers, and
The frequency of your communication.

If you have testimonials or reviews you would like to use but don’t want to appear boastful, you could convert them into stories. Feature your best testimonials or reviews on your website, perhaps, but in your newsletter or article, speak about the case or matter that resulted in that testimonial to illustrate a point you’re making in your article.

For example, if you’re writing about tax strategies you recommend for high net worth individuals, after you describe the strategy, you might add that you recently used this strategy to reduce a client’s tax liability by 25%. You offer proof that your strategy works without sounding like an infomercial.

Which leads to something else you could and should do in your marketing—focus on strategies about solving problems, not selling your services.

“I’m a tax lawyer” might be an accurate statement but clients want to know what that means for them. If you say, “I help high net worth taxpayers minimize their tax exposure,” and reference your recent successful case to show what is possible, the focus is on the client more than on you.

Talk to clients and prospects about themselves, their business or industry, their wants and needs, more than about you and your services. But don’t take yourself completely out of the picture. After all, you are the one they will hire and rely on, and you should make the case for your ability to help them. Just don’t make it all about you.

To do that, use specific language and examples that show you understand them and have experience with clients like them. That means avoiding the generalities so common in lawyer marketing.

Don’t over-promise, but don’t hide your light under a bushel.

You want to be seen as a serious professional but friendly and relatable. The best way to do that is to talk “to” them, not “at” them, and to do it as plainly as possible.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Writing

The most important question you can ask a new client

October 7, 2025 by David M. Ward

When you sign up a new client or meet with a prospective new client, there are lots of things you want to know. About their legal situation, what they need or want, and so much more. But there’s one question you should ask that’s more important than any other.

“Where did you hear about us?”

Most lawyers ask a variation of this question, but it is often perfunctory rather than strategic. You shouldn’t ask merely out of curiosity but because the answer is valuable.

You want to know if the client saw your ad, read your article, found you through search or through referral. This information can dramatically improve your marketing.

First, it tells you what you’re doing right, so you can do more of it. Write more articles on the subject, in the same or similar publications, use the same keywords on your website, continue running the ads that are making your phone ring, and so on.

Second, it tells you what you’re doing wrong.

If new clients don’t mention having discovered you through things you’re currently doing, you know you should probably stop doing them. If no one identifies the ads you’re currently running or events you’re promoting, you know you need to change something.

The third reason for asking how the client found you is that if they were a referral, you can ask what the referring party told them about you. What clients and business contacts say about you tells you how effective you are at serving clients and building your reputation. Valuable information, to say the least.

Finally, if they were a referral, you want to know who referred them so you know who to thank.

And thank them you should.

Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because the referring party will appreciate it and make it more likely that they will do it again.

I was reminded about the importance of thanking people who refer clients by my friend and fellow attorney Barak Lurie, who told me about an effusive thank-you message he recently received from a real estate agent he had thanked for referring a client to him.

When you get a thank you for a thank you, you know you’re doing something right.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Referrals, Relationship marketing

The most important decision of your legal career

October 2, 2025 by David M. Ward

Ever notice that the most successful lawyers aren’t necessarily the best lawyers? If you’re smarter, work harder, and do a better job than those other lawyers, why do they earn more than you do?

It’s because being a better lawyer doesn’t mean prospective clients and the people who can refer them will notice you, trust you, and hire or refer you.

You may be a brilliant lawyer, dedicated, hard-working, and well-liked, but if you’re not good at the business side of your practice, you’ll always be a step behind.

The good news is that you can change that. It starts with a decision.

The most important decision of your career.

You have to decide to commit to the business side of your practice. That it is at least as important as the legal work and deserves your time and energy and money.

Decide to get serious about business and marketing. Study it, schedule time for it, and consistently and enthusiastically work at it.

Average lawyers don’t do that.

Average lawyers provide lip service to marketing and management, taking action only when something falls in their lap, there is a fire to put out, or they have a few extra minutes between appointments.

Unless driven by desperation, they don’t schedule anything, try anything new or otherwise work on improving the business side of their practice. They see it as a burden, an expense, at most a necessary evil, instead of embracing it as the path for achieving their biggest goals.

Why? Ego, mostly. They believe that to be successful, they shouldn’t “have to” do anything more than be a good lawyer. Or they don’t know what to do and aren’t willing to find out.

They might assume that the lawyers who earn more have the right connections, innate interpersonal skills, or just got lucky.

Excuses. And any excuse will do.

Don’t make excuses. If you want to achieve more, decide that you will do everything possible to make that happen. And do it.

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Filed Under: Increase your income, Law office management, Marketing legal services, Personal development, success

Do you know your numbers?

September 25, 2025 by David M. Ward

Many lawyers don’t hit their marketing goals because they don’t set the right ones. They decide how many new cases or clients they want to bring in for the month, and how much they’d like to bill (and collect), and these are important, but they’re not enough.

They also need goals that, if achieved, help them hit their goals for new clients and revenue.

They need to know how many prospective clients they need to meet with or speak to, for example, in order to sign up a new client. They need to know many leads or inquiries they need to receive, how many viewers of their videos or listeners to their podcasts, how many eyeballs on their ads, or how many attendees at their presentations.

Those kind of goals.

How about you? To reach your goals each month, how many new sign-ups for your newsletter or new followers on social do you need in order to generate enough inquiries, leads, or appointments?

But it’s not just raw numbers. You also need qualitative goals.

Getting 1,000 people to watch your videos, for example, is meaningless if they aren’t the right people.

You’re wasting your time engaging with people who don’t need your services, or don’t need them often enough, or don’t have the money to hire you no matter how much or how often they need or want your help.

For a professional, quality is (usually) more important than quantity.

What do your best prospects look like? What kind of business do they own or manage? Where do they live or work, and what do they sell or do?

You need to answer questions like these so you know where to spend your time and money.

Rather than being seen by many people who may or may not be interested in what you do, you want to become well known to people who are very much interested in, and even looking for the kinds of services and solutions you offer.

Identify your best prospects and invest in communicating with them (and their advisors). If you do that, you won’t need huge numbers in order to hit your goals.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services

The attitude of a successful lawyer

September 18, 2025 by David M. Ward

You’ve given them the information. Answered their questions. Handled their objections. But the prospective client still decides not to hire you. Is there a way to turn their “no” into a “yes”?

You could tell them more. Give them more reasons they need to do what you recommend, tell them more about what could happen if they don’t, or tell them why they should choose you instead of another lawyer or firm.

But that’s argumentative and makes you look weak. At the very least, it’s unlikely to work.

I suggest a different approach.

Thank the prospect for their time in meeting with you and considering you. Tell them you respect their decision. And if you know they’re going to hire one of your competitors, say something positive about them.

Then, tell the client that if they ever need anything, you’ll be happy to help.

That’s it. Don’t try to convince them to change their mind. Don’t remind them of something you’ve said or ask them to think about it.

Smile, shake their hand, and thank them again for speaking with you.

That’s what a professional does. And it’s this attitude that can win you many more “yesses,” including from clients who originally said “no”, aka, “let me think about it”.

When you adopt this approach, prospects who said no will often second-guess their decision. They wonder if they made a mistake by choosing another firm, and that alone might get them to change their mind.

It also makes it more likely they will come back to you when that other firm messes up or otherwise fails to deliver.

And, if the client doesn’t hire you this time, they might be more likely to hire you for the next matter.

Not only that, your confidence and graciousness will likely bring you more referrals as your market hears good things about you. That includes the lawyers at those “other firms” when they have a conflict and are asked to recommend another lawyer.

This is how you turn a no into a yes.

Take the high road and leave the door open. You’ll likely find more clients showing up at that door.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Closing the sale, Handling objections, Marketing legal services

How to eliminate your competition and dramatically increase your income

September 16, 2025 by David M. Ward

Having no competition would be great, wouldn’t it, but it’s not possible, is it?

Actually, it is. But you may not be willing to do what you have to do to achieve it.

Because it’s not easy.

It would mean doing things and saying things most attorneys don’t do or say. It would mean being different from other attorneys or firms in your market and building your reputation on those differences.

When you do that, you attract clients who come looking for you, hire you, pay what you ask, and tell others about you.

Because you’re the only lawyer who does what you do.

You’re different and offer more value than what other lawyers offer. You’re not average; you’re better.

And everyone is talking about you.

Yes, but what can you do that’s different? What can you offer that nobody else offers?

What value can you deliver that is both unique and desirable?

You might offer flat fees when everyone else charges by the hour. You might promise to deliver your work product in half the time as any other firm. You might offer a satisfaction guarantee.

Maybe you could partner with other professionals or businesses and offer a “one-stop shopping” solution. Or a service that’s far more comprehensive that anything else in your market.

Think. What do clients want? What can you give them that is better than anything else available?

Imagine overhearing people talking about you. What would like them to say about you?

“He’s the only attorney who (fill in the blank)”. “They are the only firm that (fill in the blank).”

What could they say that would have maximum impact and make a comparison with other lawyers impossible?

That’s your challenge. It’s not easy. But it is the solution to eliminating competition and dramatically increasing your income.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services

The real reason you’re not doing more marketing

September 11, 2025 by David M. Ward

You know you should do more marketing, but you don’t. Why?

It’s not because you don’t know what to do or how to do it. You’re smart; you can learn.

It’s not because you’re not good at it. You can hire people to help you or do most of it for you.

It’s not because you don’t have the time. If you’re bringing in a lot of new business, it’s worth it, and you’ll find the time.

How about this one: you don’t think you should have to? You’re a good lawyer, and good lawyers get all the business they can handle without doing a lot of (or any) marketing. Yeah, well, they might not do some things, but they do others.

No, there’s another reason you might not be doing more marketing.

Fear.

You’re afraid it won’t work and you’ll be embarrassed. Or that other lawyers will look down on you and you’ll be embarrassed. Or your clients will think less of you, and you’ll lose them. Or you don’t want to stand out from the crowd and do things other lawyers don’t do.

Or maybe all of the above.

It’s just fear. And it’s normal. But you don’t have to let it stop you from doing things you know you should. You can use fear to force yourself to do those things.

That’s what I’ve done over the years. I’ve used my fear to motivate myself.

When I was new and broke, I used my fear of failure and poverty to get to work.

When I was doing okay and got comfortable, I used my fear of mediocrity and failing to reach my potential to get myself to work harder.

And when I became successful, got a bigger office and hired more employees, I used my fear of over-extending myself to stay focused and try things I didn’t want to do.

At each stage, I used my fear to motivate myself and took my practice to the next level.

If you’re not doing what you know you know you should (and could), don’t let fear hold you back. Use your fear to pull you forward.

Fear protects us and helps us. We can use it this way. And we should.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Personal development, success

Following up with leads and inquiries

August 12, 2025 by David M. Ward

Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to follow-up with prospective clients, if they found the answers to their questions and booked their own appointments?

But they don’t, do they? You need to tell them what they need to know (even if they don’t ask), tell them what to do to take the next step, and make sure they do it.

You could ‘wing it’ and perhaps you do. But it’s better to use a system.

A follow-up system will help you sign up more clients more quickly and with less effort. You will have fewer questions to answer, fewer objections to overcome, and fewer delays to slow down the process.

A system will help you close a higher percentage of leads and prospects, with less work and overhead and friction. When someone calls or writes, your system tells you precisely what to tell them; you have documents and links ready to send them, and you don’t have to rely on your memory—you follow your checklist.

Professionals don’t wing it; they use a system. I encourage you to create and use your own.

Keep it simple. Start by identifying the first step—what to say, what to do and when.

What will you tell them? What will you offer them? What will you say to get them to take the next step?

Set up a file with forms and templates and answers to FAQs. Make notes about how to handle leads that come in from ads, from referrals, and from visitors to your website. For each type of case or matter, identify language to describe the benefits and value of what you do and pair these with illustrative stories of cases or clients.

Automate subsequent follow-ups via letters or texts or calls. Decide how many follow-ups to make and how often. Account for those prospective clients who need a lot of hand-holding and won’t be ready to hire you for weeks or months, and for others who want to get started immediately.

You don’t have to figure it all out immediately. Just start. Think about your last new case or client—what you said and did, what worked and what didn’t. You’ll figure it out, one step at a time.

Filed Under: Handling objections, Law office management, Marketing legal services