Marketing legal services Archives - Page 46 of 134

Better than average

August 6, 2019 by David M. Ward

Marketing goo-roo Dan Kennedy once said, “Your success in business is directly proportional to the number of industry norms you defy.”

In other words, if you do what everyone else is doing, you will be unlikely to achieve more than average results.

What can you do if you want to do better than average?

!. You can offer better services than the competition.

If you deliver better results, more benefits or value, or a higher level of “customer service,” you will probably get more clients, higher quality clients, and/or be able to charge higher fees than average.

You should also get more repeat business and referrals.

2. You can use better marketing.

If you do a better job of getting leads, packaging and selling your services, and building relationships with your clients and other professionals, you will get more clients and earn more income than average.

That’s because more prospective clients (and the people who can refer them) will hear your message and/or be persuaded by it.

Both options are good. Either one can help you become more successful.

But why not do both?

If you want to learn a step-by-step system for marketing and building your practice with email. . .

Go here

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, success

Most attorneys miss this

July 29, 2019 by David M. Ward

People want to know about the solutions you offer–your services, how they work, what you do better or differently than other attorneys. But if you only talk about your solutions, or you open the conversation or presentation by talking about them, you’re missing the boat.

Prospective clients are far more interested in themselves than you. If you want them to appreciate what you offer and how you can help them, you need to talk more about their problems than your solutions.

In consultation, in a seminar, in your newsletter or blog, on your website, talk about problems. That’s what a prospective client is thinking about, after all. That’s what’s keeping them up at night.

Ask questions to help them identify the nature and extent of their problems. Help them understand their risks and how bad things can get.

Then, get them to acknowledge that they want to fix their problem.

Now you’ve got their attention. Now, they’re ready to listen to your solutions and much more likely to take the next step.

Focus on problems and pain. They’re far more interesting than your legal services and far more likely to get prospective clients to say, “Where do I sign?”

Need help writing effective marketing messages? Let me know

Filed Under: Communication, Copywriting, Marketing legal services

If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave

July 17, 2019 by David M. Ward

I heard a public service radio spot featuring advice from Smokey Bear and the need to make sure your campfire is completely out before you walk away. “If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave,” Smokey advises.

That’s the takeaway. The nugget listeners should remember. In my opinion, it’s better than the traditional, “Only you can prevent wildfires (previously “forest fires”).

It’s better because it doesn’t lecture us about preventing forest fires, (yes, but how?), it reminds us to make sure our fire is out and provides a simple way to do that.

Easy to remember, easy to do.

Anyway, it got me thinking again about tag lines and slogans, something most attorneys don’t usually adopt but perhaps should.

A slogan or tag helps people understand what you do and how you can help them. It helps them remember this so that when they have a legal situation, they think about you. And it gives them something they can tell others about you.

He’s the lawyer who. . . , She helps people with. . ., They’re the law firm that. . .

My website has the tag line, “Earn more, work less.” That’s what I want visitors to know, remember, and tell others about me and what I offer. It’s simple, easy to understand and contains important benefits.

Tags or slogans don’t need to be brilliant, and this certainly isn’t. But it does the job.

Give some thought to creating a tag or slogan for your practice. Ask yourself, What do I want people to know about me, remember about me, and tell others about me?

Once you have something, take it for a test drive. Share it with your staff or a lawyer friend. Add it to your email footer. Survey your clients.

But don’t take what anyone says as the last word on the subject. Friends may tell you “it’s great” because they don’t know what to think or they don’t want to hurt your feelings.

The best place to test it is with prospects. Someone who doesn’t know you or what you do. If they hear your tag and ask you to tell them more about your services, you may just have a winner.

For more advice on building your practice, go here

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: Slogan, tag line

Do you look like an attorney?

July 9, 2019 by David M. Ward

I was running errands with my wife and we parked so she could run into the market for a few things. After a few minutes, an older woman with a foreign accent came up to my car window, told me she was parked nearby and another car hit hers. She wanted to know what to do.

“What, do I look like an attorney?” I thought. Wait, that’s silly. She’s not from the US and is just being careful.

I told her to exchange information, get the other person’s insurance info, take a photo of the damage, and so on. She said there wasn’t much to see but she has a Tesla and you never know.

She thanked me and went back to her car.

I thought about what happened and asked myself if I would have done anything different if I was still practicing. Like handing her my card and telling her to call me if she had any questions.

That’s what you would do, right? Even though there weren’t any injuries. Even if you don’t handle personal injuries?

You’d do that because it’s a nice thing to do and because the woman might have other legal issues you could help her with.

You’d do that because she might have another accident some day, or know someone who does. Even if you don’t do PI, you know PI lawyers and would make a referral.

You’d do that because passing out a card (with your website on it) and telling people to call you if they have any questions is marketing 101.

You’re nodding your head in agreement right now, right?

Good. Now, just one more question. Do I look like an attorney?

Need a simple marketing plan? Here ya go

Filed Under: Marketing legal services

The key to earning more and working less

July 8, 2019 by David M. Ward

If you want to earn more without working more, or earn more and work less, the simplest way to do that is to find ways to use leverage in your work.

Leverage means getting more with less. Less time, less capital, less effort.

When you hire an employee, you’re using leverage. When you create a checklist that allows you to get your work done faster or better or with fewer errors, you’re using leverage. When you conduct a seminar and deliver your message to 100 people at the same time, you’re using leverage.

Leverage also means using what you’ve got to get more of what you want. It can help your practice achieve compound growth.

When you win a big case or land a big client, your income grows. Featuring that win in your marketing can bring you new clients who choose you as their lawyer because you win big cases or represent big clients.

That’s leverage.

Use what you have to get more of what you want.

You have a base a clients. You can leverage that base to stimulate more referrals.

You have knowledge and experience. You can leverage this to improve your services, your marketing, and your productivity.

You have business contacts. You can use these relationships to meet new contacts and discover new opportunities.

Why work hard when you can work smart? Why spend a fortune in time and capital when you can get bigger results with less?

Leverage allowed me to quadruple the income in my practice while simultaneously reducing the number of hours I spent in the office.

If you want to grow your practice quickly, leverage what you have to get more of what you want.

This system shows you how to do that.

Filed Under: Law office management, Leverage, Marketing legal services

A lawyer who’s having fun with his marketing

July 5, 2019 by David M. Ward

A “real” lawyer has a youtube channel where he “reacts” to trials on TV shows and movies, like My Cousin Vinnie, The Rainmaker, and Star Trek TNG (where Picard defends Data’s humanity). He shares his take on the accuracy of these fictional trials.

Today, he released a video titled Real Lawyer Reacts to Lawyer Jokes.

I haven’t watched any of these videos yet but his nearly 500,000 subscriber-count tells me all I need to know.

He’s doing something right.

And, by the look of his laughing face on the thumbnail of his lawyer joke video, I’m thinking he’s also having fun making these.

Yes, marketing can be fun. Even for lawyers.

Marketing doesn’t need to be something you hate doing. You don’t have to be as serious as a heart attack all the time.

Years ago, when I first launched my website, I had a page with a collection of humorous things said in courtrooms, taken from trial transcripts.

For example:

Lawyer to witness: “All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
Witness: “Oral”.

Another:

Q: How old is your son–the one living with you?
A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can’t remember which.

Q: How long has he lived with you?
A: Forty-five years.

One of my favorites:

Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
A: No.

Q: Did you check for blood pressure?
A: No.

Q: Did you check for breathing?
A: No.

Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
A: No.

Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.

Q: But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?
A: It is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere.

Anyway, you don’t need to share jokes or make videos, but you should find ways to have some fun with your marketing. I do it; you should, too.

By the way, did you know there really is only ONE lawyer joke? All the rest are true stories.

Okay, I’ll work on it.

Are you ready to take a quantum leap in your practice?

Filed Under: Just for fun, Marketing legal services

Pay-per-ouch!

June 18, 2019 by David M. Ward

I read an article about the options available to lawyers for marketing their services. One of the options was pay-per-click ads.

But, it’s expensive, the article says. To wit: “The search term “Los Angeles personal injury lawyer” can cost as much as $140 per click.”

Not for a lead. Just for the click.

If ten people click on your ad, you’re in the hole for over $1,000 before you talk to anyone to find out if they have a case and can show them your dog and your pony.

That’s crazy, right?

Not necessarily.

There’s a reason PPC ads for PI lawyers in Los Angeles are expensive. They’re expensive because there are a lot of lawyers competing for those clicks, and they do that despite the high cost per click because they’re still able to make a profit.

If they weren’t, they wouldn’t bid so much for those clicks and the price would come down. Supply and demand.

The seemingly high price is proof that “Los Angeles personal injury lawyer” is a profitable keyword. At least for some lawyers.

If you’re a PI lawyer in LA, it is precisely the kind of keyword you should consider.

If you have the money. And you’ve got your act together and can convert enough of those clicks into clients, and those clients back into dollars.

Lawyer #1 thinks:

“If I spend $10,000 for 100 clicks and sign up just one case that earns me a $20,000 fee, I double my investment. Plus, I might get an a smaller case or two out of those clicks. Plus, I can build my list and generate some referrals. Sure, I might not bring in any business the first few months doing this, but eventually, I could bring in one or two massive cases.”

Lawyer #2 thinks:

“Yeah, but I might not get any cases. Or the cases I get might not be any good. I could lose my shirt.”

Both lawyers are right, of course.

There are other options. Other keywords to bid on, other forms of advertising, and other forms of marketing.

Be thankful you have options. And don’t rule out anything just because it’s expensive. It might be expensive for a reason.

If you’re ready to take a quantum leap in your practice

Filed Under: Advertising, Marketing legal services

No, really, why should I hire you?

June 12, 2019 by David M. Ward

If a prospective client asks you why they should choose you as their lawyer instead of any other lawyer in your field, what would you say?

Most lawyers would point to their experience and track record. Some will mention well-known clients they represent. Others will point out their positive reviews or testimonials.

And all of that is good.

What’s even better is being able to show prospective clients the added value you bring to your clients that other lawyers don’t offer.

Something that benefits your clients in a material way.

What might that be?

It will be different for different client niches.

Most lawyers don’t target niches. They offer their services to “anyone” with a given legal issue or “anyone” who is interested in a given legal service.

It’s hard to stand out that way.

It’s better to choose a niche market and “specialize” in it.

A niche is defined by industry or culture, type of business or occupation, or other socio-economic or demographic factors. Specializing in a niche means dedicating yourself to it.

Immerse yourself in the niche, study it, and learn everything you can about it. Learn what they do, what they want, their problems, their pains, what’s important to them. Build relationships with the people in that niche and the professionals who advise them.

That’s how you find the added value you can offer prospective clients.

Example time.

Let’s say you choose “start ups” in a certain field as a niche market. You’ll no doubt discover that these companies need investors.

Because you have built relationships with people in that niche, you will have access to investors.

The added value you bring to your clients in this niche is your ability to introduce them to investors.

Your clients benefit when they choose you as their lawyer because you do something for them other lawyers don’t do, or don’t do as well because they don’t specialize in that niche and don’t have the relationships you do.

You also add value to your relationships with the investors and their advisors in the niche, because you’re the lawyer who can bring them the deals they’re looking to invest in.

You build a reputation in that niche which helps you attract more clients.

Choose a niche and dedicate yourself to it. When a prospective client wants to know why they should choose you, you’ll have the perfect answer.

Want help in choosing a niche? Here you go

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: Niche marketing, target marketing

Who knows what danger lurks in your legal marketing?

June 10, 2019 by David M. Ward

In the 1960s, Los Angeles based Adee plumbing began running TV ads featuring an actor who asked, “Who knows what danger lurks in your plumbing?” It was a play on the 1930s radio show, The Shadow, that opened with an announcer asking, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?”

In the TV commercial, the answer was “Adee do”. That ad, and others using the same concept and catch phrase, ran well into the 1980s.

Two things.

First, in your marketing, look for ways to piggyback on ideas and themes that are already in your market’s consciousness. It’s a simple and effective way to help your message be understood and remembered.

DUI defense lawyer Myles L. Berman does this in his long-running commercials that use the tag, “Because ‘Friends don’t let friends plead guilty(TM),” playing off the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) slogan, “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk”.

There’s an added bonus here because of the obvious tie-in with drinking and driving, but you could use this idea no matter what your practice area.

A family law attorney, for example, could use, “Because friends don’t let friends get married without a prenup.” Okay, maybe not the best, but you get the idea.

Second point: when you have something that’s working–a tag, a commercial, a presentation, or any kind of marketing message, resist the urge to change it.

Yes, even after thirty years.

You may be tired of hearing or seeing the same thing, but that doesn’t mean your market is tired of it. It makes no sense to throw away something that’s been working well for a long time.

Test other messages or ideas, headlines, and offers against it, to see if something else works better, but make sure it does before you change it.

Who knows what danger lurks in your legal marketing? That would be me.

The Attorney Marketing Formula