How to get new referral sources over the phone

April 24, 2012 by
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I talked to an attorney the other day about a class action he was thinking of filing on behalf of himself and similarly aggrieved attorneys. (I’m not at liberty to disclose the subject matter.) He wanted to know the best way to find other attorneys who might want to join him.

We talked about ads in his bar journal and on Facebook or other PPC. And then I suggested my favorite marketing method: picking up the phone and calling.

It should be easy to get other attorneys on the phone to see if they have had the same experience he’s had. He could find potential class members and also get feedback on his case. If an attorney wasn’t interested in joining, perhaps they could refer him to someone else.

But there’s another benefit to cold calling attorneys: making new networking contacts.

“So tell me about your practice. . .” is guaranteed to get attorneys talking. Naturally, they will also ask you to tell them about yours. Just like that, you have a new contact. You have opened the door to follow-up conversations that might lead to referrals, intorductions, or information.

It’s all good.

Calling about a potential class action on behalf of attorneys will certainly arouse curiosity and get other attorneys to take your call. But there are other ways to get attorneys to take your call. You can conduct a “sixty second survey” for an article you’re writing, offer them a free copy of your new report, or invite them to join your new LinkedIn group. Or, you can simply call to introduce yourself and offer to buy them a cup of coffee.

Like most forms of marketing, you can make a lot of progress by doing a little bit every day. If networking with other attorneys works for your practice, call three attorneys every day and see what happens. In a month, you will have reached out to sixty new contacts. If just one sees you as worthy of referrals, at the end of the year you’ll have 12 new referral sources.

And yes, you can do the same thing with other professionals, executives, and business owners.

Marketing is simple. Call someone and see for yourself.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Networking, Referral sources, Relationship marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

LinkedIn: The number one social media platform for attorneys

April 16, 2012 by
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I’ve said before that if you’re new to social media you should start with Twitter. Reason: you only need to fill out one paragraph of information to set up your account. Your profile on LinkedIn, by contrast, requires more effort.

LinkedIn is important for attorneys because it serves as a sort of online CV. In fact, many professionals link to their LinkedIn profile precisely for that purpose. Your profile helps prospects and other professionals quickly assess what you have done for others and thereby see what you can do for them.

As LinkedIn develops, it is also becoming a platform for meeting and engaging others. Their forums are a great way to find and connect with other lawyers, as well as prospective clients and referral sources (or employers).

And LinkedIn is all about business. Unlike Facebook, you won’t have to wade through photos of your friend’s kids or cats, or listen to updates about their most recent meals. In fact, one writer is predicting that LinkedIn will survive Facebook precisely because it is dull and business-like.

But while LinkedIn may be considered dull, your profile need not be. You aren’t limited to posting only the facts about where you have been and what you have done. You can add personality to your profile, and well you should.

As much as your capabilities, people want to know about you, the person. Give them a sense of what it would be like speaking with you and working with you:

What motivates you to do what you do? What kind of movie or book character do you identify with? What is your mission?

If you don’t yet have a LinkedIn profile, don’t let the volume of information requested, or its importance, stop you from getting started. Fill in the basics today. You can add more tomorrow. You can use this brief tutorial on optimizing your LinkedIn profile as a starting point.

A lawyer’s bio is the most important part of his or her social media profile and web site. Use it to tell people your story, not just the facts. Facts tell but stories sell.

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Filed Under: Communication, Image, Networking, Social media, Social media marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Smart marketing by a smart lawyer

March 29, 2012 by
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Yesterday, I was interviewed live via a new video broadcast service, Spreecast. The interviewer was my friend and fellow attorney, Mitch Jackson. The subject was using Evernote in a law practice and my Evernote for Lawyers ebook. You can watch the replay here.

In the interview, you’ll note my comment to Mitch that his Spreecasts are smart marketing on his part because it allows him to network not only with the experts he interviews but with a large number of attorneys and allied professionals who come to watch. It positions him as a leader and gets his name in front of a lot of people who can either directly refer clients to him or who can lead him to others who can.

Although these Spreecasts are new, I know Mitch has for many years done a great job of networking in this fashion, promoting others’ law practices, books and events to his large network. I also know he gets a lot of referral business.

Smart marketing, and you can do the same thing. It’s called being a connector.

Being a connector can not only help you grow your practice, it is also a great vehicle for learning. I’m sure Mitch will tell you in reading the blogs and books of the experts he interviews, he learns the best ideas and latest techniques, which help him become a better lawyer and a better marketer.

To become a connector you need two things.

First, you need a platform. This can be a blog, a Facebook or LinkedIn Group, a newsletter, your own Spreecast channel, or a local breakfast group. This is where you match up content (writing, speaking, interviews) with your audience. You are the organizer, the master of ceremonies, the interviewer, the publisher. Everything goes through you.

The platform is easy. Just pick something and plant a flag.

The second thing you need might be a little more difficult. It’s not something you sign up for, it’s something you must have within you. To be effective as a connector, you need to truly enjoy helping others. It’s true, the more value you create for others, the more you promote them and champion their practice or product, the more you will benefit. But you must be willing to help others without any agenda, other than the pleasure you get from seeing others succeed.

Mitch has a series of great interviews lined up. Follow his Spreecast Lawyers Group (channel) and invite your friends.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Networking, Online Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

The one thing attorneys need to know about advertising, networking, and social media

March 13, 2012 by
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I’ve run a lot of ads in my lifetime. Big ads, small ads, and everything in between. And direct mail. And with every ad or campaign, there’s only one thing I wanted to know: the rate of response.

How many calls, opt-ins, or return cards? How many leads or appointments or new clients?

Response is the only that thing that matters.

You need to know which publication or web site is producing more response. Which headline, which offer, which key words.

You have to track response and then test one variable against others. It’s the only way to know if you’re wasting money and it’s the simplest way to increase your profits. One ad, letter, or web page can sometimes pull fifty times more response than another. FIFTY TIMES! Wouldn’t you want to know which one?

“What about “branding”–getting your name out there, isn’t that worthwhile?” Sure, but while you’re doing that, why not also get a response?

So, if you have a web page you need to track your stats. Google’s analytics is free and provides lots of information. If you do any offline advertising you need to put codes in your ads (and articles) so you can see which ad (article) is pulling best. At the very least, ask people who call your office how they heard about you.

One more thing. Track the time you spend networking offline and on social media. If you’ve been attending a group’s meetings for several months and you’re not getting any clients, growing your list or seeing any kind of response you can measure, don’t continue. The same for social media platforms.

You might not know as quickly as you might with an ad. I’ve run ads one time and pulled them when the response wasn’t there. Building relationships and getting referrals almost always take longer. But eventually, you’ll know. If nothing is coming from your networking with group A, either change what your doing or move to group B.

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Filed Under: Advertising, Networking, Social media marketing, Technology Tagged With: , ,

How to network without leaving your office

February 28, 2012 by
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No, I’m not talking about social media although you can use that as a starting point. I’m talking about the phone. Pick up the phone and call someone you might like to know.

It doesn’t have to be a prospective client. In fact, for most attorneys it probably shouldn’t be. Call someone who works in the market you are targeting, someone who sells to, advises, or is otherwise influential in that market. It could be another professional, someone who owns or manages a business, a blogger, or the head of an association. Anyone who (a) knows people who might (one day) need your services, or (b) knows people who might know those people.

What do you say? It almost doesn’t matter. Just call and reach out to them. Don’t ask for business or talk about yourself (other than introducing yourself), talk about them. After you introduce yourself, tell them you called to. . .

  • See if you could interview them for your blog or newsletter
  • Ask them to participate in a 90 second survey for an article you’re writing
  • Ask for their take on an article you read in one of their industry’s journals
  • Offer to send them a report, ebook, article reprint
  • Invite them to coffee
  • Invite them to your seminar/webinar/event
  • Invite them to be your guest at your networking group’s next meeting
  • Compliment their web site/ad/brochure
  • Tell them you have a mutual contact

Just get the conversation started. Then ask about them their business. Find out what they do and how they do it. What are they looking for? What can you do to help?

Of course you know they will ask you about your practice. Tell them briefly and change the subject back to them.

Afterwards, send them an email or better yet a hand written note and tell them you enjoyed the conversation. Follow up with the next logical step or if there isn’t one, just stay in touch. If you can, send them a referral. Send another article they might find helpful. Calendar a few weeks or a month or two and call again.

Networking is a courtship. You go on a date and if you like each other you go out again. If things go well, you get engaged. That’s when referrals, joint ventures, and other good things happen.

Most attorneys never do this. They let their egos get in the way or they don’t think it will do any good. That’s sad. There are people out there who would love to meet you but they aren’t going to call you. Go ahead, call someone today. Introduce yourself and see if they want to date.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Networking Tagged With: , , ,

Want to bring in some new clients? What are you DOING about it?

February 16, 2012 by
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I got an email this morning from a junior associate at a law firm in southeast Asia, thanking me for my blog and newsletter. He said that as a result of reading my posts over the last two months, he brought in one big client and three small clients.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

He said he “loved” yesterday’s post and I can see why. He’s been regularly attending networking events and I could tell from his letter that he is very enthusiastic about what he does and the value he (his firm) is able to deliver. I suspect that the new clients he talked about were attracted to his passion more than anything.

I wrote back and told him that while I gave him some ideas and encouragement, all the credit goes to him. He’s the one who took those ideas and did something with them.

Many lawyers know a lot of information and could wax endlessly about what they know. Unfortunately, they often don’t benefit from what they know because they never apply it.

General George S. Patton once said, “A good plan vigorously executed right now is far better than a perfect plan executed next week.”

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you’ve received many ideas for bringing in new clients. Have you used any of them or are you waiting for a “perfect plan”? Two months from now, you will have read many more ideas. I challenge you use them to bring in one big client and three small clients.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Networking, Personal development Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Networking 101: What Do I Do After I’ve Made a New Contact?

February 1, 2012 by
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An attorney emailed and asked:

“Last week, I met a man who is the head of the [an influential association]. Good contact. I sent him an email saying nice to meet you, he responded likewise and hopes to see me around. Now what?”

Great question. What do you do after you meet someone? How do you develop a relationship that will bear fruit?

Of course there isn’t a simple answer. Each situation is as different as the individuals involved. And while every nascent networking relationship has the potential to grow and develop, it’s possible that it won’t. The chemistry isn’t there, the timing isn’t right or one of the parties simply isn’t amenable to taking the relationship to a higher level.

So you meet a lot of people, try a lot of things, and see what works. Most relationships probably won’t pan, out but that’s okay. You only need a few good ones.

When you meet a new contact, here’s what to do next:

First, never leave anything to the other party. Always take the initiative to move things forward. You invite them, you call them, you ask them. The reason we give people our business cards when we meet them, isn’t so they have our contact information, it’s to get theirs.

So you’ve done that. You took the lead and emailed “nice to meet you”. That’s good. He replied. Even better. The door is open to future contact and there is now a chance that he will remember you.

Second, when we meet new people, during those uncomfortable first few minutes where we exchange small talk, we are searching for “commonalities”. When we find them (a school, a mutual friend, a shared interest in golf, for example) we are united in that common interest and we have something we can talk about. When you find something in common with your new contact, however banal, you can use that to continue the conversation at a later time.

So, did you discover any commonalities with your new contact? Did you discuss anything that you can use to continue the conversation? If not, in your next communication, find a reason to ask him a question. Ask if he knows someone you know or what he thinks about an idea that is important to his industry. Share an article you think he may like and ask for his thoughts.

Third, and most important, networking isn’t about you getting something from the other person, at least not initially. In the beginning, networking is the search for people with problems you can help solve or objectives you can help meet. I am not necessarily referring to your legal services.

What does the other person want? Where is his pain? What is on his mind? You need to find out so you can help.

You might have information that can help. You might introduce him to someone. Or give him a referral.

You get what you want by first helping other people get what they want. The more you give, the more (eventually) you will get.

So, if you don’t know what this individual wants, find out. Ask him–“how can I help you with. . .?” Or ask people who know him or his organization what might be needed. Or do some research.

Once you know what someone wants, look for ways to help him get it. If you can’t help them yourself, turn to your existing network of clients and contacts and find someone who can. If your contacts can’t help, they may know someone who can.

Your role is to position yourself as the “go to” person when people need something. You connect people with problems with people who have solutions. In doing so, you help both people and you also help yourself.

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Filed Under: Communication, Marketing legal services, Networking, Relationship marketing, Thank you letters Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to find a legal job in this economy

January 9, 2012 by
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A new attorney contacted me recently, seeking advice on getting a job. I don’t know that I’m the right person to ask since I’ve never had a job, unless working for your father for a year out of law school counts, but I do have some thoughts about the subject.

If I was looking to work for someone else, I’d consider what everyone else is doing (job hunters) and do the opposite.

First, I wouldn’t write a resume. Resumes are a mechanism for rejecting the masses and not a good way to stand out. Instead, I’d write a sales letter.

This letter would show what I’ve done for others (clients or employers) and include endorsements from influential people who know me and what I can do, and testimonials from people I’ve previously helped.

Before this, I’d do my homework. I would choose a handful of firms or companies I was interested in working with and look at their “resume” (web site). I’d study them and their industry and learn everything I could. I’d talk to people who work there and people who used to. I’d find professionals who know the principals of the firm and buy them coffee. I’d learn about the firm’s strengths and especially, their weaknesses. What problems do they have? What objectives are they trying to meet? What can I do to help them?

Then, I’d ask the people I met during my research period for an introduction. If they don’t know the top dog, I’d ask them to introduce me to someone who does.

When I met the owner, I’d ask questions that let him know I knew something about their firm. I’d keep asking questions until I saw an opening to make some suggestions. That’s when I’d show them I had something to offer.

If I do a good job of showing them I can solve some of their problems, it won’t matter whether there is a job opening or not, they’ll create a position for me.

If they asked me for a resume, I’d give them my sales letter.

Statistics tell us that two-thirds of all jobs are never advertised and are filled through networking. I like those odds better than the resume game.

And if I didn’t have enough experience for the position I wanted, as this new attorney suggested, I’d lower my sights initially and do the same thing for a company or firm where I could develop that experience. Or I’d volunteer somewhere that would provide the experience and take a “Mc-Job” in order to pay the bills.

So, my advice is to think of yourself not as an employee looking for a job but as the owner of your own company. Don’t ask for a job, market your company to prospective clients.

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Filed Under: Networking Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to get clients if you hate networking

January 5, 2012 by
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I don’t like networking. It doesn’t come naturally to me. It’s not my “thing”.

I know how to do it. I’ve done it enough. I just don’t enjoy it. I’d rather talk to someone on the phone or in a one-on-one setting over a cup of coffee.

Does that make me a bad person? Does it doom me to marketing failure?

No, not at all.

Marketing is (or should be) a mechanism for you to express yourself in a natural way. Marketing isn’t (or shouldn’t be) a mold you must contort your body and soul to fit.

So if there is some aspect of marketing you don’t enjoy (and you’ve given it a fair shake), don’t do it. Life is too short to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous marketing. Or whatever.

It doesn’t matter how well others are doing with a particular strategy, or how many goo-roos are touting the latest and greatest tool or technique. You have to do what’s right for you.

If you don’t like networking–don’t do it. Speaking give you the willies? Cross it off the list. Social media got you tied in knots because you don’t want to “talk” to strangers online? Choose something else.

If you force yourself to do things you don’t enjoy, you’re not going to be very good at them anyway, so what’s the point? Go try a lot of things, pick one you like, and go nuts with it.

Okay, I know there’s someone who’s dying to ask this: “What if I’ve tried every type of marketing and I don’t like anything?”

The answer to that is simple: get a job.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan, Networking Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The secret to creating blog and newsletter content your prospects actually want to read

January 3, 2012 by
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Many lawyers say they want to start a blog or newsletter but are afraid they won’t have enough to write about.

If you think your prospects don’t want to read all about case law and procedure, you’re right. There will always be exceptions, but most clients have their own lives and businesses to run. If they were that interested in the law, they would go to law school.

Here’s a heads up: PI lawyers, nobody wants to read for the umpteeth time what to do in an accident or how to maximize the value of their case. I’m not saying this isn’t important information–it is. You should write about it. Once. And link to so those who want and need this information can go read it.

So, what do you write about if not about your field of expertise?

Actually, the answer to this question is incredibly simple. And yet, not one in 10,000 lawyers does it, at least not consistently. When you hear what it is, you may just slap your forehead and have one of those “of course!” moments.

Now, I should also point out that when you do this, you will have a never-ending supply of fresh content and a huge surge in reader involvement and viral traffic. You’ll have people talking about your blog and about you. Other blogs will mention your posts and link to them. Reporters may call to interview you.

Have I got your attention?

Here’s the secret: don’t write about the law, your services, or your cases, other than occasionally. When something interesting happens. Instead, most of the time, write about the niche market or markets you are targeting.

Did I just lose you? Well, if you don’t have a target market, maybe so. If you think “anyone who gets injured as a result of someone else’s negligence” is a target market, you’re wrong. It’s way too big. And every other PI lawyer says the same thing.

You want to target smaller sub-sets of the entire market. In a niche market, the people know each other on social media and in real life, they attend the same meetings, and read the same blogs. There is strong word of mouth in niche markets. And it’s easier to identify the key people in them.

A niche market would be something like “health care professionals in Los Angeles County”. Not too big, not too small. As a matter of fact, this happens to be a good target market. When a physician is seriously injured, there’s usually some serious damages. But I digress.

So, you write about health care in Los Angeles. You write about who’s doing what–promotions, speaking gigs, published articles. You write about trends and issues that affect this market. You champion their causes and support their charities.

You interview people who work in this niche. You read the popular blogs and comment on their posts.

So, you might write about some changes in policy at XYZ hospital. Not legal issues, necessarily. It could be anything that people want to know about.

Here’s more good news: you don’t have to do all the writing yourself. Other professionals who target this market will be happy to supply content. Consultants, sales people, other lawyers, accountants, hospital administrators, insurance brokers, medical supply reps–dozens of informed people with big networks of their own and they would love to provide a guest post or supply some tips or let you interview them. All you have to do is ask.

Guess what will happen? The people in your posts and those affected by this information will talk about them and share them with their colleagues and co-workers. They’ll post them on Facebook and link to them on their blogs. Your blog will get noticed and so will you.

Writing a blog about your target market is one of the smartest things you could do. You’re learning about this market, aren’t you? Take what you learn and turn it into content.

Use your blog as a platform to stay in front of your market. You will become the attorney in this niche, the one that everyone thinks about when they think about personal injuries and the one they call when they need your services or know someone who does.

This is not rocket science. Choose a niche market and dedicate yourself to it. Learn everything you can about the market and the people in it. Subscribe to their blogs and newsletters. Attend their meetings. Become an expert in that market and then write about it.

And if something law-related occurs in that market, go ahead and write about that, too.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Networking, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Publicity, Social media marketing, Web traffic Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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