Has the “Law of Association” Been Repealed?

July 16, 2012 by
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W. Clement Stone said, “Be careful the environment you choose, for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose, for you will become like them.”

Our parents, teachers, and spiritual leaders always cautioned us about our associations. If my parents didn’t approve of someone I was hanging around with, they didn’t hesitate to let me know.

Some say we become like the (5) people we associate with most. We are influenced by them. We adopt their habits, behaviors, and opinions.

It’s called “The Law of Association,” but perhaps the word “tendency” would be more accurate than “law”.

If you spend most of your time around people who smoke or drink or have poor eating habits, does that mean you will adopt those habits? You might. But then through your example, you might be the one who influences them to clean up their act.

If your friends are all negative people who complain all the time and see the dark side of everything, it doesn’t mean you will become a negative person. Environment is important but it’s not everything.

But while the people we associate with may not change us, the right ones can expose us to better ideas and better opportunities.

If you associate with successful professionals and business executives, for example, you can gain insights into how they think. You can study what they do. You can model their behavior and their language. By watching them and by seeking their advice, you can learn how to avoid mistakes and improve your outcomes.

Successful people can also open doors for you. They can introduce you to prospective clients and referrals sources, help promote your practice, or point you towards profitable investments.

Who you know, and who you spend time with, does make a difference.

As I mentioned in a previous post, you do have a choice. You can choose to associate with positive people who inspire you and help you grow, and you can disassociate from people who don’t.

But you may have some work to do, first.

People tend to seek out people who are like themselves. We prefer to be around people with similar habits, viewpoints, income levels, and hobbies. Birds of a feather do flock together. And therein lies the challenge.

If you want to associate with successful people who can provide you with better ideas and better opportunities, you have to earn the right to do so.

Why should they associate with YOU? What are you bringing to the table? What better ideas and better opportunities will you be able to share?

There’s another law at work here: The “Law of Attraction”. Like attracts like. Birds of a feather flock together because they are birds of a feather.

If you want to be around successful people, you have to attract them and to do that, you have to become them. You don’t necessarily have to have achieved what they have achieved, but you must have similar philosophies.

That’s why personal development is essential to success. That’s why Jim Rohn said, “Work harder on yourself than you do on your business.”

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Personal development, Relationship marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

What do you do when the case is over?

July 9, 2012 by
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Think of a file you closed in the last thirty days. The work was done, the client was paid or got their final papers, there’s no more work left to do.

What now? What’s your plan?

If you think in terms of “cases” or “files” or “work,” probably not much. You finished what you were hired to do and you were paid. Gotta go find someone else who needs you.

If you think in terms of “clients” and “repeat business” and “referrals,” you’re just getting started.

Your clients are worth far more to you than what they paid you to handle their case or file. Over time, they may be worth 50 times that amount. But if you leave it up to them to come back when they need you again, or refer someone who needs you, you’re making a big mistake.

It’s up to you to stay in touch with your clients, now, at the end of their case, and forever–until you retire or one of you dies.

It’s called “lifetime value,” and many attorneys never see it because once the work is done, so are they.

Call your client: “Do you have any questions?”

Mail to your client: “Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Please fill out this survey and tell us how we did.”

Mail something every month: “Here’s something I thought you would like.”

Most of tomorrow’s business should come from the clients you have right now. Even if those clients never hire you again and never refer a single client, they can help you by sending traffic to your web site, promoting your seminar, or distributing your report or video.

So, when the case file is closed, open another file for the client. You have more work to do.

You need to stay in touch with your clients and let them know you appreciate them. Remind them about the (other) services you offer. Ask them what you can do to help them with anything of a legal nature, or anything else. And once in awhile, ask them to help you by liking your page or forwarding your email to someone they care about.

The work is not difficult and it pays extremely well.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Marketing legal services, Referrals, Relationship marketing, Thank you letters, Web traffic Tagged With: , ,

New law practice: How do I get the word out?

July 2, 2012 by
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I got an email last week: “Do you have suggestions for getting the word out on new (solo) law firms”

Q: Press releases to big city newspapers?

Unless your announcement qualifies as news, these are unlikely to get printed. If you are semi-famous or you’re planning to do something very unusual in your law practice, a press release might get picked up. Otherwise, probably not.

If you want to go this route, your best bet is to send them to niche publications: small town newspapers (where you grew up or your dad was well known), blogs or magazines in a market where you have a connection, that sort of thing.

Q: Mailing announcements to the Bar list (of business attorneys) and/or business owners?

Announcements mailed to other lawyers or business owners are a waste of time. They don’t know you and they don’t care that you’re opening your own office.

You could mail something they would care about: a free report that helps them protect themselves or their clients or earn more in their business or practice. A postcard that offers a report like that, and sends them to your web site to get it, would cost a lot less than actually mailing the report. It could bring lots of traffic, opt-ins, and eventually, some business. However, even post cards are expensive and you need to know what you’re doing.

This can be a viable way get clients, but for a new practice with limited funds, it’s not the best place to start.

Q: Hiring a service to send email announcements to the Bar list and to our own contact list?

Emailing to people you don’t know (i.e., Bar list) could get you into trouble for spamming. There are legitimate “opt in” lists available where people have given permission to receive email, and there are services that will provide these lists and do the emailing for you, but you would be wasting your time and your money.

Again, they don’t know you and they don’t care about your announcement.

However, emailing or sending announcements via regular mail to your own contact list is a great idea.

You should definitely send an announcement to the people you know. Friends, family, people you know from college and law school, and former employers. If you have a connection of any kind, put them on your list.

They do care about you and what you are doing. They will read your announcement. They may respond and wish you the best of luck. At some point, they may also send some business.

Here are my three “rules” for announcing a new law practice:

  1. Send your announcement to everyone you know; don’t bother with strangers, unless you have a very good reason to do so and the budget to pay for it.
  2. An announcement is okay; a letter is much better. Write a semi-personal letter that gives the who, what, where, when, and why of your announcement. Why are opening your own office? What do you want to accomplish? Who are you looking to help? What will you do for them? People will look at an engraved announcement for three seconds and then throw it out. Those same people will take their time reading a heart-felt letter on plain paper or in an email. They will remember your story and may even share it with others.
  3. Don’t rely on a one-time mailing. Follow up your announcement with additional communication–a newsletter, calls, invitations to your grand opening, personal visits. Stay in touch with them, remind them again and again about what you do and for whom you do it, and ask for their help.

Even if there are only 100 people on your initial list, these are the people to whom you should announce your new practice. They do know you and they are willing to help.

They may not be able to send you any business (right now), but they can help promote your web site, like your page, or distribute your new report. They can help you get the word out.

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Filed Under: Communication, Law office management, List building, Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan, Press release, Publicity, Relationship marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Attorney Marketing Center: Official Blog of Successful Attorneys Everywhere

June 26, 2012 by
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My wife saw a coupon this morning for a dry cleaner (seems to be a theme with me lately) that had just changed its name from “Luck Cleaners” to “Joy Cleaners”. Or something something like that.

What caught my attention was the statement, “Official Cleaner of [a well known clothing company]”.

I wondered how they had achieved that. “How does one become the official anything for a well known company?”

Were they doing the cleaning for the company and simply asked if they could advertise that they were the official cleaner? Or did they approach the company and offer to do their cleaning for free or at a big discount, in return for being able to say they were the official cleaner?

It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that a law firm could do the same thing.

If you have a business client who is well known in your niche market, ask them if you could mention the fact that yours is the official law firm for their company. Then, mention your official-ness everywhere. You will be providing social proof of the worthiness of your firm.

You could approach any well known company and offer them free legal services in return for an official designation. But what do you do if the better known companies already have lawyers they are happy with and they aren’t willing to switch, even to get free services from you?

Find a charity and see if they would like some free legal services.

It doesn’t matter how well known the charity’s name is. When your marketing messages say that your firm is the official law firm for the “Save the Platypus Foundation,” or whatever, people will notice. Your name will be associated with doing good work for a good cause.

The press will notice, because you will send out a media release and announce it.

Similar charities will notice because, well, they are similar.

And every company your charity does business with will notice, especially if your offer requires the charity to mention your firm in all of their mailings and advertising collateral.

You should also be able to get yourself invited to the charity’s dinners and fund raisers, hang a banner at the charity’s booth at their industry’s conventions, and network with their board of directors, major donors and supporters.

And because you are the “official law firm. . .,” you’ll be able to reach out to other professionals, business owners, politicians, and other influentials, to invite them as your guest to one of the charity’s events.

I don’t know how this will all play out for you, but I can tell you that this could bring you a lot of business. Even if you never mention that you are the “official law firm,” the contacts you will make and the paying clients that result, will more than pay for the services you donate.

Choose a charity you believe in, of course, something you would support regardless of personal gain. Get excited about their cause. And tell everyone to join you in supporting them.

You will have great Joy and great Luck. I’m not sure if your clothes will be any cleaner, however.

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Filed Under: Advertising, Image, Marketing legal services, Networking, Press release, Publicity, Relationship marketing Tagged With: ,

Marketing insights for sole practitioners

June 25, 2012 by
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My post on going solo brought emails from lawyers who appreciated that I didn’t varnish the truth about how hard it is.

If you are a solo or thinking of opening your own office, I recommend you read Philly attorney Jordan Rushie’s candid post about his experiences in staring his own practice. It’s interesting reading if you want to compare notes, required reading if you’re about to open that office and need to make a shopping list.

Rushie agrees that going solo is almost a crazy idea–a lot harder and more costly than some would have you believe, far more work and far less income than you can imagine. Although he acknowledges that it’s never the “right time” to go solo, if you have a choice, wait until you have the experience, money, and contacts to be able to do it right.

Rushie’s has some interesting comments about marketing for the new solo. Actually, his advice rings true for just about any attorney. He says you don’t need:

  • An expensive, fancy web site. I agree. You need a place to send people to get information about your practice and how to contact you. You can add more content and make things look nicer later on, after you’re making money.
  • A logo. Right again. Although you can get a decent one designed for a few dollars to a few hundred dollars, you’ll waste too much time deciding on the right look. You don’t need a logo, you need clients.
  • “SEO Optimization”. Rushie suggests that more traffic won’t necessarily bring you good clients but that it will certainly bring you tire kickers. You can set up mechanisms to screen and filter out the low-quality inquiries and, therefore, get some decent clients, but the time (and money) you will spend are probably better spent elsewhere. Put this on the list for later.
  • A marketing/PR firm. I agree with this, too. Even if you could afford the cost and could find a firm that really knows what they’re doing (many don’t), you’re better off building relationships. Rushie says, “take potential clients to a ball game,” family, friends, and other lawyers out to dinner. No question about it, you will get far more business by leveraging your existing relationships for business and referrals than you will get hiring a marketing firm. I’m not saying you don’t need marketing information and advice. You do. But you’re better off learning it yourself so you can do it yourself.
  • Social Media or a social media consultant. Rushie says he doesn’t rely on social media to build his practice. He gets about 5% of his work from Facebook friends, “but they are usually people I knew from high school who would have called me anyway.” I know there are exceptions, but I hear something similar from a lot of attorneys. Don’t ignore social media but don’t depend on it, either. Use it as an excuse to connect or re-connect with real people because the magic happens when you talk to people or meet with people in the real world.

Rushie says not having a plan on how to grow your practice is a big mistake and of course, I concur. The good news is that the plan is a lot easier, less technically challenging, and less costly than you might think. Build your practice by building relationships.

Unfortunately, unless you know a lot of (the right) people, building relationships may take up a lot of time. Fortunately, as a new solo without a lot of clients or work keeping you busy, you have time to go meet some new people. Unless you’re too busy learning how to practice law.

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Filed Under: Career satisfaction, Inspiration, Legal industry, Marketing legal services, Relationship marketing, Social media, Social media marketing Tagged With: , , , ,

Attorney-to-attorney referrals video replay: learn how to “mine your practice for gold”

June 14, 2012 by
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This morning, I participated in a video discussion about attorney-to-attorney referrals. The featured guest was Los Angeles personal injury attorney, Lowell Steiger, who maintains a popular attorney referral Facebook group. Our host was attorney Mitch Jackson, who hosts a variety of interviews of interest to attorneys on his Spreecast Channel.

We started off discussing how attorneys can dip into their client database to find cases they can refer to other attorneys. We talked about the mechanics of making those referrals, how to protect your referral fees, and how to make sure secondary referrals from your clients come back to you.

In addition, we talked about referrals from clients and other professionals, and shared other tips for getting more referral.

Got to this page to watch the  replay of, “Mining Your Practice For Gold”. I’d love to hear your comments about the interview. Please post them on the blog.

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Filed Under: Attorneys fees, Referral sources, Referrals, Relationship marketing

Why you should create an “inner circle” for your clients

June 13, 2012 by
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An attorney liked my post about the magic of practicing law and asked how we can “capitalize on the mystery, the magic, and the utility of the work we lawyers do?”

In other words, how can we use this mystique about what lawyers do to bring in more clients?

Yesterday’s post provides one answer: eliminate the mystique. By educating prospects and clients about what you do, they see that what you do isn’t magic at all. It’s years of study, the scars of many battles, and hard work, harder than they ever imagined. By removing the veil of mystique surrounding what you do, clients are more likely to appreciate what you do.

For most attorneys this is the best way to capitalize on the mystery of practicing law. It’s easy to do and it works. And since most attorneys don’t do this, you can easily stand out when you do.

Another way to capitalize on the mystique is to add to it. Continue to educate prospects (blog readers, newsletter subscribers, etc.) about what you do but let it be known that you have a lot more that you share only with your clients. If your public information is good, anyone who is considering you for their attorney may tip the scale in your favor to get access to your best information.

Let it be known that your clients get “private” information, not just about your practice area, but on other topics: tax savings, consumer advice, strategies for improving credit, business building ideas, and so on, supplied by you and other professionals you know and work with.

But don’t stop with information. Promote the fact that your clients get other benefits as a member of your “inner circle”. They get discounts from local merchants you have negotiated with on their behalf, access to free seminars, gift certificates, and other benefits. You might have “client only” luncheons, picnics or retreats, or other activities exclusively for your clients.

And talk about those activities. Blog about them, show pictures from them, get quotes from your clients about how much they learned or how much they enjoyed bowling and pizza night.

When someone hires another attorney, they get the work done. When they hire you, they get to belong to a private club. Members of that club get far more than the basic services any attorney provides. They get specialized information, valuable benefits, and access to fun activities.

Yes, this takes more work. But it gives you something unique that you can use to build a culture of clients who would never think of hiring anyone else.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Communication, Marketing legal services, Relationship marketing Tagged With:

How to make people like you–part 2

June 1, 2012 by
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Would you like to know how to make people like you? No, I’m not talking about cloning. (Sorry. And yes, I used the same joke in part 1 of this post. I just like that joke.) Being liked is important because clients prefer to hire lawyers they know, like, and trust. And no, “likable lawyer” is not an oxymoron. (Sorry. . . I can’t stop myself. . .).

Did you laugh when you read the previous paragraph? Maybe a snicker? If you did, there’s a good chance you like me a little more. Making people laugh is a great way to make them like you. If humor isn’t on your list of skills, try the next best thing: “a positive, happy outlook and perspective on life.” People like to be around happy people because everyone wants to be happy.

Another way to get people to like you is to find something you have in common. People tend to like people who are like them. When we meet someone for the first time, we ask questions to find out things about them, don’t we? We do that because we’re looking for commonalities.

Where did you go to school? Me too!

You know Joe Mantenegro? We used to be neighbors!

Your son plays soccer? Mine too!

When you find and acknowledge something you have in common, you have a bridge for moving forward. Tension dissipates, the conversation continues, and you tend to like each other because you share a common experience or interest.

I was getting my hair cut yesterday. Some of the men (and boys) were talking about sports. Okay, they were all talking about sports because that’s what you talk about in a barber shop. It’s what guys talk about, right? Because it’s a shared interest and because guys aren’t going to talk about weddings or graduations, thank you.

When you meet someone new, ask questions to find out what they do, where they are from, and what they are interested in. You can use this acronym as a reminder: F.O.R.M.: Family, Occupation, Recreation, Motivation. One of these will undoubtedly lead to something you have in common.

If not, you can always ask, “How about those Kings?”

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

I wish I knew this before I opened my law practice

May 30, 2012 by
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In high school and college I did some entry level work during the summers. I was a stock clerk at a department store, delivered flowers, that sort of thing. In law school, I worked as a law clerk.

By the time I graduated law school, the sum total of my work experience was. . . nothing to write home about.

I opened my own law office about a year after graduating and passing the bar exam. I had very little experience as a lawyer, no clients, and no money. Most importantly, my network of contacts was almost non-existent.

As you can imagine, my first few years of practice were very difficult. If I had known what it would take to start a practice and make a go of it, I might have done things differently.

Yes, I knew it would be rough. But I naively thought I would make up for what I lacked with hard work and determination. Like Mary Richards, Mary Tyler Moore’s character on the 1970’s TV show, I had spunk.

Unfortunately, spunk doesn’t buy groceries.

Anyway, things would undoubtedly have been different if I’d had a network of contacts before I opened my office. When you have relationships with the right people, you can leverage those relationships to get clients, leads, introductions, and advice. You can hit the ground running in a new practice. You’re not starting completely from scratch when you can tap into other people’s established networks.

The lesson is this: build your network before you need it. Or as Harvey MacKay puts it, “Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty.”

It’s more difficult to build a network when you need it. “Hello, I’d like to introduce myself and ask you if you can send me some business.” And yet, it can be done. If you approach them the right way, and you approach enough of them, strangers will help you. But it’s much easier to get that help from people who already know, like, and trust you.

If you’re thinking about opening your own practice, build your network before you make the move. You don’t need a huge network–a few well-connected individuals is all you need to start. They can lead you to others.

First, identify by category the types of people you would like to know. Then, look for ways to find and meet people in those categories.

If you have already opened your own practice, it’s never too late to start building your network.

The best day to plant a tree is 100 years ago. The second best day is today.

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

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: , , , , , , , , , ,
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