The Rainmaker Blog : Law Firm Marketing and Business Development : The Rainmaker Institute : Stephen Fairley : Professional Legal Marketing

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As 2008 is swept away like sand erased by a wave, now in 2009 is the time—more than ever—to emphasize marketing, because when economic times get tough, law firm marketing is often the first line item to be lopped from the budget.

That’s extremely unfortunate, because this is precisely the time when you need to increase the number of clients you’re serving; find new clients in new markets to serve and/or increase the amount of revenue you get from current clients.

And it’s only through law firm marketing that you can do all three.

So to help you and your law firm through these tough economic times, I want to share with you 20 tips for marketing your law firm. With this blog post, we’ll cover Tips 11-15.

11. Don’t think of your product as your baby—You should be proud of your firm, your previous cases and even the case you are trying to acquire. However, from a client perspective, your clients have come to you for the fastest and most beneficial solution so they can move on with their lives. Don’t ever forget why you do what you do in the first place.

12. Provide outstanding customer service—This is often the differentiating factor among competitors. Today good customer service isn’t enough. Great customer service is required. For example, make sure you call a client back when she leaves a message. Pay attention to your client when he arrives. Showing a client she matters can be a deciding factor when she chooses an attorney.

13. Know their doubts and overcome them—Doubts and fears are part of any buying decision. Recognize what they are and confront them directly. Although you can’t guarantee a case result, through your legal expertise, you can ease their concerns of having a valid case.

14. Treat customers like friends—If they feel a personal connection with you, that will help them feel more inclined to pick you as their attorney.

15. Use testimonials and other validators (honors, awards, etc.)—Let other people praise you and your legal expertise. Display this on your law firm website and in your other advertising.

(My thanks to the Marketing Psychology Group for their article “20 Marketing Tips for Hard Times” that provided the ideas for these tips.)