Legal Marketing: The Top 3 Ways Attorneys Can Grow Their Practices
Law firm marketing is a competitive business. And there are many reasons why certain law firms fail to thrive or even survive.
However, in my working with more than 7,000 attorneys over the years, I’ve discovered that there are essentially 3 main reasons why attorneys succeed in growing their practices:
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Time
Attorneys who succeed in marketing and growing their firms dedicate time to law firm marketing. It may not always be their time, but they have someone who tends to the knitting day in and day out. They know that the world is full of lawyers who don’t take the time to market themselves – and they use this to their advantage consistently.
Systems
Firms that excel in legal marketing have systems in place to run, monitor and measure their law firm marketing programs. leveraging technology, there are several simple systems attorneys can use to create a “lifestyle practice”—a practice that supports the lifestyle you want to lead, rather than one that dominates your life.
Strategy
Legal marketing gurus know that a comprehensive strategy to grow your law firm is essential to your long-term success. Otherwise you and your team lack direction.
When you use a proven legal marketing strategy that consistently produces results, you can then set up legal marketing systems that, in turn, free up your time while increasing your client base, thereby increasing your revenue.
And you can learn how to do it all by attending a Rainmaker Retreat, our two-day law firm marketing boot camp. In just two days, you will learn:
- Step-by-step guidance in finding the best, most strategic referral partners
- How to cut costs by eliminating ineffective law firm marketing strategies
- Create a ‘Master Plan’ to guide your firm’s growth through marketing for lawyers
- How to focus your time, energy and dollars on the most effective law firm marketing techniques designed specifically for small and solo law firms
- Five proven strategies to get more attention, command more respect and charge higher fees
- How to leverage the Internet to create the most “buzz” for your firm
- How to create a steady stream of new referrals using law firm marketing techniques
- How to set your firm apart from your competitors
The Rainmaker Retreat dates for Fall are:
- October 8-9, 2010 New Brunswick, NJ
- October 22-23, 2010 Scottsdale, AZ
- November 5-6, 2010 San Francisco, CA
Early-bird registration for the Rainmaker Retreat is still available for a limited time. A special VIP registration is also available for attorneys looking for more personalized attention. We also offer special discounts for two or more people attending from the same firm.
Registration information is available by visiting the Rainmaker Retreat website, www.RainmakerRetreat.com or by calling 888-588-5891.
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Learn Before You Go: Rainmaker Retreat Preview Call
If you are still unsure about attending a Rainmaker Retreat, I encourage you to join one of our FREE Preview Calls on:
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
11am-12pm Pacific | 12-1pm Mountain | 1-2pm Central | 2-3pm Eastern
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern
The call will give you a preview of the valuable material that is taught at our 2-day Rainmaker Retreat.
Click here to register for a Preview Call.
Know Thy Client: Use Surveys to Improve Your Law Firm Marketing
Client satisfaction surveys are information gold mines, helping you to understand what your client thinks about how you delivered your service, what you could have improved upon, what they actually gained from your service and what they really need from you.
Although this insight is vital, the benefits to client satisfaction surveys don’t stop there. You can use these insights to improve your law firm marketing. For example, by better understanding how your clients find services such as yours, you know more specifically how to promote your services to reach similar clients.
Format. Most people are accustomed to taking online satisfaction surveys, which is an expeditious and inexpensive way to conduct customer satisfaction research. It also doesn’t intrude on your client’s time too much. Most of the email marketing services have this functionality, so if you are already using Constant Contact or iContact, it is simple to design a survey and send it out to your contact list. You can also use a surveying resource like SurveyMonkey.com that essentially does the same thing.
No matter what format you use, here are some good questions to ask in your survey:
- What was your first impression of the firm? Of your attorney?
- How were you initially treated during your first in-person meeting?
- What do you believe is our biggest strength?
- What do you believe is the area where we need the most improvement?
- Out of the following 5 areas, which ones do you anticipate needing in the next year?
- Were invoices sent out on a regular basis to you?
- Were you ever surprised by the amount on an invoice?
- What are some ways we could better serve you?
- Would you recommend us to your friends or colleagues?
- Are there any other comments, suggestions, complaints, or concerns you would like to voice?
You can also use a survey with current and former clients as a “keep in touch” technique. For example, if you have had an e-newsletter program in place for awhile, create a survey asking your list if they are satisfied with the content, frequency and format, if they have suggestions for future content or other improvements. You may learn a lot through this short query that will help you improve your marketing efforts by learning what your clients value most.
Note: If you enjoy this blog, please vote for us at the ABA Journal Top 100 Blogs site: http://www.abajournal.com/blawgs/blawg100_submit/. Voting ends this Friday, October 1. Thank you!
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Can’t Make It to a Rainmaker Retreat? Then Have One Delivered to You!
Over 7,000 attorneys from hundreds of law firms across the country have discovered how to generate more referrals and find new clients by simply applying our Rainmaker Marketing System.
Here's just a sample of what you will discover in our Rainmaker Retreat Live! 6 CD set audio program:
- Over 22 proven strategies for attracting more and better clients
- How to create powerful relationships with over 30 new Referral Sources in 90 days
- 7 ways to find more clients fast and how to select the best ones for you
- 2 ways to promote your firm to 100,000 people for only $100
- 5 ways to automate your marketing using technology and the Internet
- 6 secrets top Rainmakers use to dominate their competition
- 8 steps to creating a 6-month comprehensive marketing plan for your firm
This live recording of our highly successful 2-day law firm marketing boot camp will inspire you with practical examples, motivate you with sample case studies, walk you through best marketing strategies used by top Rainmakers, and provide a guide for you to quickly implement proven tactics in the next 30 days. You will also get the same 70-page marketing manual used at all our Rainmaker Retreats.
Click here to order your copy of Rainmaker Retreat Live!
Law Firm Marketing: LinkedIn Upgrades Company Profiles
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LinkedIn, the most popular business social networking site used by attorneys, just announced that it has added new customization features to its Company Follow feature. You can read all the details from the LinkedIn Blog, but here are the highlights you should care about and act on:
Company profiles are now more social. You can now integrate your blog posts, Twitter feeds, company news and new job openings. You can post more in-depth profiles of everyone in your firm, and incorporate quotes from them that talk about why your firm is so great.
Company profiles are gold mines of insider information. If you are using LinkedIn to follow companies, you can see from their profile page how many of your connections also have connections to the company. You can also see the constitution of the company’s employee base, including statistics about job functions, educational degrees, years of experience and university attended (might be useful to know if any target clients attended your alma mater). And you can see how many of X Company’s LinkedIn users are also at Facebook or Twitter.
Company profiles are recruiting tools. You can create a “Careers” page that gives visitors and potential employees insight into your firm, hear employees talk about their work experience and connect job seekers to recruiting managers directly.
For lawyers, it’s hard to beat LinkedIn as a vital social media tool for building referral sources. The best uses of LinkedIn for attorneys:
Connect. Use LinkedIn to connect with referral sources and joint venture partners. One of the most compelling reasons to join LinkedIn is for the professional groups. Do you practice real estate law? There are 3,418 real estate groups on LinkedIn. Need to boost your visibility with finance professionals? Join a few of the 1,852 finance professional groups on LinkedIn.
Boost Expertise Profile. Joining and contributing to the discussion within the LinkedIn professional groups helps you build your profile as an expert in your area of law practice.
Boost Search Engine Ranking. LinkedIn profiles rank high in Google and the other search engines.
Here are 8 steps to get you started on LinkedIn:
- Create a comprehensive profile for yourself and your firm
- Start by connecting with people you know (tip: use LinkedIn toolbar for Outlook)
- Recommend others and be recommended
- Join groups for attorneys, referral sources and prospects
- Start a group for your target market
- Answer questions
- Update your status at least three times every week
- List all your events on LinkedIn
I invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn at www.LinkedIn.com/in/StephenFairley.
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Upcoming Rainmaker Events in New Jersey
The information-packed Becoming a Rainmaker seminar is coming to New Jersey, October 5, 6 & 7, 2010 in a series of presentations sponsored by the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Bergen County Bar Association, Burlington County Bar Association, and the Morris County Bar Association.
These 2-hour seminars show small and solo practice attorneys how they can take charge of their practice and begin to build the business they have always wanted.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Burlington County Bar Association
Burlington County Court House, 49 Rancocas Rd., Mount Holly, NJ
Click here to register.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
Morris County Bar Association
Old Court House, Washington and Court Streets, Morristown, NJ
Click here to register.
Thursday, October 7, 2010, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
Bergen County Bar Association
George W. Newman Law Building, 15 Bergen St., Hackensack, NJ
Click here to register.
Admission to each presentation is $77 for Bar Association members and $97 for nonmembers.
For more information, call 888-816-8935 or email info@therainmakerinstitute.com.
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The Rainmaker Retreat – our most popular two-day legal marketing boot camp – will be held October 8-9 in New Brunswick, NJ at the New Jersey Law Center.
Over two days, you will learn in detail about:
- Achieving Expert Status as an Attorney
- Building a Strategic Referral Network
- Creating Credibility in Your Practice Area
- Secrets of Highly Successful Attorneys
- Social Media for Small Law Firms
- Leveraging Technology: Beating the Big Firms on the Internet
- Generating More Clients Using the Power of Speaking
- Advanced Technology Tactics for Small Law Firms and Solo Practitioners
Registration information is available by visiting the Rainmaker Retreat website, www.RainmakerRetreat.com or by calling 888-588-5891.
Law Firm Marketing: What Are Lawyers Really Selling?
"Attorneys Who Make The Big Money Are Better At Marketing."
It shouldn't be this way, should it?
But it is true that any business selling a product or a service, is actually in the "marketing business"...
Attorneys are in the business of marketing their services.
Those who embrace this essential truth will make the most money... most who fight it will continue to struggle and will likely never achieve the financial rewards they really wanted when starting out in law.
A bold statement, I admit.
But as the owner of the nation's largest law firm marketing company that specializes in helping small and solo law firms, I see the results everyday.
Attorneys just like you who were unsatisfied with the amount of money they were making... waiting for the phone to ring..... are becoming transformed into rainmakers who are able to generate a steady flow of new business and billable hours once they attended our seminars and workshops and applied what they learned.
It radically changed their financial situation.
If you are one of those attorneys who thinks that marketing is somehow beneath them, or is in some way undignified..... you need to change your outlook.
One of my most popular seminars for attorneys is the Rainmaker Retreat, 2 full days of intense marketing training for small law firms.
It has its own website, and the reason I want you to go there is to see and hear attorneys tell you in their own words about The Rainmaker Retreat and what it has done for them and how it has changed their thinking.
www.RainmakerRetreat.com Take a minute right now and check it out.
I am on a mission to transform the lives of attorneys who want to have a self directed life, never having to worry about where the next client is coming from.
Learning how to do this through the power of smart marketing is the key that will unlock that door.
Here's hoping that you are ready to take the first step.
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BALIF Rainmaker Institute Event on October 14 in San Francisco
On Thursday, Oct. 14, Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF) will present a 1-day workshop designed for busy attorneys, partners, associates, and their staff who want to discover how to apply proven marketing strategies and top tips used by some of today’s biggest Rainmakers to create a 7-figure lifestyle law firm.
Rainmaker Institute CEO Stephen Fairley will be speaking on Proven Strategies for Today’s Rainmaker: Increasing Revenues and Referrals Using Networking, Internet Marketing and Social Media In the New Age. This one-day seminar includes 1 hour of MCLE Ethics Credit for California attorneys.
This one-day seminar also includes 1 hour of MCLE Ethics Credit for California attorneys.
The October 14 seminar is open to all BALIF and Minority Bar Coalition members as well as interested non-members.
For more information and to register online, go to www.rainmakerretreat.com/balif/ or call 888-588-5891 to register by phone.
Law Firm Marketing: Study Says More Than Half of Web Users Read Blogs
In a new report on the influence of blogs, eMarketer found that in 2010, 51 percent of Internet users in the U.S. -- over 91 million – read blogs, and projects that usage to go to 60 percent (150 million) in four years.
Folks, that’s a lot of folks.
The report finds that while social networks like Facebook and Twitter continue to be more popular, blogs hold a unique position in the online media landscape because they have become an accepted source of information.
Like social media networks, blogging enables you to widen the circle of people you engage with for little or no cost to you except time. When used properly, it becomes a clear, consistent voice for your practice. It entices prospects, referral sources, colleagues, clients and thought leaders to engage you in dialogue.
It keeps you top of mind. It builds visibility among your target clients. Ultimately, it earns you more of the kind of client you most desire.
Blogging is your forum to connect with the community at large and to make it clear that you are an expert in your field.
To make your blog a highly effective medium for your law firm marketing program, your blogging strategy should include:
- A topic list designed to engage your target audience
- A list of social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) to promote it
- A list and schedule for article marketing services to add visibility and to feed it to reporters and thought leaders
- An up to date blog that you write articles for at least 2 to 4 times per week
- A search engine optimization formula to increase your page rank
When you have all these things in place, you will create a blog that will enhance your overall law firm marketing efforts.
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Stop Wasting Precious Time and Money
Feel like you don’t have time for marketing? Let us show you how to make a plan that runs on “autopilot” – one that attracts new and lucrative clients while you focus on your practice.
Learn how easy it can be to create an effective law firm marketing plan that performs by getting our Free Guide: 5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan.
After working with many ultra-successful lawyers we found five common threads in their marketing plans. This guide outlines these shared elements to provide insight into strategies that work and how to make them work for you.
There are two versions: one for Attorneys in Solo Practice and one for Attorneys in a Small Firm. You can download them now free! Go here to download, and start using these proven strategies today!
Take Two Days to Transform Your Practice at the Rainmaker Retreat Law Firm Marketing Boot Camp
The Rainmaker Retreat is specifically designed to help attorneys understand how to attract more and better clients using proven, step-by-step marketing strategies. This is not a theoretical, feel-good program. You get hands-on, proven and practical guidance on how to implement marketing strategies to transform your legal practice.
Over two days, you will learn in detail about:
- Achieving Expert Status as an Attorney
- Building a Strategic Referral Network
- Creating Credibility in Your Practice Area
- Secrets of Highly Successful Attorneys
- Social Media for Small Law Firms
- Leveraging Technology: Beating the Big Firms on the Internet
- Generating More Clients Using the Power of Speaking
- Advanced Technology Tactics for Small Law Firms and Solo Practitioners
Here’s what your peers had to say after attending a Rainmaker Retreat this summer:
“The Rainmaker Retreat opened my eyes to the fact that I can work smarter, not harder, and make more money while doing it. Best of all, I learned step by step how to make it happen.”- Karla Hewitt, Personal Injury Attorney
“This program is absolutely crucial to any attorney who is not a marketing expert, and would be very helpful to any attorney who is.”- L. Christopher Rose, Partner, Business Law
“Potential to rebuild entire firm with what I learned over the past 2 days.”- Thomas Nowland, Partner, Business Law
“Great program! I learned more in two days about how to market my business than I had in the last 10 years. I got more than I bargained for. Great tools!” - Janice Palmer, Law Firm Owner
“I have worked hard to build a practice for thirty years. This seminar will double the size of my practice. And I have a very good practice!” - Joseph McDaniel, Law Firm Partner
“The program was fast paced, loaded with content and, unlike many seminars, commanded constant and undivided attention. I now feel I have specific steps to take besides waiting for the phone to ring.”- Michael Hickman, Partner, Commercial Litigation
“This program will transform your thinking from a law firm owner to a business owner who provides legal services.”- Scott Stewart, Partner, Family Law
“This course exceeded my expectations, doubly exceeded my cynicism, and made me feel I was wasting big bucks taking a restroom break.”- William Bachrach, Partner, Estate Litigation
“I made network referrals and got new clients at the Rainmaker Retreat – I didn’t even wait to leave the room!”- Carol Smith, Partner, Intellectual Property
“Fantastic seminar! The presentation materials and subject matter are all obviously top quality and incredibly valuable. I feel like I got the secret keys to the kingdom.”- Mark Peacock, Solo Practitioner, Personal Injury
Hear what this California business law attorney had to say about the “mind blowing” marketing strategies he learned at a Rainmaker Retreat:
The Rainmaker Retreat dates for Fall are:
- October 8-9, 2010 New Brunswick, NJ
- October 22-23, 2010 Scottsdale, AZ
- November 5-6, 2010 San Francisco, CA
Early-bird registration for the Rainmaker Retreat is still available for a limited time. A special VIP registration is also available for attorneys looking for more personalized attention. We also offer special discounts for two or more people attending from the same firm.
Registration information is available by visiting the Rainmaker Retreat website, www.RainmakerRetreat.com or by calling 888-588-5891.
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Learn Before You Go: Rainmaker Retreat Preview Call
If you are still unsure about attending a Rainmaker Retreat, I encourage you to join one of our FREE Preview Calls on:
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
11am-12pm Pacific | 12-1pm Mountain | 1-2pm Central | 2-3pm Eastern
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern
These free, one-hour calls will give you a taste of what you will learn during a Rainmaker Retreat. Click here to register for a Preview Call.
Law Firm Marketing: What the Dancing Merengue Dog Can Teach Lawyers About Online Video
Last week I pulled up the Yahoo! home page and one of their promotional boxes was urging me to click on a video of a dancing dog. For some reason, it just caught my eye and so I clicked and – I have to admit – it was a pretty amazing performance. (You can catch it here.)
Monday night I turned on Letterman and noted his guests were Bill Clinton and...the Dancing Merengue Dog, from that same video. I just checked it again and it has over 5.5 million views on YouTube and a movement is afoot to get the dog a spot on Dancing With The Stars!
So how does a dancing dog fit into your law firm marketing plan? Look at the video. It was shot in a parking lot. Production value is pretty poor, but that didn't matter -- the video has turned that dog into a worldwide sensation.
Whenever I talk to lawyers about adding video to their websites or blogs, the first thing I usually hear is, “I don’t want to spend money on a film crew and make it a big production.” The lesson from the Dancing Merengue Dog is you don’t have to. All you need is a $200 video camera (they're all pretty high quality these days) and something interesting to say (to your potential clients, not other lawyers!).
Online video is a highly underused form of law firm Internet marketing that promises a big return. Whether you place your video on the homepage of your web site, or upload it to YouTube, the benefits are undeniable.
Video adds value to your law firm Internet marketing approach in three ways:
- It engages the viewer immediately and convinces them to stay awhile and listen to your message;
- It provides the viewer (aka potential client) with a chance to hear the authority in your voice, to see the sincerity in your face, and ultimately to get to know you, trust you and choose you;
- It enables you to tell the client precisely what makes you the better choice in legal support over your competitors.
If you are looking for a way to connect with clients and prospects, make online video a part of your law firm Internet marketing strategy.
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Are you looking for specific marketing strategies you can use in your law firm?
Then order the Rainmaker in a Box 5-DVD set!
Some of the information and strategies you will learn include:
- The 5 Immutable Secrets to Building a 7 Figure Law Practice
- Secrets of Building a Referral-based Law Practice for Busy Practitioners
- The Top 6 Most Powerful Online Marketing Strategies for Attorneys
- Action, Accountability and Next Steps
This program also includes a data DVD, which includes all 4 PowerPoint, slides for all 4 presentations.
To order this information-packed set click here.
Social Media Marketing for Attorneys: California State Bar Annual Meeting Seminar on Sept. 24
I have the privilege to be speaking at The State Bar of California 83rd Annual Meeting on Friday, Sept. 24 at 8 a.m. on Social Media Marketing for Attorneys: How to Use Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to Generate More Business.
Those attending the annual meeting can join me for an energetic and practical two-hour workshop on how to use social media to generate more leads and develop a referral network. Attendees will discover:
- The top 6 social media websites for attorneys
- How to use social media platforms to drive more referrals and leads
- Why Facebook is becoming the new Google
- Top tips for attorneys new to social media and how to get started
- Case studies from law firms
- Leveraging your blog as part of your social media strategy
The Rainmaker Institute will also be exhibiting throughout the annual meeting, so drop by and see us at Booth #305 on:
- Thursday, September 23, 2010, 5:30-7 p.m. (Opening Night Reception)
- Friday, September 24, 2010, 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Saturday, September 25, 2010, 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
See you in Monterey!
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FREE "Top 10 Mistakes Attorneys Make and How to Avoid Them" E-book
In a newly revised e-book, legal marketing expert Stephen Fairley outlines 10 of the most common marketing mistakes attorneys make that can lead to the failure of their business, and provides specific strategies and proven principles for avoiding these deadly errors.
Get your complimentary copy online here.
Regardless of your specific situation, this free e-book will help you examine how you are currently finding new clients and recommend specific steps you can immediately start using to grow your practice.
We have helped thousands of attorneys achieve their goals of creating a financially successful and personally satisfying legal practice. In this e-book you will discover specific principles and tools you can use to grow your practice, too.
The Best Nonbillable Hour You Will Ever Spend: Social Media Marketing for Attorneys Webinar Tomorrow
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Tomorrow I will be presenting a How To Guide for Marketing Your Law Firm Using Social Media – a live one-hour webinar that I know will be the best nonbillable hour you will ever spend if you want to learn how to grow your client base and boost your bottom line.
Here are the details:
Tuesday, September 21st at 3:00 pm ET
(2:00pm CT, 1:00pm MT, 12:00pm PT)
The one-hour webinar will cover:
- Review of 6 Major Social Media Tools
- Is Twitter a waste of time and do people really search for attorneys on Twitter?
- Twitter Terminology for New Users
- The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Video on Your Law Firm’s Website
- Creative Ways to Use YouTube to Promote Your Practice
- Why 68,000 Attorneys are already on YouTube
- The Importance of a Comprehensive Profile on Avvo
- Should You Consider Advertising on Avvo?
- One of the “Secret Weapons” to Rapidly Build Your Online Presence
- Using Online Article Marketing to Dominate Your Competition
- A long-term strategy to position yourself as an expert on the Internet
- Case Studies of Attorneys Using Social Media
- What works and what doesn't on each social media network
- Why legal blogs can give your firm a huge advantage over the competition
- Using your blog to generate quality leads for your law firm
- The 3 biggest mistakes attorneys make when blogging
- How to get started in 30 days with a new blog
- Why the research says having a blog is a “must have” for any law firm
- Why the frequency of your blog posts determines your lead generation
- How to Keep Social Media in Perspective
You can participate via phone and also via computer to see the live presentation. A copy of the entire webinar and downloadable materials will be provided to you after the event.
Register online here for Unlocking the Secrets of Social Media Marketing for Attorneys on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010 at 3 p.m. ET.
Note: If you enjoy this blog, please vote for us at the ABA Journal Top 100 Blogs site: http://www.abajournal.com/blawgs/blawg100_submit/. Voting ends October 1. Thank you!
Law Firm Marketing: Are You Communicating Your Unique Competitive Advantage?
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A couple of days ago I posted a blog about how differentiation is the key to increasing market share.
Differentiation begins with creating your Unique Competitive Advantage (UCA) – the answer to your target client’s question, “Why should I hire you?”
With so many choices today, your law firm marketing strategy must clearly differentiate you and your law firm.
To create a Unique Competitive Advantage (UCA) for your law firm marketing plan, there are a number of different areas you can choose to focus on:
- Benefits: What are the benefits of working with your firm as compared to others? What do you do that other firms refuse to do to better serve your clients?
- Value: Compare your costs versus how much money you save clients. How have you helped other clients take better advantage of opportunities or avoid liability?
- Results: What are some specific results you have obtained for clients in the past? What is your win/loss record? What do you do to achieve better results than your competitors?
- Solutions: Give an example of a creative solution you found to a client’s problem. How did you come up with it? What happened because of your creative solution?
- Individual Partners: Remember, people don’t buy legal services from law firms; they buy legal services from attorneys. People don’t say, “Go talk to my law firm,” they say, “Go talk to my lawyer.” What is different about your partners than those in other firms?
- Service: (not the list of services your firm provides, but how you serve your clients). How do your clients describe the way you treat them?
- Industry Specific Specialty: Position your partners as leading experts in a specific industry, not as generalists. To be a generalist for most attorneys is the “kiss of death.” Go deeper, not broader. Have industry specific marketing materials and collateral.
- Client Feedback: What do your best clients say about you? What would they tell someone else about your services and how it has helped them? Do your clients refer other clients to you on a regular basis?
- Credibility: What is your firm known for in the industry? Talk about how your partners are profiled in the media or are industry experts. What are 3 reasons why your prospects should perceive you as a credible expert?
- Visibility: How visible are your partners within an industry? Do they regularly speak at top industry events? Are they a nationally recognized expert? A published author? What happens when prospects type their name into Google?
By developing a strong UCA, your legal marketing plan will give you the tools you need to stand out from the competition.
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Practice Made Perfect for Lawyers CD Set
The Practice Made Perfect CD set and manual applies Stephen Fairley’s unique High Impact Marketing System to the practice-building challenges faced by solo practitioners and partners at small law firms.
It includes dozens of specific marketing and sales recommendations that can be easily and quickly applied to your firm, including:
- The only 7 sure-fire ways to get clients in your door NOW
- Why advertising doesn’t work for most small law firms
- The 7 reasons why people don’t buy from you
- How to market and sell with USPs (Unique Selling Proposition)
- Using audio logos to attract immediate attention for your business
- Using low-cost, high impact marketing strategies
- Strategies for achieving maximum results from all of your marketing efforts
- How to discover your Ideal Target Market
- 3 critical factors to remember when looking for new clients
- The NEW sales cycle for professional services
- How to retain your best clients
Click here to order your Practice Made Perfect for Lawyers CD set and manual now.
Law Firm Marketing: Become a Rainmaker and Take Your Practice to the Next Level
Our extremely popular Rainmaker Retreats are back this fall in three cities. Over 7,000 attorneys from hundreds of law firms across the country have discovered how to generate more referrals and find new clients fast by applying our proven Rainmaker System. The Rainmaker Retreat teaches you our proven Rainmaker System for building your business and taking it to the level you desired when you started your practice.
Over the next two months we will be in:
- New Brunswick, NJ on October 8-9, 2010
- Scottsdale, AZ on October 22-23, 2010
- San Francisco, CA on November 5-6, 2010
You won’t want to miss the information shared or the interaction with your fellow attorneys. The Rainmaker Retreat is designed for solo attorneys and those in small practices who do not have the marketing resources of the larger firms. It is a working retreat that will help you:
- Create a written 90-day master marketing plan for your firm
- Discover your Unique Competitive Advantage
- Have a written plan for improving your Internet presence
- Outline either an article or produce a professional press release to submit online
- Create a letter of introduction to potential Strategic Referral Partners
Some of the topics covered in each Rainmaker Retreat include:
- Achieving Expert Status as an Attorney
- Building a Strategic Referral Network
- Creating Credibility in Your Practice Area
- Secrets of Highly Successful Attorneys
- Social Media for Small Law Firms
- Leveraging Technology: Beating the Big Firms on the Internet
- Generating More Clients Using the Power of Speaking
- Advanced Technology Tactics for Small Law Firms and Solo Practitioners
If you are still unsure about attending a Rainmaker Retreat, I encourage you to join one of our FREE Preview Calls on:
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
11am-12pm Pacific | 12-1pm Mountain | 1-2pm Central | 2-3pm Eastern
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern
These free, one-hour calls will give you a taste of what you will learn during a Rainmaker Retreat. Click here to register for a Preview Call.
Early-bird registration for the Rainmaker Retreat is still available for a limited time. A special VIP registration is also available for attorneys looking for more personalized attention. We also offer special discounts for two or more people attending from the same firm.
Registration information is available by visiting the Rainmaker Retreat website, www.RainmakerRetreat.com or by calling 888-588-5891.
Note: If you enjoy this blog, please vote for us at the ABA Journal Top 100 Blogs site: http://www.abajournal.com/blawgs/blawg100_submit/. Voting ends October 1. Thank you!
Law Firm Marketing: Citi Survey Says Differentiation Key to Increasing Market Share
The 2010 Midyear Law Firm Financial Trends Report by Citi Private Bank, which provides financial services to U.S. and UK law firms, is out and the bottom line appears to be that expenses have been cut about as much as they can, so law firms now need to turn their focus to increasing top-line revenue.
First, some of the key findings as reported by 187 U.S. law firms (87 AmLaw 100 firms, 50 Second 100 firms and 50 other firms) for the first six months of 2010:
- Revenue was flat
- Demand was down domestically, but up slightly (2 percent) for global firms
- Expenses were down, primarily because of head count reductions
- Productivity was up about 4 percent
- Contribution per lawyer was up almost 20 percent
- Billing rates were up about 4 percent
Parsing the data at The American Lawyer, Citi analysts wrote (emphasis is mine):
Unfortunately, demand for legal services remains soft, and that is unlikely to change any time soon. So the only way firms can grow their revenue is at someone else’s expense. Firms have to be more strategic about how to increase their share of a smaller pie--specifically, by differentiating themselves from competitors.
And they conclude with this:
Some argue that the market really hasn't changed at all and once demand picks up again, firms will simply revert to their traditional business model. Indeed, that’s what happened after the recession in the early 1990s. But thanks to technology and globalization, the legal services market in 2010 doesn't resemble the market in 1991 in any way, shape, or form. Even if overall demand picks up, the entry of new, lower-cost service providers and the willingness of clients to diversify their service-provider portfolio have caused an unprecedented shift in the market. The nimbleness with which firms address this shift will separate the winners from the losers.
In Practice Made Perfect, our 90-day business development program for attorneys, we cover 10 specific ways to differentiate your services. Here are 3 of them:
- Create a micro niche. In these days of hyper-specialization, it’s NOT about “mass marketing.” It’s about “micro marketing”—creating a micro niche that best positions you as a specialist.
- Focus on solutions and results. Too many attorneys try to sell their legal services. Attendees at my Rainmaker Retreat 2 day law firm marketing boot camp program are surprised when I tell them that people don’t buy legal services! People buy solutions to their problems. They buy results, not your services.
- Build an online presence. The Internet has changed everything when it comes to law firm marketing and how consumers select law firms. Many attorneys either don’t realize or aren’t willing to admit that most savvy individuals will check them out online before they ever finalizing their decision. An online presence today means not only a website, but also immersion in Social Media – blogs, video, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Avvo and more.
If you enjoy this blog, please vote for us at the ABA Journal Top 100 Blogs site: http://www.abajournal.com/blawgs/blawg100_submit/. Voting ends October 1. Thank you!
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Free CD: Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices
Get your free CD on Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices by #1 Best-Selling Author And Nationally Recognized Law Firm Marketing Expert Stephen Fairley, and listen as he reveals A Proven System To Generate More and Better Referrals, Find New Clients Fast, and Fill Your Law Practice! Discover:
- How 1 piece of simple technology in your practice will drastically increase your communication with prospects, clients and referral sources – resulting in a major revenue boost
- 5 ways to market and position yourself as a recognized expert
- How to promote your law firm to over 100,000 people for less than $100
- The 1 item you must absolutely have to create a Million Dollar Law Practice (hint: Not having this will almost guarantee your failure!)
- 6 BIGGEST secrets to generating more and better referrals
- How to create a proven network of 30 new Strategic Referral Partners in the next 90 days
To obtain your free CD, click here now.
Law Firm Marketing: Key to Influencing In-House Counsel Hiring Decisions
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A tip of the hat to Kevin at LexBlog’s Real Lawyers Have Blogs for bringing this new study to our attention: the Corporate Counsel New Media Engagement Survey conducted by American Lawyer Media, Greentarget and The Zeughauser Group.
This insightful survey polled a group of corporate counsel across the U.S. on their use of and reliance on social media.
Of particular interest is how In-house counsel ranked the following activities “most important” for helping them to vet and research outside counsel for potential hire:
- Recommendations from sources you trust: 73 percent
- Articles and speeches the lawyer has authored: 38 percent
- Bios on the firm’s Web site: 30 percent
- Blogs published by lawyers: 27 percent
- Rankings and directories: 25 percent
- Twitter feeds from lawyers: 22 percent
- Endorsements and connections on LinkedIn: 18 percent
- Quotes by lawyers in relevant media outlets: 15 percent
If this all sounds strangely familiar, it’s because ALL of these activities are what we cover step-by-step at every Rainmaker Retreat! For example, here are some of the subjects covered during our two-day law firm marketing boot camp and how they correlate to the above ranked activities:
- A Step-by-Step Approach to Create Dozens of Strategic Referral Partners in less than 6 months (#1)
- Submitting Articles Online to Increase Your Website Rank (#2)
- 4 Ways to use Speaking to Attract More Clients (#2)
- How to Change Your Website from just an Online Brochure to a Marketing Machine (#3)
- Using Blogs to Increase Your Website Rankings and Find More Clients (#4)
- Unlocking the Secrets of Social Media for Lawyers (#5, #6 and #7)
- Where to Find and How to Create Positive Media Coverage (#8)
We have three Rainmaker Retreat events on the calendar for the rest of this year:
October 8-9, 2010 New Brunswick, NJ
October 22-23, 2010 Scottsdale, AZ
November 5-6, 2010 San Francisco, CA
Don’t let another year go by without learning the strategies that will get you hired!
Click here to register or call 888-588-5891 to learn even more about our two-day law firm marketing boot camp.
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Register Now for NJSBA Becoming a Rainmaker Series Oct. 5-7
The information-packed Becoming a Rainmaker seminar is coming to New Jersey, October 5, 6 & 7, 2010 in a series of presentations sponsored by the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Bergen County Bar Association, Burlington County Bar Association, and the Morris County Bar Association.
These 2-hour seminars show small and solo practice attorneys how they can take charge of their practice and begin to build the business they have always wanted. The Becoming a Rainmaker seminar has been sponsored by 22 of the largest state and local bar associations in the country, and teaches the proven Rainmaker Marketing System, which has helped more than 7,000 attorneys find more and better clients and establish a law firm marketing system for generating more referrals.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Burlington County Bar Association
Burlington County Court House, 49 Rancocas Rd., Mount Holly, NJ
Click here to register.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
Morris County Bar Association
Old Court House, Washington and Court Streets, Morristown, NJ
Click here to register.
Thursday, October 7, 2010, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
Bergen County Bar Association
George W. Newman Law Building, 15 Bergen St., Hackensack, NJ
Click here to register.
Admission to each presentation is $77 for Bar Association members and $97 for nonmembers.
For more information, call 888-816-8935 or email info@therainmakerinstitute.com.
Law Firm Marketing: Social Networking Use Doubles for Older Adults
The latest boom in social networking use is happening among baby boomers and seniors, according to the latest research by Pew Internet and American Life Project. Here are the latest stats from the research:
- Social networking use among Internet users age 50+ nearly doubled—from 22% in April 2009 to 42% in May 2010.
- Between April 2009 and May 2010, social networking use among Internet users ages 50-64 grew by 88%--from 25% to 47%.
- During the same period, use among those ages 65+ grew 100%--from 13% to 26%.
Researchers said that the reasons more older Americans are flocking to social networks like Facebook and Twitter is to reconnect with people from their past, form support networks for new career ventures or other life changes and to communicate better with children and grandchildren.
If you target people over the age of 50 with your legal marketing, this research should give you added impetus to ensure that social media marketing is part of your law firm marketing program.
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Phoenix Legal Networking Group: Learn How to Double Your Referrals in 6 Months or Less at our September 16 Meeting
At the September 16 Phoenix Legal Networking Group meeting, Stephen Fairley will make a presentation on How to Double Your Referrals in 6 Months or Less. Join us this Thursday and discover:
- The proven 8-step system used by hundreds of top attorneys to generate more and better referrals fast
- How to identify who the best referral sources are for you (and they usually aren't other attorneys)
- The #1 reason why you're not getting more referrals
- The best ways to meet potential referral sources
- 5 effective ways to follow up with referral sources
The event will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, September 16 at Monti’s, 100 S. Mill Ave. in Tempe.
Cost is $20 per person if you register by September 14, $30 if you register by September 15 or $35 on the day of the event. This covers drinks, hors d’oeurves, the networking event and the workshop.
To register for the September 16 networking and legal marketing event, co-hosted by FindLaw, Attorney at Law Magazine and The Rainmaker Institute, visit http://www.therainmakerretreat.com/network/ or call 888-816-8935.
Social Media a Must for Law Firm Marketing Plans
Here’s some notable news that may not have made it across your desktop during the busy work week:
Facebook Tops Google in Where We Spend Our Time Online
According to comScore, a leading digital marketing research company, U.S. web users are spending more time on Facebook than Google, YouTube or any other site on the Internet. Socializing now trumps searching online as comScore reports that we spend almost 10 percent of our online time at Facebook.
Nielsen Shows Us How We Spend Time Online
Americans spend nearly a quarter of their time online on social networking sites and blogs, up from 15.8 percent just a year ago (43 percent increase) according to research released last month from The Nielsen Company. According to the data, Americans spend 36 percent of their online time communicating and networking on social networking sites like Facebook, blogs, personal email and instant messaging. Here’s the Nielsen chart:
No doubt about it, our online lives – including those of your potential clients – are spent engaging in social networking activities. So if your law firm marketing plan doesn’t have a robust social media component, you are courting irrelevance.
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Are you looking for specific marketing strategies you can use in your law firm?
Then order the Rainmaker in a Box 5-DVD set! Some of the information and strategies you will learn include:
- The 5 Immutable Secrets to Building a 7 Figure Law Practice
- Secrets of Building a Referral-based Law Practice for Busy Practitioners
- The Top 6 Most Powerful Online Marketing Strategies for Attorneys
- Action, Accountability and Next Steps
This program also includes a data DVD which includes PowerPoint slides for all 4 presentations.
To order this information-packed set click here.
Law Firm Marketing Boot Camp: Scottsdale Rainmaker Retreat October 22-23
If you’re a small law firm or solo practice with big growth plans, then you need to attend our Rainmaker Retreat law firm marketing boot camp in Scottsdale on October 22-23, where in just two days you will learn:
- More than 22 proven legal marketing strategies to attract more and better clients
- How to create powerful relationships with over 30 new Referral Sources in the next 90 days
- 5 Ways to automate your legal marketing using technology and the Internet
- 7 ways to find more clients fast and how to select the best ones for you
- 2 ways to promote your firm to 100,000 people for only $100
- 6 secrets top Rainmakers use to dominate their competition
More than 7,000 attorneys nationwide have discovered the secrets to building a lifestyle law practice through effective law firm marketing that is providing them with significantly greater income and the time to enjoy it all.
But don’t take our word for it; here’s some verbatim feedback from attorneys who attended our last two Rainmaker Retreat law firm marketing boot camps:
“The Rainmaker Retreat opened my eyes to the fact that I can work smarter, not harder, and make more money while doing it. Best of all, I learned step by step how to make it happen.”- Karla Hewitt, Esq.
“This seminar taught me to think outside the box and gave specific tools and action plans to attract clients and build my practice. I will start with referrals and automated follow-ups. There is a real 30 day and 90 day action plan.”- Leonard Schneider, Partner
“I am starting a new firm. I shudder to think what mistakes I might have made had I not done the retreat.”- Steve Rensch, Partner
“Potential to rebuild entire firm with what I learned over the past 2 days.”- Thomas Nowland, Partner
“I was absolutely shocked at how much I learned. Anyone who implements the strategies Stephen suggested will have more work than they can handle.”- Pierre Domercq, Associate
Each day is filled with sessions (with built-in Action Steps and Action Groups) to guide you in putting these law firm marketing strategies into practice immediately. You will leave Scottsdale with a specific plan – uniquely suited to you and your firm – that will help you to create a successful and highly satisfying legal practice!
Register today to reserve your place at the Rainmaker Retreat in Scottsdale at the outstanding Millennium Resort at Scottsdale McCormick Ranch – the discounted room rate expires on September 22, so be sure you sign up by then.
October is the perfect time to visit Scottsdale and the McCormick Ranch Golf Club has two superb 18-hole championship golf courses, so come mix business with a little leisure!
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Exclusive Rainmaker Retreat Preview Call – Learn Before You Go!
If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 7,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then register now for our one-hour complimentary teleseminar.
Hosted by Rainmaker Institute CEO Stephen Fairley, this teleseminar will give you a preview of the valuable material that is taught at our 2-day Rainmaker Retreat legal marketing boot camp.
Sign up now for one of these upcoming one-hour teleseminars:
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
11am-12pm Pacific | 12-1pm Mountain | 1-2pm Central | 2-3pm Eastern
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
11am-12pm Pacific | 12-1pm Mountain | 1-2pm Central | 2-3pm Eastern
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern
Join us and learn why the Rainmaker Retreat is the one law firm marketing boot camp you cannot afford to miss!
Law Firm Marketing: BALIF Rainmaker Marketing Seminar Oct. 14 in San Francisco
On Thursday, Oct. 14, Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF) will present a 1-day workshop designed for busy attorneys, partners, associates, and their staff who want to discover how to apply proven marketing strategies and top tips used by some of today’s biggest Rainmakers to create a 7-figure lifestyle law firm.
I will be speaking on Proven Strategies for Today’s Rainmaker: Increasing Revenues and Referrals Using Networking, Internet Marketing and Social Media In the New Age. Join us to discover:
- Proven strategies for building a 7-figure lifestyle law firm
- The 7 ways to find new clients fast and how to select the best ones for your law firm
- How to build a network of over 30 new referral sources in the next 6 months
- How to change your website from just an online brochure into a money-making machine
- The #1 reason why attorneys do not receive more referrals and how to overcome it
- Demystifying social media strategies—what works and what doesn't and how to stop wasting your time and start leveraging your online connections
- Specific ways to automate your law firm’s follow-up system
- How to ethically position yourself as a specialist in your area
- Effective tools to maximize your networking efforts
- How to stand up and stand out from the crowd and the competition—using your uniqueness as a competitive advantage
- The most expensive thing in your law firm...and it's not your staff
- Measuring the Return On Investment from all your marketing efforts
- Why most of your advertising does not work and how to fix it
- How to build a massive platform in under a year using social media like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Avvo, and YouTube
- How to use blogs as a secret weapon in your law firm’s marketing efforts
This one-day seminar also includes 1 hour of MCLE Ethics Credit for California attorneys.
The October 14 seminar is open to all BALIF and Minority Bar Coalition members as well as interested non-members.
The business portion of the seminar is from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., followed by an hour of networking and the BALIF Monthly Happy Hour. The event will be held at The Bar Association of San Francisco, 301 Battery Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco.
For more information and to register online, go to www.rainmakerretreat.com/balif/ or call 888-588-5891 to register by phone.
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FREE "Top 10 Mistakes Attorneys Make and How to Avoid Them" E-book
In a newly revised e-book, legal marketing expert Stephen Fairley outlines 10 of the most common marketing mistakes attorneys make that can lead to the failure of their business, and provides specific strategies and proven principles for avoiding these deadly errors.
Get your complimentary copy online here.
Regardless of your specific situation, this free e-book will help you examine how you are currently finding new clients and recommend specific steps you can immediately start using to grow your practice.
We have helped thousands of attorneys achieve their goals of creating a financially successful and personally satisfying legal practice. In this e-book you will discover specific principles and tools you can use to grow your practice, too.
Law Firm Marketing: Why Facebook Makes Sense for Lawyers
If you frequent this blog, then you know that I am a huge Facebook fan. The latest statistic I’ve quoted to encourage attorneys to get on board is that this social media juggernaut has 500 million users. And for most of us, that’s a number we have a problem wrapping our heads around.
So let me break it down for you. Here are the top 5 Facebook user states and the penetration level – in other words, the percentage of the entire state’s population that is on Facebook:
- California: 16.6 million users; 45% penetration
- Texas: 10.7 million users; 43% penetration
- New York: 8.5 million users; 44% penetration
- Florida: 7.8 million users; 42% penetration
- Illinois: 7.1 million users; 55% penetration
You can get the user numbers and penetration rates for the rest of the states here.
According to the ABA, the five states with the greatest population of attorneys are: well, just see above. That’s right. California. Texas. New York. Florida. Illinois.
As an angling enthusiast, I know one thing: you gotta fish where the fish are. For a helluva lot of attorneys, your fish are on Facebook. All you need to do is bait the hook.
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Social Media Marketing for Attorneys: Live Webinar
Attorneys have lots of questions about social media and in this 2-part webinar series I will give you all the answers. Get what you need to know while avoiding common pitfalls and time wasters. By the end of this series you will know if social media is right for your law firm and if so, precisely how to use it to market your law firm, build your online platform, connect with prospects, clients and potential referral sources.
Part 1: Wednesday, September 15th at 3:00 pm ET
Part 2: Tuesday, September 21st at 3:00 pm ET
Each session runs one hour. I really encourage you to register for both sessions, but if you can attend only one, rest assured that each one-hour session is a great standalone presentation on social media strategies for law firms.
Here’s the online registration information:
Register online here for Both Sessions on Wed., Sept. 15 and Tues., Sept. 21, 2010.
Register online here for Part One on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010.
Register online here for Part Two on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010.
Rainmaker Retreat Law Firm Marketing Boot Camp: Experience the Results
The Rainmaker Retreat is specifically designed to help attorneys at small law firms understand how to attract more and better clients using proven, step-by-step marketing strategies. This is not a theoretical, feel-good program. It’s built on 4 principles:
- Building referrals through purposeful relationships
- Automating your law firm marketing system
- Leveraging the power of the Internet to attract highly qualified clients
- Maximizing your return on investment for all your marketing dollars
Personal injury attorney Gordon Levinson attended the 2 day Rainmaker Retreat because he knows that attorneys are notoriously bad with marketing. The Rainmaker Retreat filled that educational void in a simple effective manner:
Labor employment lawyer Clifton Smith attended a Rainmaker Retreat and found that blogs are a great way to expand his presence on the Internet.
Six months later, Clifton says his return on investment for the cost of The Rainmaker Retreat has been 1600%:
Our Rainmaker Retreat dates for Fall are:
- October 8-9, 2010 New Brunswick, NJ
- October 22-23, 2010 Scottsdale, AZ
- November 5-6, 2010 San Francisco, CA
Click here to register and learn even more about our two-day law firm marketing boot camp.
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Complimentary Rainmaker Retreat Preview DVD is Available
We would like to send you a DVD of your colleagues (and even your competitors) describing their experiences at the 2 day Rainmaker Retreat. Yes, we know you are skeptical. So instead of telling you how these 2 days will transform your business, we let actual attendees do the telling.
Click here to order your complimentary DVD right now.
Phoenix Legal Networking Group: Learn How to Double Your Referrals in 6 Months or Less at our September 16 Meeting
At our September 16 Phoenix Legal Networking Group meeting, I will be talking about How to Double Your Referrals in 6 Months or Less. .jpg)
In addition to some great information, there will be some great food, good fun, and a chance for you to reconnect with other attorneys who could turn out to be great additions to your referral network in the Phoenix area. After only four gatherings, many of our attendees are already reporting jumps in their referral activity from those they’re met here.
So who should attend?
- Partners at small law firms who want to reconnect with colleagues and discover new and innovative ways to increase their referrals and revenues and are open to new ideas.
- Solo practitioners who want to find new clients fast on a shoestring budget and want to build relationships with other Phoenix area attorneys.
- Of Counsel Attorneys who need to learn how to bring in more business to the firm.
- Associates who are looking to grow their book of business or who want to get on the partner track.
- Law Firm Staff—including Business/Office Managers, Paralegals, and other Office Staff who are looking for more referral sources and want to help grow their law firm with more connections.
Join us on September 16 and discover:
- The proven 8-step system used by hundreds of top attorneys to generate more and better referrals fast
- How to identify who the best referral sources are for you (and they usually aren't other attorneys)
- The #1 reason why you're not getting more referrals
- The best ways to meet potential referral sources
- 5 effective ways to follow up with referral sources
The event will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, September 16 at Monti’s, 100 S. Mill Ave. in Tempe.
Cost is $20 per person if you register by September 14, $30 if you register by September 15 and $35 on the day of the event. This covers drinks, hors d’oeurves, the networking event and the workshop.
To register for our September 16 networking and legal marketing event, co-hosted by FindLaw, Attorney at Law Magazine and The Rainmaker Institute, visit http://www.therainmakerretreat.com/network/ or call 888-816-8935.
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Stop Wasting Precious Time and Money
Feel like you don’t have time for marketing? Let us show you how to make a plan that runs on “autopilot” – one that attracts new and lucrative clients while you focus on your practice.
Learn how easy it can be to create an effective law firm marketing plan that performs by getting our Free Guide: 5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan.
After working with many ultra-successful lawyers we found five common threads in their marketing plans. This guide outlines these shared elements to provide insight into strategies that work and how to make them work for you.
There are two versions: one for Attorneys in Solo Practice and one for Attorneys in a Small Firm. You can download them now free! Go here to download, and start using these proven strategies today!
Live Webinar on How to Use Social Media to Market and Grow Your Law Firm
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Social media...is it a fad or a fundamental shift in the way we communicate and market? Every time you turn on the television, advertisers are encouraging you to “become a fan on Facebook” or “follow us on Twitter”—what does that mean and why should you do it?
We have all heard the staggering social media statistics:
- Facebook now has over 500 Million registered users!
- LinkedIn adds another 1 Million users every 12 days!
- Over 75 Million people have set up a Twitter account!
- YouTube has surpassed over 104 Million unique visitors per month!
As a law firm, should you “jump on the bandwagon” and get in before your competitors do or should you “wait and see” if social media really takes hold? If you wait, what will you miss and how will you know when to jump in? What are the risks you need to be aware of? What about the ethical rules and regulations? How do you get started? How much time, energy and money should you devote to social media? How do you measure a return on investment? What expectations should you have?
Attorneys have lots of questions about social media and in this 2-part webinar series I will give you all the answers. Get what you need to know while avoiding common pitfalls and time wasters. By the end of this series you will know if social media is right for your law firm and if so, precisely how to use it to market your law firm, build your online platform, connect with prospects, clients and potential referral sources.
2-Part Live Webinar
Part 1: Wednesday, September 15th at 3:00 pm ET
(2:00pm CT, 1:00pm MT, 12:00pm PT)
Duration: 60 minutesPart 2: Tuesday, September 21st at 3:00 pm ET
(2:00pm CT, 1:00pm MT, 12:00pm PT)
Duration: 60 minutes
Wednesday, September 15th
In Part 1 of this fast-paced 60-minute law firm marketing webinar you will learn:
- The 7 Fundamentals of Social Media you must understand to market your law firm
- What kinds of practice areas benefit most from social media? Litigation or Transactional? Business to Business or Business to Consumer?
- Research on the Benefits of Using Social Media
- Understanding the “Dark Side” and Risks of Using Social Media
- Actual case studies and real world examples of how law firms are using social media outlets
- The 6 Major Social Media Tools Lawyers Can Use
- An in-depth Analysis of LinkedIn for Lawyers
- Insightful Demographics of LinkedIn Users
- 8 Steps to Get Started Fast on LinkedIn
- Why Facebook is Becoming the New Google and Why They Turned Down a $1 Billion Buy-out Offer from Google
- How to Fix Your Facebook Profile
- Unbelievable ways to target your exact perfect client on Facebook (you won't believe it even when I show you)
- Case Studies of Lawyers Using Facebook Fan Pages to Promote Their Law Firm
- Benefits of Facebook Fan Pages
- Why Facebook is causing a “New Gold Rush”
- Measuring the Return on Investment of Social Media
Tuesday, September 21st
In Part 2 of this information-packed 60-minute law firm marketing webinar you will discover:
- The Rainmaker Social Media Blueprint: A How To Guide for Marketing Your Law Firm on Social Media
- Review of 6 Major Social Media Tools
- Is Twitter a waste of time and do people really search for attorneys on Twitter?
- Twitter Terminology for New Users
- The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Video on Your Law Firm’s Website
- Creative Ways to Use YouTube to Promote Your Practice
- Why 68,000 Attorneys are already on YouTube
- The Importance of a Comprehensive Profile on Avvo
- Should You Consider Advertising on Avvo?
- One of the “Secret Weapons” to Rapidly Build Your Online Presence
- Using Online Article Marketing to Dominate Your Competition
- A long-term strategy to position yourself as an expert on the Internet
- Case Studies of Attorneys Using Social Media
- What works and what doesn't on each social media network
- Why legal blogs can give your firm a huge advantage over the competition
- Using your blog to generate quality leads for your law firm
- The 3 biggest mistakes attorneys make when blogging
- How to get started in 30 days with a new blog
- Why the research says having a blog is a “must have” for any law firm
- Why the frequency of your blog posts determines your lead generation
- How to Keep Social Media in Perspective
Online Registration
I really encourage you to register for both sessions, but if you can attend only one, rest assured that each one-hour session is a great standalone presentation on social media strategies for law firms. Here’s the online registration information:
Register online here for Both Sessions on Wed., Sept. 15 and Tues., Sept. 21, 2010.
Register online here for Part One on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010.
Register online here for Part Two on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010.
