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

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A Unique Competitive Advantage (UCA) answers the question, “Why should I hire you?”  With so many competitors and choices today, your law firm marketing strategy must clearly set you and your law firm apart from the competition.

How should you position yourself and your services?  Answer these questions to get a good start on developing your UCA:

• In light of what I know about my competitors and my target market(s), what are the top five to ten reasons why someone should buy from me versus any other company?
• How can I take advantage of my competitor’s weaknesses? 
• Why am I the best attorney for this person/company?
• What skills, abilities, and experiences do I offer clients that they can't receive elsewhere?
• How can I emphasize the value I bring to the table?
• What are my competitors known for? 
• How can I find, retain, and motivate the best people possible that can help me succeed?

There are many ways to create a Unique Competitive Advantage for your law firm marketing plan; here are 10 of them:

Focus on the Benefits: What are the benefits of working with this firm as compared to others? What do you do that other firms refuse to do to better serve your clients?

Focus on 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?

Focus on 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?

Focus on 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?

Focus on the 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 attorney.” What is different about your partners than in other firms?

Focus on 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?

Focus on a Niche: 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.

Focus on Client’s 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?

Focus on 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?

Focus on 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 be well ahead of your peers and it will give you the tools you need to implement a strong law firm marketing strategy that tells a prospect why they should hire you.

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Jan. 18 Webinar: Developing Your Law Firm Marketing Roadmap

There’s no better way to start 2012 off right than to create a Marketing Action Plan (MAP).

On Wednesday, Jan. 18, Stephen Fairley will lead you through the 5 critical steps of developing a 90-day game plan for marketing your law firm and give you viable options to help you implement the MAP.

The webinar begins at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT and goes for one hour.

You will learn:

• The 5 critical components of a Marketing Action Plan (MAP)
• How to select the right marketing tools that will work for your practice and personality
• View examples of Marketing Action Plans for various practice areas
• How to create a roadmap to make 2012 your Best Year Ever!

All attendees will also receive a FREE 40 page marketing plan workbook at the end of the webinar.

If you would like to view this webinar at your convenience, then go ahead and register to receive a recording of this impactful one-hour session that will help you plan your work, and then work your plan!

Click here to register now.