Referrals are the lifeblood of law firm marketing
I have been talking about the law firm marketing system that every law firm needs to have in order to be successful. Today’s post wraps up that discussion with referrals, the lifeblood of any successful law firm marketing plan.
Referrals don’t just happen. They must be cultivated. Sure you may get an occasional referral from a former client or someone you know, but if you want to take your legal marketing to the next level, you need a referral system. How do you do build a referral system that will bring you the results you need?
You start by developing relationships with potential referral sources and generate consistent referrals from them. These sources may include accountants, investment advisors, business leaders, or anyone who has influence with your target market. Depending on your practice area, your referral sources will vary.
Developing a relationship is a two-way process. It can’t just be you asking them for referrals when you see them. It requires regular contact and you showing as much concern for their business as you are asking them to show for your practice. Ask them how you can assist them in achieving their goals.
Another key component of your law firm marketing plan is to create a system for connecting with prospects, clients and referral sources on a regular, consistent basis. This should include:
- Monthly newsletters – keep them apprised of what your firm is doing, new employees, and content that is beneficial to them.
- Annual Client Satisfaction Survey – find out what your clients think about the service they have received from your firm.
- Keep In Touch letters – on a regular basis, every 2-3 months, send a letter to referrals, prospects and clients just to touch base. This top of mind awareness is crucial for generating referrals.
- Referral Education System – your referral sources need to know what kind of prospects you are looking for. It does no good for them to refer prospects to you who are not looking for what your firm offers. Keep your referral sources updated on your practice areas and any changes in your firm if you want to receive high-quality referrals.
There are a number of systems that are vital for your law practice to be successful. But your law firm marketing system is the one that drives the traffic in the doors. Don’t skimp on your legal marketing system if you want to achieve the level of success that you dream of.
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Law Firm Development: Are You on Target for 2009?
For many law firms, business slows during the holidays. And that makes it a perfect time to review your law practice.
Start by Asking 3 Questions
- Am I on target with my goals?
- Are my numbers lining up? (Examine your overhead, major expenditures, profit margins, etc.)
- Am I creating a business that supports and enhances the lifestyle I want to lead?
Create an Action Plan
After you’ve collected the data and done a bit of reflection as these 3 questions require, you’re only half-done. You now need to create an action plan. To help you with this, here are a few questions to answer and suggestions to guide you:
On Your Goals
If I’m on target with my goals, is there something I can do differently to make those goals .jpg)
happen sooner? What are these things I can do? If I’m not on target with my goals, what’s preventing me?
On Your Numbers
Do the numbers look good? Could they look better? How? What actions should I take? (i.e, “improving law firm marketing,” “cutting costs,”)
On Lifestyle
If I am creating a business that supports the lifestyle I want to lead, is there something that could be improved even more? What are those items? If I am not creating a business that supports the lifestyle I want to lead, what are the obstacles?
Action Plan
Now take a look at each category. List what you came up with. For example, under “goals,” depending upon how you answered the question, you could have listed either 1) Things you could do to make the achievement of those goals happen sooner, or 2) Obstacles in the way of your achieving your goals.
After you’ve listed all the respective items in their categories, then rank them from “Urgently Need to Address;” “Need to Address Soon” “Nice to Address But Not Essential.” And congratulations! You just created your blueprint for a better law practice in the coming year.
A Better 2009 Is Now Yours
By taking a little time at the end of the year to review your law practice, you’ll position yourself for an even better start to the New Year. Plus, by taking this simple step now, you’re already ahead of the competition, since most won’t be using the holidays to review their own law practices.
So . . what are you waiting for? Now’s the time to review your law practice and get a step closer to all that you deserve.
Five Successful Law Firm Marketing Strategies to Attract First-Rate Prospects
Ask any lawyer which area of law firm marketing they find the most difficult and you are likely to hear the same answer – over and over again – “I can’t find good clients”. Law firm marketing can be challenging; learning how to attract the ‘right’ prospects can be especially challenging. If you don’t find a way to attract good prospects, then your law firm marketing efforts stand little chance of succeeding.
The actions of law firm marketing for attorneys are absolutely essential. “Who” you market to is just as important. You will want to develop a law firm marketing plan that attracts only those clients which you can help and those who will be the most profitable to your law firm.
Five Proven Strategies to apply to your law firm marketing plan for attracting the best clients:
- Target your clients – You must identify your Ideal Target Market (ITM). Without completing this first step, your law firm marketing strategies may be in vain.
- Demonstrate your service – Be clear and concise. Learn to bridge the language gap between you and your clients.
- Create a powerful audio logo – This is an extremely successful law firm strategy to have in place when meeting with prospective profitable clients.
- Use effective law firm marketing tools - When developing law firm marketing materials, remember, this may be the first impression you make on prospective clients – make it a good one.
- Disqualify clients – Don’t be afraid to say ‘No” to a client; you’ll be doing you both a favor if you are not a good fit.
Attorneys who implement these crucial law firm marketing strategies can rest assured they will be attracting only the most qualified clients.
Use these Proven Law Firm Marketing Strategies to Attract your Ideal Target Market
Successful law firm marketing requires a number of things; not the least important being gaining an intimate knowledge and understanding of the Ideal Target Market (ITM). This is a very important factor in implementing a strategic law firm marketing plan. Some attorneys balk at the notion of spending the time required to identify their ITM. The amount of time spent getting to know your target audience will be more than worth the effort. In fact, not doing so can cause your firm to bypass valuable clients and to miss out on thousands of dollars in potential revenue.
Three Factors to Consider When Developing an Law Firm Marketing Strategy to Attract ITM:
- When you choose a law firm marketing strategy and incorporate it into your plan for ITM attraction, ask yourself the following: Does this strategy increase overall awareness about our firm; does it spell out who we are and what we have to offer?
- Will the law firm marketing strategy you choose convey a positive message? Will the ITM like who you are and what you offer?
- Will the law firm marketing strategy chosen increase your credibility, reliability and trustworthiness in the eyes of your ITM?
If you have answered “No” to any of these important questions, you might consider revamping the law firm marketing techniques you are considering to attract your ITM.
