Law Firm Marketing: Dispelling the Most Common Myths About Referrals
Attorneys know when it comes to law firm marketing, referrals are the best way of finding new clients, but there are 4 common myths I would like to dispel about referrals: 
Myth 1. Clients are the best source of referrals. This surprises a lot of attorneys when I tell them this is a myth. Clients are simply the most obvious source of referrals, not often the best source.
There are simply too many variables you cannot control when trying to get more referrals from clients:
- Do clients know all the different services your law firm offers?
- Can they accurately explain who your ideal law firm clients are?
- Are they able to give a clear and compelling reason why someone should hire you?
- Will they remember you when they meet someone who needs your services?
- Did they just receive a large bill from you and don’t feel especially “good” about your law firm at this moment?
Myth 2. Most legal referrals come from other attorneys. Actually, studies show that only about 25% of an established legal professional's practice comes from referrals from other attorneys, so logically about 75% of your law firm clients will come from other sources (this may vary greatly by practice area).
A simple marketing tip is to set up an easy tracking system as part of your client intake file and then review on a quarterly basis to identify where those leads came from. There are also some legal software products that can be customized to track that information automatically.
Myth 3. Online legal directories can produce a lot of referrals fast. There is some indication that consumers are starting to use online legal directories as a screening mechanism and they may even view attorneys who are listed in the directory as “more qualified” than attorneys who are not, but this is far from conclusive.
Generally speaking, local and state bar directories are more effective, but most non-bar-affiliated online directories have become the equivalent of online yellow pages and do not offer any more benefits than advertising in a telephone book.
Myth 4. Formal networking is a great way to get more referrals. Over the years of helping thousands of attorneys build million+ dollar practices, we have found that formal networking events (like trade shows and chamber of commerce, etc.) work exceptionally well for a select group of attorneys— and not at all for most legal professionals. Here are a few reasons why:
(1) Attending the wrong kind of group—one filled with peers, not prospects. Unless your target market is another attorney, I can't recommend spending much of your valuable marketing time hanging around other lawyers. Go where your prospects are, especially the decision makers, not the gatekeepers.
(2) Going to a networking event to find new clients is like going to a bar looking for your soul mate. While it may happen, the odds are stacked against you. The best way to look at a formal networking event is to go there for two reasons: first, to build relationships with potential referral sources (people you have identified that have a direct connection with your target market) and second, to find out how you can be a referral source to other professional service providers.
(3) Lack of a follow-up plan. When you find a potential referral source, you have about 48 hours to follow up with them or they will likely forget about you. Have a plan for calling them, emailing them, or both the day after the event for the purpose of determining if they are interested in getting together face to face.
So what is the best source of referrals? Strategic Referral Partners (SRPs) are the best source of new referrals. SRPs are people who already have a relationship with or already do business with the people you want to reach.
How to cultivate those SRPs is something we teach at every Rainmaker Retreat. Not just theories, but actionable strategies so you can start building your SRP network the minute you get home.
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Looking for more Rainmaker Institute wisdom?
Then sign up for a complimentary Law Firm Marketing Strategy CD. It contains information that will enable you to Generate More and Better Referrals, Find New Clients Fast, and Fill Your Law Practice. The CD is free, so sign up now!
Law Firm Marketing Boot Camp: San Francisco Rainmaker Retreat This Weekend
The weather forecast for San Francisco this weekend is “abundant sunshine”. 
And the forecast for this weekend’s San Francisco Rainmaker Retreat is “abundant legal marketing strategies you can implement next week”!
If you’re a partner in a small law firm or are on your own and want to grow your practice while enjoying the lifestyle you deserve, you owe it to yourself to check out the Rainmaker Retreat where 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
Did you read Phoenix bankruptcy attorney Joe McDaniel’s blog about our last Rainmaker Retreat? If not, click here. He tells it like it is. A week later, he added another post that rightly detailed his already substantial marketing savvy and what he did on his own to earn a Martindale Visibility Index ranking of #4 out of 5,813 Phoenix lawyers. He also added this:
“...with the knowledge that they lavished on my class at the Rainmaker Retreat, I fully anticipate that I will be able to double my practice, with a substantial increase in levels of client satisfaction among the clients who retain my firm.”
The Rainmaker Retreat 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 San Francisco 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 next Rainmaker Retreat in San Francisco on June 18-19.
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Preview Call for San Francisco Rainmaker Retreat Tomorrow – Hop On!
If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 6,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then register now for a one-hour complimentary teleseminar on Wed., June 16.
Hosted by Rainmaker Institute CEO Stephen Fairley, this teleseminar will give you a preview of the valuable material that will be taught at our 2-day Rainmaker Retreat in San Francisco this Friday and Saturday – June 18 & 19 – at The State Bar of California, 180 Howard Street.
Sign up now for this one-hour teleseminar tomorrow:
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
11am-12pm Pacific | 12-1pm Mountain | 1-2pm Central | 2-3pm Eastern
Join us and learn why the Rainmaker Retreat is the one law firm marketing boot camp you cannot afford to miss!
Email Lists: Build Them and They Will Come
Email marketing is a great way to keep current clients informed about your practice as well as a great way to introduce your legal services to prospects. 
The first step in a successful email marketing campaign is to build a good list. Here are some tips on building an email list for marketing your practice:
Home Page Sign-up
Have an area on the home page of your website dedicated solely to enticing people to sign up for something. Having a regular newsletter to send is always a good idea, but you can also ask people to sign up for information on legal developments or offer a monthly free consultation. Whatever it is, it needs to be of value to your customers, not just to you.
Ask to Add
When you attend networking events, meetings or trade shows – wherever you are likely to meet potential new clients or are gathering business cards – ask those you meet if you can add them to your mailing list, to send them a newsletter or special offers.
Association Lists
If you are a member of any trade or community organizations, ask if you can have access to their membership list. Many offer membership lists to members for free; some are available for a fee.
Reciprocal plugs
Find other newsletters that you think your customers would enjoy and ask if they’ll promote your newsletter if you do the same for them.
Buy a List
There are quite a few online resources that offer lists for sale sorted by zip code, demographics, income, lifestyle interests, buying behavior, etc. You can purchase a really targeted list based on your ideal client profile and use it to test a variety of promotions or special offers.
Building an email list that will help you drive traffic to your website is an integral part of a well-rounded online law firm marketing program, and one of the many helpful tools you’ll learn about at any of our Rainmaker Retreats.
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Want more actionable legal marketing strategies? .jpg)
We took all of our legal marketing expertise and boxed it up, just for you! The Rainmaker in a Box five DVD set includes:
- 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
Get yourself an early Father's Day gift that will keep giving for years to come! Order this information-packed set here.
Legal Marketing: Six Keys to Becoming a Recognized Expert-Fifth in a Series
Disclaimer: When I use the word “expert” or “specialist” in this series, I’m not talking in the legal or ethical sense, but in the marketing sense where the goal is to get media and/or prospects to perceive you as an expert or specialist. 
The fifth legal marketing strategy for building credibility and becoming a recognized expert is Building Relationships with Strategic Referral Sources
Strategic referral sources are people who already have a relationship with the people you want as clients. For example, if you target small business owners, you would look for those who already have a relationship with small business owners. These could be accountants, financial planners, chamber of commerce, community leaders, local bankers, CPA’s, commercial real estate agents, payroll processing companies, the list goes on and on with people who have relationships with small business owners. So how do you build a referral network with them?
One of our clients sends out a letter to 75-80 targeted professionals that basically says:
“Hello, I’m Attorney Jack Smith with XYZ Law Firm. We know that competition for professional service advisors is getting more and more intense with more people entering the field. We are building a cross referral network with other trusted advisors who are experts in their field. Over the last 15 years we’ve been practicing law, we have really focused our practice on working with small business owners and high net worth individuals on estate planning, wills and trusts and asset protection. Through a series of breakfast meetings and private meetings at our office, we’re going to build a cross referral network with a limited number of other professionals who are committed to growing their practice and sending cross referrals. We’re not looking for any kind of a fee for facilitating this network, but we would like to officially invite you to check it out and see if this is something you’d like to support. For more information, give us a call at this number or visit our website to learn more about our practice.”
From this mailing, our client got a group of about 25 going. They get together about once a month and send cross referrals to each other.
Existing clients are also a good source for you and your referral partners. If you partner with a CPA or financial planner, each of you would send a letter out to your respective client databases offering a free consultation on behalf of the other as an added benefit of being a valued client.
Co-sponsoring an event or a seminar series is another excellent way to build relationships with strategic referral partners. Technology makes it easy and inexpensive for an attorney and another professional to host a webinar or teleseminar on topics of interest to small business owners.
Your local bank branch is another source waiting to be tapped. Banks generally have a generous local marketing budget, and frequently don’t know what to do with it. Offer your services as an expert speaker for a small business seminar that the bank could host – they do all the work in setting it up and getting an audience. You now have a room full of prospective clients and all you had to spend was some time preparing your remarks.
Professionals are always looking for good strategic referral partners. You can ensure that you’re a good partner by educating them about who you are, what you do, the kind of clients you target and the great service you provide. Reciprocity is the key: to get referrals, you have to give them, too.
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Becoming a Rainmaker: Business Building Strategies for Lawyers CD
Don't miss out on the 50% savings this week on our 3-audio CD program that covers dozens of practical recommendations and step-by-step sales and marketing techniques for solo practitioners and small law firms.
Click here to order yours now – if you order by Friday, May 21, you save 50%!
Legal Marketing: Six Keys to Becoming a Recognized Expert
Part 1 of 6 
Disclaimer: When I use the word “expert” or “specialist” in this series, I’m not talking in the legal or ethical sense, but in the marketing sense where the goal is to get media and/or prospects to perceive you as an expert or specialist.
How many times have you read a news item quoting a competitor and thought, “I know more than that guy! Why are they interviewing him?”
I’m going to tell you why by sharing with you some of the strategies that top Rainmakers use all across the country to position themselves as leading experts in their market area.
The first key to becoming a recognized expert is the strategic use of Press Releases.
There are a number of fallacies or myths about press releases. One is that press releases just don’t work for small law firms. We beg to differ.
We recently had a small law firm that sent out their very first press release on the hot topic of identity theft. A major newspaper picked it up and they got interviewed for the article.
Because of that article, they landed dozens of new clients over a 30-day period and the newspaper even called them one of the leading Southern California lawyers on identity theft. Those are things you just can’t buy – and it happened from a press release.
There is another reason to use press releases and this is one that is incredibly powerful: to boost your online presence.
Google loves press releases and we’ve been able to use that to get fantastic results. I’ve literally issued a press release at 9 a.m., and by 5 p.m. the press release has already been indexed by Google and shown up within the top 10-20 positions.
Now you may be thinking, what do I write it about? It could be about a number of different things:
- Commentary on current news events
- Legal decisions that potentially affect your community
- Results of a poll or a survey you conduct among clients
- Firm news such as new associates, awards, community involvement, etc.
You want to make sure that there is an angle to it and that there’s something that’s different. In fact, some of the best coverage we’ve gotten from press releases has been when we’ve taken a contrarian view.
For attorneys we coach in our Practice Made Perfect program, we recommend at least one press release per month. If you’re a growing practice, then we recommend that you distribute two, three, even four a month to really jumpstart your online marketing efforts.
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Attend Phoenix Legal Networking Group Meeting on May 6 to Learn 7 Strategies to Recession Proof Your Law Firm!
On Thursday, May 6, Stephen Fairley will address the inaugural meeting of the Phoenix Legal Networking Group, a group of solo and small firm attorneys looking to effectively market their law firm and grow their business.
Stephen will be presenting the 7 Strategies to Recession Proof Your Law Firm. This presentation will explain why some attorneys are having their best year ever when others are struggling to even survive. He will tell you:
- The secrets top Rainmakers are using in this economy
- What’s working now and what's not
- The #1 thing you need to do right now that will fix your cash flow problems
- Why you need to market differently
- How to easily track all your marketing efforts
The event will be held from 4-6 p.m. this Thursday at the Country Inn and Suites on Scottsdale Road, approximately 15 minutes from downtown and the airport. Cost is only $15 per person.
To register for this seminar, co-hosted by FindLaw, Attorney at Law Magazine and The Rainmaker Institute, click here.
Watch Your Step with Your Attorney Marketing Strategies
Many people believe that anything goes when it comes to attorney marketing strategies on the Internet. So many people have attorney marketing websites, blogs, forums, and discussion groups, that it may seem impossible for watchdogs to notice when something isn't quite right. Not so. Unfortunately, www.Findlaw.com, a leading attorney marketing website, found that out the hard way and has gotten its hands slapped by (allegedly) trying to sell Internet links to boost its traffic.
Pamela McLean states at the www.Law.com blog, Google temporarily dropped Findlaw's rankings because of the scandal. However, says John Shaughnessy, spokesman for Findlaw, changes were made that "eliminated the conflict with Google's rules by placing computer code on some links that prevented them from counting his votes to increase search results."
Kevin O'Keefe, president of LexBlog has also commented on the incident. Attorney marketing professionals are reminded that website content and web logs are classified by Google according to their relevant and useful information, and frown upon ads or promotions that are not beneficial to potential users. Google determines page rank by how many individuals visit a page as well as the inbound links from other websites to specific pages and other criteria, among which selling links is not included. Such links are not to be sold by attorney marketing teams in an effort to increase a webpage ranking.
Everyone wants to get ahead when it comes to attorney marketing strategies, but Findlaw's reputation may have been permanently damaged by this attorney marketing approach.
Attorney Marketing: Blogging Isn't Just for Kids Anymore
When it comes to attorney marketing tools, blogging has presented itself as the premier opportunity in the 21st century to spread the word and generate interest in a multitude of business deals, and that goes for law firms and attorney websites too. In recent years, blogs have surpassed "high school and college students sharing experiences content" to incorporate attorney marketing endeavors. A key element to Internet marketing endeavors has included the use and enormous potential of blogging to reach vast audiences. Attorney marketing experts believe that blogging is one of the most essential methods used today to generate content, clients, and interest in the legal field.
One blogging website, Technorati, typically tracks over 100 million blogs on a daily basis. According to Valerie Miller's own blog, blogging and online communities pays off in huge dividends. This goes for attorney marketingplans, law firms and professionals. Everyone is blogging these days. If you don't have a blog, attorneys and law firms may be considered old-fashioned and out-of-touch with today's consumers. Attorney marketing professionals suggest that every attorney website has a link to his or her own blog.
Blogging is one of the most successful, and simple, attorney marketing methods used today. Blogging helps attorney marketing increase interest and popularity in content and potential click-backs to attorney or law firm websites. Effective attorney marketing strategy means placing relevant and useful, informative content on websites, blogs, newsletters, and any other types of printed matter disseminated to the public at large.
Advertising for Lawyers: an Attorney Marketing No-No
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Opinion seems to be fairly divided over the issue of whether or not attorney marketing professionals should opt for heightened, more aggressive and up-to-date advertising strategies for their legal clients. Unfortunately, laws already on the books in many states prohibit a lawyer from advertising their services in the manner that they would prefer, which also greatly affects attorney marketing strategies. Is this fair? Some say no – after all, what is free speech worth if you can't advertise your business, skill or trade in a way that effectively, though appropriately, gets the message across?
Some consumers and opinion polls suggest that attorney marketing emphasizes profit over other things like compassion, character and integrity. A recent article regarding this issue of attorney marketing appeared on the Wall Street Journal's Law Blog. Decide for yourself; but why should lawyers be burdened with prohibited slogans or images? Florida, as the law blog article states, disallows certain images or characterizations to appear in many ads regarding legal attorney marketing services. Too suggestive? Too aggressive?
When attorney marketing experts design and promote campaigns, the purpose is to create powerful images that leave an impact with the consumer. Isn't that what marketing, and even more so, attorney marketing is all about? When it comes to marketing, who will be next to censor or prohibit content for public dissemination? Attorney marketing professionals will definitely be keeping a close eye on this ongoing debate.
"The Rainmaker Advisor": A Step-by-Step Attorney Marketing Magazine is NOW Available!
I am happy to announce that our new attorney marketing publication, “The Rainmaker Advisor”, has been warmly received by the attorney marketing industry. The brand new publication has already received abundant critical acclaim as well.
The Rainmaker Advisor is a magazine with a completely unique competitive edge. This magazineis more like a step-by-step attorney marketing manual. I developed this magazine for the sole purpose of assisting attorneys with accomplishing their law firm marketing goals. I have coached and trained well over 6,000 lawyers in every practice area and I know that the information provided for attorneys in this magazine will be very beneficial in their attorney marketing efforts.
Whether you are a personal injury attorney in a solo practice or a litigator in a small firm, the attorney marketing principles and techniques that you will learn in each issue of The Rainmaker Advisor will do for you what they have already done for thousands of successful attorneys across the country. These attorney marketing tips, along with well-guarded industry secrets, will help you and your firm to achieve higher levels of success than you may have dreamed possible.
Among many informative articles in the inaugural issue is:
5 Strategies for “Reality-based” Attorney Marketing
Ruth Klein is a branding, marketing, publicity and time management consultant to law firms and business professionals ranging from solo entrepreneurs to the Fortune 500. As an award-winning business owner with a master's degree in clinical psychology, Klein brings her unique, results-driven insights, expertise and practical solutions to her clients.
Why Your Attorney Marketing Requires a Website
Attorney marketing experts agree, there are only two types of law firms (when in comes to how they market their services):
- Those that have a website
- Those that are left behind
If you think that view is overly-simplistic, you might want to think again. After all, your local dry cleaning store and dog groomers probably have a website. As a professional in attorney marketing, shouldn’t you too? If you don’t have a website, you run the risk of being perceived as unprofessional or as a fly-by-night operation and that is not a chance you can afford to take.
You don’t have to have a big, splashy website; you just need to have one if you expect your attorney marketing efforts to succeed. Your online presence will be greatly enhanced just by having an attorney marketing plan, period.
If this is your first attorney marketing website, keep it simple (to begin with; you can get into more detail as time goes on):
- Think of your website as a tool in your attorney marketing “tool kit”
- Think of it as a brochure of sorts; spelling out the key components of what you have to offer
- Remember, your attorney marketing website is an excellent place for you to direct referral sources and clients
If you’re up for the challenge, you can easily develop a basic website yourself. The most important advice: make sure it is professional; check for spelling, grammar, correct phone numbers, typos, etc. Recent software advances will make it easy and expensive for you to develop your attorney marketing website.
The Rainmaker Institute Launches Attorney Marketing Magazine "The Rainmaker Advisor"
The Rainmaker Institute is delighted to announce the launch of its inaugural issue of The Rainmaker Advisor magazine. This revolutionary, one-of-a- kind attorney marketing manual will be unveiled at the Los Angeles LegalTech Trade Show. The Rainmaker Advisor will provide insightful Power Principles for marketing Small and Solo Law Practices.
Each issue will feature a specific attorney marketing theme. The principles readers will uncover in this quality print magazine will be practical attorney marketing techniques of proven value with wide applicability. These attorney marketing techniques can be used successfully by the Solo Practitioner, or the Small Law practice.
Articles in the first issue will include:
Feature Article: “4 Secret Strategies of Law Firm Marketing: How Top Attorneys Use These Hidden Practices to Fill Their Law Practice
Seven Steps for Using LinkedIn.com as a Business Development Magnet
Chip is CEO of Network2Networth and a Business Development expert who works exclusively with seasoned professionals to leverage their existing relationships and catapult them into the business they truly want. This article provides beneficial attorney marketing techniques that lawyers can follow. Law firms should implement these tips in their attorney marketing plan.
Each and every issue will contain tips, techniques and insights (as well as disclosures of closely guarded secrets) of attorney marketing strategies. The magazine will provide many resources you can access online, as well as on some bonus CD/DVD’s, which will be made available – as well as a host of other bonuses. Click here to sign up for your free copy today!
Join us In Las Vegas - July 25-26 at our attorney marketing "boot-camp" Rainmaker Retreat
If you have not registered yet for our two-day attorney marketing “boot-camp”, there is still time to do so. Join law firm marketing experts and your fellow attorneys for our Rainmaker Retreat – which will be held at the Treasure Island Hotel.
If you are struggling to build your legal practice or want to learn a proven attorney marketing system, you owe it to yourself to attend the Rainmaker Retreat. More than 6,000 attorneys from hundreds of law firms across the country have discovered how to generate more referrals and find new clients fast by applying our Rainmaker System.
This is what attendees of the Retreat have had to say about our attorney marketing "boot-camp":
“It has taken me 30 years of trial & error to learn many of the techniques that I learned in 1 evening! This is an incredibly focused and practical seminar.”
—Michael Pfiefer, Esq,. Managing Partner (Santa Ana, CA)
“This program presents a clear and compelling path to attorney marketing success. These tips on "making rain" will leave you needing an umbrella wherever you go!”
—Jonathan Pink, JD, Partner (Costa Mesa, CA)
These are just a few of the attorney marketing techniques you will learn:
- 5 Proven Attorney Marketing Strategies to Get More Attention, Command More Respect and Charge Higher Fees
- How to Ethically Position Yourself as a Specialist in your Area
- How to Avoid the Most Deadly Mistake Attorneys Make in Attorney Marketing
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to put your firm on the path to greater success; register today to reserve your place at the Rainmaker Retreat.
"The Staples Experience" and Attorney Marketing
Staples, the mega office-supply store, sponsored a contest in 2004. Called “Invention Quest”, the winner received $25,000 and a license from Staples, which offered the winner’s clever invention under the Staples brand name. The winning invention was selected because Jevin Eagle, senior V.P. for Staples brands says.” We aren’t looking for general ideas, but specific ideas that are developed to the point where we can see the products advantages and why it is better than products currently on the market”.
The Rainmaker Institute – Attorney marketing by the nation’s largest law firm marketing provider specializing in small law firms, feels exactly the same way. The success of our attorney marketing is based upon offering the best products and services including:
- Specific guidelines for attorney marketing
- Cutting-edge attorney marketing strategies to create a successful law firm
- Customized attorney marketing seminars to meet individual firm’s needs
- More than 20 of the largest state and local bar associations have sponsored our live law firm marketing seminars and Rainmaker Retreats to their members
- Proven legal marketing strategies to attract your Ideal Target Market
- Proven attorney marketing system for landing more and better clients
- Effective legal marketing tools and how to use them to your best advantage
- Tips on how to demonstrate your services – a crucial component of any successful attorney marketing plan
Since 1999, we have helped more than 6,000 attorneys create successful and sustainable law practices. We look forward to working with you in the near future.
