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

There are thousands of law firm marketing programs, plans, seminars, workshops and other activities out there clamoring for your time, your attention, and your money.  We know that, which is why we offer you a free preview of our Rainmaker Retreat for those who are unsure about committing their time and money to our 2-day legal marketing seminar.

During the one-hour teleseminar, you will learn:

• How to Avoid the Most Deadly Marketing Mistakes Attorneys make
• 3 powerful strategies you must put into action in your practice immediately
• How to set yourself apart from your major competitors
• Secrets top attorneys are using to generate more referrals right now…
• How attorneys are winning even in this economy by implementing this proven 8 step system

I will be your host during the call, which should whet your appetite for the Rainmaker Retreat, which includes this information, and so much more law firm marketing information. The teleseminar is designed to help you make a decision that may revolutionize your legal marketing strategy.

Attorneys who attend our teleseminars quickly learn that the information presented at the Rainmaker Retreat is something that they have not been taught in law school, and can change their lives.

I encourage you to take an hour out of your life and attend our complimentary teleseminars that are scheduled for the following dates and times:

Wednesday, March 3
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern
Thursday, March 4
4-5pm Pacific | 5-6pm Mountain | 6-7pm Central | 7-8pm Eastern
Tuesday, March 9
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern

Just click here to register for this complimentary teleseminar.  You will be glad you did.
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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!
 

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Are you tired of being a singles hitter when other legal marketers are hitting doubles, triples and home runs?  Then come to the State Bar of Arizona’s Grand Slam or Foul Ball… Social Networking for Lawyers seminar; which will be held in conjunction with the State Bar of California in Scottsdale, AZ on March 6.

Your legal marketing plan can use a power infusion that will allow you to clear the bases and score more quickly than you will by playing small-ball.  Sure, your plan needs the solid singles that put baserunners in scoring position, but sometimes you need to clear the bases and go for the big score.

I will be a panelist during this informative seminar along with four nationally-recognized experts in the field of social media, specifically those with expertise in the use of social media as part of an integrated law firm marketing strategy. Together, we will show you how to use social media to put together a balanced lineup that will keep you moving around the bases and hit for power.  You don’t want to be a home run or strikeout only player, but neither do you want to keep moving slowly, one base at a time.

Some of the topics that we will be covering include:

• How to separate fact from fiction in social media
• Secret strategies law firms are using right now to rapidly increase their platform
• Specific tips for attorneys who want to build a referral netwrk on LinkedIn
• Steps for attracting highly-qualified prospects on Facebook
• Ways to leverage Twitter to build your online following
• The power of educational videos on YouTube
• Ethics and social media

As an added bonus for attendees at the seminar, baseball is on the agenda!  Everyone who attends the seminar will also receive a ticket to the Arizona Diamondbacks vs San Francisco Giants spring training game. Your seminar cost brings you 3 CEU credits applicable to ethics, the seminar, and a seat in the exclusive Charros Lodge, including an all-you-can-eat-and-drink buffet featuring cuisine of Scottsdale restaurants and the standard baseball fare of hotdogs, sausage etc.

Register today to step up to the plate for this valuable internet legal marketing seminar and relaxing afternoon filled with baseball, camaraderie and sunshine.
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Looking for more proven tactics from The Rainmaker Institute?

Then subscribe to our  FREE monthly e-newsletter. One click of your mouse will take you to our site where you can see the current issue and subscribe to our complimentary monthly e-newsletter that will be delivered to your inbox.  Each issue is chock-full of legal marketing information you can put to use right away. I think you will find the information in every newsletter something you will want to share with your staff to begin 2010 on the right note in your legal marketing plan.

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Phoenix is beautiful in March. It’s warm, but not scorching, and it is always sunny, unlike many cities socked in by winter clouds.  Spring training will be in full swing and baseball will be in the air.  Phoenix is home to the spring training locations for the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and San Francisco Giants. 

It’s also a great location for our first Rainmaker Retreat of 2010, to be held March 19-20 in sunny Arizona. And the Rainmaker Retreat ends on Saturday in plenty of time for you to catch some of the action at the ballparks.This is a unique Rainmaker Retreat, because it is the first one designed for estate planning and business attorneys looking to improve their law firm marketing strategy featuring renowned attorney Jeffrey Matsen.  But the early-bird registration discount expires in nine days.

The Rainmaker Institute has formed a joint venture with Jeff Matsen to bring his deep insight into estate planning and business law to attorneys who are trying to create legal marketing strategies that will allow them to grow their business and generate more referrals.  Previous Rainmaker Retreat attendees have walked away with information they could take back and implement the next day in their respective offices.

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

To register for the Phoenix Rainmaker Retreat, go to the website or call 888-588-5891.

I believe it will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. It will also revolutionize your law firm marketing strategy and propel you into internet law firm marketing in ways you had not imagined
 

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I would like to start by asking a somewhat provocative question, “How would you run your business differently if you saw yourself as the leader of your company not just the service provider?

Over the last few years I have interviewed more than 300 entrepreneurs, small business owners and legal marketing professionals and discovered specific strategies and techniques they use to achieve rapid business growth that is sustained over the long term.

I want to share with you six secrets I uncovered that financially successful entrepreneurs use that unsuccessful ones don’t.

The first secret I discovered is that…

Highly Successful Legal Marketers Start by Identifying their Ideal Target Market

Your Ideal Target Market (ITM) is the person or company who is most likely to retain you initially, repeatedly, and at the highest profit margin. There are 3 key parts here:

Initially—your ITM will retain your services faster than others and present fewer obstacles for you to overcome.

Repeatedly—the most expensive thing a law firm can have is a 1 time client. On average, it will cost your firm 10 times as much to obtain a new client as it does to service an existing one.

At the highest profit margin—your ITM is not the price-conscious consumer. Research tells us that 15% of any market, regardless of what product or service you are selling will always and only buy on price. Your responsibility as a law firm marketing professional is to quickly identify those “15 percenters” and move them out of your pipeline so you can focus on selling to the other 85%.

Identifying and targeting the right market is absolutely critical to the success of your law firm marketing plan. If you don’t target the right market, nothing else you do will matter. To be successful as a legal marketer and attorney, you have to start with a clear picture of your ITM.
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Looking To Beef Up Your 2010 Marketing Plan?  Sign up for our upcoming webinar.
Are you:
….Worried about the Recession?
          ….Concerned with the Lack of New Clients?
                   ….Ready to Stop Worrying and Start Taking Action?

Then join Stephen Fairley for our upcoming webinar that will allow you to build a robust law firm marketing plan that will allow you to attain your 2010 business objectives.

Our upcoming schedule includes:
7 Proven Keys to Recession-Proof Your Law Practice
Thursday, February 18 at 2-3pm Pacific | 3-4pm Mountain | 4-5pm Central | 5-6pm Eastern.  Click here to register.

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March 6 I will be a panelist during the State Bar of Arizona’s Grand Slam or Foul Ball… Social Networking for Lawyers seminar to be held in conjunction with the State Bar of California in Scottsdale, AZ.  The seminar features five nationally-recognized experts in the field of social media, specifically those with expertise in the use of social media as part of an integrated law firm marketing strategy.

Some of the topics that we will be covering include:

• How to separate fact from fiction in social media
• Secret strategies law firms are using right now to rapidly increase their platform
• Specific tips for attorneys who want to build a referral network on LinkedIn
• Steps for attracting highly-qualified prospects on Facebook
• Ways to leverage Twitter to build your online following
• The power of educational videos on YouTube
• Ethics and social media

As an added bonus, attendees at the seminar will receive 3 CEU credits applicable to ethics.  And everyone in attendance will receive a ticket to the spring training game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants.  Your seminar cost includes a seat in the exclusive Charros Lodge, including an all-you-can-eat-and-drink buffet featuring cuisine of Scottsdale restaurants and the standard baseball fare of hotdogs, sausage etc.

Register today to secure your seat at this valuable internet legal marketing seminar and relaxing afternoon filled with baseball, camaraderie and sunshine.
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2010 Rainmaker Retreat Dates are set!

Are you looking for a way to fulfill your New Year’s resolution to become more effective in how you spend your legal marketing budget?  Do you need guidance and motivation to compose a comprehensive law firm marketing plan?  I have a suggestion for you.  Come to one of the upcoming Rainmaker Retreats.

The Rainmaker Retreat is a 2-day marketing boot camp for attorneys. Attendees at previous Rainmaker Retreats have come away with many new ideas and actionable legal marketing strategies that they can take home and implement right away.

This spring, we have a number of Rainmaker Retreats scheduled, and more in the planning stages. The current schedule of Rainmaker Retreats is:

Scottsdale, AZ   March 19-20
Roseland, NJ   March 26-27
Las Vegas, NV  April 9-10
Los Angeles, CA  April 16-17

Click on one of the locations to register for the Rainmaker Retreat.

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Are you looking for a way to fulfill your New Year’s resolution to become more effective in how you spend your legal marketing budget?  Do you need guidance and motivation to compose a comprehensive law firm marketing plan?  I have a suggestion for you.  Come to one of the upcoming Rainmaker Retreats.

The Rainmaker Retreat is a 2-day marketing boot camp for attorneys. Attendees at previous Rainmaker Retreats have come away with many new ideas and actionable legal marketing strategies that they can take home and implement right away.

This spring, we have a number of Rainmaker Retreats scheduled, and more in the planning stages. The current schedule of Rainmaker Retreats is:

Scottsdale, AZ   March 19-20 
Roseland, NJ   March 26-27
Las Vegas, NV  April 9-10
Los Angeles, CA  April 16-17

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
• 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

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.

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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 (we wouldn't have it any other way).   So instead of us telling you how these 2 days will transform your business, we will let our clients do the telling. Click here to order your complimentary DVD right now.
 
 

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Previously, I discussed selecting the most effective legal marketing techniques to boost your law firm marketing plan.  The techniques include referrals, speaking engagements, networking, online presence, public relations, promotional events and advertising.  This post explores the benefits of your website and blog in your law firm marketing strategy.

Your online presence is vital to your law firm marketing efforts.  There are many ways to create an online identity including websites, blogs, and social media like LinkedIn.com, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Your online presence generally is designed to work with your online legal marketing efforts to get prospects to take action by either: contacting you, requesting information from you, setting up an appointment with you, or hiring you. This strategy typically requires the most money to implement.

Here are some keys to remember when building your website:

• Position yourself as a Generalist versus Specialist
• Choose a Strong Domain Name 
• Your Domain name should be easy to spell; easy to remember 
• Use the Actual Keywords Prospects Use to Find Your Practice. For example:
   www.GetaGreenCardNow.com
   www.SoCalLemonLaw.com
   www.SmallBusinessLawyer.com
   www.RealEstateAttorneyLA.com
   www.HowtoStopDomesticViolence.com
   www.BestAttorney.com
• Craft a Powerful “Headline” at the Top of Your Website 
• Write Captivating Content: writing for the internet is completely different from writing a legal brief
• Use Case Studies or Testimonials (follow your ethics guideline)
• Use Multiple, Custom Websites

Design One Main Corporate Website

Then create multiple Mini, Practice Specific Websites 

For example, a business law firm practice's online presence might look like this:

• Specific Sites: business litigation, registered agent site, employment law, commercial real estate, mediation

A personal injury law firm practice might have the following sites as part of their online presence:

• Specific Sites: auto accidents, construction accidents, SUV accidents, dog bites, specific product liability lawsuits

Focus Each Website on a Specific Target, Practice Area or Geographical Location

Create and Promote your own Blog 

According to blog search engine Technorati, five years ago there were two million blogs on the web. Today there are more than 112 million! 

Blogs (short for "weblogs") are a simple way for anyone to post new content in an easy-to-read web site format with the newest information always on top.

But how can a blog benefit your business? Your blog can boost your ranking in the search engines, increase your traffic, and improve your credibility -- ALL of which will ultimately lead to more sales!

80% of journalists now search blogs to find experts for stories

Components of a successful blog:
1. Highly targeted, well branded.
2. Provides quality content that solves your prospects challenges.
3. Publish your blog constantly and consistently: 2 to 4 times per week
4. Write in relation to the most popular current events.
5. Register your blog in directories and promote actively.

Top blog directory: www.masternewmedia.org/rss/top55
Resources:
www.blogger.com www.typepad.com www.wordpress.com, www.lexblog.com
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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 (we wouldn't have it any other way).   So instead of us telling you how these 2 days will transform your business, we will let our clients do the telling. Click here to order your complimentary DVD right now.

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Previously, I discussed selecting the most effective legal marketing techniques to boost your law firm marketing plan.  The techniques include referrals, speaking engagements, networking, online presence, public relations, promotional events and advertising.  This post explores the benefits of speaking engagements and presentations in your law firm marketing strategy.

Public presentations, workshops, professional seminars, speaking for associations, or serving on a panel as an expert can be a phenomenal law firm marketing strategy to land new business.
In fact, depending on your target market and specific product or service, it is often the 2nd most effective legal marketing technique to land new business other than referrals.

There are some attorneys who have become so good at speaking that it has become their #1 legal marketing method of finding new clients. You must identify what groups your Ideal Target Market attend and start targeting them for your presentations.

Select the right venue based on your experience, skills, and abilities: 

• Moderator of a panel (either of 3-5 partners in the firm or 3-5 different professionals)
• An expert on a panel discussion 
• Teleseminar format (over a conference bridge line) 
• Small, private, client-only seminars 
• Joint venture with an organization or company who serves a similar market (small community bank, group of financial planners, chamber of commerce, networking group, accounting firm, business consultant, psychologist, chiropractic group, employee benefits company) 
• Give a presentation or keynote to a trade association (135,000 trade associations in USA; see the Encyclopedia of Associations for details) 
• Public seminars (usually free, but may charge money if for businesses)

Make the talk educational
A common misconception is that if you tell your audience too much information they won't hire you. In reality, the average person usually thinks, “Wow, if this attorney was able to share that much information with me in just 45 minutes, imagine how much more they have to offer.”

Remember, there is a huge difference between having the information to do something and actually having the time or competence to do it.

For example, tell them how to distinguish a good attorney from a bad one. Give them the questions they need to ask to make an informed decision—and make sure YOU are the answer to those questions.

A couple other tips that can boost your law firm marketing via presentations and speaking engagements.

• Get the attendees contact information BEFORE your presentation

• Develop your Follow Up Strategy BEFORE the presentation or seminar

Having both of these strategies thought ahead of your presentation will make your law firm marketing strategy much easier to implement.  Remember, time is of the essence in follow-up, so design your strategy to move quickly.

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Want to take the Rainmaker System home with you?
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. We recommend you print all these off and take notes on them as you watch the 4 intense DVDs.
To order this information-packed set click here.

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This week is one of best opportunities you will have this year to boost your law firm marketing at a very affordable cost.  Legal marketing strategies and information will be a popular topic of discussion during the State Bar of California Solo and Small Firm Summit on January 21-22, 2010 in Long Beach.  Multiple practice areas will be featured at the summit, which is being held in conjunction with the Section Education Institute. 

I will be presenting on both days of the summit.  I will present “7 Strategies to Recession Proof Your Law Firm” during the opening session on January 21.   Later that day I, along with attorney John Bisnar, will present “5 Core Components of a Highly Successful Website and Blog” during the closing session.  On Friday, I am scheduled to present “8 Proven Steps to Double Your Referrals in 6 Months or Less.” I will then close out the 2nd Annual Solo and Small Firm Summit with “Unlocking the Secrets of Social Media: How to Leverage LinkedIn, Fix Facebook and Tweak Twitter for Your Law Firm” as the keynote speaker during the closing luncheon on Friday. 

There is still time to register for the summit.  Click on the link here to reserve your seat for this law firm marketing clinic.  Internet marketing for lawyers is a lower-cost method of reaching the audience you are targeting, and the summit will provide you with a wealth of information on how to incorporate it into your law firm marketing plan.
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Your law firm marketing plan is not exempt from this review process, and I encourage you to take a careful look at all of your legal marketing, including your internet marketing for your law firm.
To that end, I would like to call your attention to an article I wrote that appears in the December, 2009 issue of GPSolo, published by the American Bar Association.  The article, Law Firm Marketing 2.0: Internet Marketing for Rainmakers, is something that I wrote out of a firm conviction that most internet legal marketing plans could use some strengthening in their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) keywords.

I encourage you to read the article and use it to assist you as you adjust your 2010 law firm marketing plan
 

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Part of a series - Create Your 2010 Law Firm Marketing Plan in 5 Simple Steps: Step 3.5

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 differentiate yourself and your law firm.

Using the information, research and analysis you did for the SWOT sections, outline how you will position yourself and your services.  Here are some good questions to get your legal marketing thought processes started.

• 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?

Here are 10 Different Ways to Create a Unique Competitive Advantage (UCA) in your Law Firm Marketing Plan:

1. 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?
2. 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?
3. 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?
4. 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?
5. 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?
6. 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?
7. Focus on an 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 & collateral.
8. 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?
9. 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?
10. 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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Looking for more Rainmaker Institute wisdom?
Take advantage of the complimentary download of 5 Easy Steps That 7-Figure Attorneys Use To Create Powerful Marketing Plans.  It is our gift to you.  Just click on the link and download your complimentary copy.  It is information that will get you started on the path to changing your legal marketing strategy for the better.
 

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As the New Year begins, now is a good time to take stock of where we are, and where we want to be.  Your law firm marketing plan is not exempt from this review process, and I encourage you to take a careful look at all of your legal marketing, including your internet marketing for your law firm.
To that end, I would like to call your attention to an article in the December, 2009 issue of GPSolo, published by the American Bar Association. 

The article, Law Firm Marketing 2.0: Internet Marketing for Rainmakers, is something that I wrote out of a firm conviction that most internet legal marketing plans could use some strengthening in their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) keywords. 

As the world shifts from paid, pay-per-click advertising to search engine keyword marketing, here are some guidelines to help you get the most out of your marketing dollar.

1. Know the keywords people use to search for your services
2. Use keywords in your domain name if possible
3. Create compelling copy
4. Add fresh content regularly
5. Use video to keep visitor’s attention
6. Develop educational tools and promote them on your website
7. Submit your articles online
8. Take action fast.

The GPSolo article expands on these thoughts, and I encourage you to read it.  Your law firm marketing plans can benefit from integrating these ideas into your legal marketing strategies.  They can mean the difference between a prosperous new year and a mediocre one.
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Catch Stephen on Blog Talk Radio on Thursday, January 7
I will be on Blog Talk Radio on Thursday discussing “Automating Client Communication” at 3:00 CST.  I encourage you to tune in using the widget below and listen to this vital component of any legal marketing program. 

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New Year’s Resolutions are a time-honored way of setting goals for the new year.  They often center on personal issues – weight loss, exercise, relationships etc – but let me suggest that you add creating a  solid, well-crafted law firm marketing plan to your New Year’s Resolution list this year.

Your law firm marketing plan should include all of the following components:
Referral sources – who are the people who refer business to you?  Who are the people you would like to refer business to you?
Internet marketing – what does your internet presence look like?  Your website, online-mentions, your page ranks in key search engines?
Blogs – do you have a blog?  Is it current with relevant content?  Is it written with keywords in mind to bring traffic to your site?
Social media – are you actively managing your Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook sites to create the best possible face for your firm?
Public relations – are you creating news releases and stories that point the media to you as an expert?  Cultivating a relationship with the media takes time and expertise.  But it is a worthwhile investment.

Take advantage of the resources you will find here and at The Rainmaker Institute website.  Come to one of our Rainmaker Retreats or invest in some materials from the online store to gather the resources you need for your law firm marketing plan to help make 2010 a  year to remember.
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Looking for more Rainmaker Institute wisdom?

Take advantage of the complimentary download of 5 Easy Steps That 7-Figure Attorneys Use To Create Powerful Marketing Plans.  It is our gift to you.  Just click on the link and download your complimentary copy.  It is information that will get you started on the path to changing your legal marketing strategy for the better.
 

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This is one of the biggest mistakes I see among attorneys—targeting the wrong market. Identifying and targeting the right market for your services is the most important thing you can do to ensure the success of your practice because if you don’t target the right market, nothing else you do will matter.

Typically, attorneys will make the mistake of targeting a market that’s too big for them to adequately reach. Let me give you an example.

I was recently talking with a lawyer here in Chicago and asking her about her target market. She said that her target market was small business owners who were too small to need in-house council or couldn’t afford the high priced downtown lawyers. Instead they  needed someone who understood what kinds of legal issues small businesses face when selling to and partnering with Fortune 500 companies and a lawyer who offered a flexible payment plan.

I asked her, “Do you know how many small business owners there are here in Chicago?”

“No,” she replied.

I stated, “Recently, Crain’s Chicago business magazine reported there were over 300,000 small business owners here in Chicago.

“Now, I've never been very good at math, but for the sake of illustration, let's say that only 50% of those business owners needed or wanted your services, that’s a pretty large task trying to reach 150,000 prospects even once.”

Now, enter in the Law of 7 Touches. 

The Law of 7 Touches is based on research that found it takes an average of 7 to 10 meaningful touches EVERY YEAR to move someone through the cycle from not knowing anything about you to being ready to buy from you.

It takes an average of 7 to 10 meaningful touches to move someone through the cycle

This is just the average, not a guarantee, because in hypercompetitive markets, like legal services, it often takes many more touches than that and to drive customer buying habits it takes consistency.

There are also ways you can speed up this process and create multiple touches all at once by being highly targeted in your marketing materials, using both hi-tech and hi-touch methods and building your online credibility.

In general, only 3% to 5% of your target market is ready to buy at any given time, it’s how you reach the other 95% to 97% that will make or break your business. You must
consistently be in front of your prospects to be at the top of their mind when they are ready to buy.

What’s a meaningful touch?

Well, it could be meeting you at a networking event, or hearing you give a presentation, or receiving a thought-provoking postcard from you—anything that’s meaningful
and provocative to your prospect.

Now according to the Law of 7 Touches, multiplying this lawyer’s 150,000 prospects by 7 to 10 means that she would have to produce 1 to 1.5 million meaningful touches every
year. There is no possible way a typical solo practitioner could do that and the point is smart business owners won't even try.
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Practice Made Perfect For Lawyers: 10 Principles for Marketing Your Legal Services

This comprehensive training manual is specifically designed for attorneys and other legal professionals who desire to achieve a higher return on investment from all their marketing efforts. Much more than a simple adaptation, each chapter has been carefully rewritten to apply Stephen’s unique High Impact Marketing System to the challenges faced by solo and small law firms.
Written especially for solo practitioners and partners at small law firms (less than 25 attorneys), this practical manual includes dozens of specific marketing and sales recommendations that can be easily and quickly applied to your firm.

It includes a 2 CD set—one audio CD that provides you with an overview of the 10 Principles along with ideas on how to maximize your results from the manual and a data CD that gives you customizable templates and forms to help you create a marketing budget and strategic development plan.

To purchase this valuable resource, visit The Rainmaker Institute website.
 

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The hotel registration deadline is quickly approaching for the  State Bar of California’s Solo and Small Firm Summit, to be held in Long Beach on January 21-22, 2010.

This conference, held in conjunction with the Section Education Institute, is designed for legal professionals who work in a solo or small firm practice. The Summit will feature power networking events, legal education classes, business management courses, and showcase products and services unique to the solo or small firm practitioner.

I will be opening and closing the Summit, as well as presenting during two breakout sessions.  Some of the material I will be presenting during the Summit includes:

• "7 Strategies to Recession Proof Your Law Firm.” 
• “5 Core Components of a Highly Successful Website and Blog.”   -this will be presented with John Bisnar, one of Southern California’s most successful personal injury attorneys
• “8 Proven Steps to Double Your Referrals in 6 Months...or Less”
• “Unlocking the Secrets of Social Media: How to Leverage LinkedIn, Fix Facebook and Tweak Twitter for Your Law Firm”

The Hotel registration deadline is December 23, 2009.  The registration deadline for the Summit is January 13, 2010.  This is an event that you won’t want to miss.  The first Solo and Small Firm Summit was held last year and attendees were very positive in their appraisal of the Summit:

         "Well done! Tightly put together"
         "This summit was a great idea!"
          "Let's do this often"
          "Very helpful seminar - glad I attended."
          "Thank you please make this a regular event with sections conference."

To register for the Solo and Small Firm Summit, visit the website.   I know it is the holiday season, but this is an event that can make 2010 a year to remember, instead of one to forget.
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Looking for more Rainmaker Institute wisdom?

Then try our  monthly ezine.  One click of your mouse will take you to our site where you can see the current issue and subscribe to our complimentary monthly ezine that will be delivered to your inbox.  Each issue is chock-full of legal marketing information that you can put to use right away.   I think you will find the information on the ezine something that you will want to share with your staff to begin 2010 on the right note in your legal marketing plan.

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1. Identify Your Ideal Target Market
If the truth is told, this may be THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTION of your law firm’s marketing plan. You can have the highest quality service, the biggest offices, or the most associates, but if cannot clearly identify who your “ideal target market”—the perfect person/company for your service—you will never build a successful law practice!

It is virtually impossible to spend too much time or energy learning about who your ideal target market is. You want to discover everything you can about them because this can give you the extra edge you need to rapidly attract paying customers and win out over your competitors.

You may have more than one ideal target market for your services. If so, you should complete this for each of them, but try to limit yourself to no more than 1 or 2 target markets because more than that can quickly become overwhelming.

When Developing a Profile of Your Ideal Client Consider:

• Who You are? (Think in terms of roles, values, personal qualities, and who you are to others.)
• What are your natural gifts and strengths?
• What have you experienced in your life and career?
• What specialized training have you received?
• In what areas are you already well-connected?
• What areas do you feel uniquely qualified to serve your clients?
• Where are you perceived as an expert?
• How do you bring out the best in others?

As you begin determining whom you most want to work with and what you love to help them with, keep in mind the unique value that you offer.

Identifying your Ideal Client.  Just as someone using a dating service might make a wish list of what he/she would be looking for in a potential partner. Make a wish list of what you are looking for in your clients. Don't be afraid to be specific here. Most new attorneys hesitate about choosing a target market or niche because they don't want to rule anyone out. You can't possibly serve anyone and everyone on anything and everything. So don't even try. If you had your druthers, what would you most like to focus on with your clients and what types of clients feel like a perfect match for you?

 Who's your ideal client? Think in terms of age, profession, gender, education, interests, marital status, family size, hobbies, and lifestyle.

•  Who can afford your fees? How much can their afford? What's the value to them?
•  Who could be a good long-term, repeat client?
•  What qualities, characteristics and values do they have?
•  What are you helping them accomplish?
•  What are their issues, challenges, or pain?
•  What is it like working with them?
•  Who could be a good source of referrals?
•  Who is NOT your ideal client?

The point is to create a comprehensive profile of everything you know about your markets because the more you know about your markets the easier it is to identify them and market to them.
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Rainmaker Retreat Live
Over 6,000 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 this 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 the next 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
•   Much, much more!

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.

Click here to order you copy of this information-packed presentation.

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Stop Ignoring Your Referral Sources
Why do attorneys believe they can neglect and ignore referral sources without it having a detrimental impact?  Top attorneys invest their time and money courting and building relationships with referral sources and go out of their way to make a big deal when someone makes a referral to them. 

On a regular basis, carve out time to meet with all of your referral sources face-to-face.  Out of sight and out of mind is certainly a truism you cannot afford to personally experience.

Aggressively Pursue Ways to Resell, Cross Sell and Up Sell Clients
Now is not the time to be reserved or squeamish about selling. You need to be looking at every avenue available to resell former clients.  Cross sell them on other services your firm can offer and up sell them from an entry level service to a high-end, fully customized one.

I was speaking with an attorney last week who thought the very idea of up-selling someone into a higher end service borders on ethical misconduct.  Hmmm… that sounds like a great way to go out of business fast.  The most expensive thing you can have in your law firm is a one-time client. 

If every client you serve must be a new client, you will have to spend at least 10 times more time, money and energy to generate any new business versus the law firm who focuses on serving their current and former clients at a higher level by proving a more customized experience, a more personal touch, and meeting their other needs and challenges.

What are two or three services you can offer your current and former clients to generate additional business from them?  Perhaps it’s a service one of your partners offers or a service you can easily add to your current lineup or you could offer it in conjunction with another attorney (like an estate planning attorney offering his clients business services through another attorney).

I trust these principles for bootstrapping your way to success have been informative.  Take a few moments right now and reread these principles and write down those steps you are going to implement this month.

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Rainmaker Retreat Live
Over 6,000 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 this 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 the next 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

Much, much more!

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.

Click here to order you copy of this information-packed presentation.
 

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Forget Fame
There are a number of people out there who are selling fame – “buy my product or service and I’ll make you famous.”

Here are some sage words of advice:  Forget fame.  Become wealthy and fame will follow.  Fame is fleeting.  Who cares if you are “famous?”  The only thing that does is play to your ego.  I prefer to play to my pocketbook!  Use proven marketing strategies that work.  Transform your law firm from a practice into a real business

Automate, delegate or outsource every part of your business that you can.  Build a core team of people who support you and run your business for you.  Develop a wealth creation system.  The fame will follow.

Eliminate the Obstacles

What is blocking you from achieving the financial success you know you should have?

• A partnership gone bad?
• A partner who is distracted and depressed?
•  No passion for your clientele?Lack of automated systems to run your marketing?
• A poorly performing staff member?
• Not returning phone calls promptly?
• An incompetent associate?
• No system for following up with leads and prospects?

Now is the time to get rid of the dead weight! It’s easy to overlook people’s faults when times are good, but they are accentuated when times are tough.  I believe in taking personal responsibility and not blaming others for your lack of success, but take a few minutes and ask yourself “Who is the weakest link?” 

When you identify that person, remove them.  While you are at it, make every attorney and staff member commit to returning every single phone call and email within 24 hours.  I’m convinced benign neglect of prospects, clients and referral sources is a major obstacle to many a lawyer’s success

Know Your Operating Cash Flow Ratio

Here’s a simple exercise:  take the Total Revenues you have generated in the last three months.  Divide it by your Total Expenses during the same period.  The result is your Operating Cash Flow Ratio.  For example, if your Total Revenues were $300,000 and your Total Expenses were $250,000, your Operating Cash Flow Ratio is 1.2.  If that number is less than 1, you have a major cash flow problem and you need to reduce your expenses fast or face going out of business!
 

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Want to take the Rainmaker System home with you?

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. We recommend you print all these off and take notes on them as you watch the 4 intense DVDs.

To order this information-packed set click here.
 

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I’m excited to tell you that The Rainmaker Institute has partnered with renowned estate planning attorney Jeffrey Matsen to create a special edition of the Becoming A Rainmaker seminar just for estate planning and business attorneys. The event will be held December 10 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. as part of the Wealth Counsel Education Event in Atlanta.

Jeffrey Matsen is one of the premier estate planning attorneys in the country, who brings a wealth of estate planning experience to the proven techniques of the Rainmaker System. More than 6,500 attorneys from hundreds of law firms throughout the US have discovered how to apply the specific, easy to follow Rainmaker Marketing System™ to generate more referrals and find new clients.

Attendees at the inaugural Becoming A Rainmaker For Estate Planning Lawyers – The Jeff Matsen Edition will learn:

• The 7 Ways to Find More Clients and How to Pick the Best Ones for Your Law Firm
• How to Build a Network of over 30 new Referral Sources in the next 6 months
• Specific Ways to Change Your Website from just an Online Brochure to a Money-making Machine
• Specific Tools for Automating Your Legal Marketing System
• How to Ethically Position Yourself as a Specialist in Your Area
• How to Promote Your Firm to 150,000 people for $140
• Avoid the Most Deadly Marketing Mistakes Attorneys make
• Why Advertising Doesn't Work and What Top Attorneys Do Instead
• The #1 Reason why Attorneys Don't Receive More Referrals and How to Change This

Seating for this event is limited and registration is required.  To register click here or you can RSVP to Diane Osmunden at diane@therainmakerinstitute.com or by phone at 888-588-5891.
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This weekend, take time to count all of the things and people you are thankful for. Thanksgiving is a time to remember all of the blessings you have been given.  Enjoy you holiday.
 

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Two weeks ago I posted some thoughts on how discounting your price can be a path to slow-payment, hassle, repeated requests for reductions in fees and ultimately non-payment.  Today I want to expand on those thoughts.

One of the maxims that still holds true today is “You get what you pay for.”  In many areas of life, it is true.  The cheap toys and tools available in the discount bins at the dollar store often do not have the service life span that higher-quality, and more expensive products enjoy.  That perception is deeply embedded in American consumer culture, so use it to your advantage.

We have all seen the studies of cars where the price and quality are not always directly linked.  Some brands have a reputation for higher quality that is undeserved or based on older thinking, yet they continue to charge prices that seem to be too high for the value received.  We have also seen the studies where high quality items were discounted, and the consumer viewed them as inferior to the higher-priced items.

Legal services are much the same way.  If you discount your rates, prospective clients are more likely to think your service is of a lesser quality than that of attorneys who do not discount.  Regardless of the quality of the service, the perception will rule the day.

A recent study highlights this thought process.  Baba Shiv, a Stanford neurologist, supplied a group of people with Sobe Adrenaline Rush, an energy drink that was supposed to make them more alert and responsive.  Some participants paid full price for the drink, others were offered the drink at a discounted price. The researcher found that those who received the discounted drink consistently solved 30% fewer puzzles than those who paid full price for the drink.  The study was repeated, and the results were essentially the same.

The researchers concluded that consumers have a version of the placebo effect.  Because we expect the less-expensive goods to be inferior, they become less-effective, even if they are identical to the more expensive products.  Once this thought process settles in, it begins to affect our behavior as consumers of goods and services.

This is a cautionary tale for professionals thinking about discounting their fees. Once the perception takes root that your services are cheaper, the thought that they are inferior is very likely to follow.  Do this at your own risk.

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Practice Made Perfect For Lawyers: 10 Principles for Marketing Your Legal Services

This comprehensive training manual is specifically designed for attorneys and other legal professionals who desire to achieve a higher return on investment from all their marketing efforts. Much more than a simple adaptation, each chapter has been carefully rewritten to apply Stephen’s unique High Impact Marketing System to the challenges faced by solo and small law firms.

Written especially for solo practitioners and partners at small law firms (less than 25 attorneys), this practical manual includes dozens of specific marketing and sales recommendations that can be easily and quickly applied to your firm.

It includes a 2 CD set—one audio CD that provides you with an overview of the 10 Principles along with ideas on how to maximize your results from the manual and a data CD that gives you customizable templates and forms to help you create a marketing budget and strategic development plan.

To purchase this valuable resource, visit The Rainmaker Institute website.

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Stop Relying on the Same Strategies that Barely Worked last year
We have all heard insanity defined as continuing to do the same thing over and over while expecting different results.  Most attorneys rely far too much on advertising and casual referrals to bring clients in. Results from advertising are down across the board.  People are just not not referring friends and family members at the same rate as they used to

You cannot rest on your laurels of “providing great services” or “being a great attorney” to get you through this year.  You need to try something different (and I don’t mean boost your advertising budget). The tools you used to get you here are not the same tools you will need to make it through the next 12-24 months.

Ideas are Worthless…Without Implementation
Many business owners tend to be “big picture” kind of people filled with brilliant ideas and fascinating perspectives…which is great…but ultimately worthless without the correct implementation.  In this time of economic distress do not become bogged down with finding the “big idea.”  Instead, concentrate on how you are going to implement your smaller ideas quickly and cost-effectively.

Focus on Cash Flow Not Revenue
Bill Martin, our Director of Development and one of our Master Business Coaches, has owned and operated 16 businesses over the course of his long and successful career.  He is fond of saying, “Cash flow solves a lot of problems and lack of it causes even more.” Do you know your profit margin for each practice area?  For each type of case?  Look for three ways to improve your cash flow in the next 60 days.

Leave Your Office Every Week
Top Rainmakers do not rely on referrals to fall into their lap.  They get out of their office and press the flesh.  Make time in your schedule every week to meet with current and potential referral sources face-to-face.  Meeting them on Facebook or Twitter is great, but take those relationships offline and meet them for coffee or lunch.  Our top clients set aside lunch every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to meet with potential referral sources.

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If you are unsure about attending a Rainmaker Retreat, you have several opportunities to gather more information.  First, you can attend one of our free Rainmaker Retreat Preview Calls.  We have  a call scheduled:

• Wednesday, November 18 12-1 pm PT | 3-4 pm ET

To register for our free, 60-minute preview call, click here.
 
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 (we wouldn't have it any other way).   So instead of us telling you how these 2 days will transform your business, we will let our clients do the telling. Click here to order your complimentary DVD right now.
 
 

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The first two posts focused on follow-up and marketing practices.  This post continues those thoughts.

Speed to Market Wins Every Time
If I had to choose, I will bet on the law firm that consistently uses three simple marketing strategies over the firm that takes three months to write a long, detailed annual marketing plan.  Plans do not win the game!

Attorneys are notorious for over planning everything.  This is a fatal mistake when it comes to marketing.  Your plan should only be focused on what actions you are going to take in the next 90 days. Keep it simple and focus on taking action now.

Under Staff for Success
I was recently speaking with an estate planning attorney here in Phoenix.  His business is about the same as last year, but he isn’t willing to do any marketing right now.  Why?  Because he just fired an associate who wasn’t performing well and he doesn’t want to take on any more work because he isn’t sure he can handle it alone.

Even when I pointed out, rather obviously, there are a lot of out-of-work attorneys right now who would love the chance to work and even more who would entertain an Of Counsel relationship, he wasn’t interested.  Seriously?

Now is not the time to staff up hoping for massive success.  Now is the time to keep your team “lean and mean” while putting everything you can into effective marketing.  Marketing takes time.  Many attorneys do not see great results from their efforts for three or four months after they fully implement.  This leaves plenty of time to set up an Of Counsel relationship to handle the overflow or even find an associate if needed.

I remember working with a two-partner firm out of Los Angeles about two years ago who insisted on waiting to fully implement their marketing plan until they hired at least two more associates. 

Finding and hiring the first associate became an arduous process over a three month period.  The second associate took even longer.  Then one of the partners was convinced they needed to upgrade their offices and move to a bigger and better location to attract the higher end clients they wanted.

So after the second associate was hired (they both were paid six figures) they decided to put off marketing for a few more months in order to track down new office space. They went from 2000 square feet in a Class B building to 6000 square feet in a Class A building.  Their overhead tripled, the economy tanked and the firm has never regained their footing.

Here’s the moral of the story: Market now.  Wait until your efforts pay off. Then ramp up your staff to handle the increased work load.

*************************************************************************************************************************
Want to take the Rainmaker System home with you?
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. We recommend you print all these off and take notes on them as you watch the 4 intense DVDs.
To order this information-packed set click here.
 

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The first part of this series focused on the need for prompt follow-up.  Today’s blog moves onto other marketing topics.

Done is Better Than Perfect – Especially with Marketing
When it comes to marketing your law firm 90 percent is good enough!  Don’t wait until you have the perfect brochure to start handing it out.  Get your website to the point where it’s good enough and then launch it!  You can always fix the shading of the photo on the About Us page at a later time. 

I have encountered far too many attorneys who mentally torture themselves going over the copy for their website or brochure five or 10 times because they are so concerned about how it reflects on their law firm.

Niching Your Practice is the Fastest Path to Riches
I know you have heard me say this before, and yes, I know you continue to resist it.  However, the more you can target a specific niche the easier you can dominate your target and the faster you can gain recognition as an expert.

Let me give you an example of a poorly defined niche: small business owners in Chicago who need an estate plan.  Here’s how to locate a better target: physicians in Chicago who own a medical practice, gross at least $500,000 annually, and need asset protection strategies to grow and preserve their wealth.

Including the following items in your niche will keep you on track plus it’s easier to identify who these people or businesses are: a profession or industry, geographical location, annual revenues, and core challenges.

Look at What the Crowd is Doing and Do the Opposite
Many of my best marketing strategies are based on contrarian thinking.  I often tell my clients to look at what their competitors are doing and do the opposite.

Right now, I have heard a growing number of attorneys who are doubling down on their advertising believing that since they can negotiate a good deal they should buy more of it.  That’s good news for you.  Not only is advertising generally ineffective in a growing law firm, but they are wasting their precious cash flow while you are investing it wisely on strategies that actually work.

Just remember, if you’re not the lead dog, the view never changes.  Don’t follow the crowd with your marketing.

Emphasize Price at Your Own Peril
This is not the time to reduce your rates just to pull a few more clients in the door.  It’s often the price shoppers who are the most demanding, take up more of your time, complain more frequently, and are slow payers.

I have learned this the hard way in my own business.  This year I took on two six-figure marketing clients who tried to get me to renegotiate my prices on three or four occasions. Reluctantly I gave them some price concessions, but in the end they both came back to haunt me because they both ended up being complaining clients, slow payers, and in the end non-payers.  When will I learn to take my own advice?

One last thought on pricing, in these tough times who is more price sensitive – blue collar workers or affluent white collar executives?  By emphasizing your price and targeting the lower end of the marketplace you will kill your profit margins and destroy your chances at long-term wealth.  Emphasize price at your own peril.

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There is still time to register for the Rainmaker Retreats coming this fall to a city near you. This 2 day marketing boot camp for attorneys is full of information that will boost your referrals and increase your bottom line. Some of the many valuable marketing tools you will learn at a Rainmaker Retreat include how to:
a. Create a written 90-day master marketing plan for your firm
b. Discover your Unique Competitive Advantage
c. Improve your internet presence
d. Outline either an article or produce a professional press release to submit online
e. Create a letter of introduction to potential Strategic Referral Partners

Our Rainmaker Retreat schedule is:
Los Angeles - Friday, November 13 & Saturday, November 14
Las Vegas - Friday, December 4 & Saturday, December 5

The schedule for each retreat is Friday – Registration at 8:00, Retreat begins at 8:30, and breaks for the day at 5:30. Saturday begins with breakfast at 7:30  and the retreat runs from 8:00 – 2:00 p.m.

To register for a Rainmaker Retreat or for more information, please visit our website.
 
If you would like to participate in one of our Rainmaker Retreat Preview calls, you can register here.  A free Rainmaker Retreat Preview DVD is availablehere.  Each of these will whet your appetite for the valuable information you will receive at a Rainmaker Retreat.
 

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Everyone is cash-conscious these days.  If you’re like most attorneys in small and solo law firms, you’re working harder than ever before just to get the same amount of business.  Here are 21 specific strategies to help you bootstrap your way to marketing success.

The Fortune is in the Follow up!

This bears repeating:  The Fortune is in the Follow Up!  I was speaking with an estate planning attorney who had a meeting with a very wealthy individual about two weeks ago.  It went great.  The attorney made a proposal to the prospect for a comprehensive estate plan and quoted him a fee around $5,000.  He believed the prospect would sign-up

However, after thinking about it for a few days, the prospect declined, citing the attorney’s high fee as the reason.  Now, this young man’s estate is worth well north of a million dollars.  His parents are multi-millionaires, so it’s not a matter of being able to afford it.  As an aside, I have found in virtually every case where a prospect quotes fees, it’s not really about the money; it’s because you failed to convince him of the true value of your solution.

When I inquired as to what my client was doing to follow-up and re-sell the prospect, my client stated “nothing” because his partner told him “we don’t chase clients.”  I rather pointedly stated I thought his partner was dead wrong.  Now is the time to increase your follow-up, not eliminate it. 

I coached him to immediately call the prospect and ask for a meeting with him and his parents and in this meeting to emphasize the value of having a comprehensive, bullet proof estate plan versus one cranked out by a mill.  We will see what happens when he follows through.

Fix Your Follow Up ASAP

Every lead, every prospect, every referral source and every client needs to be followed up with in a timely and consistent fashion.  Since you have a very limited amount of time to do so, you must learn how to automate the follow up process.  We recently helped one of our clients set up an autoresponder series to do just this. (An autoresponder is an automated process that sends out a pre-written series of email to your list.)

For example, if you meet with a prospective client who does not make a decision immediately, you can set them up with (with their permission of course) to receive information from your law firm.  This may consist of a series of five to ten emails that is sent every three to five days.

The first email may be: thank you for coming in to see us.  Here’s a link to our website for more information.  The second email may be.  There are 10 questions you must ask any attorney before you hire them to take your case.  Here are the first two questions…

On average, people require at least seven meaningful touches to move from being interested in you to being ready to buy from you.  Most attorneys stop after two or three touches because they falsely believe they are bothering the person.  As long as you are professional and courteous, most people perceive your persistence as caring about them and wanting their business, not bothersome.
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Becoming a Rainmaker: Business Building Strategies for Lawyers
 
Based on Stephen’s highly successful seminar series by the same name, this 3-audio CD program covers dozens of practical recommendations and step-by-step sales and marketing techniques for solo practitioners and small law firms.

Stephen has given this seminar to hundreds of lawyers at state and local bar associations, and is scheduled for many more in the upcoming months.

To order this valuable seminar, visit our website. 
 

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On November 6 I will be presenting “7 Strategies to 'Recession Proof' Your Law Practice & Generate More Referrals” to the Indiana State Bar Association fall education meeting in Indianapolis. In this information packed session, I will cover 7 strategies small firms must use to “recession proof” their law firm while generating more and better referrals.

Attendees will learn practical tips to:

• Reduce their overhead
• Improve productivity and morale among their office staff
• Rapidly increase their referrals in 90 days
• How to stay connected with current and former clients
• Ways to market their law firm on a shoe string budget.

Attendees will receive a legal marketing education that will allow them to take advantage of the current economic climate and position themselves for even more growth in referrals and revenue as the economy rebounds.

If you will be in town for the Indiana State Bar Association meeting, stop by and say hello. We will be in Booth 17 and would love to have you stop by and learn about some of the ways that the Rainmaker Institute can help you increase your referrals, on-line presence, and revenues.
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Want to take the Rainmaker System home with you?

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. We recommend you print all these off and take notes on them as you watch the 4 intense DVDs.

To order this information-packed set click here.

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• Share Link

Attorneys who attended last weekend’s Rainmaker Retreat in Chicago walked away with a wealth of information and ideas on how they can boost their revenues and increase the effectiveness of their law firm marketing strategies.

The Rainmaker Retreat provides attorneys with simple, practical, and actionable information and techniques that they can take back to their office and begin using the next day.  Here are some comments from attendees at the Chicago Rainmaker Retreat:

"The Rainmaker Retreat gave me a vast array of tools that will be invaluable to me as a start-up solo practitioner. This is THE marketing seminar that every new solo should attend."
Thomas Ost, Solo

"I have bought quite a few legal marketing programs and products and spent thousands on them. None of them were the ‘total package’ like the Rainmaker Retreat. I loved the step-by-step system!"
Natalia Kabbe, Solo

There is still time to register for the Los Angeles (November 13-14) and Las Vegas (December 4-5)  Rainmaker Retreats.  Both retreats begin on Friday morning and end Saturday at 2:00 p.m.   Early-bird registration discounts, and special VIP program registration are still available for both of these retreats.

Visit our website to register, and learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat.  A complete daily schedule and testimonials from past attendees are available on the Rainmaker Retreat website.
 
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Unsure about Attending a Rainmaker Retreat?
If you are still unsure about attending a Rainmaker Retreat, our 2-Day Marketing Boot Camp for Lawyers, Come and join one of our FREE Preview Calls on:
 
Tuesday, October 27 1-2 pm PT | 4-5 pm ET
Thursday, November 5 2-3 pm PT | 5-6 pm ET
Wednesday, November 18 12-1 pm PT | 3-4 pm ET
 
This free, one-hour call will give you a taste of what you will learn during a Rainmaker Retreat. Come and join the 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 proven Rainmaker System.
 
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 Have a Written Plan

Practice Area Specific Goals

Marketing Goals

Strategic Business Goals

Personal Goals

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Contributed by:
Roy Richardson
Senior Copywriter and PR Expert
Roy@therainmakerinstitute.com


In the previous post, I offered some reasons why you should consider public relations as part of your marketing mix and some tips on selecting a PR professional. This post concludes the discussion.

So I got the story – What do I do now?

Getting the story is the most difficult part of the process. Because you do not control what goes into the news media, there is a great deal of work that goes into a good pitch, interview and follow-up to an interview or series of interviews. That is where PR counsel is so valuable. They can anticipate what is needed to make the story complete, and can stay in contact with the reporter without being “heavy-handed” in the approach. Once you have successfully landed the story, the critical marketing phase begins.

If we assume your story was in a print publication, we can assume that X numbers of readers had the opportunity to see the story. But there are a significant number of individuals, including your prospects, referral sources and current clients, who may not have seen the story. They may not receive that publication. They may have been ill or out of town that day or just didn’t take the time to read the publication in its entirety.

There are several ways to get more mileage out of your story. First, if the publication has an internet version of the story; you can link to their site. Not all websites leave stories up indefinitely, but you can capture the link and email it to your list of clients, referral sources and prospects with a little note saying “I thought you might be interested in reading this. Call me if there is anything I can do to help you in this area.” That little touch will send it to those who may have missed it, and remind those who saw it that you are the expert in that arena.

You can also pursue reprint options. Every publication has its own reprint policy, and the costs vary widely. Some require you to use their in-house printer and the costs can be quite high. Others charge a nominal fee and require that you add credit to the publication at the bottom of the page. Another trend that is growing is the production of .pdf files by the publication for reprint purposes. The in-house graphics department becomes a profit center and produces a clean .pdf file for which you pay a fee. You are then free to use that file according to their terms of use, but typically that allows you to print and mail, and post on a website. All of the required copyright credit information will be already placed on the .pdf file, so there is nothing more for you to add.

If you get reprint permission, you can use the articles as part of your marketing materials and include a copy there. You can also mail it to your clients, referral sources and prospects with a brief note to keep yourself “top-of mind” with your referral sources and prospects. A regular system of mailings to your prospects and referral sources can keep you at the top of their list when they have a need or have a colleague in need of legal assistance. And you have established your credibility through a third-party, in this case the publications who have written about you.

Conclusion

Obtaining positive media coverage is not an easy task, but it is one that with a well-designed and well-executed plan can obtain a great deal of positive coverage for a relatively low cost in PR counsel. Leveraging that positive coverage through the use of reprints, web site links and email can further extend the reach of your program. It takes time, and may not show instantaneous results, but it is worth the effort once the stories begin to take shape.

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There is still time to register for the Rainmaker Retreats coming this fall to a city near you. This 2 day marketing book camp for attorneys is full of information that will boost your referrals and increase your bottom line.
Our schedule is:

Chicago - Friday, October 16 & Saturday, October 17

Orlando -Friday, October 23 & Saturday, October 24

Los Angeles - Friday, November 13 & Saturday, November 14

Las Vegas - Friday, December 4 & Saturday, December 5

The schedule for each retreat is Friday – Registration at 8:00, Retreat begins at 8:30, and breaks for the day at 5:30. Saturday begins with breakfast at 7:30  and the retreat runs from 8:00 – 2:00 p.m.

To register for a Rainmaker Retreat or for more information, please visit our website

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MARKETING MISTAKE 8 Part 2:
Not Having a Solid Marketing Plan

What does having a marketing plan really do for you and your business? Let me give you a few more major reasons why you need a solid law firm marketing plan:

5. It Can Help You Think Outside the Box.

It’s very easy to copy someone else’s marketing model, which is what most people end up doing (consciously or unconsciously) when they don’t have an individual law firm marketing plan.

There are several potential dangers to copying someone else when it comes to a law firm’s marketing efforts:

• You miss opportunities that are perfect for you and not other people due to your unique experiences, knowledge, background, your location, or surrounding demographics.

• You take advantage of “business opportunities” that are not right for you. Many good people fall into the trap of believing MLM (multi-level marketing also known as network marketing) is an easy way to make money. We have all seen the ads “stay at home and make $3,000 a month”. But critical to the success of these and other “business opportunities” is the ability and the willingness to be a phenomenal sales person. That’s why, according to Entrepreneur Magazine, the overwhelming majority of people who start an MLM “business” drop it within 6 months.

• In marketing for attorneys, you make the same mistakes as the person you copy. (Note to Self: If you're going to copy someone else, make darned sure they know what they are talking about and you can independently verify their claims of success). There are hundreds of people out there selling their “secrets to success”—which is usually nothing more than their personal success story.

6. It Helps You Create a Vision for What You Want in the Future.

Where do you want to be in 12 months? How about three to five years? Ultimately, your business
will be driven by your vision and the process of developing that vision is critical to your long-term
success. The real value of law firm marketing plans is not just having it done; it’s all the time,
energy, and research you put into thinking about your business in a strategic way and then
implementing those plans.

7. A Marketing Plan Sets Up Measurable Objectives for You to Evaluate Your Success

How will you know if you’ve had a successful year? Will it depend on how you feel or can you set up
measurable objectives to compare your results against? If you fail to set measurable standards in
your law firm marketing, how will you know whether or not your specific efforts were rewarded? How
will you determine where to put your future efforts and your marketing dollars if you don’t know if a
given idea worked?

A marketing plan with objective goals can help you ask and answer the right questions when it
comes to evaluating your marketing and sales efforts. The answers give you indications as to your
next steps.

8. A Marketing Plan Sets You Apart as Being Committed to Your Business.

Let's face it, if you're not willing to spend a few days writing up a solid marketing plan to grow
and develop your business, why should anyone take your business plans and ideas seriously?
Do you really have something more important to do than taking some time and writing down your
plan for how you are going to succeed in your business?
 

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Rainmaker Founder Stephen Fairley will be a Keynote Speaker at the State Bar of California’s 82^nd Annual Meeting on Friday September, 11, 2009 from 12:15- 2:00 p.m. He is speaking on "Unlocking the Secrets of Social Media: How to Leverage LinkedIn, Fix Facebook and Tweak Twitter for Your Law Firm.” Come and learn how you can stay current with technology while boosting your bottom line. 

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MARKETING MISTAKE 7 Part 2:
Not Using Marketing to Support Sales

To explain in more detail how to avoid this mistake in your law firm marketing, I would like to outline the 5 stage sales cycle. Let's take an attorney who practices business law for small to mid-sized companies. For most attorneys, your law firm marketing plan should include a five-stage sales cycle:

Stage 1 is identifying your ideal target market (ITM).

Your ITM is the person or company who is most likely to hire you initially, repeatedly and at the highest profit margin.

Stage 2 is “lead generation.”

“Lead generation” is finding prospects in your target market.

There are several kinds of activities you can do when marketing your law firm to jump start this process:

• Internet marketing for attorneys can be a great tool. You can capture their contact information when they visit your website using an opt-in method.

• Purchase a list of names from a trade association or list broker.

• Speak at area associations who are in your target market and collect business cards.

• Attend networking events filled with your prospects.

Stage 3 is “prospect qualification.”

“Prospect qualification” is examining each potential prospect and qualifying them according to set criteria. One of the marketing efforts you can add to your law firm marketing plan at this stage is to make them fill something out—whether that’s an information request form, an intake form, or a request for a free report.

Stage 4 is individual consultation.

Individual consultation is where they have proven at some level they are a qualified prospect and they get to meet with you and have an individual consult—which is usually a soft pitch presentation to determine if there is a good fit.

Marketing materials, like articles about you in the press or special reports you have written to educate your client, can provide you with instant credibility and increase the level of confidence your prospect has in doing business with you.

Stage 5 is an informal or formal proposal of work.

Marketing material that provides case studies, testimonials, and references show that you have helped people just like them before and you have achieved a high level of good results from your past clients.

Stage 6 is providing the paid product or service.

Once you land a client, that’s just the beginning of the relationship, not the end. You always want to have a next step. Use your ongoing law firm marketing efforts to tell them about how you have helped other clients with different kinds of projects. Keep them informed about your successes, your published articles and upcoming interviews. Ask them for referrals on a regular basis. Don’t ever stop building a relationship with them. The most expensive thing you can have is a one-time customer because it takes 10 times as much to find a new customer than it does to serve an existing one.

When marketing your law firm, think of it like a lawyer builds a legal case. Step by step, you are giving your prospects more and more information about you, your company, the benefits of your product or service, and the results you can help them achieve. You are giving them all the information and education they need to make an informed decision.

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Stephen Fairley will be a Keynote Speaker on Thursday, September 10 from 2:15-5:15 at the Annual Meeting of the State Bar of California being held in San Diego, CA.  The Annual Meeting will feature more than 130 legal education courses, an exhibit hall, and more!

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