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

Many law firms make the mistake of using their legal websites to bog down visitors with facts and figures about their achievements. Visitors to attorney websites are there to find a lawyer who solves their problems, not to read a long list of accomplishments. Successful law firm marketing always relies on the simple principle: make the legal website about the client; not about YOU. 



Legal websites are a great way to generate leads. In order to attract the right kind of leads, however, you must use law firm marketing strategies to make your legal website a place qualified leads want to visit repeatedly. By using your online presence to enhance your client's experience with your firm's legal website, you will begin building a strong relationship. You must use proven law firm marketing techniques to capture your target audience's attention and leave them wanting more.



One of the easiest and best ways to enhance your client's experience of your legal website is by making useful information available like a free special report or eBook. This information can be offered in different formats; posting interesting articles on a regular basis is a sure-fire way to keep clients visiting your legal website.

Another very effective form of law firm marketing is to offer free audio or video feeds on your legal website. Whatever information you convey to your clients must be interesting, informative and current if you expect your attorney marketing techniques to work. Be certain any information you share is well written, free of errors, as well as clear and concise. Do not use legal jargon to communicate with prospects.



Some law firms make the critical mistake of concentrating their legal marketing efforts on getting prospects to visit - just once. They miss the mark completely if they expect their legal website to be an effective marketing tool without providing compelling reasons for clients to return consistently and repeatedly. Successful attorney marketing relies on building a solid relationship with clients. Firms that clearly understand attorney marketing requires time and consistent effort are likely to be successful. 



Other ways to enhance your client's experience at your legal website include: Offering an e-newsletter packed with powerful information that will grab and keep their attention. Creating a free "eBook" and having it available at your legal website is also a good way to keep prospects coming back. If you or any member of your firm has written articles or books, you can use these as legal marketing tools by including a link on your legal website so clients can view or purchase the materials.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

July 27 Webinar: How to Get a Great ROI From Your Law Firm Marketing Efforts

If you are currently investing any money in marketing your law firm or are thinking of jumping into the fray hoping to find new ways to get more leads then you absolutely cannot afford to miss this riveting webinar on Wednesday, July 27 at noon PT (3 p.m. ET).

Join us and discover:

·      The 5 biggest mistakes attorneys make in their marketing and advertising

·      Why asking prospects “how did you hear about us?” is a complete waste of your time

·      3 simple steps to track every lead that comes into your law firm

·      Training your staff to use the Rainmaker Lead Tracking Sheet

·      Measuring the metrics of your marketing efforts

·      Making sense of the data and how to make wise decisions

·      A good rule of thumb when it comes to ROI

·      The formula for measuring Marketing Return On Investment

·      How to identify your “marketing money losers” and when to cut the cord

·      Setting realistic expectations from new marketing efforts

Click here to learn more and register for our one-hour webinar on How to Get a Great ROI From Your Law Firm Marketing Efforts.  Here are the details:

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

12-1pm PT | 1-2pm MT | 2-3pm CT | 3-4pm ET


Click here to register now.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Final strategies for becoming a Rainmaker on the Internet:

Submit your articles online. Submitting short educational articles on the Internet is one of the easiest, fastest, and cheapest ways to increase your visibility and the traffic to your website. There are literally thousands of directories on the Internet that will republish your article on their websites at no cost. Simply Google “article directories” for a list.


Key Action Points: 
• Keep your articles short—between 400 and 700 words. Remember, people don’t read online, they scan. Use plenty of bullet points, clearly differentiate sections, and keep your paragraphs short.
• Write for a specific audience. Keep in mind your ideal clients, and write the article for them—not for other lawyers. Tell a case study. Use an example. Make it practical, interesting, and personal, as if you were speaking directly to the reader. Never use legal jargon unless you explain it.
• Grab their attention with the title. Make sure your title is less than ten words, has a number in it when possible, and tells them how to solve a problem. The title must grab the reader’s attention from the start. For example: “5 Mistakes,” “7 Pitfalls,” “3 Steps,” etc.
• Tell, don’t sell. Focus your article on informing and educating your reader about a specific topic. Don’t focus on “selling” your services. The goal is to get readers to visit your website.
• Don’t be generic. Give your opinion or state your perspective. People are looking for answers, not just questions.
• Determine if your article is a good fit for the site. Some sites target business professionals, others target individual consumers. Some have sections for each group. If they give you the choice, make sure you select the category that is most appropriate for your article and that best represents your target market.
• Only submit to websites that allow you to include your contact information with a live link back to your website. If they are not willing to give you a live link back to your website, go somewhere else.
• Give people a reason to contact you. Offer them a special report at your website or something else that will give them an incentive to contact you.
• Create a Google Alert at www.google.com/alerts to help you track where your articles are posted to and when they come out (set either your name or the title of your article as the Alert).
• Manage your expectations. Writing and submitting articles to various websites will rarely result in a new client. There are three major reasons why you should use this technique: (1) It will increase your visibility on the Internet. The search engines love free information (which is what your article is). (2) It will increase the number of visitors to your website through the direct links at the bottom of each article and by increasing the position of your website on the search engines. (3) It will increase your credibility. When an important prospect searches for your name on the Internet and comes up blank, that doesn’t look good. Having several websites with your articles posted on them immediately increases your credibility to prospects investigating which lawyer they want to hire.

Take action fast. One of the hallmarks of a top rainmaker is the ability to take action fast. It’s easy to put things off. It’s easier still to stay a cynic. The real challenge is acting on what you have learned.

Here’s my challenge to you: Write down three to five specific strategies you will start implementing in the next 30 days. Give yourself realistic time frames and find someone to hold you accountable. Then go out and take action.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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.

More than 7,000 attorneys from law firms all over the country have experienced powerful results from attending the Becoming A Rainmaker seminar. It has been sponsored by more than 22 of the largest state and local bar associations.

In this information-packed audio program, you will discover:

• How to generate more leads by using education-based marketing
• The relationship between credibility, visibility, tangibility, and consistency
• How to position your small firm as an industry leader
• The importance of being perceived as a specialist
• Why most advertising is a waste of your money
• What to expect from a Yellow Pages ad
• The 3 marketing strategies that will produce 80% of your results
• How to influence the Know, Like and Trust factors
• Common marketing mistakes lawyers make and how to avoid them
• How to answer the question, "Why should I buy from you?"
• Specific ways you can set yourself apart from low-cost lawyers
• What to do with the 15% of the population that always buys on price
• Ways to attract your Ideal Target Market
• The 6 stage sales process you must follow for maximum success

To order yours now, click here.
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Even more strategies for becoming a Rainmaker on the Internet:

Use video to keep visitors’ attention. Now here’s a truly depressing statistic: On average, 85 percent of your website’s visitors will stay for less than 30 seconds and will never return. Seriously? Yes. If you don’t believe me, check for yourself. Look at your website’s statistics log and see how many unique visitors you have and how long they stay on average. (Virtually every website has at least a basic statistics package; just ask your website tech or hosting company how to access it. If you are not already using Google Analytics, have your tech install it. It’s much better than most. And it’s free.)

The bottom line is that you literally have less than 30 seconds to impress your website visitors. I believe all of us would agree that the longer visitors stay on your website, the more likely they are to connect with you.

One of the best ways to increase the length of time a visitor stays is by using videos. Anecdotally, our clients have seen a four- to fivefold increase in length of stay after implementing videos on their websites. These videos should be one to three minutes long and focus on educating prospects and website visitors about who you are, who you help, and why you are different. These videos do not need to be professionally produced, but you may want to have someone add a short introduction including your website and phone number. Once you have your video ready, upload it to your website—and to www.youtube.com for additional exposure. Visitors are more concerned with content than production quality. If allowed in your jurisdiction, use video testimonials from your clients as well.


Key Action Points:
• The longer someone stays on your website, the greater likelihood they will connect with you.
• Use videos to quickly capture their attention.
• Your videos should educate prospects about who you are, who you help, and why you are different.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

FREE "Top 10 Mistakes Attorneys Make and How to Avoid Them" E-book

In a newly revised e-book, legal marketing expert Stephen Fairley outlines 10 of the most common marketing mistakes attorneys make that can lead to the failure of their business, and provides specific strategies and proven principles for avoiding these deadly errors.

Get your complimentary copy online here.

Regardless of your specific situation, this free e-book will help you examine how you are currently finding new clients and recommend specific steps you can immediately start using to grow your practice.

We have helped thousands of attorneys achieve their goals of creating a financially successful and personally satisfying legal practice. In this e-book you will discover specific principles and tools you can use to grow your practice, too. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The end of the old year and the beginning of a new year makes us all think about setting new goals.  It’s easy to set goals; the hard part is staying focused on them long enough to accomplish them.

If a goal is important enough to have, then it’s important enough to write down.  Carve out 2 hours, get out of your office, turn off your cell phone, and go somewhere creative and relaxing.  Here are some of the areas for you to think about:

Financial goals for your business --Don’t just focus on the money; focus on how you will get there.  If your average trademark client spends $5,000 with you, how many new clients do you need to break $500,000 this year? (Answer: 100). That works out to about 2 new clients per week.  Unless you want a high volume law practice, you will need to develop a way to up-sell new clients into higher-end services.

Practice Area Specific Goals -- How many new estate plans do you want to do in the next 6 months?  How many new trials are you willing to take on this year?

Marketing Goals --All the top law firms in the country recognize the importance of marketing and business development.  You need to set measurable marketing goals. “I will meet with 4 new referral sources every month.” How are you going to meet them?  Who is going to set those meetings up?  Who will do the follow up?

Strategic Business Goals-- This is where you start to think big about your practice.  Challenge yourself, how can you come up with another $100,000 this year? How can you go from your current 5 referral sources to 30 in the next 6 months?

Personal Goals --Perhaps you need to schedule a vacation for yourself every quarter.  Maybe you have an idea for a new business venture.  What place does your family, friends and significant other hold in your life?

Above all, make sure your goals are S.M.A.R.T. -- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-oriented, and Timed.  A good goal needs to incorporate all of these criteria.
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

With all the law firm Internet marketing options available to you today, it can be difficult to determine which ones to implement.

It can be equally difficult to decide what mixture of different advertising and marketing media will give you the best response rate.

So how do you decide which law firm Internet marketing mediums to invest in, and which to leave for your competition?

Below are three key items to consider when deciding which law firm Internet marketing tactics to use:

The habits of your target clientele – If your target client is aged 18 to 35, it is likely they rely heavily on social media to communicate and to get their information. Your advertising and outreach marketing efforts should leverage those habits.

Your area of practice – Much the way the habits of your clientele influence your marketing mediums, your area of practice should influence your choices and the way you deliver your message.

If your area of practice is estate planning, for example, you would do well to advertise in more traditional media such as senior’s magazines (both electronic and print).

Your competition – If your competitors are all using Google Adwords and targeting the same keywords, you may want to refocus your law firm Internet marketing in an area less crowded. Or find a way to differentiate yourself among all the others.
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Developing a robust marketing email list should be at the core of your law firm marketing effort to build credible, long-lasting, relationships with your clients.

Whether you're in the beginning stages of building your law firm marketing prospect list or the mid-to-late stages in which you’re seeing clients from that list choose you again and again. . . . the key is to build, cultivate and vet the list on an ongoing basis.

The overall law firm marketing goal of your list is to cultivate relationships that move the prospect to become a client.

The value of “Opt Out” -- allowing prospects on your law firm marketing distribution list to leave your list at any time and for any reason they like – is that it helps you reach your goal of creating a highly motivated core list of clients and prospects more quickly.

Of course, there are many law firm marketing planners who believe that openly allowing prospects to leave their list only encourages them to do so.

And that may be true.

The question is – why would you want to keep sending free legal information to an individual who doesn’t want it, won’t use it and isn’t interested in your services?

On the other hand, if by allowing those individuals to leave your list, you are actually increasing the health of your list.

You are refining it into a tighter, healthier, more highly focused, highly motivate group of individuals who are interested in what you have to say and the services you have to offer.

So, don’t hide the “Opt out” box in fine print at the bottom of your newsletters or bury it in text in your e-mail tips or create a long, convoluted process for them to remove their name.

Display the “Opt out” box prominently along with a succinct message that spells out what they will be missing – insightful answers to their most pressing legal questions at no cost.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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.

More than 7,000 attorneys from law firms all over the country have experienced powerful results from attending the Becoming A Rainmaker seminar. It has been sponsored by more than 22 of the largest state and local bar associations.

In this information-packed audio program, you will discover:

• How to generate more leads by using education-based marketing
• The relationship between credibility, visibility, tangibility, and consistency
• How to position your small firm as an industry leader
• The importance of being perceived as a specialist
• Why most advertising is a waste of your money
• What to expect from a Yellow Pages ad
• The 3 marketing strategies that will produce 80% of your results
• How to influence the Know, Like and Trust factors
• Common marketing mistakes lawyers make and how to avoid them
• How to answer the question, "Why should I buy from you?"
• Specific ways you can set yourself apart from low-cost lawyers
• What to do with the 15% of the population that always buys on price
• Ways to attract your Ideal Target Market
• The 6 stage sales process you must follow for maximum success

To order yours now, click here.
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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 some specific strategies to help you bootstrap your way to marketing success:

Done is Better Than Perfect.  When it comes to marketing your law firm, almost is almost always good enough!  Get your website or blog to the point where it’s good enough and then launch it!  You can always tinker with the photos at a later time.

I have encountered far too many attorneys who micromanage the marketing process to the point where nothing is done.  Which means, of course, nothing is accomplished.

Niche Your Practice to Get on the Fast Path to Riches
.  I know you have heard me say this before, and 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.

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

Including highly specific categories in your niche will keep you on track, plus it’s easier to identify who these people or businesses are, so be sure you specify 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 some attorneys say they are doubling their advertising spend, 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 growing a law firm, but they are wasting their precious cash flow while you are investing it wisely on strategies that actually work.

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.

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 kill your profit margins and destroy your chances at long-term wealth.  Emphasize price at your own peril.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Free CD:  Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices

Get your free CD on Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices by #1 Best-Selling Author And Nationally Recognized Law Firm Marketing Expert Stephen Fairley, and listen as he reveals A Proven System To Generate More and Better Referrals, Find New Clients Fast, and Fill Your Law Practice! 

Discover:

• How 1 piece of simple technology in your practice will drastically increase your communication with prospects, clients and referral sources – resulting in a major revenue boost
• 5 ways to market and position yourself as a recognized expert
• How 2 Attorneys promoted their law firms to over 100,000 people for less than $100 in 2 hours
• The 1 item you must absolutely have to create a Million Dollar Law Practice (hint: Not having this will almost guarantee your failure!)
• 6 BIGGEST secrets to generating more and better referrals
• How to create a proven network of 30 new Strategic Referral Partners in the next 90 days

To obtain your free CD, click here now.
 



 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

A survey of small business owners by American Express OPEN regarding social media habits shows that in the past year, social networking use has quadrupled.

In September 2010, 39 percent of small business owners surveyed said they used social media marketing, compared with just 10 percent one year ago.  The key driver is sales – attracting new customers by connecting with them online. 

 

The preferred social network for small business owners is Facebook, followed by LinkedIn and Twitter.

Attorneys and law firms should consider using social media, but keep it in its place. In other words, be sure you are focusing on the major parts of your marketing first like generating referrals from current and former clients, seeking referrals from other professionals (attorneys and non-legal professionals), networking, getting your website up, blogging, THEN using social media.

Social media is the #1 fastest way to build your platform (how many people know who you are, who you help and how you are different).

The Rainmaker Institute has close to 60,000 people following us on Twitter and several thousand ‘fans’ and friends on Facebook.

Social media can also be the most cost effective way to build your list.  The key to social media is to build your platform and then entice them to visit your blog or website to opt-in to your list using a free special report or free CD or DVD or newsletter.

Let us know if you want some help in figuring out how to get started or how to leverage social media to build your list and generate leads for your law firm.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Practice Made Perfect for Lawyers CD Set

The Practice Made Perfect CD set and manual applies Stephen Fairley’s unique High Impact Marketing System to the practice-building challenges faced by solo practitioners and partners at small law firms.

It includes dozens of specific marketing and sales recommendations that can be easily and quickly applied to your firm, including:

• The only 7 sure-fire ways to get clients in your door NOW
• Why advertising doesn’t work for most small law firms
• The 7 reasons why people don’t buy from you  
• How to market and sell with USP’s (Unique Selling Proposition)  
• Using audio logos to attract immediate attention for your business
• Using low-cost, high impact marketing strategies  
• Strategies for achieving maximum results from all of your marketing efforts  
• How to discover your Ideal Target Market
• 3 critical factors to remember when looking for new clients
• The NEW sales cycle for professional services
• How to retain your best clients

Click here to order your Practice Made Perfect for Lawyers CD set and manual now.




 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

I’m in San Diego today with attorney John Bisnar, Managing Partner of one of southern California’s most successful personal injury law firms, to present a seminar this evening on Proven Marketing Strategies to Increase Referrals and Revenue for Small Firms and Solos.

Sponsored by the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego and the San Diego County Bar, this three-hour seminar will be filled with specific strategies, systematic techniques, and direct dialogue about what's working and what's not right now in this difficult economy.

Here are some of the points we’ll be covering tonight starting at 5:30 p.m.:

• The Secrets to Building a 7 Figure Lifestyle Law Firm
• The #1 reason why you are not getting more referrals from your clients and 3 ways to solve this problem
• How to build a network of over 30 new referral sources in the next 6 months
• Why most of your advertising does not work and how to fix it fast before it sinks your firm
• Case studies of attorneys who are using Internet marketing and blogs to dominate their competition online and generate massive revenues
• Why “Micromanaging the Client Experience” is a singular way to stand apart from your competitors
• 7 ways to find new clients fast and how to select the best ones for your law firm
• Demystifying social media strategies—what works and what doesn't and how to stop wasting your time and start leveraging your online connections
• Effective tools for maximizing your networking efforts
• Low cost and no cost techniques for standing apart from bigger competitors
• How to fix your follow up system and increase your lead conversion rates
• How to ethically position yourself as a specialist
• Ethical guidelines in advertising, what you can and cannot say
• How to build a massive platform of people who know you, like you, trust you and will refer others to you
• Why your law firm can't afford to hire anything less than a “Superstar”

The seminar will kick off with a light networking dinner at 5 p.m.  The presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at 8:45 p.m.

To register online or for more information, click here or call 619-696-1166.

***************************************************

Free CD:  Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices

Get your free CD on Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices by #1 Best-Selling Author And Nationally Recognized Law Firm Marketing Expert Stephen Fairley, and listen as he reveals A Proven System To Generate More and Better Referrals, Find New Clients Fast, and Fill Your Law Practice!

Discover:

• How 1 piece of simple technology in your practice will drastically increase your communication with prospects, clients and referral sources – resulting in a major revenue boost
• 5 ways to market and position yourself as a recognized expert
• How 2 Attorneys promoted their law firms to over 100,000 people for less than $100 in 2 hours
• The 1 item you must absolutely have to create a Million Dollar Law Practice (hint: Not having this will almost guarantee your failure!)
• 6 BIGGEST secrets to generating more and better referrals
• How to create a proven network of 30 new Strategic Referral Partners in the next 90 days

To obtain your free CD, visit www.lawfirmmarketingstrategies.com.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

For law firms that target seniors – whether you have an estate planning practice or a growing niche in elder law – comes affirmation of why social media marketing should be a part of your law firm marketing plan.

According to a study by Pew Internet & American Life Project:

• Between April 2009 and May 2010, social networking use among Internet users ages 50-64 grew by 88%--from 25% to 47%.
• During the same period, use among those ages 65 and older grew 100%--from 13% to 26%.
• One in five (20%) online adults ages 50-64 say they use social networking sites on a typical day, up from 10% one year ago.
• Among adults ages 65 and older, 13% log on to social networking sites on a typical day, compared with just 4% who did so in 2009.
• One in ten (11%) online adults ages 50-64 and one in twenty (5%) online adults ages 65 and older now say they use Twitter or another service to share updates about themselves or see updates about others.

The research showed that seniors like social networking for its capability to reconnect them with people from their past, communicate across generational gaps and provide support online for those facing health and aging issues.

Whatever the reasons, it is clear that seniors are increasing their use of social networking in growing numbers – great news for law firms that serve seniors who can now reach prospects with targeted messaging better and cheaper.

*************************************************************

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.

More than 7,000 attorneys from law firms all over the country have experienced powerful results from attending the Becoming A Rainmaker seminar. It has been sponsored by more than 22 of the largest state and local bar associations.

In this information-packed audio program, you will discover:

• How to generate more leads by using education-based marketing
• The relationship between credibility, visibility, tangibility, and consistency
• How to position your small firm as an industry leader
• The importance of being perceived as a specialist
• Why most advertising is a waste of your money
• What to expect from a Yellow Pages ad
• The 3 marketing strategies that will produce 80% of your results
• How to influence the Know, Like and Trust factors
• Common marketing mistakes lawyers make and how to avoid them
• How to answer the question, "Why should I buy from you?"
• Specific ways you can set yourself apart from low-cost lawyers
• What to do with the 15% of the population that always buys on price
• Ways to attract your Ideal Target Market
• The 6 stage sales process you must follow for maximum success

To order yours now, click here.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

This weekend is Halloween, but for too long, too many people have been acting scared.  Fear and negativity are pervasive everywhere you look these days, and it’s not just because of the mid-term elections. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of hearing how bad the economy is.  I’m tired of hearing hyped up stories in the media that feed on fear.  I’m tired of hearing about how people are helpless and how there’s nothing you can do but wait out the storm.

I’m not sticking my head in the sand, but I do believe if you only focus on negativity and fear that’s exactly what you will see and experience.  There are three dangers to allowing your life and your law firm to be driven by negativity and fear:

Fear Kills Your Creativity.
 Fear induces stress which lowers your innate ability to solve problems.

Fear Kills Your Confidence.
 As business owners these are times when we need to act with confidence and clarity.  Fear will stifle your ability to think clearly and act decisively.

Fear Kills Your Competency.
 If you have ever had a manager who micromanaged your every action, you will recall that it undermined your feelings of competency.  When you allow fear to be a primary motivator, you will doubt your every decision.

Here are three ways you can replace fear and negativity with focus and positivity:

Focus On Being A Positive Person.
 Positive people attract other positive people.  When your attention is on being positive you will draw clients and referral sources to you who are also positive.  Find people who are doing great things and moving in the right direction and get to know them.

Focus On Positive Solutions For Clients.
 People are looking for solutions that actually work in the real world.  As their attorney, you have a responsibility to provide them with positive solutions.  The more effective your solutions, the more attractive you will become to prospects, clients and referral sources.

Focus On Keeping Your Staff Positive.
 Everyone can use a little more encouragement and positive reinforcement these days.  Even though your firm may be going through a tough time economically, you can still emphasize what your staff did right and say thanks.

Another Source For Positive Solutions

Our last Rainmaker Retreat for 2010 will be in San Francisco on November 5 & 6. The Rainmaker is a 2-Day Marketing Boot Camp for small firm and solo practice attorneys that provides a wealth of information on how they can boost their revenues and increase the effectiveness of their law firm marketing strategies. 

Today is the last day to get in on Early Bird pricing for this session, and the savings are nothing to say Boo! about.  And neither are the over 62 proven tools you can immediately use to generate more and better referrals and increase your revenues that you will learn over a Rainmaker Retreat weekend that will change your life, and law firm, forever.

Go to www.rainmakerretreat.com to register online or call 888-588-5891.

*************************************************

Are you looking for specific marketing strategies you can use in your law firm?

Then order the Rainmaker in a Box 5-DVD set!

Some of the information and strategies you will learn include:

• The 5 Immutable Secrets to Building a 7-Figure Law Practice
• Secrets of Building a Referral-based Law Practice for Busy Practitioners
• The Top 6 Most Powerful Online Marketing Strategies for Attorneys
• Action, Accountability and Next Steps

This program also includes a data DVD which includes all 4 PowerPoint slides for all 4 presentations. 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.


 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On Tuesday, Nov. 9, you are invited to join the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego and the San Diego County Bar as they present an information-packed 3-hour live seminar featuring attorney John Bisnar, Managing Partner of one of southern California’s most successful personal injury law firms, and yours truly on Proven Marketing Strategies to Increase Referrals and Revenue for Small Firms and Solos.

For many attorneys the last few years have been the most difficult of their entire career and many newly minted attorneys have had to scramble just to make ends meet. Yet some law firms are experiencing the best years they have ever had. Why? What are they doing they you aren't?

If you are ready to hear the truth about succeeding in this economy...If you are ready to transform the way you market and run your law firm...then we invite you to join us for a powerful evening filled with specific strategies, systematic techniques, and direct dialogue about what's working and what's not right now.

When you attend here's what you will discover:

• The Secrets to Building a 7 Figure Lifestyle Law Firm
• The #1 reason why you are not getting more referrals from your clients and 3 ways to solve this problem
• How to build a network of over 30 new referral sources in the next 6 months
• Why most of your advertising does not work and how to fix it fast before it sinks your firm
• Case studies of attorneys who are using Internet marketing and blogs to dominate their competition online and generate massive revenues
• Why “Micromanaging the Client Experience” is a singular way to stand apart from your competitors
• 7 ways to find new clients fast and how to select the best ones for your law firm
• Demystifying social media strategies—what works and what doesn't and how to stop wasting your time and start leveraging your online connections
• Effective tools for maximizing your networking efforts
• Low cost and no cost techniques for standing apart from bigger competitors
• How to fix your follow up system and increase your lead conversion rates
• How to ethically position yourself as a specialist
• Ethical guidelines in advertising, what you can and cannot say
• How to build a massive platform of people who know you, like you, trust you and will refer others to you
• Why your law firm can't afford to hire anything less than a “Superstar”

By attending, you also receive 2 Hours General and 1 Hour Ethics MCLE Credits (CASD is a state bar approved MCLE provider).  Both CASD & SDCBA members are able to attend at the discounted member price.

The seminar will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 9, and will kick off with a light networking dinner at 5 p.m.  The presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at 8:45 p.m.

To register online or for more information, click here or call 619-696-1166.

*********************************************************

Free CD:  Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices

Get your free CD on Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices by #1 Best-Selling Author And Nationally Recognized Law Firm Marketing Expert Stephen Fairley, and listen as he reveals A Proven System To Generate More and Better Referrals, Find New Clients Fast, and Fill Your Law Practice! 

Discover:

• How 1 piece of simple technology in your practice will drastically increase your communication with prospects, clients and referral sources – resulting in a major revenue boost
• 5 ways to market and position yourself as a recognized expert
• How 2 Attorneys promoted their law firms to over 100,000 people for less than $100 in 2 hours
• The 1 item you must absolutely have to create a Million Dollar Law Practice (hint: Not having this will almost guarantee your failure!)
• 6 BIGGEST secrets to generating more and better referrals
• How to create a proven network of 30 new Strategic Referral Partners in the next 90 days

To obtain your free CD, visit www.lawfirmmarketingstrategies.com.
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Digital research firm eMarketer released a report last week about how blogging has become more fully integrated into marketing communications. 

According to PRNewswire and PRWeek statistics, about one-third of journalists reported they used corporate blogs as research sources in 2010, up from one-quarter a year ago.  Almost two-thirds of journalists use blogs to publish and promote what they write, so it is apparent that blogs have become a widely accepted and credible source among the fourth estate.

Here is a graphic showing the results of an April 2010 survey among journalists on the research tools they use when developing a story:

Journalists operate on tight deadlines, so the use of the Internet as an information-gathering tool for stories should not be a surprise to anyone.  However, this also reinforces the need for attorneys looking for press coverage to have a robust law firm Internet marketing plan in place to help accomplish this goal.

**************************************************

Exclusive Rainmaker Retreat Preview Call – Learn Before You Go!

If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 7,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then register now for our one-hour complimentary teleseminar hosted by Rainmaker Institute CEO Stephen Fairley.

Sign up now for one of these upcoming one-hour teleseminars:

Tuesday, October 26, 2010


11am-12pm Pacific | 12-1pm Mountain | 1-2pm Central | 2-3pm Eastern

Thursday, November 4, 2010


1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern

Join us and learn why the Rainmaker Retreat is the one law firm marketing boot camp you cannot afford to miss!

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

After days of rainy weather that have made the national news, the weather forecast for Scottsdale this weekend is “abundant sunshine”.

And the forecast for this weekend’s Scottsdale 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 the Rainmaker Retreat he attended in May?  Here’s what he had to say:

At this point in my life, I've seen and heard a lot, and I figure that if I get one single good idea out of a seminar, it was time and money well spent.

At the Rainmaker Retreat, I finally lot track of the great ideas I picked up after about twenty. And the hits kept coming.

Now, ideas are a dime a dozen, and you can certainly read and study and learn about rainmaking for fun and profit without every attending a seminar with the Rainmaker Institute.

But why would you?

Your time has value. Of course, you may just like to do things the hard way. That's okay with me, of course.

But the unique value of the Rainmaker Retreat Seminar I attended is this, and in this it's different from all the books and seminars I have absorbed in the last thirty years of my practice: it teaches a systematic approach to making water fall from the sky.

That's a systematic approach to old-school rainmaking and online rainmaking. Both. Not one. Both. In that sense, it's really two seminars in one.

So lemme summarize: ideas are a dime a dozen. You will get a hundred great ideas and a system to make it rain without end at your law office if you attend The Rainmaker Institute Rainmaker Retreat.

And if you apply those ideas in your practice, you will have, in my humble opinion, a massive competitive advantage over your classmates in causing the sky to give up it's precipitation.

I recommend the Rainmaker Retreat Seminar without reservation.
 

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 Scottsdale with a specific plan – uniquely suited to you and your firm – that will help you create a successful and highly satisfying legal practice!

Register today to reserve your place at the upcoming Rainmaker Retreat in Scottsdale on Oct. 22-23 or in San Francisco on Nov. 5-6.

********************************************************

Exclusive Rainmaker Retreat Preview Call – Learn Before You Go!

If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 7,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then register now for our one-hour complimentary teleseminar hosted by Rainmaker Institute CEO Stephen Fairley.

Sign up now for one of these upcoming one-hour teleseminars:

Wednesday, October 20, 2010
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern

Tuesday, October 26, 2010
11am-12pm Pacific | 12-1pm Mountain | 1-2pm Central | 2-3pm Eastern

Thursday, November 4, 2010
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern

Join us and learn why the Rainmaker Retreat is the one law firm marketing boot camp you cannot afford to miss!

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

This week Facebook and Microsoft’s search engine Bing announced a new partnership that could mean big things for online legal marketing, especially when it comes to search engine marketing and referrals.

Facebook and Bing are now making search social by featuring a Facebook “Like” icon that tells you what your friends have liked as the result of that search.  In addition, Bing will improve its people search function by prioritizing the names that come up by the number of your friends who know them. 

And that’s just the start.  The next step they say is surfacing people who are experts in specific subjects.  Like divorce law.  Or real estate law.  Or personal injury law.  You get the opportunity, right?

More and more, people are turning to online recommendations from people they know and even those they don’t know.  Obviously, if your friend “likes” a particular law firm or attorney, you would be more inclined to choose them for yourself.

Stay tuned.  This could be big.

**********************************************

Can’t Make It to a Rainmaker Retreat?  Then Have One Delivered to You!

Over 7,000 attorneys from hundreds of law firms across the country have discovered how to generate more referrals and find new clients by simply applying our Rainmaker Marketing System.

Here's just a sample of what you will discover in our Rainmaker Retreat Live! 6 CD set audio program:

• Over 22 proven strategies for attracting more and better clients
• How to create powerful relationships with over 30 new Referral Sources in 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.  You will also get the same 70-page marketing manual used at all our Rainmaker Retreats.

Click here to order your copy of Rainmaker Retreat Live!
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

If you are like many attorneys, this economy has really taken a toll on you.

Fewer clients are calling for repeat work...fewer people are willing to pay your fees. 

More clients are paying slowly...or not at all. 
If this sounds like your law firm, there is hope.

Join us for a complimentary Rainmaker Retreat Preview Call one week from today – Wednesday, October 20 at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET.

Go here to register: www.RainmakerRetreat.com/previewcall

Join us to 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

Schedule an hour next week to pick up the phone and learn about the opportunities you can create for your law firm using a proven legal marketing system that has already helped over 7,000 attorneys find more and better clients.

Register now for the free call at: www.RainmakerRetreat.com/previewcall 
or call: 888-588-5891.

***************************************************

Phoenix Legal Networking Group: Learn How to Use Blogs and Internet Marketing to Generate More Leads at our October 19 Meeting

At the October 19 Phoenix Legal Networking Group meeting, Stephen Fairley will make a presentation on How to Use Blogs and Internet Marketing to Generate More Leads.  Join us next Tuesday to discover:

• Why blogs are one of the most effective lead generation tools—if you do it right
• Top reasons every law firm should have a blog
• Proven ways to use your blog to generate leads
• Top 10 questions about law firm blogging answered
• 3 major benefits for law firms that blog
• How long it will take for your blog to produce revenue

The event will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 19 at Monti’s, 100 S. Mill Ave. in Tempe.

Cost is $20 per person if you register by October 15, $30 if you register by October 18 or $35 on the day of the event.  This covers drinks, hors d’oeurves, the networking event and the workshop.

To register for the October 19 networking and legal marketing event, co-hosted by FindLaw, Attorney at Law Magazine and The Rainmaker Institute, visit www.therainmakerretreat.com/network/ or call 888-816-8935.


• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Earlier this year, inbound marketing software company HubSpot released a study of lead generation best practices from an analysis of 1,400 small and mid-sized businesses.  The findings are equally applicable to law firm marketing.

Basically, the study found that there are four major factors that have a significant impact on lead generation:

Indexed Pages in Google.  The growth in leads accelerates substantially – 236 percent – once a website has more than 300 pages indexed in Google.  Also, the size of your firm is not a critical factor in achieving a significant number of Google indexed pages.  You can build page volume very quickly with a blog.

Rank in Google’s Top 100 Results for Many Keywords.  Sites that ranked in Google’s Top 100 for 26-51 keywords generated twice as many leads as those that ranked for less than 13 keywords.  The takeaway:  unique, interesting content with as many distinct keywords as possible helps you generate leads.

Blogs.  Firms with blogs generated 67 percent more leads.  Those that had blogs of more than 52 articles generated 77 percent more leads.  Enough said.  Blog and do it often.

Twitter for B2C.  B2C Twitter users generate twice as many leads as those without a Twitter account.  The biggest jump in leads take place once a company has over 100 followers.

If you are wondering how to generate more leads for your legal services, then you should consider integrating these four strategies into your law firm Internet marketing program.

***********************************************

FREE "Top 10 Mistakes Attorneys Make and How to Avoid Them" E-book

In a newly revised e-book, legal marketing expert Stephen Fairley outlines 10 of the most common marketing mistakes attorneys make that can lead to the failure of their business, and provides specific strategies and proven principles for avoiding these deadly errors.

Get your complimentary copy online here.

Regardless of your specific situation, this free e-book will help you examine how you are currently finding new clients and recommend specific steps you can immediately start using to grow your practice.

We have helped thousands of attorneys achieve their goals of creating a financially successful and personally satisfying legal practice. In this e-book you will discover specific principles and tools you can use to grow your practice, too. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

At our October 19 Phoenix Legal Networking Group meeting, I will be making a presentation about How to Use Blogs and Internet Marketing 
to Generate More Leads.

Join us on October 19 to discover:

• Why blogs are one of the most effective lead generation tools—if you do it right
• Top reasons every law firm should have a blog
• Proven ways to use your blog to generate leads
• Top 10 questions about law firm blogging answered
• 3 major benefits for law firms that blog
• How long it will take for your blog to produce revenue

The marketing seminar is during the second hour of our monthly meetings.  You’ll spend the first hour networking with other attorneys who could be great additions to your referral network in the Phoenix area.  After only five gatherings, we’ve already heard about jumps in referral activity from attorneys who have met some great new referral sources here.

So who should attend?

Partners at small law firms who want to reconnect with colleagues and discover new and innovative ways to increase their referrals and revenues and are open to new ideas.

Solo practitioners who want to find new clients fast on a shoestring budget and want to build relationships with other Phoenix area attorneys.

Of Counsel Attorneys who need to learn how to bring in more business to the firm.

Associates who are looking to grow their book of business or who want to get on the partner track.

Law Firm Staff—including Business/Office Managers, Paralegals, and other Office Staff who are looking for more referral sources and want to help grow their law firm with more connections.

The networking event and marketing seminar will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 19 at Monti’s, 100 S. Mill Ave. in Tempe.

Cost is $20 per person if you register by October 15, $30 if you register by October 18 and $35 on the day of the event.  This covers drinks, hors d’oeurves, the networking event and the workshop.

To register for our October 19 networking and legal marketing event, co-hosted by FindLaw, Attorney at Law Magazine and The Rainmaker Institute, visit www.therainmakerretreat.com/network/ or call 888-816-8935.

**********************************************

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 -- go here to order now!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

We may have all heard that the Great Recession is over, but I don’t really know how many of us are feeling a recovery.  At best, the recovery is predicted to be a slow one – about one percent per year – which means that for your practice to thrive (or even survive), you need to think about doing things differently.

Now is not the time to coddle your sacred cows. It's time to challenge the traditional ways of doing business. To think creatively about your business model. What may have made sense in the past may no longer work.

Creative thinking involves breaking out of one pattern in order to create a new one.  All too often, we become ensnared by the familiar phenomenon:

We make rules based on reasons that make a lot of sense.

We follow these rules.

Time passes and things change.

The original reasons for the rules may no longer exist, but because the rules are still in place, we continue to follow them.

Ask yourself these challenging questions:

• How can you provide the same level of services at a lower cost?
• How price-sensitive is your target market?
• How can you structure payments to better fit the new financial realities in our economy?
• What parts of your practice make the most profit?
• Should you expand your practice areas or get rid of one?
• Should you really hire another associate or paralegal or could you outsource it to a part-time contractor for half the price?
• Does your current client base present opportunities for growth? 

Start by making at least one change in your practice that makes sense today, and continue to identify those areas that no longer serve your best interest or your bottom line.

Maybe you just need some new ideas to spark that new train of thought.  Well, you can get those by attending a Rainmaker Retreat. 

I’m in New Jersey all this week presenting Becoming a Rainmaker seminars in different locations around the state that are sponsored by the New Jersey State Bar Association and local County Bars.  Go to www.BecomingARainmaker.com/njsba -- there is still time to sign up!

I will also be holding a session of our two-day legal marketing boot camp this Friday and Saturday in New Brunswick at the New Jersey Law Center.  There’s a special discount available for NJSBA members.  Go to www.rainmakerretreat.com to sign up for this session or one of our upcoming sessions in Scottsdale and San Francisco.

*************************************

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.

More than 7,000 attorneys from law firms all over the country have experienced powerful results from attending the Becoming A Rainmaker seminar. It has been sponsored by more than 22 of the largest state and local bar associations.

In this information-packed audio program, you will discover:

• How to generate more leads by using education-based marketing
• The relationship between credibility, visibility, tangibility, and consistency
• How to position your small firm as an industry leader
• The importance of being perceived as a specialist
• Why most advertising is a waste of your money
• What to expect from a Yellow Pages ad
• The 3 marketing strategies that will produce 80% of your results
• How to influence the Know, Like and Trust factors
• Common marketing mistakes lawyers make and how to avoid them
• How to answer the question, "Why should I buy from you?"
• Specific ways you can set yourself apart from low-cost lawyers
• What to do with the 15% of the population that always buys on price
• Ways to attract your Ideal Target Market
• The 6 stage sales process you must follow for maximum success

To order yours now, click here.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Law firm marketing is a competitive business. And there are many reasons why certain law firms fail to thrive or even survive.

However, in my working with more than 7,000 attorneys over the years, I’ve discovered that there are essentially 3 main reasons why attorneys succeed in growing their practices:

Time
Attorneys who succeed in marketing and growing their firms dedicate time to law firm marketing.  It may not always be their time, but they have someone who tends to the knitting day in and day out.  They know that the world is full of lawyers who don’t take the time to market themselves – and they use this to their advantage consistently. 

Systems
Firms that excel in legal marketing have systems in place to run, monitor and measure their law firm marketing programs.  leveraging technology, there are several simple systems attorneys can use to create a “lifestyle practice”—a practice that supports the lifestyle you want to lead, rather than one that dominates your life.

Strategy
Legal marketing gurus know that a comprehensive strategy to grow your law firm is essential to your long-term success. Otherwise you and your team lack direction.

When you use a proven legal marketing strategy that consistently produces results, you can then set up legal marketing systems that, in turn, free up your time while increasing your client base, thereby increasing your revenue.

And you can learn how to do it all by attending a Rainmaker Retreat, our two-day law firm marketing boot camp.  In just two days, you will learn:

• Step-by-step guidance in finding the best, most strategic referral partners
• How to cut costs by eliminating ineffective law firm marketing strategies
• Create a ‘Master Plan’ to guide your firm’s growth through marketing for lawyers
• How to focus your time, energy and dollars on the most effective law firm marketing techniques designed specifically for small and solo law firms
• Five proven strategies to get more attention, command more respect and charge higher fees
• How to leverage the Internet to create the most “buzz” for your firm
• How to create a steady stream of new referrals using law firm marketing techniques
• How to set your firm apart from your competitors

The Rainmaker Retreat dates for Fall are:

• October 8-9, 2010        New Brunswick, NJ
• October 22-23, 2010    Scottsdale, AZ
• November 5-6, 2010    San Francisco, CA

Early-bird registration for the Rainmaker Retreat is still available for a limited time. A special VIP registration is also available for attorneys looking for more personalized attention. We also offer special discounts for two or more people attending from the same firm.

Registration information is available by visiting the Rainmaker Retreat website, www.RainmakerRetreat.com or by calling 888-588-5891.

******************************************************

Learn Before You Go: Rainmaker Retreat Preview Call

If you are still unsure about attending a Rainmaker Retreat, I encourage you to join one of our FREE Preview Calls on:

Wednesday, October 6, 2010
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern

Tuesday, October 12, 2010
11am-12pm Pacific | 12-1pm Mountain | 1-2pm Central | 2-3pm Eastern

Wednesday, October 20, 2010
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern

The call will give you a preview of the valuable material that is taught at our 2-day Rainmaker Retreat.

Click here to register for a Preview Call.
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

LinkedIn, the most popular business social networking site used by attorneys, just announced that it has added new customization features to its Company Follow feature.  You can read all the details from the LinkedIn Blog, but here are the highlights you should care about and act on:

Company profiles are now more social.   You can now integrate your blog posts, Twitter feeds, company news and new job openings.  You can post more in-depth profiles of everyone in your firm, and incorporate quotes from them that talk about why your firm is so great. 

Company profiles are gold mines of insider information.  If you are using LinkedIn to follow companies, you can see from their profile page how many of your connections also have connections to the company.  You can also see the constitution of the company’s employee base, including statistics about job functions, educational degrees, years of experience and university attended (might be useful to know if any target clients attended your alma mater). And you can see how many of X Company’s LinkedIn users are also at Facebook or Twitter.

Company profiles are recruiting tools.  You can create a “Careers” page that gives visitors and potential employees insight into your firm, hear employees talk about their work experience and connect job seekers to recruiting managers directly.

For lawyers, it’s hard to beat LinkedIn as a vital social media tool for building referral sources.  The best uses of LinkedIn for attorneys:

Connect.  Use LinkedIn to connect with referral sources and joint venture partners.  One of the most compelling reasons to join LinkedIn is for the professional groups.  Do you practice real estate law?  There are 3,418 real estate groups on LinkedIn. Need to boost your visibility with finance professionals?  Join a few of the 1,852 finance professional groups on LinkedIn.

Boost Expertise Profile.  Joining and contributing to the discussion within the LinkedIn professional groups helps you build your profile as an expert in your area of law practice.

Boost Search Engine Ranking.  LinkedIn profiles rank high in Google and the other search engines.

Here are 8 steps to get you started on LinkedIn:

• Create a comprehensive profile for yourself and your firm
• Start by connecting with people you know (tip: use LinkedIn toolbar for Outlook)
• Recommend others and be recommended
• Join groups for attorneys, referral sources and prospects
• Start a group for your target market
• Answer questions
• Update your status at least three times every week
• List all your events on LinkedIn

I invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn at www.LinkedIn.com/in/StephenFairley.

*********************************************************

Upcoming Rainmaker Events in New Jersey

The information-packed Becoming a Rainmaker seminar is coming to New Jersey, October 5, 6 & 7, 2010 in a series of presentations sponsored by the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Bergen County Bar Association, Burlington County Bar Association, and the Morris County Bar Association.

These 2-hour seminars show small and solo practice attorneys how they can take charge of their practice and begin to build the business they have always wanted.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.



Burlington County Bar Association



Burlington County Court House, 49 Rancocas Rd., Mount Holly, NJ



Click here to register.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.



Morris County Bar Association



Old Court House, Washington and Court Streets, Morristown, NJ



Click here to register.

Thursday, October 7, 2010, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.



Bergen County Bar Association



George W. Newman Law Building, 15 Bergen St., Hackensack, NJ



Click here to register.

Admission to each presentation is $77 for Bar Association members and $97 for nonmembers.

For more information, call 888-816-8935 or email info@therainmakerinstitute.com.

++++++++

The Rainmaker Retreat – our most popular two-day legal marketing boot camp – will be held October 8-9 in New Brunswick, NJ at the New Jersey Law Center. 

Over two days, you will learn in detail about:

• Achieving Expert Status as an Attorney
• Building a Strategic Referral Network
• Creating Credibility in Your Practice Area
• Secrets of Highly Successful Attorneys
• Social Media for Small Law Firms
• Leveraging Technology: Beating the Big Firms on the Internet
• Generating More Clients Using the Power of Speaking
• Advanced Technology Tactics for Small Law Firms and Solo Practitioners

Registration information is available by visiting the Rainmaker Retreat website, www.RainmakerRetreat.com or by calling 888-588-5891.
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

In a new report on the influence of blogs, eMarketer found that in 2010, 51 percent of Internet users in the U.S. -- over 91 million – read blogs, and projects that usage to go to 60 percent (150 million) in four years. 

Folks, that’s a lot of folks.

The report finds that while social networks like Facebook and Twitter continue to be more popular, blogs hold a unique position in the online media landscape because they have become an accepted source of information. 

Like social media networks, blogging enables you to widen the circle of people you engage with for little or no cost to you except time.  When used properly, it becomes a clear, consistent voice for your practice. It entices prospects, referral sources, colleagues, clients and thought leaders to engage you in dialogue.

It keeps you top of mind. It builds visibility among your target clients. Ultimately, it earns you more of the kind of client you most desire.

Blogging is your forum to connect with the community at large and to make it clear that you are an expert in your field.

To make your blog a highly effective medium for your law firm marketing program, your blogging strategy should include:

• A topic list designed to engage your target audience
• A list of social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) to promote it
• A list and schedule for article marketing services to add visibility and to feed it to reporters and thought leaders
• An up to date blog that you write articles for at least 2 to 4 times per week
• A search engine optimization formula to increase your page rank

When you have all these things in place, you will create a blog that will enhance your overall law firm marketing efforts.

****************************************************

Stop Wasting Precious Time and Money

Feel like you don’t have time for marketing?  Let us show you how to make a plan that runs on “autopilot” – one that attracts new and lucrative clients while you focus on your practice.

Learn how easy it can be to create an effective law firm marketing plan that performs by getting our Free Guide: 5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan.

After working with many ultra-successful lawyers we found five common threads in their marketing plans. This guide outlines these shared elements to provide insight into strategies that work and how to make them work for you.

There are two versions: one for Attorneys in Solo Practice and one for Attorneys in a Small Firm.  You can download them now free!  Go here to download, and start using these proven strategies today!


 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Tomorrow I will be presenting a How To Guide for Marketing Your Law Firm Using Social Media – a live one-hour webinar that I know will be the best nonbillable hour you will ever spend if you want to learn how to grow your client base and boost your bottom line.

Here are the details:

Tuesday, September 21st at 3:00 pm ET


(2:00pm CT, 1:00pm MT, 12:00pm PT)


The one-hour webinar will cover:

• Review of 6 Major Social Media Tools
• Is Twitter a waste of time and do people really search for attorneys on Twitter?
• Twitter Terminology for New Users
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Video on Your Law Firm’s Website
• Creative Ways to Use YouTube to Promote Your Practice
• Why 68,000 Attorneys are already on YouTube
• The Importance of a Comprehensive Profile on Avvo
• Should You Consider Advertising on Avvo?
• One of the “Secret Weapons” to Rapidly Build Your Online Presence
• Using Online Article Marketing to Dominate Your Competition
• A long-term strategy to position yourself as an expert on the Internet
• Case Studies of Attorneys Using Social Media
• What works and what doesn't on each social media network
• Why legal blogs can give your firm a huge advantage over the competition
• Using your blog to generate quality leads for your law firm
• The 3 biggest mistakes attorneys make when blogging
• How to get started in 30 days with a new blog
• Why the research says having a blog is a “must have” for any law firm
• Why the frequency of your blog posts determines your lead generation
• How to Keep Social Media in Perspective

You can participate via phone and also via computer to see the live presentation.  A copy of the entire webinar and downloadable materials will be provided to you after the event.

Register online here for Unlocking the Secrets of Social Media Marketing for Attorneys on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010 at 3 p.m. ET.

Note:  If you enjoy this blog, please vote for us at the ABA Journal Top 100 Blogs site:  http://www.abajournal.com/blawgs/blawg100_submit/. Voting ends October 1.  Thank you!

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

If you’re a small law firm or solo practice with big growth plans, then you need to attend our Rainmaker Retreat law firm marketing boot camp in Scottsdale on October 22-23, where in just two days you will learn:

• More than 22 proven legal marketing strategies to attract more and better clients
• How to create powerful relationships with over 30 new Referral Sources in the next 90 days
• 5 Ways to automate your legal marketing using technology and the Internet
• 7 ways to find more clients fast and how to select the best ones for you
• 2 ways to promote your firm to 100,000 people for only $100
• 6 secrets top Rainmakers use to dominate their competition

More than 7,000 attorneys nationwide have discovered the secrets to building a lifestyle law practice through effective law firm marketing that is providing them with significantly greater income and the time to enjoy it all.

But don’t take our word for it; here’s some verbatim feedback from attorneys who attended our last two Rainmaker Retreat law firm marketing boot camps:

“The Rainmaker Retreat opened my eyes to the fact that I can work smarter, not harder, and make more money while doing it. Best of all, I learned step by step how to make it happen.”- Karla Hewitt, Esq.

“This seminar taught me to think outside the box and gave specific tools and action plans to attract clients and build my practice. I will start with referrals and automated follow-ups. There is a real 30 day and 90 day action plan.”- Leonard Schneider, Partner

“I am starting a new firm. I shudder to think what mistakes I might have made had I not done the retreat.”- Steve Rensch, Partner

“Potential to rebuild entire firm with what I learned over the past 2 days.”- Thomas Nowland, Partner

“I was absolutely shocked at how much I learned. Anyone who implements the strategies Stephen suggested will have more work than they can handle.”- Pierre Domercq, Associate

Each day is filled with sessions (with built-in Action Steps and Action Groups) to guide you in putting these law firm marketing strategies into practice immediately. You will leave Scottsdale with a specific plan – uniquely suited to you and your firm – that will help you to create a successful and highly satisfying legal practice!

Register today to reserve your place at the Rainmaker Retreat in Scottsdale at the outstanding Millennium Resort at Scottsdale McCormick Ranch – the discounted room rate expires on September 22, so be sure you sign up by then. 

October is the perfect time to visit Scottsdale and the McCormick Ranch Golf Club has two superb 18-hole championship golf courses, so come mix business with a little leisure!

**************************************************************

Exclusive Rainmaker Retreat Preview Call – Learn Before You Go!

If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 7,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then register now for our one-hour complimentary teleseminar.

Hosted by Rainmaker Institute CEO Stephen Fairley, this teleseminar will give you a preview of the valuable material that is taught at our 2-day Rainmaker Retreat legal marketing boot camp.

Sign up now for one of these upcoming one-hour teleseminars:

Wednesday, September 8, 2010
11am-12pm Pacific | 12-1pm Mountain | 1-2pm Central | 2-3pm Eastern

Tuesday, September 14, 2010
11am-12pm Pacific | 12-1pm Mountain | 1-2pm Central | 2-3pm Eastern

Wednesday, September 22, 2010
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern

Join us and learn why the Rainmaker Retreat is the one law firm marketing boot camp you cannot afford to miss!
 

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

At our Phoenix Legal Marketing Group meeting last week, we had over 40 attendees! A great turnout for August.  Referrals are starting to become a staple for the attorneys who attend. Several members reported receiving referrals from other attendees.

My presentation was on Finding Your Perfect Client: How To Find More Clients 
Who Need, Want And Can Afford Your Services.  The handout each attendee received featured some great information, including the 4 factors in determining your ideal target market:

Want to connect with other attorneys at small firms? Want to tap into local resources? Looking for ideas to jumpstart your marketing efforts? Then join us each month for the Phoenix Legal Networking Group!

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, Sept. 16, when I will make a presentation on how you can Double Your Referrals in 6 Months or Less.  Come and discover:

• The proven 8-step system used by hundreds of top attorneys to generate more and better referrals fast
• How to identify who the best referral sources are for you (and they usually aren't other attorneys)
• The #1 reason why you're not getting more referrals
• The best ways to meet potential referral sources
• 5 effective ways to follow up with referral sources

The event will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, September 16 at Monti’s, 100 S. Mill Ave. in Tempe.  Cost is only $20 per person. 



To register for this September 16 networking and legal marketing event, co-hosted by FindLaw, Attorney at Law Magazine and The Rainmaker Institute, click here. 


*****************************************************************

Exclusive Rainmaker Retreat Preview Call – Learn Before You Go!

If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 7,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then register now for our one-hour complimentary teleseminar.

Hosted by Rainmaker Institute CEO Stephen Fairley, this teleseminar will give you a preview of the valuable material that is taught at our 2-day Rainmaker Retreat as well as teach you:

• 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

Sign up now for one of these upcoming one-hour teleseminars:

Wednesday, August 25, 2010
11am-12pm Pacific | 12-1pm Mountain | 1-2pm Central | 2-3pm Eastern

Tuesday, August 31, 2010
1-2pm Pacific | 2-3pm Mountain | 3-4pm Central | 4-5pm Eastern

Wednesday, September 8, 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 This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Last month I talked about Florida Bar’s proposed new and “improved” legal ethics in advertising rules. Well, time for an update.

The Daily Business Review just reported the new proposed advertising rules for attorneys has caused quite a stir and has resulted in a lawsuit by the “Florida 8”—a group of 8 courageous law firms that decided they finally had enough (no, I'm not going to try and fake objectivity about this).

Basically, the new rules would require all law firms to go back and either remove all testimonials, case summaries and “deceptive, misleading, manipulative or confusing audio or visual content.”

The alternative would be to hide them behind an onerous pop-up box filled with legal disclaimers. Seriously? This is getting to the point of being ludicrous and is just one more sign of how out of touch the Florida Bar rule makers are.

The article interviews several of the plaintiffs. One firm estimated it would take around 3,000 man-hours to make these changes. Another estimated the cost to all law firms, based on which have offices in Florida, to be in the millions of dollars. Apart from the obvious reasons of: it will take too much time and cost too much money, there are other major problems with these rules:

1.  The rules the Florida Supreme Court and Bar proposed are unreasonable and unfairly hurt small and solo firms that are much more dependent on their websites and blogs to generate leads and business.

Even during great economic times, small firms and solo practitioners simply do not have the million-dollar advertising budgets of the Am200 law firms to compete on mass media like TV, radio, newspaper and billboards.

They have to rely on guerrilla marketing strategies, which often means low-cost marketing budgets like blogs, social media, and websites.

Many of these small law firms have been using blogs and websites for years to generate new leads and new clients (I know our clients have) and frankly do not have an extra staff member or two around who can spend the next 3,000 hours or so to go through all of their past website pages and blog posts to ensure every page is in compliance.
 
2.  What the Florida Bar hides under the guise of a “public service” is quickly becoming a public nuisance. Here's your sign: When the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen sues you because they believe your rules will be a detriment to the general public, that may be a good indication that your proposed rules are too Neanderthal.  And here's another sign: When you have to give a special dispensation that specifically exempts the ACLU and other nonprofit legal groups from these onerous regulations, it may be a sign your rules are too broad.

3.  We're America; we believe in free enterprise.  Personally, I'm glad someone is finally taking a public stand against this level of unnecessary intrusion into the way law firms market. Yes, I know there are bad apples in the legal industry. Yes, I recognize there are some law firms using offensive advertisements, but I also believe in the strength of the marketplace to “police” what works and what does not.

The ads or marketing efforts that don’t work because they are offensive or for whatever reason, will not consistently attract high quality clients and the law firms will stop using them.

The ads that do work will continue to be used.

While this may sound overly simplistic, I see a lot of value in letting the marketplace police law firm advertising and marketing.

4.  Where is the proof of harm? Everyone who is involved with law firm marketing knows Florida already has the MOST restrictive laws in the country.  Do they really need to turn it up a notch? Where is the proof that testimonials and case summaries on legal websites have caused harm to prospective clients?

Most Internet marketers can clearly show you plenty of evidence that putting pop-up boxes will drive website visitors away, not to mention consumers hate them. Why else would you have so many “pop-up blockers”?

Also, most pop-ups will not even work on smart phones. Where's the proof that pop-up disclaimers will prevent naïve consumers from falling prey to the bad apples in the industry?

If Florida succeeds in enforcing these backwards rules, will other state bars follow?

Where is the voice of the solo practitioner who is just scraping by and barely has time to focus on doing any marketing, must less redo all their past efforts because of the whim of some out-of-touch rule setter?

I strongly recommend every single law firm in Florida either (a) join the lawsuit, (b) file their own or (c) at least send an amicus brief in support of these courageous “Florida 8” law firms!

• Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod
• Carlton Fields
• Foley & Lardner
• Jorden Burt
• Holland & Knight
• Hunton & Williams
• Weil Gotshal & Manges
• White & Case

There is a great deal of competition in the legal industry, but this is one issue where I think most attorneys in Florida can agree on and unite under. And while no one is talking about hanging anyone, I'll close with this quote from Benjamin Franklin, “If we do not hang together, surely we will all hang separately.” 

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now. Who’s next?

**************************************************************************

Stop Wasting Precious Time and Money

Feel like you don’t have time for marketing?  Let us show you how to make a plan that runs on “autopilot” – one that attracts new and lucrative clients while you focus on your practice.

Learn how easy it can be to create an effective law firm marketing plan that performs by getting our Free Guide: 5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan.

After working with many ultra-successful lawyers we found five common threads in their marketing plans. This guide outlines these shared elements to provide insight into strategies that work and how to make them work for you.

There are two versions: one for Attorneys in Solo Practice and one for Attorneys in a Small Firm.  You can download them now free!  Go here to download, and start using these proven strategies today!

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (3)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

**************************************************************************
Want more actionable legal marketing strategies? 

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.

 
 

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Unless you have had your head under the proverbial rock the last two years, you have probably heard of Avvo.com. Plain and simple, they are a ranking system for lawyers.

Now before you get all upset and pester me with nasty emails telling me about “it's not right for Avvo to post my profile on their site without my permission,” let me state clearly for the record: I don’t want to hear about your complaints. I AM NOT Avvo. I'm not here to defend Avvo. They have not in any way asked me to write this post. Avvo has plenty of sharp people on their team and can mount a more than adequate defense without my help.

As a legal marketer, I am “platform agnostic.” I only look at tools from an effectiveness standpoint—Does this work? How much does it cost? What's the Return On Investment (ROI)? I am constantly on the lookout for ways my law firm clients can leverage both online and offline tools to build their online platform and attract more clients.

Recently, the ABA Journal wrote an article about the fact that Avvo is now ranking lawyers from all 50 states. There was a lot of vitriolic commentary about the article, so I know feelings run hot and cold about them. As I said, it's not my place to defend them, their “ethics,” or whether you like the fact that your personal “profile” is on their site. By the way, I believe the majority of the information they put on your “profile” comes directly from your state bar so if they have something wrong on your profile, it's a good guess that maybe your state bar also has that information wrong.

I get it—one of the major reasons why a lot of attorneys don’t like social media sites like Avvo, is that they CANNOT CONTROL IT.

Just like someone can go to Yelp.com or Ripoffreport.com and write a positive or negative review of your business, so they can go to Avvo and do the same. At least Avvo has a clear mechanism whereby you can dispute a false or misleading review and they will even remove it if proven false (which most other sites don’t do). These types of consumer review sites are becoming more and more popular and influential with the search engines.

If you're thinking about ignoring your profile on Avvo, here's something to consider: Avvo is very good at search engine optimization. So in all likelihood, when you type your name into Google, your Avvo profile will often come up on the first page of results. I believe they are quickly becoming a major force in Internet marketing for attorneys.
 
Here's my advice: You don’t have to like Avvo to benefit from Avvo. They are here to stay and are becoming a force to be reckoned with so...learn how to use them to build and influence your law firm’s Internet presence and generate more business!

How to Use Avvo.com for Law Firm Marketing

Avvo is one of the 6 major social media sites that attorneys should pay attention to. In future posts, I'll talk about the other 5. When you are ready to get started with Avvo, here's the steps you should take:

1. Claim your profile. This process is free and allows you to update your contact information and add information about you and your law firm.
2. Put your ENTIRE resume into Avvo. This can go a long way to improving your rating.
3. Add all the seminars you have given, awards you have received, and articles you have written. These items can also improve your rating. 
4. Add your photo! I have heard reports that profiles with a photo are clicked on up to 10 times more than profiles without photos.
5. Add videos. If you have videos put them into your Avvo profile. While they won't improve your rating, it will give potential clients who are checking you out online an opportunity to see who you are, how you articulate your answers, and will position you as more of an “expert.” The production quality of your videos does not matter nearly as much as the information you include in them. It's all about education-based marketing—educating your prospects.
6. Answer user’s questions. Over 5,000 consumers every week ask legally related questions on Avvo. Please be sure to put a standard disclaimer on each response, i.e., that your reply does not constitute legal advice or the establishment of an attorney-client relationship, etc.
7. Create Avvo “Legal Guides” for your top 10 questions. If you're like most attorneys, you constantly get asked a common set of questions. Write down these FAQs and write a short (1-3 pages) response to each one. Make each question a legal guide. Keep the questions and answers highly focused on a specific topic. Be sure to add a disclaimer on each guide.
8. Ask all your attorney friends to endorse you. This can make a big difference in your rating. Just like a referral from another attorney in the real world makes a big impression on a prospect, so having a reference from another attorney or a judge on your Avvo profile can improve your rating.
9. Ask your clients to write a testimonial for you on Avvo. Client testimonials do NOT have a positive or negative impact on your rating. However, I assure you, potential clients read them! I can't remember the last time I bought a book or other product off Amazon.com without reading a few of the user reviews. Yes, I know several states, like Florida, do not allow the usage of testimonials by lawyers. However, the Florida bar association has “agreed to exempt online directories like Avvo from most of its ad rules” because attorneys cannot control endorsements posted on 3rd party websites like Avvo.
10. Put your Avvo badge on your website or blog. Avvo allows you to create a “badge” with your profile score on it that links directly to your Avvo profile.
11. Consider signing up for Avvo Pro. There is a small monthly fee for this, but it provides you with all sorts of statistics like, how many people clicked on your profile, etc. Avvo has also recently launched an ad campaign (I wondered how they were going to start making money). If you read my blog frequently or have attended our law firm marketing boot camp, you know I'm not a big fan of advertising. However, I've heard anecdotally from two attorneys now who are finding some success with an Avvo ad campaign in their local area. In fact, one of my criminal defense clients signed up his first client within 6 hours of his Avvo ad going live. Please note, I'm not saying those results are typical because I'm sure they aren't. However, if you have the budget, I think it's worth testing it out.

So there you have it. You can either ignore Avvo and hope they will just go away or you can learn how to leverage them to your benefit.

Now, before you think about sending me one your nasty emails, please reread my second paragraph.

*******************************************************
Stop Wasting Precious Time and Money

Feel like you don’t have time for marketing?  Let us show you how to make a plan that runs on “autopilot” – one that attracts new and lucrative clients while you focus on your practice.

Learn how easy it can be to create an effective law firm marketing plan that performs by getting our Free Guide: 5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan. 

After working with many ultra-successful lawyers we found five common threads in their marketing plans. This guide outlines these shared elements to provide insight into strategies that work and how to make them work for you.

There are two versions: one for Attorneys in Solo Practice and one for Attorneys in a Small Firm.  You can download your guide now for free!  Click here to download, and start using these proven strategies today!
 

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

Okay, so this is a little self-promotional (even for me)...

But I just can't contain my excitement!

I'm very excited to announce I will be giving a keynote presentation at the upcoming 82^nd Annual Conference of the State Bar of California and they are promoting my presentation on their event’s homepage!

Here's the link to check it out: http://www.calbar.ca.gov/annualmeeting

How cool is that!?

I will be giving a 3 hour presentation on Thursday from 2-5pm on The Top 10 “Secret” Strategies Used by Rainmakers: How to Build a 7 Figure Law Firm During Difficult Times

If you are an attorney in California I invite you to join me and discover why some attorneys struggle to build a financially successful practice, while others grow even in trying economic times.

In this information packed session, I will discuss in detail 7 strategies small firms must use to “recession proof” their law firm while generating more and better referrals.

Attendees will learn practical tips to:

 

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

Looking forward to seeing you there!

 

5pwt3d7u2f

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

One law firm marketing tactic that consistently helps most law firms get new clients is through referrals. Now there are several different ways to get those referrals: initiating a strategic referral partner mail & meet campaign; informal networking and formal networking.

“Formal networking” involves attending an organized group event such as industry trade shows, bar meetings, rotary clubs, special interest groups, political groups and lead groups like Business Network International (BNI).

 

In today’s post, I would like to share 7 tips on finding clients through formal networking.

 

#1. Join the right groups: Not legal groups or groups where a lot of attorneys gather (unless you get a lot of your business from other attorneys). You need to go where the decision makers meet, not the gatekeepers.

 

#2. Join elite groups: Groups that cost several hundred dollars a year are better than cheap groups; groups that require a member to sponsor you are even better.

 

#3. Use an “audio logo”: An audio logo is an idea or statement that clearly and succinctly tells who your intended audience is and what you can do for them.

Most people are basically narcissistic – they want to talk about what interests them. They don’t want to talk to someone who’s only interested in how to get their business. So you can use an audio logo to attract attention. Be prepared to give case examples of how you have helped others.

 

Here is an outline of an audio logo: “I help (who your clients are) to (what your solution is or how you solve their problems.)”

 

#4. Remember your primary purpose: Remember your primary purpose is going to networking events is NOT to get new clients. Your primary purpose is to BUILD A RELATIONSHIP with potential referral sources and to offer yourself as a referral source to them. If you’re going to networking events to get new clients you are not only wasting you time, but you are also coming across as either pushy or desperate to the people you’re meeting.

When you understand the real reason for going to networking events, it takes all the pressure to perform off and keeps you focused on a more productive purpose—building relationships with people you could help and how may also be of help to you.

 

#5. Ask open-ended questions: Use the 8/20 Rainmaker Rule when you meet them. Ask open ended questions like:

What do you like best about the work you do?

What are the biggest challenges your industry/company/profession is facing?

Where do you find most of your clients?

Who is your target market?

If one of your prospects asks what makes you different from your competitors, what do you say?

How would I know if the person I’m talking to would be a good referral for you?

 

#6. Be intentional in your follow-up: It does absolutely no good to go to a bunch of networking events, talk to people, collect business cards, and not follow-up. You must have a plan and reasons for following up with people you meet. Your primary reason is to learn more about their business and see if you would be a good referral source for them.

 

#7. Track your efforts:

Contact’s name and full information.

Follow-up method used—phone, email letter.

Date of 1^st follow-up.

Dates of each additional follow-up.

Date of first face-to-face meeting.

Follow-up efforts.

Results of efforts.

Notes.

 

*************************************************************

Are you trapped into working more and more, while enjoying your life less and less? There is a way out.  It’s called the Rainmaker Retreat. In this two-day marketing boot camp for small and solo law firms, you’ll learn valuable information and practical steps to take so you can better market your small or solo law practice. For more information or to sign-up for the next one, go to: www.RainmakerRetreat.com or call 1-888-588-5891.

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

A Unique Competitive Advantage (UCA) answers the questions: Why should we hire you versus your competition? What’s unique about your firm and your services?

Here are 10 ways you can begin answering those questions:

1. Benefits. What are the benefits of working with your firm as compared to working with others? What do you do that other firms refuse to do to better serve their clients?
   
2. Value. Compare your costs versus how much money you save clients. How have you helped other clients take better advantage of opportunities or avoid legal liability? What are some specific ways you are constantly looking out for their best interests? What are the core values of your firm and how do you demonstrate these values?
   
3. 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. 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. 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. Service. How do your clients describe the way you treat them? What’s an example of how you went out of your way to better serve a client? How do you demonstrate exceptional client service on a regular basis?
   
7. 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.
   
8. Clients’ Feedback. What do your best clients say about you? What would they tell someone else about your services and how you’ve helped them? Do you have a long list of very satisfied clients that prospects can speak with? Do your clients refer other clients to you on a regular basis?
   
9. 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. 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 names into Google?

*******************************************************

Where can you read articles like: “9 Proven Keys to Recession-proof your Law Practice”;  

“4 Secret Strategies of Law Firm Marketing” or “Supercharging Your Law Firm’s Referrals?”

In The Rainmaker Advisor Journal. To get your free trial copy, go to www.therainmakeradvisor.com

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

I just flew back from San Francisco. This last Friday & Saturday we had a fantastic group of attorneys for the first ever Rainmaker Retreat sponsored by the State Bar of California.

The staff at the Bar was fantastic. I was very impressed with their level of attentiveness and kindness. We look forward to working with them on many future projects and events.

Later this week on this blog I will let you in on a little secret the CA Stat Bar just shared with me on Friday morning. It blew me away! I'm very excited about this.

The group of attorneys who attended the law firm marketing workshop were incredible. While most were from California, we had lawyers who flew in from the states of Washington, Florida, Nevada, Utah, and Texas to join us. 

The level of sharing, learning, and eye-opening discoveries was non-stop. I also must say that this was probably the most fun I've ever had at a Rainmaker Retreat.

I especially want to thank:

• Conrad Saam of Avvo.com was there to show attendees how to claim their free attorney profile and how to leverage it to drive great traffic to their website and attract more clients—all for free! What you may not know about Avvo.com is that it is the fastest growing online legal directory in the country. It already has 3 times more traffic than Martindale and will soon surpass lawyers.com to become the #1 largest legal directory. And did I mention it's FREE...
• Ron Kramer, a personal injury attorney in Utah and a member our Rainmaker Mastermind Group who flew in at the last moment to attend. Thanks for joining us Ron!
• Adrian Lurssen and Aviva Cuyler from JDSupra.com who gave a great presentation on how to rapidly increase your internet platform by posting articles on their site. Attorneys are using JDSupra to rapidly boost traffic to their websites. This is a very powerful tool we will be using more frequently in the days to come. You can check out my articles and JDSupra profile at: http://www.jdsupra.com/profile/stephenfairley/
• The Team at Sagaria Law. Scott Sagaria is owner of one of the fastest growing bankruptcy law firms in California. In addition to being a very sharp business owner, he has a great vision for his law firm. He brought several of his team along including: Eddy Hsu (a true work horse!), Tina Phan (Are you still there?), Dominique Sopko (the shy one--not), Heather Cassidy (Hey, is that Stephen Fairley?), Erin Coyle (aka Bubbles), Brittany Klein (Where’s my Starbucks?), and Business Operations Director Extraordinaire Carrie Ramirez (Are you still working? It's 10pm). My thanks go out to Scott and his team for a great dinner on Thursday and for attending the Rainmaker Retreat. Looking forward to seeing you all again in 2 weeks for a 2 day in house law firm marketing audit.

Here are just a few of the comments attendees wrote down at the end of the conference:

“This was a great seminar that went through the very basics to more advanced techniques to bring in high quality cases. The sheer amount of information has left my head spinning! I'm looking forward to the flight home so I can put together a plan to implement the ideas I learned.” Ron Kramer, Esq. (Personal Injury, Draper, UT)

“The Rainmaker Retreat is the most insightful strategic planning I have every experienced! The ideas were simple yet genius and cost-effective. They could be implemented by firms of any size.” Heather Cassidy, Esq. (Bankruptcy & Family Law, Sacramento, CA)

“I am the world’s biggest cynic when it comes to direct marketing...but I decided to come despite my cynicism. I AM NOW A VIP MEMBER—that’s how great and practical this is!” Delphine Adams, Esq. (Real Estate, Santa Rose, CA)

“This legal marketing seminar provides a ‘nuts and bolts,’ systematized approach to traditional Rainmaking, then provides strategies for 21st century marketing. I thought the promotional materials over-promised before I came. As I left, it was clear that Stephen over-delivered, by a wide margin!” Michael Atter, Esq. (Personal Injury, Jacksonville, FL)

“The Rainmaker Retreat has been simply amazing. Stephen Fairley is an outstanding speaker who I find very motivating and inspiring. The content, ideas and advice of this retreat has exceeded my expectations 110%!” Carrie Ramirez (San Jose, CA)

“The Rainmaker Retreat will not sell you useless books, CDs and tapes. It WILL teach you real, practical, useful methods for you to sell yourself, over and over again. If you are a small firm or a new Rainmaker, you NEED to attend the Rainmaker Retreat!” Jeff Nunes, Esq. (Estate Planning & Employment Law, Morgan Hill, CA)

“This seminar was an amazing experience! The advice is insightful and practical. We were provided with strategies and procedures that will deliver significant benefits almost immediately.” Dominique Sopko, Esq. (Family law & Bankruptcy, San Jose, CA)

“Stephen Fairley has a fast paced program that motivates, explains and organizes your marketing efforts. I highly recommend this to all attorneys.” Robert Rolnik, Esq. (Patent Law, Kingwood, TX)

“This was very thought provoking. I have not had such a clear plan for marketing presented like this before. I really appreciated the many different marketing options and internet possibilities that were presented.” Clark Vellis, Esq. (Commercial Litigation, Reno, NV)

If you couldn’t make, you really missed a great event! But you can catch a replay in Las Vegas in about 3 weeks at the Mirage.

Here's the link for more information: www.RainmakerRetreat.com

*********************************

Anouncing Never Before at the Las Vegas Rainmaker Retreat!
We will have a special, brand new break out session on how attorneys can leverage social media to drive more traffic and land more clients. Think Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and more—on steroids!

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Law firm marketing is a complex and competitive business. And there are many reasons why certain law firms fail to grow or even fail to survive.

However, in my working with more than 6,000 attorneys over the years, I’ve come to find out that there are essentially 3 main reasons why attorneys fail to grow their practices:

1. Lack of Time
   This is the single biggest complaint we hear. You’re stressed for time. You barely have time to serve your clients, much less market your practice. Not to mention spend time with your family.
   

2. Lack of Systems
   There are several simple systems attorneys can use to create a “lifestyle practice”—a practice that supports the lifestyle you want to lead, rather than one that dominates your life.
   

3. Lack of Strategy
   From a marketing perspective, a comprehensive strategy to grow your law firm is essential to your long-term success. Otherwise you and your team lack direction.

These “lacks” can be overcome so that you can create that lifestyle law practice you desire.

Many of our clients are proof of that. When you use a proven legal marketing strategy that consistently produces results, you can then set up legal marketing systems that, in turn, both free-up your time while increasing your client roster, increasing your revenue.

Although this sounds simple (and, at the 100,000-foot level, it is), there are numerous options that are equally good and effective, forcing numerous choices to be made with resources.

When law firms engage a law firm marketing expert or attend law firm marketing seminars, bootcamps and conferences, law firm marketing becomes so much clearer and so much easier.

 

*******************************************************

If you think . . . you can’t make more money and have the time to enjoy your life . . . you’ve never been to a Rainmaker Retreat. 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 attend a Rainmaker Retreat. In this two-day marketing boot camp for small and solo law firms, you’ll learn valuable information and practical steps to take to better market your practice. For more information or to sign-up for the next one, go to: www.RainmakerRetreat.com or call 1-888-588-5891.

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

In this blog post, I’m letting you peek behind the curtain. I will give you the steps involved in this law firm marketing system that has helped many a client increase business.

• Identify several professions or industries that already have trusted relationships with your target market.
  
  
• Build or buy a database of potential referral sources (www.infoUSA.com and www.superpages.com are two great list-building resources.).
  
  
• Focus on refining your Unique Competitive Advantage by answering this question: “Why should, someone hire me versus any of my competitors?”

• Create a form letter that includes who you work with, how you are different and a personal invitation to get together to determine if/how you could work together.
  
  
• Send out 10 to 20 letters per week.
  
  
• Have your assistant call the people you sent letters to and determine their level of interest in connecting with you.
  
  
• Have your assistant set-up appointments for you over lunch or coffee.
  
  
• When you meet with prospective SRP’s (Strategic Referral Partners), find out more about their businesses and how you can help their clients.
  
  
• Ask compelling questions to let them know you are interested in building a mutually-beneficial referral relationship, and remember to ask the best question: “How would I know if the person I’m talking to would be a great referral for you?”
  
  
• Ask them if they would be willing to send you referrals.
  
  
• When possible, try to send them a referral in the next 30 days.
  
  
• Follow-up every 4 to 6 weeks to stay connected with them (Send them a letter, article of interest or one of your press releases.)

*****************************************************************

Do you want to double your law practice, increase client referrals and make more money in these challenging economics times? Then subscribe to The Rainmaker Advisor Journal. To get your free trial copy, go to: www.therainmakeradvisor.com

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

I’ve been talking to quite a few attorneys over the past several months who are increasingly concerned about how the tough economy is affecting their practice and their ability to focus on marketing their law firm.

Let’s have a little perspective on this. As a business owner, you can either focus on the fear and scarcity mentality that is being promoted by the media today or you can focus on taking action and abundance. Which choice you make has immediate and long-term implications. If you allow yourself to be controlled by fear or make your decisions based on scarcity, you will miss the opportunities that come your way. Your challenge is to stay focused on taking action, look for opportunity in the midst of crisis and find a way to leverage it!

 

Here are 5 Tips to Keep You Focused:

 

Focus on the positive. I recommend making a list of all the good things that happen to you each day and keep it posted near your computer as a constant reminder that not everything is bad.

 

Focus on what you can control, instead of what you cannot control. You cannot control the global markets, the investment banks, or the economy. You can only control your actions so create an action plan of what steps you are going to take to keep moving forward. Have a heart to heart talk with every attorney in your firm and require them to submit 3 specific steps they will take in the next 90 days to generate more business for your firm.

 

Focus on improving client satisfaction and retention. Send out a client satisfaction survey, call up your top 10 clients and take them to lunch, stay connected with your current and former clients—ask them what challenges they are facing and how you can assist them. Perhaps you can introduce them to a banking colleague for a much-needed business line of credit or a real estate broker who can help them sublease some office space.

 

Focus on implementing your marketing plan. When this economic crisis is over, you will

find some firms have just barely managed to survive, while others have grown significantly. The difference is when everyone else was pulling back, some firms see this as the perfect opportunity to expand their marketing and increase their efforts. Which path will you follow?

 

Focus on connecting with referral sources. Go through your rolodex and reconnect with every single person who sent you a referral in the last 24 months and start meeting with them in person.

 

As you go through your week, working hard on growing your practice, remember these tips. And stay focused.

 

*************************************************************

Don’t get caught playing the law firm marketing game under the old rules. Get a new playbook by attending an Avvo seminar. Three times bigger than Martinale.com, lawyer directory Avvo is holding three free seminars on Wednesday, June 17^th in San Diego and Thursday, June 18^th in Irvine in the morning and Los Angeles at night. Hear law firm marketing expert Stephen Fairley and others tell you what you need to know to market your law firm in the New Normal.   

Click here to register for San Diego, Irvine or to register for Los Angeles

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Today in our look at the new rules of legal marketing, we’ll be taking a look at Rule #5, both the old and new.

Old Rule #5: Look to your competitors to succeed. In the race to be perceived as equals, small law firms have done their level best to erase the lines between them and their larger brethren. The result is an inability to self-differentiate Ask two partners, one at a small firm and one at a large firm, what makes each of them unique, and they’ll both likely give you the exact same response.

New Rule #5: Only the specialists will survive. In this new economy, you must clearly stake out your ground: who you are, who you serve, and how you specialize is increasingly vital to your survival. Identify your uniqueness and emphasize it everywhere. Train every person from your partners to the receptionist how to answer the Big Question: “Why should I hire you?”

Agree or disagree, the rules have certainly changed. The new rules are here and they may be here to stay. How will you respond? What actions did you need to take yesterday to make the most of the opportunities tomorrow?

Welcome to the New Normal!

*******************************************************

Learn the new rules of law firm marketing by attending an Avvo seminar. Three times bigger than Martinale.com, lawyer directory Avvo is holding three free seminars on Wednesday, June 17^t in San Diego and Thursday, June 18^th in Irvine in the morning and Los Angeles at night. Hear law firm marketing expert Stephen Fairley and others tell you what you need to know to market your law firm in the New Normal.

Click here to register for San Diego, Irvine or to register for Los Angeles

 

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Shortly after the Total Attorney’s Get a Life Conference in Chicago, a firestorm started in the legal blogosphere around the question: “Is Twitter the legal marketing tool it’s cracked up to be?”

This firestorm was ignited by legal marketing consultant Larry Bodine when he contended during a Get a Life panel discussion that Twitter is not what it’s cracked up to be that sparked brushfires among scores of legal marketing Twitter Defenders/Twitter Detractors.

Most recently LinkedIn Lawyer David Barrett jumped into the fire with a very thorough and thought provoking discussion of Larry’s contention in Barrett’s blogpost: “Twitter for Law Firm Business Development: A Conversation Among Legal Marketing Brands.”

Such healthy, robust debate is what social media was meant to promulgate. And it is what is very much needed, as we in the legal marketing community try to find a place in our law firm marketing plans (or not) for these new media tools.

Keep in mind: social media is a only tool, not a final solution.

Like any tool it can be wielded with strength and power in the hands of an expert craftsman or it can be ineffectual in the hand of a novice. It's all in how you use it.

Can Twitter be a distraction? Of course it can be. And so can email and the telephone and endless meetings....

Bottom Line: Anything can become a distraction if you don’t harness it properly.

Many businesses and lawyers are still trying to figure out if social media is a fad or a trend.

The true test as to it's long term viability as a legal marketing tool is NOT how many people register on Twitter or how many drop off after 30 days (about 40% according to recent stats quoted in the above blog posts).

The real test will be found in the answer to this question: “If I effectively use social media platforms, will it generate new business, new clients, new referrals and/or new relationships for my business?”

To some people that question has already been asnwered in the affirmative. I spent some time with Kevin OKeefe of LexBlog fame. When I posed this question to him, he immediately responded, “All I know is that since I started using Twitter our business has increased by 20-25%.”

Wow!

Bottom Line: In the right hands, almost anything can be an effective tool that can drive new business.

Clearly, we can’t forget the tried-and-true techniques of building relationships with referral sources, giving seminars and presentations, building an online presence, and the like. But I don’t hear the Twitter defenders saying that at all. I do hear some of the Twitter detractors saying the reverse. 

Bottom Line: A powerful law firm marketing plan does not rely on one “magic bullet” to solve every problem and overcome every challenge.

Top Rainmakers use a variety of online and offline marketing strategies. They test the results and fine tune their marketing tool.

The exact legal marketing tools they use depends on:

• Their target market
• Their geographical location
• Their practice area
• Their personality
• Their level of comfort

It is this bigger picture discussion that both David Barrett and I embarked upon shortly after the Get a Life Conference. We are exploring how legal marketing in 2009 needs to bring together proven techniques from both traditional and new social media marketing in creative, intelligent ways. (Toward the end of Barrett’s post he mentions our discussion.)

From this discussion will spring new educational products and legal marketing services. Stay tuned . . .

*****************************************************************

Do you want to double your law practice, increase client referrals and make more money in these challenging economics times? Then subscribe to The Rainmaker Advisor Journal. To get your free trial copy, go to: www.therainmakeradvisor.com

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

Our legal marketing strategy for all this week is discussing 15 ideas you can use to keep in touch with your referrals. Today we’ll cover Ideas 11-15

#11. If you’re really into social media, try www.Twitter.com, a microblogging site. You can post updates on your status, but it limits you to only 140 characters. You can see how I use it and follow me on Twitter at: www.twittter.com/stephenfairley.

#12. Send them a gift. It doesn’t have to be something large, but once a quarter or every six months (not necessarily around the holidays) send them a good book you just red, a bottle of wine or a gift basket. Ask their assistant for some ideas on what they like.

#13. Bring a group of them together for a luncheon. Ask three or four of them who are non-competitors to join you for lunch and introduce them to each other. This is a great way to be known as a connector. Have lunch at a local restaurant or in your conference room.

#14. Offer them a seminar at your office or their office. If you have a service you could provide them or their staff, set up a complimentary seminar for them, perhaps over lunch.

#15. Rank your referral sources based on specific criteria so you know who you should spend more time with.

A = Referral sources who have the exact same target market as you and have already sent you at least 1 great referral. Spend most of your time cultivating these relationships.

B = Referral sources who have a very similar target market and have great potential to send you great referrals. Consider holding a joint marketing event or seminar to assist them in making the referral to you.

C – Referral sources have some potential, but may serve a different market and have not referred anyone to you yet.

*******************************************************

If you think . . . you can’t make more money and have the time to enjoy your life . . . you’ve never been to a Rainmaker Retreat. 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 attend a Rainmaker Retreat. In this two-day marketing boot camp for small and solo law firms, you’ll learn valuable information and practical steps to take to better market your practice. For more information or to sign-up for the next one, go to: www.RainmakerRetreat.com or call 1-888-588-5891.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

Our legal marketing strategy for all this week is discussing 15 ideas you can use to keep in touch with your referrals. Today we’ll cover Ideas 1-5.

#1. Send them an email immediately after each meeting with them. Send it the same day whenever possible. In the email express thanks for meeting with you, add any points you discussed and close with any action items or next steps.

#2. Send them a handwritten thank you card or form letter two to three days after your initial meeting.

#3. After your initial meeting, put a “to do” or task item in your Outlook for approximately 6 to 8 weeks later. Have your staff contact them to set-up another time to get together face-to-face. Make your next meeting more about the relationship than business. Perhaps meet at the golf course, over drinks or in another casual environment.

#4. Use your press releases. Each time you write and submit a press release, send them a copy. It’s easier if you use PRWeb (www.prweb.com) because they will automatically convert your release into a PDF file which you can print off and mail.

#5. Send them a copy of your published articles. As attendees to the Rainmaker Retreat learn, there are dozens of online article directories that will publish your articles for free. When one of your articles is published, print off several copies and send them out with a note.

*****************************************************************

Tough times call for tough action. This is especially true today in small law firm marketing, when the competition is fierce, the client dollars tight and your bottom line precious. Get battle-ready now with a two-day marketing boot camp called the Rainmaker Retreat. For more information or to sign-up for the next one, go to: www.RainmakerRetreat.com or call 1-888-588-5891.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

Of the many legal marketing strategies, one of the most powerful is leveraging relationships to boost referrals. In today’s and Friday’s post, I’m going to be talking about 2 keys to reaping the rewards of your relationships.

Key #1: When it comes to Referral Relationships, Take an Active Role.

There is a Jewish saying “A man who has friends must show himself to be friendly.” Don’t wait for someone to take the initiative and contact you—be the first to reach out. In the last few years, we have coached and trained thousands of attorneys and the ones who are the best rainmakers are the ones who make at least 3-4 contacts with potential referral sources every week.

Law firm marketing action step: Take 2 minutes and scan your contact list. Select 15 to 20 names of potential or current referral sources and send them an email or, better yet, pick up the phone and call them with an invitation for lunch or coffee. Set a goal of having three face-to-face meetings per week for the next month.

Here’s a sample script: “It’s been a while since we’ve connected. I was wondering what your schedule looks like for the next week. I’d like to get together with you for lunch or coffee, just to catch up—my treat. Let me know what dates would work better for you.”

*************************************************************

To find out more ways technology can be harnessed to free your life, attend the “Get a Life” conference in Chicago May 27^th and 28^th. Sponsored by Total Attorneys Practice Management Association, this conference is designed to help attorneys in small or solo law practices grow their businesses while achieving a balanced lifestyle. Register today at: www.totalpma.org and click on the banner to your right to access more information!

 

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

These days, nothing is sacred, especially as it relates to law firm marketing in tough economic times. As an attorney who wants to grow your legal practice, you need to be willing to sacrifice those sacred cows. Here are just few questions that will help you prepare them for the pyre:

• Can you provide the same level of services at a lower cost?
• How price-sensitive is your target market?
• How can you structure payments to better fit the new financial realities?
• What parts of your practice make the most profits?
• Should you expand your practice areas or get rid of one?
• Should you really hire another associate or paralegal or could you outsource that need to a part-time contractor for half the price?

By no means is this an exhaustive list; I’m sure you could come up with many other ideas in the same vein. My point, however, is this: Business – and our economic climate – have changed so dramatically that it is far past the time, as Tom Peters has said, to “think outside the box.” Now, we must be willing to “destroy that box” if we want to survive, let alone thrive, today.

*******************************************************

To find out more ways to grow your practice while still having a life, attend the “Get a Life” conference in Chicago May 27^th and 28^th. Sponsored by Total Attorneys Practice Management Association, this conference is designed to help attorneys in small or solo law practices grow their businesses while achieving a balanced lifestyle. Register today at: www.totalpma.org and click on the banner to your right to access more information!

 

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

Helping attorneys to improve their law firm marketing while achieving the lifestyles they deserve has been my passion for more than 6 years now. On May 27 and 28^th, I’ll be taking that message to Chicago at the “Get a Life” conference presented by Total Attorneys Practice Management Association. To register, click here! To access more information about the event, click on the banner to your left!

If you’re a partner at a small law firm, a solo practitioner or an attorney who just wants to lead a more balanced life, you should attend this conference.

In addition to myself, there are many other well-known names in law firm marketing, including Gerry Riskin, Larry Bodine and Allison Shields.

On Wednesday I’ll be speaking on The Five Immutable Secrets to Building a Seven Figure Law Practice While Staying Sane and on Thursday I’ll be speaking on Technology Enabled Services to Improve Your Life.

So plan to attend. Just go to Total Attorneys to register.

*****************************************************************

Do you want to double your law practice, increase client referrals and make more money in these challenging economics times? Then subscribe to The Rainmaker Advisor Journal. To get your free trial copy, go to: www.therainmakeradvisor.com

 

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

One vital component of effective law firm Internet marketing is the press release. Today I will answer three key questions regarding press releases and Friday I’ll discuss the top 10 reasons for sending press releases.

What Can a Press Release Do?

A press release is a great public relations tool that can do many things. For example, it can: help you improve your ranking on search engines; get added traffic to your website; provide information to your target market and inform the community of your accomplishments and charitable work.

Is a Press Release Considered “Marketing?”

In and of itself, it is not marketing; however, it can assist you in your marketing, provided that you are very strategic about the press releases you send out. For press releases to be the most effective for you, they must meet at least one of your marketing objectives.

Where Can I Send My Press Releases?

You can send your press release the traditional way: directly to members of the media. There are many media listing resources (like Bacon’s) that will list members of a wide variety of media (print, radio, TV, etc.) with their address and contact information, such as an email address or fax number.

But doing this manually – or even using a software version of Bacon’s – still takes a lot of time.

A better way to send out your press release is through an online service such as PRWeb or Business Wire. Journalists, bloggers, and others read press releases online sent through these and many other online services. This is a great advantage over manually finding the contact information for each and every journalist.

Another advantage of this approach is that journalists and others do read releases online that are sent through the Internet by these services.

Lastly, properly writing a press release for online submission by using keywords to “search optimize” the release helps boost the rankings of your website, blog and other aspects of your online presence. That means that people – your potential clients – can find you when they’re ready to hire an attorney.

*************************************************************

If you think . . . you can’t make more money and have the time to enjoy your life . . . you’ve never been to a Rainmaker Retreat. 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 attend a Rainmaker Retreat. In this two-day marketing boot camp for small and solo law firms, you’ll learn valuable information and practical steps to take to better market your practice. For more information or to sign-up for the next one, go to: www.RainmakerRetreat.com or call 1-888-588-5891.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Trackbacks
• Share Link