The Rainmaker Blog

Focus on the positive

Stephen Fairley — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:11:07 -0700

We have been through a rough time during the past year or two across the country. The economic downturn has many attorneys increasingly concerned with how the tough economy is affecting their practice and their ability to focus on their law firm marketing plans.

As a business owner you cannot afford to focus on the fear and scarcity mentality that is seen today and being promoted by the media. Let’s have a little perspective on this. Is this the best of times? No. Is this the worst we have ever seen it? Not by a long shot. Will we recover? Yes. When? No one knows. 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 keeping your focus.

Focus on the positive. I recommend making a list of all of 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 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 saw 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 the African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, travel alone; but if you want to go far, travel together.” We are all in this journey together.

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Looking To Beef Up Your 2010 Marketing Plan? Sign up for one of our upcoming webinars.
Are you:
….Worried about the Recession?
….Concerned with the Lack of New Clients?
….Ready to Stop Worrying and Start Taking Action?

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

Our upcoming schedule includes:

5 Easy Steps to Create Your 2010 Marketing Plan
Thursday, February 11 at 2-3pm Pacific | 3-4pm Mountain | 4-5pm Central | 5-6pm Eastern. Click here to register.

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

A Strong Financial Plan is Vital For Your Law Firm Marketing Plan

Stephen Fairley — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:49:00 -0700

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

This is often the scariest part of writing a marketing plan. One of the biggest reasons for small business failure is lack of available funding to keep it going. This is certainly the case for many new firms and solo practitioners. The financial section of your law firm marketing plan should include:

Your currently available funds (cash in hand for expenses)
A list of your current monthly sales revenues for every category (individual clients, contingency cases, etc)
A breakdown of all fixed expenses including: payroll, office rent, equipment, insurance, taxes, etc.
A 12 month timetable in which you estimate how much revenue you will bring in per client per month (assuming you will not keep every client forever)
A forecast of new revenues—how many new clients do you anticipate per month and at what rate
A comprehensive list of all marketing activities and anticipated expense of each one
A simple profit and loss statement (P&L) in which you subtract your anticipated expenses from your anticipated revenues. It gives you a visual picture of how many new clients you need to run your firm, how much money will be spent in overhead and marketing costs and when you will make a profit. It also allows you to run different scenarios (best case, worst case, average case, minimum revenues, etc), which can help in determining your expenditures.

If you take the time to carefully lay out your financial plan, anticipated expenses, and current revenue generation, these numbers should give you a pretty good idea of how much money you need to have on hand in order to properly fund your marketing efforts.

Often the easiest ways to write up and keep track of these financial charts is by using Excel or another spreadsheet program, but the most important part is the actual process of “running the numbers” rather than the program you use to calculate the numbers.

Below is a sample marketing plan to give you an idea of how your plan might take shape.

MARCH MARKETING CALENDAR
March 8 Send out your monthly ezine to subscribers
March 11 Attend Networking Event 1
March 14, 15 Make all follow up calls to people you met at Networking Event 1
March 15 Send out Press Release about your participation in the upcoming trade show
March 17 Meet with potential Referral Source
March 22 Attend Networking Event 2
March 23, 24 Make all follow up calls to people you met at Networking Event 2
March 28 Meet with potential Referral Source
March 29 Prepare for upcoming trade show
March 31-Apr 1 Attend Trade Show that your prospects attend

A strong financial component is necessary to your law firm marketing plan, because we all know that without the money to implement them, plans aren’t worth much. Be as accurate as possible in estimating your costs before you implement your legal marketing strategies. It will make the process much smoother.
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Looking for more Rainmaker Wisdom? Get the Rainmaker Retreat Live!

Over 6,000 attorneys from hundreds of law firms across the country have discovered how to generate more referrals and find new clients by simply applying our Rainmaker Marketing System.
Here's just a sample of what you will discover in this 6 CD set audio program:
Over 22 proven strategies for attracting more and better clients
How to create powerful relationships with over 30 new Referral Sources in the next 90 days

7 ways to find more clients fast and how to select the best ones for you
2 ways to promote your firm to 100,000 people for only $100
5 ways to automate your marketing using technology and the internet
6 secrets top Rainmakers use to dominate their competition
8 steps to creating a 6 month comprehensive marketing plan for your firm
Much, much more!

This live recording of our highly successful 2 day law firm marketing boot camp will inspire you with practical examples, motivate you with sample case studies, walk you through best marketing strategies used by top Rainmakers, and provide a guide for you to quickly implement proven tactics in the next 30 days. You can purchase the Rainmaker Retreat Live here

Looking for Law Firm Marketing Guidance? Come to a Rainmaker Retreat

Stephen Fairley — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:33:33 -0700

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

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

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

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

These are just a few of the attorney marketing techniques you will learn:

5 Proven Attorney Marketing Strategies to Get More Attention, Command More Respect and Charge Higher Fees
How to Ethically Position Yourself as a Specialist in your Area
How to Avoid the Most Deadly Mistake Attorneys Make in Attorney Marketing
More than 22 proven legal marketing strategies to attract more and better clients
How to create powerful relationships with over 30 new Referral Sources in the next 90 days
5 Ways to automate your legal marketing using technology and the internet
7 ways to find more clients fast and how to select the best ones for you
2 ways to promote your firm to 100,000 people for only $100
6 secrets top Rainmakers use to dominate their competition

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to put your firm on the path to greater success; register today to reserve your place at the Rainmaker Retreat.

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We would like to send you a DVD of your colleagues (and even your competitors) describing their experiences at the 2 day Rainmaker Retreat. Yes, we know you are skeptical (we wouldn't have it any other way). So instead of us telling you how these 2 days will transform your business, we will let our clients do the telling. Click here to order your complimentary DVD right now.

The Legal Marketing Lowdown on PR, Promotional Events and Advertising

Stephen Fairley — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:36:01 -0700

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

Public relations, promotional events and advertising are three similar, somewhat interrelated but distinct strategies in a sound law firm marketing plan This post provides a brief overview of each of them.

Public Relations
As a marketing strategy can take the form of writing articles or columns for local newspapers, trade magazines, professional journals, offering an advice column, being a content expert for the media; television, radio or newspaper interviews, writing a press release, or having stories published about your clients and how you helped them.

Public relations can be great for building credibility and brand awareness, but generally does not result in immediate clients. The major benefit of PR is that it positions you a recognized expert and creates awareness of your firm. This is a long-term strategy (6-12 months).

Promotional Events
Generally, this strategy revolves around participating in trade shows, sponsoring a local event, having an open house, or offering “Free” seminars or workshops. Promotional events can be useful in lifting your visibility among your prospects and for building your database, but sometimes cost you a lot more in terms of time and money than they are worth. Plus, it’s often hard to measure the success of the event.

Advertising
Usually advertising is described as mass market media like radio and TV ads, newspaper classifieds or magazine ads, yellow pages, flyers and websites. This is the area most people incorrectly identify synonymously as marketing, but is really just one of the forms marketing and is usually the least effective for attorneys. This strategy is not recommended unless you have a large marketing budget.

Here are the 5 Biggest Mistakes in Attorney Advertising

Most Ads are Not Meaningful.
There is a High Cost to Mass Advertising
Ads can help your firm build “brand awareness” but are not good when it comes to encouraging people to take action
Most Law Firms Lack Follow-up Systems
No Tracking of Real Results

If you are going to commit to the cost of an advertising component in your legal marketing plan, keep these mistakes in mind. Advertising is a significant financial commitment. Make sure that your law firm marketing budget is well-spent on a system with good follow-up and measurable results.

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Becoming a Rainmaker: Business Building Strategies for Lawyers

Based on my 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.
I have given this seminar to hundreds of lawyers at state and local bar associations, where it has been very well-received.

To order this valuable seminar, visit our website.

California Solo and Small Firm Summit Recap

Stephen Fairley — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:38:07 -0700

Last week, 175 solo and small firm attorneys from a wide variety of practice areas gathered in Long Beach for the State Bar of California Solo and Small Firm Summit. I had the great privilege of being the keynote speaker during the opening and closing sessions, as well as presenting during two of the breakout sessions. Law firm marketing was not the only topic on the agenda, but it was prominently featured.

The attorneys in attendance were upbeat and positive, despite the recent economic doldrums that have befallen the nation. They were motivated and there for a reason: To learn how to better manage and market their law practice. And there was a wealth of information available to them during the Summit.

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

One quote from an attendee that caught my eye captured the essence of what the Summit was trying to provide for the attendees:

“Prior to today I was doing many of the things recommended by The Rainmaker Institute to build my practice. Now I have added tools that I can use to build a great practice.”

The Summit succeeded by adding tool to the toolboxes of the attendees, and, more importantly, showing them how and when to most effectively use those tools as part of their legal marketing strategy. It’s not enough to collect law firm marketing tools. Organizing them into an effective law firm marketing strategy is what brings success to those willing to put in the time and effort.

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

Your Online Presence can Make or Break Your Legal Marketing Plan

Stephen Fairley — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:50:23 -0700

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

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

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

Here are some keys to remember when building your website:

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

Design One Main Corporate Website

Then create multiple Mini, Practice Specific Websites

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

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

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

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

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

Create and Promote your own Blog

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

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

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

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

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

Top blog directory: www.masternewmedia.org/rss/top55
Resources:
www.blogger.com www.typepad.com www.wordpress.com, www.lexblog.com
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We would like to send you a DVD of your colleagues (and even your competitors) describing their experiences at the 2 day Rainmaker Retreat. Yes, we know you are skeptical (we wouldn't have it any other way). So instead of us telling you how these 2 days will transform your business, we will let our clients do the telling. Click here to order your complimentary DVD right now.

Informal and Formal Networking is Integral to Good Legal Marketing

Stephen Fairley — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:49:44 -0700

A sound law firm marketing plan will include networking at trade association meetings, networking groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce, or formal lead groups. Networking works well for some people and not at all for others.

I have seen some attorneys build their entire business from networking and others who have wasted months of diligent effort without a single sale to show for it. It is an effective legal marketing strategy when implemented well, but it does require a significant time commitment for success.

You need to be very deliberate about organizations you join and have a clear goal for your networking efforts.

Formal versus Informal Networking: Going to a group event versus casually meeting someone for lunch. Formal Networking includes: industry trade shows, bar meetings, rotary clubs, special interest groups, political groups, and lead groups (like Business Network International).

Join the Right Groups: not legal groups or groups where a lot of attorneys hang out (unless you get a lot of your business from other attorneys); go where the decision makers meet, not the gatekeepers.

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 .

Use an Audio Logo: 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. Use an Audio Logo to attract attention. Be prepared to give case examples of how you have helped others.

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.

When someone asks you or what you do, the response should be in the form of an audio logo.
It should be something your target market can easily remember, is attractive, meets one of their points of pain, and/or offers a benefit to them.
Here is the outline of an audio logo:
“I help (who your clients are) to (what your solution is or how you solve their problems).”

Examples of Audio Logos:
I help mid-level chemical companies keep the competition out by securing strong patent protection on their novel products.

I pave the way for individual and university inventors to obtain income from their inventions relating to biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

I help win justice for the injured so the injury doesn't destroy their life.

We provide Integrated Estate Planning to give you peace-of-mind knowing your fortune won't be lost to the government and your wishes will be implemented.

Networking and referrals are two closely linked law firm marketing strategies that have a place in your legal marketing plan. When you are designing your law firm marketing plan, include them if they are appropriate to the individuals who will be implementing the plan.
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Practice Made Perfect For Lawyers: 10 Principles for Marketing Your Legal Services

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

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

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

Use Speaking and Presentations to Boost Your Law Firm Marketing

Stephen Fairley — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:39:54 -0700

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Get the attendees contact information BEFORE your presentation

• Develop your Follow Up Strategy BEFORE the presentation or seminar

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

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Want to take the Rainmaker System home with you?
Then order the Rainmaker in a Box 5-DVD set!
Some of the information and strategies you will learn include:
• The 5 Immutable Secrets to Building a 7 Figure Law Practice
• Secrets of Building a Referral-based Law Practice for Busy Practitioners
• The Top 6 Most Powerful Online Marketing Strategies for Attorneys
• Action, Accountability and Next Steps
This program also includes a data DVD which includes all 4 PowerPoint slides for all 4 presentations. We recommend you print all these off and take notes on them as you watch the 4 intense DVDs.
To order this information-packed set click here.

Use Referrals As A Central Part Of Your Legal Marketing Strategy

Stephen Fairley — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:48:02 -0700

Referrals are the holy grail of business—everyone wants them. The problem is that most attorneys don’t have a solid plan to find them and nurture them. The easiest way to build a business is by referrals. Identify who you want to target and develop a plan to talk with them on a consistent basis. This is usually a longer term strategy (3-6 months).

However, at The Rainmaker Institute, we have developed a powerful system called the Referral Development Program that is obtaining fantastic results, even in a tough economy.

Based on our experience, legal referrals generally come from 5 major categories:

Current and Former Clients
Family, Friends, Coworkers, and Colleagues
Bar Associations and Online Legal Referral Services
Other Attorneys in Different Practice Areas
Strategic Referral Partners (non-attorney professionals)

The Rainmaker Referral Development Program is specifically designed to help time-starved lawyers in small law firms and in solo practice meet with qualified referral sources on a regular basis, thus significantly increasing their chances of obtaining a regular stream of qualified referrals.

Our clients are doubling and tripling their number of referral partners in a matter of weeks, not years.
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Looking for more Rainmaker Institute wisdom?

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

Proven Legal Marketing Techniques To Be Featured At Solo and Small Firm Summit

Stephen Fairley — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:50:49 -0700

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

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

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

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

Your Legal Marketing Strategy Depends on Selecting the Most Effective Law Firm Marketing Techniques

Stephen Fairley — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:33:04 -0700

Part of a series - Create Your 2010 Law Firm Marketing Plan in 5 Simple Steps: Step 4.1
Previous entries detailed steps including creating a niche, conducting a SWOT analysis, and creating a Unique Competitive Advantage for your law firm. This post continues this series.

Here is where you list all of the different law firm internet marketing techniques and legal marketing strategies you will use to identify prospects and land new clients.
The good news is that there are only 7 different strategies you can use. Also, depending on:

your practice area
your target market
your financial resources
your geographical location

and other variables, some will invariably be more or less effective for you. The strategies are ranked in order of more effective to less effective in finding prospects and converting them to clients.

Referrals: from strategic partners, existing and former clients, friends, family members, other lawyers, legal referral sources, & business assoc
Speaking & Seminars: formal presentations, workshops, seminars, speaking for associations and organizations.
Formal/Informal Networking: connecting with centers of influence, professional associations, chambers of commerce, clubs, trade association meetings, or formal lead groups.
An Online Presence: websites, article marketing, blogs, pay-per-click, ezines, autoresponders, newsletters, and opt-in lists.
Press Releases & Media Placement: online press releases, writing articles or columns for local newspapers, trade magazines, professional journals; offering an advice column; being a content expert for the media; television, radio, trade association magazines, or newspaper interviews.
Promotional Events: participating in trade shows, sponsoring a public event like a marathon, participating in a charity event, sending out partnership announcements, or having an “open house” to publicize your new offices.
Advertising: in the yellow pages, newspapers, magazines, or trade journals; fax or email campaigns; ads in business directories, or on radio or TV, and internet based ads.

Subsequent posts will explore each of these law firm marketing techniques and explain the strengths and weaknesses of each technique. As you are building your law firm internet marketing plan, use the information presented here to assist you in selecting the most effective legal marketing strategies.
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Practice Made Perfect For Lawyers: 10 Principles for Marketing Your Legal Services

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

Your Unique Competitive Advantage Is Key To Your Law Firm Marketing Strategy

Stephen Fairley — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:16:00 -0700

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

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

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

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

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

Focus on the Benefits: What are the benefits of working with this firm as compared to others? What do you do that other firms refuse to do to better serve your clients?
Focus on Value: Compare your costs versus how much money you save clients. How have you helped other clients take better advantage of opportunities or avoid liability?
Focus on Results: What are some specific results you have obtained for clients in the past? What is your win/loss record? What do you do to achieve better results than your competitors?
Focus on Solutions: Give an example of a creative solution you found to a client’s problem. How did you come up with it? What happened because of your creative solution?
Focus on the Individual Partners: Remember, people don’t buy legal services from law firms; they buy legal services from attorneys. People don’t say, “Go talk to my law firm,” they say, “Go talk to my attorney.” What is different about your partners than in other firms?
Focus on Service: (not the list of services your firm provides, but how you serve your clients). How do your clients describe the way you treat them?
Focus on an Industry Specific Specialty: Position your partners as leading experts in a specific industry, not as generalists. To be a generalist for most attorneys is the “kiss of death.” Go deeper, not broader. Have industry specific marketing materials & collateral.
Focus on Client’s Feedback: What do your best clients say about you? What would they tell someone else about your services and how it has helped them? Do your clients refer other clients to you on a regular basis?
Focus on Credibility: What is your firm known for in the industry? Talk about how your partners are profiled in the media or are industry experts. What are 3 reasons why your prospects should perceive you as a credible expert?
Focus on Visibility: How visible are your partners within an industry? Do they regularly speak at top industry events? Are they a nationally recognized expert? A published author? What happens when prospects type their name into Google?

By developing a strong UCA , your legal marketing plan will be well ahead of your peers and it will give you the tools you need to implement a strong law firm marketing strategy that tells a prospect why they should hire you.
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Looking for more Rainmaker Institute wisdom?
Take advantage of the complimentary download of 5 Easy Steps That 7-Figure Attorneys Use To Create Powerful Marketing Plans. It is our gift to you. Just click on the link and download your complimentary copy. It is information that will get you started on the path to changing your legal marketing strategy for the better.

Rainmakers, The Solo and Small Firm Summit Has A Wealth Of Legal Marketing Information For You

Stephen Fairley — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:24:02 -0700

Looking to boost your legal marketing efforts at an affordable price? The State Bar of California’s Solo and Small Firm Summit offers you a wealth of law firm marketing information at a very affordable price.

I will be keynoting the opening and closing luncheons of the Summit, and I will also be presenting during two breakout sessions. Here are some highlights of what I will be presenting during the Summit, to whet your appetite.

7 Strategies to Recession Proof Your Law Firm
In these difficult times every law firm needs to be proactive in recession-proofing their law firm. Join me for an interactive workshop on this timely topic and learn:

Ways to reduce your overhead and increase your profit margins even with fewer new clients
The best practice areas right now (and the ones to avoid)
How top law firms are growing in this economy

5 Core Components of a Highly Successful Website and Blog
Nothing has changed the face of legal marketing as rapidly as the internet. If you’re tired of the hype and want to hear the truth about how to market online, join me and special guest attorney John Bisnar for an insider’s view of how top attorneys are using websites and blogs to dominate their competition online.

How to transform your website from just an online brochure to a client generating machine
Core components of a great website and blog
Overview of search engine optimization
Using video on your website to attract more clients

8 Proven Steps to Double Your Referrals in 6 Months...or Less
Every law firm wants to increase their referrals. The question is how? The solution is here. Come discover a proven 8 step system attorneys are using to double their referrals.

How to identify potential referral sources for your law firm
3 specific ways to generate massive referrals from your current and former clients
Creative solutions, how to ethically and easily send referrals to other professionals

Unlocking the Secrets of Social Media: How to Leverage LinkedIn, Fix Facebook and Tweak Twitter for Your Law Firm
Social media is all the rage, but few attorneys know how to effectively use it. Is social media just the latest fad or is it the next evolution in marketing? At this event you will discover:

How to separate fact from fiction in social media and leverage Twitter to build your online following
Steps for attracting highly qualified prospects on Facebook and build a referral network on LinkedIn
The power of educational videos on YouTube

This is just a small portion of the law firm marketing information that is available to you during this valuable conference. Register now, and join us in Long Beach on January 21-22.
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Looking for more Rainmaker Institute wisdom?
Then try our monthly ezine. One click of your mouse will take you to our site where you can see the current issue and subscribe to our complimentary monthly ezine that will be delivered to your inbox. Each issue is chock-full of legal marketing information that you can put to use right away. I think you will find the information on the ezine something that you will want to share with your staff to begin 2010 on the right note in your legal marketing plan.

Strategic Law Firm Marketing, Internet Style

Stephen Fairley — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:33:43 -0700

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

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

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

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

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

Create Your 2010 Law Firm Marketing Plan in 5 Simple Steps: Step 3 What's the SWOT on your law firm?

Stephen Fairley — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:12:19 -0700

To have a good legal marketing plan, you must have a realistic assessment of your firm and what you have to offer. You can find this information by conducting a SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats – analysis.

Look at your law firm as objectively as possible to determine what strengths you have, the weaknesses you need to be aware of, the opportunities you need to explore, and the potential threats to your plan.

A sample SWOT analysis may look like this:

Strengths

Infrastructure in place
Location is highly suitable
Very focused management/staff
Well-rounded and managed business

Weaknesses

Focus may be too narrow
Lack of awareness amongst prospective customers
Absence of strong sales/marketing expertise
No online presence to speak of

Opportunities

Market segment is poised for rapid growth
New markets offer great potential
Potential to diversify into related practice areas
Opportunities to cross market our existing clients on other practice areas

Threats

Economic slowdown could reduce demand
Market may become price sensitive
Major player may enter targeted market segment

In order to create a law firm marketing plan that will deliver the results you are looking for, you have to be exceedingly honest in this assessment process. Basing your legal marketing strategies on false assumptions is asking for failure, or at best, mediocre results.
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Mark your calendars for the State Bar of California Solo and Small Firm Summit on January 21-22.
I will be the keynote speaker in all of the General Sessions and two seminars. The schedule is:

Thursday, January 21

Lunch and General Session
7 Strategies to Recession Proof Your Law Firm
Afternoon General Session -I will be joined by John Bisnar, a reknowned personal injury attorney in Orange County
5 Core Components of a Highly Successful Website and Blog
Friday, January 22
General Session
8 Proven Steps to Double Your Referrals in 6 Months.... or Less
General Session and Wrap-up-Friday -Unlocking the Secrets of Social Media: How to Leverage LinkedIn, Fix Facebook and Tweak Twitter for Your Law Firm

To register for the Small and Solo Firm Summit, click here.

Attorneys: Is a law firm marketing plan part of your New Year's Resolution?

Stephen Fairley — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:21:30 -0700

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

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

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

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

Why Should You Attend the Solo and Small Firm Summit? Let me count the ways you can improve your law firm marketing skills.

Stephen Fairley — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:56:27 -0700

First, the Solo and Small Firm Summit offers a ridiculous amount of information for an extremely affordable price. For less than the cost of an economy weekend in Napa Valley, you will receive two days of information that is geared to your making you and your practice stronger and better equipped to make 2010 a year to remember. Not only will you receive excellent information on law firm marketing and law firm internet marketing among a number of other topics, it will be one of the truly great bargains you will find this year

Second, it is coordinated with the Section Education Institute, which many of you will already be attending. Rather than taking off to another conference, the State Bar of California has scheduled the two events so that you are only gone one weekend instead of two, allowing you more time with your loved ones.

Third, it has a tremendous lineup of speakers at a very affordable price. You have experts in legal ethics, legal marketing, internet marketing, accounts receivable management, client management, and a host of other topics. I will be the keynote speaker at the opening and closing luncheons, and will also be presenting on Thursday and Friday in breakout sessions

Fourth, it makes a great gift to you and your staff. You can give you and your staff a gift that will keep on giving throughout the year. Knowledge is power, and you will come away from the Summit power-packed with information that will allow you to enhance your law firm marketing plan to take advantage of the current economic environment, instead of complaining about it.
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Looking for more Rainmaker Institute wisdom?

5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan, Step #2 - Target the Right Market

Stephen Fairley — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:38:10 -0700

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

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

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

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

“No,” she replied.

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

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

Now, enter in the Law of 7 Touches.

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

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

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

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

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

What’s a meaningful touch?

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

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

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

5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan, Step 1 Part C

Stephen Fairley — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:56:20 -0700

Previously, I described how to develop a targeted marketing plan and how to create and service a niche market. This post continues those thoughts.

Here are 4 examples of Ideal Target Markets:

Business Attorney for Small, Privately Held Business Owners

CEOs, Presidents, VPs, General Managers
$2M—$100M in annual revenues
Privately held companies with 20—1,000 employees
In the hi-tech, telecommunications or software development industry
Are headquartered within 20 miles of my office
Are challenged with protecting their IP, want to grow nationally or internationally, looking to joint venture with or license their IP to larger companies

Commercial Real Estate Purchase & Development

Owner, General Manager, President or CEO
Involved in a minimum of 3 projects per year
Average deal is worth at least $5M up to $500M
Projects are either Retail, Office space, Malls, Land use, require special Zoning, Industrial, or Multi-family
Have many legal needs including: initial and extended contracts, negotiation with larger companies, tenant leasing, employment contracts, zoning laws, lending laws, dispute negotiation, etc

Business/Corporate Litigation

CEOs, Presidents, Owners, General Managers
At least $2M—$100M in annual revenues
Privately held companies with usually 20-1,000 employees
Often my client’s businesses are growing 10-20% faster than average
Open to any business, but most clients are in manufacturing, technology, or transportation field
Most clients run a business that has an international component to it, is based largely on their IP, is very employee intensive, or contracts with much larger companies
Can be located anywhere within the state, but usually within 20 miles of a major city (manufacturing & technology employees) or along a major interstate (transportation)
Have a litigation matter where the “problem” is worth at least $100,000

Family Law/Divorce Attorney

Have an estate worth at least $500,000-$1MM in assets
White collar professional or service professional (doctor, chiropractor, accountant, etc)
Not interested in a “scorch and burn” attorney, willing to work with the other party
Located within 20-30 miles of my office or a direct referral
Able and willing to pay a $7,500 to $10,000 retainer
Service Niche: labor/employment, complex litigation, immigration, healthcare, IP, etc
Industry Niche: transportation, construction, energy, real estate development
Geographic Niche: LA-based, southern California, region around Chicago, Mexico
Specialty-Market Niche: privately held companies, Fortune 500, physicians, white collar executives, blue collar construction workers, Spanish-only speaking, developers, commercial lenders

ACTION STEP – Describe your primary Target Market and then consider the 4 areas and create a profile of your primary Target Market.

Description of your primary Target Market:
Can they afford your services? What are their alternatives?
How can you position your practice to be more valuable to them?
What are their major issues, challenges, pains?
Current & Potential Referral Sources for this market:
Who is NOT in your ideal target market?

If you need more detailed information, you may find the Target Market Inventory very useful.
It is a comprehensive questionnaire covering all the major areas attorneys need to consider when creating a profile of an ideal target market. ***********************************************************************************************************

I want to wish each of you a Happy Holiday season. May you find joy, peace and love as you spend time with your family and loved ones.

Time is running out to reserve your place at the State Bar of California's Solo and Small Firm Summit

Stephen Fairley — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:48:37 -0700

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

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

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

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

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

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

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