Best Practices for Creating Landing Pages That Convert

Landing pages — dedicated web pages that a visitor to your website, blog, social media post or e-newsletter is guided to after clicking on a link — are critical when it comes to converting those visitors into qualified leads.

landing pages internetIf you have been directing traffic to the home page of your website, you are missing a big opportunity to capture more leads. Landing pages have been proven to more than double conversion rates when compared with website home pages. This is because they are created specifically for converting leads, featuring specialized content and offers that appeal to a targeted audience.

To make your landing pages pay, you need to know the basics about how to create a highly effective landing page.  Here are 10 steps you need to take in developing landing pages for your law firm:

  1. Have a singular goal.  You want your landing page to do just one job for you — get the visitor to download that free report, sign up for a seminar, subscribe to your newsletter, etc.  Don’t clutter them up with multiple offers.  One page.  One job.

  2. Use a single, relevant visual.  Choose an illustration or photo that is relevant to your offer.

  3. No false endorsements.  Don’t create false endorsements for your offer.  Avoid cheesy endorsement copy that turns visitors off.

  4. Use simple design.  Keep your design simple with minimal, impactful copy that consists of a headline, subhead and bullet points that make the content easy to scan.

  5. Quick load.  Be sure your landing page loads quickly; you only have a few seconds for it to pop up or your visitor will lose interest and click off.

  6. Compelling copy.  The worse thing you can do is bore your visitor.  Your copy needs to be readable, believable and lead the visitor quickly to your ultimate goal.

  7. Eyes on the prize.  Write and design your land page with your singular goal in mind.  Do not clutter the content with irrelevant prose.

  8. Inform and educate.  Don’t waste the visitor’s time by not delivering anything of benefit.  And don’t ask for too much information — a name and an email address should be sufficient.

  9. Be truthful.  If you have actual testimonials that would be appropriate, use them but be sure you are not making any false promises or guarantees.

  10. Provide value.  Make it clear what the value and benefits of redeeming your offer will provide to your visitor.  If they are entrusting you with their information, you need to let them know it is a fair exchange for what you are providing with the offer.

© The Rainmaker Institute, All Rights Reserved

Rainmaker 101: 3 Tips from a Top Producer at a Law Firm [VIDEO]

One of the most interesting elements of my job as a business development coach for attorneys is interviewing top rainmakers to better understand “How they did it.” While every attorney knows a rainmaker or high-level business developer, you might never get the chance to hear how they actually accomplished their goals, what it really took to do so and how to avoid the pitfalls they’ve encountered. One of my first interviews occurred with the Managing Partner and co-founder of Stahl Cowen, Jeff Stahl. He put everything on the line when he went out on his own.  As he stated in our interview, it was “a combination of need and fear,” to begin developing his book of business. Here are Jeff’s top three tips for success in building his legal practice, followed by some of my own thoughts on the subject.  Jump to the end for the full interview. Enjoy!

Jeff’s Tip #1: Helping versus Selling

Jeff’s first and most important revelation as a business developer was to really want to help people, not to sell them legal services.  He says quite empathetically that it’s imperative to, “Recognize when someone is in need of service and then be there, and be creative to help them. Then it isn’t perceived as a sale, but as assistance that usually has greater receptivity than somebody who is hard selling.”

From my point of view, he is touching on one of the critical turning points for attorneys as it relates to sales and being viewed as a “salesman.” I don’t know too many lawyers who like or want to be seen as a salesman. What Jeff explains so clearly in his interview is that you need to switch off that mindset and turn on the idea that you are in the unique position to help people with real problems. The key here is to try not pitching and selling, but rather try asking and listening.

One of my favorite mantras is, “Prescription before diagnosis is malpractice.” Think about that. If you walked into a doctor’s office with a migraine and he suggested amputating your head, I’m sure you’d move pretty quickly to the nearest exit. The same rule should apply to prescribing legal services in the form of a pitch meeting. Just don’t do it! At least not until you’ve fully diagnosed the issues, needs and pains the prospective client is dealing with.

Jeff’s Tip #2: Market Yourself When You’re Busiest

If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it 1000 times, “I’m too busy to market myself.” One of the best take-aways from Jeff’s interview was his statement, “Too many people go out and market when they’re slow. You need to market when you are busy, because when you market when you’re slow, you often appear desperate. That comes across and people realize that.” Even when you’re working 60 hours a week, it’s imperative to find ways to market. If nothing comes in right away from the effort, at least you’re building your pipeline which will pay off when things do slow down.

In my experience, the key to success here is to find the time to market by getting organized with your day and opening up gaps of time for business development. A few suggestions I typically offer include:

  • Time blocking- Get into the office at 6:30 am once a week and spend an uninterrupted hour emailing clients, strategic partners and new people you’ve met to schedule a coffee or lunch sometime in the next few weeks. This one hour block of time each week will help ensure that you get meetings set every week without fail.
  • Delegating more- Do everything in your power to delegate administrative tasks to others at a lower billable rate. If you are billing $300-600 an hour, why are you making copies or doing filing? Try making a list of every administrative task that you do and add up the hours in a week. You might be shocked at how much time you’re wasting on activities that can be done for under $50 an hour by someone else. This “found time” can be better used for business development activities or even going home for supper with your family once in a while.
  • Never eat lunch alone- It’s the title of a great networking book for a reason. Schedule lunch at your office and invite someone to join you. Utilize a conference room so that it’s quiet and you can focus the conversation on your guest. If you did this with two of your existing clients or strategic partners every week, you will be delighted to the results you might see. Working during lunch might be helpful to get things done, however it doesn’t have to be your routine every day.

Jeff’s Tip #3: Be Impressive!

“When a client tells you what their issue is, it isn’t always their issue. Through effective listening you may recognize things that they may not even realize themselves.” Effective questioning and listening is not only important as a way to best service the client, but also as a way of differentiating yourself from other attorneys who aren’t focused on the clients story, needs and issues. From Jeff’s perspective it’s more important to be perceived as impressive and knowledgeable, than to beat your chest regarding your prowess as a successful attorney.

Jeff’s  hit on something really critical here. Perception is reality and belief stronger than fact. The concept is simple if you think about it. By asking relevant, probing and open ended questions, the prospective client will perceive that you are an expert based on the way you are managing the conversation and your bedside manner. A great example here would be observing two psychologists. The first spouts off about why she is so good at what she does and her advanced degrees. The other, warmly welcomes her patient onto the couch and begins building rapport. Then the second psychologist begins asking questions about the patients reason for being here today. The patient’s response is followed up with additional questions which open up the dialogue to reveal the actual issues being faced.

If you are working diligently to find new business opportunities, and a prospective client finally agrees to meet with you, try to act like the second therapist by asking questions and being an expert listener. You will not only build greater credibility as a lawyer, but also uncover issues that your new client didn’t even know he had. A win-win outcome is inevitable.

I’d like to thank Jeff Stahl for his rainmaking insights. The reality is that there is always a way to find balance in work and in life. For many of you, it’s a matter of having the proper mindset. For others it’s obtaining new strategies and tactics to accomplish the goals you’ve set. Check in monthly for a new installment of Rainmaker 101 for more tips from the business development superstars I’ve interviewed.

Article By Steve Fretzin of Sales Results, Inc.
Copyright @ 2015 Sales Results, Inc.

5 Tips for Personal Injury Attorneys Opening a Mass Tort Practice

Attorneys nationwide are joining the trend to add mass tort claims to their personal injury practice. Based on conservative estimates, two to four million people per year are seriously or fatally injured in mass tort cases.

Most mass tort cases are product liability cases against pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Other types involve airplane crashes, train wrecks, hotel fires, asbestos, patent, antitrust price fixing, data security breaches, securities fraud and employment claims.

It is the only practice in which economies of scale exist. These cases are national and involve filing same primary claim over and over for multiple plaintiffs. The math is compelling: in the right situation it can cost $1,500 to acquire a client with a case that will settle for $300,000, according to John Ray, senior consultant for Mass Tort Nexus and a former pharmaceutical executive.

“It is a multi-billion dollar immature market, with economies of scale and only a single barrier to entry. You have already overcome the barrier, if you hold a bar card,” Ray said.

The best strategy is to find a mass torts case with strong liability, many plaintiffs, a financially viable defendant, high settlement values and a reasonable cost to acquire a client. Here are five tips:

  1. Timing.

There are several optimal moments to seek mass tort clients:

  • In the emerging phase, when many attorneys are advertising about a particular mass tort. Most patients do not connect their prescription with an adverse event. The highest consumer awareness exists when advertising is at its peak. Currently this includes IVC Filters, Bair Hugger blankets, Invokana, Xarelto, Pradaxa, Transvaginal Mesh, Morcellator, talcum powder, Zofran and Metal-on-metal hips, according to Steve Nober, CEO of the Consumer Attorney Marketing Group.

  • MDL phase. When the federal courts create a multi-district litigation docket (MDL) for the mass tort. There are 300 federal MDLs, which organize hundreds of cases and promote settlements with trials of bellwether cases. Courts will create a form complaint and plaintiff’s fact sheet, which can be found on Mass Tort Nexus. The MDL plaintiffs committee works on all the scheduling, motions and trials.

  • In the settlement phase, when the defendant announces to its stockholders that it has set aside a settlement fund. At this point, attorneys are signing clients to settle their cases.

  1. Marketing.

The goal of any form or marketing must be to educate clients about the side effects of the product they used. Lawyers should use clear, concise language that the general public will understand. Your marketing should be about the client — not about the firm. Don’t’ forget to state that clients do not pay legal fees unless you win the case.

Marketing tactics that work include:

  • Pay for Performance Advertising. The attorney pays for a call and is not buying leads. The charge depends on how long the phone call lasts.

  • Strong Organic Web Presence. More people are filling out forms on lawyer websites, and the firm should have trained intake personnel to contact the person within minutes.

  • Standard Television Advertising. Bear in mind that a consumer will watch an ad 12 times before acting, according to Ray. TV ads will create the lexicon that people use to search for lawyers online. Smart lawyers will incorporate the exact wording of TV ads into their website.

  • Buying Leads (Caveat Emptor). Ray advises to be suspicious about lead generation companies, because there are many disreputable companies that will sell a single lead to five or six different law firms.

  1. Partnering with a law firm.

Many of the leading mass tort law firms will accept referrals in a co-counsel agreement. In this arrangement, a lawyer agrees to accept a fraction of the recovery in exchange for the other firm prosecuting the case.

A better approach is to create a co-counsel consortium, akin to entering a partnership where two firms agree to represent a client. It can be argued that no referral occurred and the word “referral” never appears in the agreement. Both firms are equally responsible and the originating attorney can claim a larger percentage. The client is getting more lawyers on his team — a dream team — but is not paying any additional legal fee.

  1. Beware of common legal risks in drug or medical device cases.

  • The Mensing Factor. The Supreme Court decided Pliva, Inc. v. Mensing in 2011, holding that failure-to-warn claims brought against manufacturers of generic medications under state law are pre-empted by federal law.

  • PMA Preemption Potential. Makers of Class III Medical Devices that undertake the FDA’s stringent premarket approval process can be exempt from certain product liability claims. See Riegel v. Medtronic, decided by the US Supreme Court, 128 S.Ct. 999 (2008).

  • Statute of Repose Issues.

  1. Evaluating your firm.

Evaluating the resources of your firm is good place to start, before delving into other considerations necessary to develop your firm’s road map to mass tort success. See which Navy ship matches your firm.

Is your firm a super carrier?

A Super Carrier is a well-established firm with a large number of lawyers and support staff and extensive in-house logistical capabilities. It has the financial reserves needed to take on all necessary tasks of mass tort litigation, without the need for outside funding or outsourcing of services.

Is your firm a destroyer?

A Destroyer is a well-armed firm loaded with weapons (human resources and an abundance of cash.) These firms move fast to develop and deploy an attack plan, for any given mass tort case. A Destroyer may still need to seek outside funding or outsource certain services, if it wishes to take on a large number of clients in a mass tort case.

Is your firm a patrol ship?

Being a Patrol Ship has more to do with strategy than any other factor. Some firms take a conservative approach to mass torts. They stay on constant patrol and only make a move when a mass tort case arises and reaches a point that allows taking clients for the case, within the risk tolerance limits of the firm.

Are you one guy in a row boat?

  • If you are a sole practitioner, with little to no staff and want to enter the mass tort space, you can, but your approach has to be realistic and you must have a relevant starting point.

  • Many sole practitioners sit on the sidelines, believing that they are not ready for the leap into mass torts. Others jump in and reap the benefits of participation.

  • If your practice has a docket of general PI cases or other assets, in most situations, you can obtain the funding to make the leap. The proceeds from your limited entry into mass torts can be used to finance future expansion of both your PI practice and additional mass tort cases.

© The Rainmaker Institute, All Rights Reserved

Responding to a Hyper-Competitive Legal Market: 2015 and Beyond

The results of Citigroup’s 2015 Law Firm Leader’s Peer Monitor Report were examined by a highly informative panel[i] at Thomson Reuters’ recent 20th Annual Law Firm Leaders Conference in New York. The detailed discussion outlined overall marketplace trends and reviewed the strategies of law firms who are profitably navigating today’s turbulent legal market.

pic1articleState of the U.S. Business Law Marketplace

Market conditions for law firms are stabilizing in 2015 but a fragile global economy / geopolitical climate, and changing legal department purchasing behavior are leading to continuing flat demand for purchasing legal services. Current marketplace conditions include: more work being done in-house or by non-law firm outsourced providers and law firms coming in from other markets who are competing aggressively on price and / or who are buying business growth by lateral attorney hires.

Lower demand for law firms’ services is also being driven by a decreased appetite for costly litigation and developing technology which performs more cost effectively commodity type legal work.[ii].  The most common reasons for moving work in house is more control over costs and increased efficiency.[iii] In a 2015 survey of over 300 in-house counsel from 22 industries over 47% of the companies surveyed reported an increase in the number of law department lawyers employed.[iv]

Larger Business Trends Lead to a Less of an Appetite for Litigation and a Push for More Cost Effective Service Delivery

General Counsel manage their departments in tandem with the overall goals of the business.  Unresolved legal issues can have a negative impact on a company’s stock price and reserves set aside for lengthy litigation could be deployed for other business activities. Accordingly, there is an ongoing trend of companies settling earlier than before, and being more open to pursue alternatives to expensive and drawn out courtroom trials.[v]   Also, the increased cost of conducting complex litigation due to e-discovery, is also causing companies to think twice about how hard and how long they want to fight.

legal dept tech spend crop
A Look Inside: 2015 Thomson Reuters Legal Department In-sourcing and Efficiency Report

Since the great recession many law firms have become adept at trimming administrative overhead costs but seem to forget that corporate law departments are corporate overhead.   In a 2013 survey of 238 managing partners and law firm chairs, over 44 percent indicated that their firms had taken steps to improve the cost effectiveness of legal service delivery, mostly in the form of changing project staffing models to include part-time and contract lawyers and outsourcing an increasing number of non-lawyer functions at their firms. [vi] Alternative service providers in the legal arena cover functions such as discovery management, document creation, dispute resolution alternatives to litigation, and talent management services. Legal process out sourcing (LPO) through alternative service providers has a predicted growth of 30% in 2015 and it is estimated that there is currently $20 billion of outsourceable legal work in the U.S. legal marketplace.[vii]    It is estimated that the LPO market has only captured 5.5% or $1 billon of the estimated $437billion U.S. legal market.[viii] 

legal dept outside counsel spend cropped
A Look Inside: 2015 Thomson Reuters Legal Department In-sourcing and Efficiency Report

Practice Areas Where Demand Is Consistent or Growing for Law Firms

While businesses may have less of appetite for costly litigation, demand remains strong in certain areas due to more domestic regulatory investigations and U.S. lead examinations stemming from cross-border activities. [ix]  In a survey released this month, 48% of law departments predicted an increase in regulatory work in the next year.[x] Other growth practice areas include:  Intellectual Property/Patent; Cybersecurity/Data Privacy; Bankruptcy; Healthcare/Pharmaceutical, Financial Services and Mergers/Acquisitions. [xi]

Common Features of Underperforming Law Firms in Today’s Marketplace

To address the buying needs of corporate clients, firms which are surviving are becoming more efficient and predictable in their pricing and service delivery.  Firms who are underperforming tend to have:

  • The lowest overall leverage rate (partner to associate) and less cost effective use of leverage;

  • A higher reliance on income partners, and a declining income partner contribution;

  • A high use of Other Lawyers but the use of these lawyers make a negative contribution to the firm’s bottom line;

  • A lower overall equity partner productivity and a decline of equity partner equity during 2009-14;

  • The lowest realized rates and lowest growth in those rates during 2009-14;

  • A heavier litigation reliance;

  • Less rocket science work and more commoditized work; and

  • Firm brands that are not as sharply differentiated or recognized.[xii]

What a Hyper-Competitive Legal Market Marketplace Means Operationally

General Counsel are generalists, who manage the legal needs of a company but are limited in the legal tasks they can and should do on behalf of their client, the company.  Accordingly, there is always a set group of work that won’t be done in-house or for which third party specialized expertise is advisable.   Outsourcing of ‘rocket science’ work and going to law firms who have established reputations for certain types of work are easier sells for in-house counsel who have to sell their outsourcing decisions to company management. Marketplace trends are resulting in more of a concentration of high end work in a smaller group of law firms.  Notable legal market predications / observations made by the panel:

  • Clients will further segment the market (“financial and reputational tiering”);

  • Firms will further consolidate;

  • Lateral activity will remain high; and

  • Brand differentiation will help attract the right laterals and grow market share in a flat demand environment.

With continued cost pressures, the panel commented that profitable law firms will:

•           Use systems and processes to improve:

  • Matter management;

  • Practice management;

  • Workforce management; and

  • Partner performance measurement.

In order to demonstrate a concern for efficiency, successful law firms need to facilitate better collaboration between the firm and client.  In order to leverage internal resources and grow deeper, more stable and more profitable relationships with clients, law firms need to improve or better communicate their client service offerings and share information about legal developments. The panel identified the following ways to stay or become known for expertise and to demonstrate concern for law firm department budgets:

  • Knowledge sharing;

  • Client relationship teams, strategic and well thought-out cross selling; and

  • Developing associates and younger partners to ensure a sustainable business and cost effective service delivery structure.

Take-Aways

You have to have a brand – “We’re cheaper – but still really good and can do whatever you need, especially the easy stuff” isn’t working.  Established brands make law firms an easier sell for in-house counsel to their management or management may even advocate for well know legal brands to their law departments.  Company management does suggest particular law firms and attorneys and they pass on to the law department relevant thought leadership that they were sent by law firms or that they have come across. Executive management approves the law department’s budget.  The general counsel should not be your only contact point. If you want to be considered for the less than 10% of litigation work that’s considered bet the company, shouldn’t management know you and feel comfortable that you know their needs?

According to David Cruickshank of Edge International, 96% of firms say lateral hires are part of their growth strategy[xiii].  Great legal brands help recruit great associates and laterals, as well as clients.   How do you keep the attention of attorneys at regulatory agencies, high potential law grads and star attorneys with established practices?  Share your knowledge.  Many legal recruiters scour publications as a starting point for finding lateral candidates in niche practices.  Your knowledge and service are your brand. How do you build or maintain a brand? Share your knowledge, write, speak, repeat.

How do you convey to clients and potential clients that you mean what you say – that you have deep expertise, that you can manage things in a cost effective manner, that you collaborate, that you are committed to technology – you show them. Jay Hull, Chief Innovation Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine mentioned during the conference that you go for wins on small projects with name brand clients, for proof of concept.  Per Jay if you want to show a commitment to technology and innovation, you bring a legal technologist to a pitch meeting.  Don’t drag your client into inter partner quarrels if you want to build confidence in your ability to manage complex multi-jurisdiction litigation. Want show deep expertise, include multiple authors on articles, rainmakers should bring along associates or new partners to speaking engagements or networking events – be a team and grow and show your depth.

Article by Jennifer Schaller of the National Law Review

Copyright ©2015 National Law Forum, LLC


[ii] Citi 2015 Law Firm Leaders Survey.

[iv] 2015 HBR Consulting Law Department Survey – the Center for the Study of the Legal Profession at the Georgetown University Law Center and Thomson Reuters Peer Monitor.

[v] 2015 Client Advisory 2014: Great News for Some, Mixed Results for Others Citi Private Bank and Hildebrandt Consulting.

[vi] 2013 Law Firms in Transition: An Altman Weil Flash Survey, Thomas S. Clay Altman Weil, Inc., May 2013

[viii] Revenues estimated using AmLaw 200 data, Peer Monitor, Hackett Group Report and New York Times; Expenses from Peer Monitor Corporate Legal Dept is based on internal spend on legal matters.

[ix] A Look Inside: 2015 Thomson Reuters Legal Department In-sourcing and Efficiency Report.

[x] 2015 HBR Consulting Law Department Survey.

[xi] Citi 2015 Law Firm Leaders Survey.

[xii]2015 HBR Consulting Law Department Survey – the Center for the Study of the Legal Profession at the Georgetown University Law Center and Thomson Reuters Peer Monitor.

[xiii] 7 Thoughts About The Lateral Hiring Process, Above the Law, April 15, 2014.

Three Reasons Why Lawyers Avoid Business Development

One of the scariest things someone can do is to approach an attractive stranger in a bar and begin speaking.  While there are the limited few with nerves of steel who can talk with anyone about anything, the majority of us humans are actually intimidated by this act.  Why are some of us afraid of these conversations and others confident? How does this apply to being a lawyer and building a sustainable book of business? The ability to understand the “why” and overcome your own personal uncertainty could mean the difference between success and failure in building a sustainable law practice.

Although there are many different reasons why lawyers are so hesitant to go after new business, I would like to explore the top three that keep some attorneys awake at night.  The unfortunate truth for many attorneys is that without developing your own clients, you will not have the freedom and security that was so easily obtained 20 years ago.

Reason #1: The fear of rejection

One of the main reasons people don’t go into sales is because of the seemingly endless amount of rejection that comes with selling a service. You may recall your first experience with rejection when you were picked last for a game of kickball or when your best friend found someone new to hang out with. As you became older, someone may have turned you down at your local bar. You may have felt sick before approaching that person, and even worse when he or she wasn’t interested in your advances.  Whatever the case, you knew that you hated rejection and the way it made you feel. It’s obvious that the risk of getting rejected is something to avoid if given the choice.

There are two key elements to overcoming the fear of rejection. Unfortunately, they are not easily mastered until you’ve obtained the proper mindset. The first element is dealing with what I call “head trash.”  Head trash is the mess that you create between your two ears regarding things that you are afraid of. There’s an acronym for F-E-A-R, which stands for “False Evidence Appearing Real.” This means that you’ve built up something scary in your mind, when in reality nothing bad is going to happen. Think about the first time you went skiing or rode a roller coaster. Of course you might have been afraid—until it was over. Then you probably said, “What was I so afraid of?”

When it comes to rejection from your business development activities, the same sentence can be uttered, “What was I so afraid of?” One of the first things I do with the attorneys I work with is to get them to realize there is absolutely nothing to fear.  You’re not going to die or get hurt in any way. The rejection, if it does happen, is not personal.  The reality is that not everyone is going to do business with you. Sometimes it’s because you weren’t the best fit for them or they weren’t the right fit for you. That’s just the way it is.

Another important element to overcoming fear when selling legal services is to be very skilled at what you do. Top lawyers have an endless reserve of confidence because they know that no one else can do a better job for a client than they will. This confidence allows the fear to subside because if someone doesn’t select you, it’s his or her loss. Move on to the next opportunity, as there will be many more to come.

Reason #2: The stigma that is attached to the word “sales” and “salespeople.”

One of the main reasons why lawyers are hesitant to invest time on their business development efforts is because of the negative feelings one has towards sales. It is seen as a dirty profession. The imagery of carpetbaggers and soapbox pitchmen is synonymous with the word sales.   To make things worse, we have all been “taken for a ride” at some point in our lives, paying too much for something we were sold.

It’s possible that you chose a career in law, specifically to avoid having to sell anything.

While I have been in sales for over 25 years, I never remember saying as a child, “Gee, one day I hope to grow up to be a salesperson.”  For many millions that are currently in a sales role, it’s really a default profession.

As an attorney, you probably never thought that you would have to sell anything right?  More like “hoped.” The reality for most attorneys over 60 years old is that they didn’t have to sell. Being a good lawyer and trusted counselor was probably enough. In fact, my father retired from law in 1999 and never had to make a business development call or attend a networking event in his entire career. Well, obviously, things have changed.  Lawyers today need to control their own financial destiny by getting out there and originating new business.

As I mentioned previously, it’s important to be the best lawyer you can be. It’s also critical to have a better process for selling legal services. The old school “pitch” meetings and aggressive tactics to closing new business are outdated. The easiest way to stop the negatively charged stigma associated with sales and salespeople is to stop doing it yourself.

Think about it this way. When you enter a courtroom for a big trial, are you properly prepared?  What happens if you aren’t? All attorneys know that preparation and execution in a courtroom are paramount for success to occur. In selling legal services, it’s not that different. Being properly prepared for a prospective client meeting is just as involved as going into the courtroom.  You need to have a more relationship driven and consultative approach, to remove the salesy element from the room. Ask questions and learn about the prospective client’s needs, wants and desires. While this is easy for me to say, it’s very difficult to actually execute. We are all wired to solve problems and present solutions. It’s a constant struggle to hold back, ask quality questions and really listen to a prospective client’s issues. Just yesterday, one of my clients closed a new piece of business. At the end of the meeting the prospect said to him, “I’ve never had an attorney ask me so many questions before. You really seem to understand my problems.” That’s it! If you can change your approach to avoid being salesy, the negative stigma will also be removed from within your brain.

Reason #3: Lack of education on business development

“They never taught me this in law school.”  If I’ve heard this once, I’ve heard it a hundred times. It’s sad, but true.  Skills including networking, time management, follow-up and selling process are all learnable for attorneys. Business development can be frustrating and challenging. Without the proper education on how to plan and execute on it, you might be doomed to fail from the start.

In order to be great at something, anything, you take lessons. For example, try learning a new language, sport or musical instrument without any professional help. Not an easy road to travel.  While some people are more adept at figuring things out through trial and error, we all know it’s best to seek out the best help available.

A few ideas for finding this education include seeking out an open-minded mentor at your firm. She likely has already traveled down the wrong paths and may help you avoid those pitfalls. Another option is to study the topic of sales. If you were to read five books and get a few take-aways from each one, you will probably make fewer mistakes. Even one small positive change that becomes a habit could have a significant effect on a career’s worth of business development. Lastly, look for professional help. There are coaches, consultants and trainers locally and nationwide that may be a good resource for you. Be sure to check references and try to find someone that you can connect with on a personal level. And those legal superstars around you who seem to attract business wherever they go? They are continually fine-tuning their skills as well—in such ways as coaching, training and peer-to-peer counseling. Whichever direction you decide, it’s definitely better than wasting countless hours on marketing efforts that aren’t getting you results for your time invested.

Whether you are a new partner in your firm, a solo player or an up-and-coming associate, it’s important to understand what sales is really all about.  The best business developers today aren’t the most aggressive, pushy or salesy. They are relationship focused, confident in their skills and consultative in how they approach new clients.  Strong business developers have lost the fear of rejection, and replaced it with confidence in their skills as a top lawyer and high level solution provider in the legal field.

Article By Steve Fretzin of Sales Results, Inc.

Copyright @ 2015 Sales Results, Inc.

Deciding what Platform to Use for Your Law Firm Website

I often have clients ask me how frequently they should refresh or update their websites. That is a tricky question. When it comes to content, a website should be updated on an on-going basis – every week is good, and every day is not too much. Frequent content additions will increase the likelihood that your site is viewed often, as search engines catalog content using the keywords users are likely to query and return results based on a combination of the most recently posted content, the closest match to the query and the most highly viewed pages that contain the appropriate keywords. That means the more optimized (good use of keywords) content you post, the more views the content is likely to get.

When it comes to design, a website will begin to look dated in two to three years and should be revisited and updated. This is the perfect time to review the site’s navigation and make sure it has remained user-friendly and consistent with current trends in website design. As with most things in business, having an initial strategy when building a website will reduce the need for changes and make the changes easier to implement when it does come time to refresh the site.

So, what does good initial strategy entail when beginning a website build?

The Importance of CMS Selection

First and foremost, you must think about the foundation the site is built upon. Nearly every website built now has a Content Management System (CMS). A CMS allows for ease in operating the website without a need for knowledge of coding. For instance, adding and deleting content can be easily managed on the back-end of the site with the use of built-in templates. There is no reason for a law firm not to use a CMS. The only questions to consider are which category and type of system to choose. This is the big overall strategy decision, and it will impact the ease of use and updates for the life of the site.

There are two categories of CMSs: Proprietary and Open Source. They provide similar functionality, but they operate very differently. A Proprietary CMS is built and owned by an independent company, and that company “leases” the right for a firm to use the technology. Proprietary was the most used form of legal website CMSs for many years.

Open Source CMSs are built and maintained by programmers throughout the world and are open for anyone to use at no cost. Programmers continually update and add to the code making improvements, which they openly share. This is a newer platform for the legal industry.

Deciding Between Open Source or Proprietary

Proprietary CMSs generally come with a hosting and maintenance plan, providing a sense of security to smaller firms without the in-house resources to update and maintain the site. Though this can ease the burden of website management for the firm, it also requires a monthly or annual fee to keep the site up and running. In addition, as most licensors will not allow access to their code, a site refresh will entail additional fees whenever upgrades are needed.

With the use Open Source CMSs, programmers are continually enhancing the code and the updated functionality is freely shared. Any firm can add the enhanced functionality to their site free of charge. That said the firm must have the in-house capability to do so or contract with an outside vendor to complete the project. If a firm does use an outside vendor to assist, it’s a one-time project fee as opposed to a long-term commitment.

The Move Toward Open Source

For the past several years, law firms have steadily trended toward the use of Open Source platforms and ownership of their websites. Long gone are the days of two or three legal power vendors owning the mass market share of law firm websites by using a formulaic, proprietary build approach and charging for site content and technology updates on an hourly or monthly basis.

Not if, but when you do plan for a refresh or new site build, you can reduce costs and enhance site longevity by using an Open Source platform. There are three main options, WordPress, Drupal and Joomla. There have been many comparisons of these Open Source Code options, and I share the main value/asset for each below.

WordPress: This system works best for small- to medium-sized firm websites. (Most Popular)

Drupal: The most powerful Open Source CMS, it allows for efficient upgrades. (Most Advanced)

Joomla: The better platform for e-commerce, it requires some level of technical coding. (The Compromise between WordPress and Drupal)

There is considerable information on the Internet regarding each of the listed Open Source systems. Identifying which CMS to use, whether proprietary or open source, is key to ensuring a smooth and effective website strategy for years to come.

Article By Sue Remley of Jaffe

© Copyright 2008-2015, Jaffe Associates

On Sale Today – .law Domain Names

Today, all law firms will be able to apply for .law names. This top-level domain name is intended to create an online space in which only regulated, licensed legal practitioners can be found.

In order to purchase your .law domain name, there are specific steps involved, as well as some key dates of which to be aware. Here is a quick guide to help you move forward with purchasing your .law domain.

What domain names should you buy?

  1. Purchase the .law version of your domain name.

  1. Purchase keyword specific URLs that are important to your branding efforts, such as employmentlawyer.law, employment.law, advertisinglaw.law, etc. Note that there could be bidding for some of the more popular domains.

When and where can I register the domain?

Oct. 12 – 18, 2015:

  1. Qualified lawyers can apply for domain names. Domain names will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

  2. There will be a one-time Early Access Program (EAP) fee as well as an annual registration fee.

  3. Pricing will decrease each day for the first seven days of General Availability – check with an authorized registrar for purchasing details.

October 19 – Future:

  • Qualified lawyers can still purchase domain names on a first-come, first-served basis, minus the EAP fee.

What is the eligibility process?

  1. Decide which of your firm’s lawyers will be designated a “qualified lawyer” for purposes of purchasing .law domain names – such as your managing partner or marketing partner.

  1. Gather the following information for your qualified lawyer:

  1. Attorney’s name (as it appears on his/her bar registration)

  2. State/jurisdiction(s) where attorney is licensed to practice

  3. Year of registration: Year(s) admitted to practice

  4. Bar registration number(s)

  5. Bar association state and country

How long does it take?

The verification process should take 48 hours, after which time the domain names you applied for will be registered to you.

Copyright 2015 Knapp Marketing

To Specialize or Not to Specialize, That is the Question for Attorneys

As the number of attorneys in the marketplace continues to grow, it is becoming more important to differentiate yourself.  One of the best ways to do this is through specialization.  Becoming a “specialist” can be a scary proposition as your messaging and marketing efforts change to accommodate this new direction. The obvious fear is giving up some potential business by speaking and marketing openly about your new focus. While most of these fears are not grounded in reality, most generalists are worried about the possible loss that may occur when making the transition.  In working with hundreds of attorneys, we regularly discuss the ups and downs to becoming a specialist. If the timing is right and you are well prepared, it might be the best way for you to stay relevant, while also growing your practice and obtaining additional financial security. That being said, it’s one thing to be “known” as a specialist versus “identifying oneself” as a specialist. It’s always better to be considered an industry specialist and leader rather than having to advertise that information. In some states, calling yourself a “specialist” is not allowed. Be sure to stay in compliance within your states’ guidelines.

Take a moment and think about two of the most successful attorneys you know.  Really, close your eyes for five seconds and get their names in your head.  I would bet dollars to donuts that at least one of the names you thought of was someone who is a specialist. It should come as no surprise that an attorney who builds a reputation around being great at one thing is memorable to you. The reality is that when you build a reputation in one industry, market or vertical, your practice can grow more quickly than you ever thought possible. Of course, a number of elements need to be in place before taking this leap. Here are a few things to think about before making the switch to becoming a specialist:

#1. You need to be the best at what you do.

Whether you are a litigator or an estate-planning attorney, nothing is more important than being skilled at your craft. When thinking about specializing, be sure you have the baseline skills and experience to succeed in one particular area of the law. It might make sense to get at least 2-3 clients under your belt in a particular area to test it out and see if specializing in one area makes sense for you. Achieving notoriety as a specialist may take months or many years to achieve. The important thing is that you eat, sleep and breathe within the space that you’ve chosen.

A good example of this occurred when I was badly injured in a plane crash back in 1996. That’s right, I survived a plane crash.  During my recovery from looking like a human pretzel, my father, a now retired attorney, put me on the phone with Bob Clifford of Clifford Law Offices. He chose Bob Clifford because he is well branded as the leader in aviation and personal injury litigation. We didn’t speak to any other law firms because who could possibly be better?

Being the best at what you do and building a strong reputation around that specialty can make obtaining new clients very easy. However, as you probably know, it takes real effort and conviction to build a specialized practice.

#2. Choose the right industry or vertical that’s a fit for you.

The easiest and most time effective way to develop a niche’ is to leverage the work you’ve already done in one particular area. It may make sense to target specific people, companies or issues that will allow you to draw out more work.  For example, if you’ve worked with textile manufacturers and enjoy the work, be sure to target other textile companies in your area. You can do a search on google or LinkedIn to identify the people and companies to call on. Try to leverage your existing clients and strategic relationships to obtain introductions to these business owners if possible.

As an example, you could call up your client in the industry and say, “I know you’ve been happy with the work I’ve done for you over the past few years. I am looking to help others in the same area. Who are you friendly with in the textile industry that I should be speaking with as well?” The key here is to develop a great relationship with your client to ensure that he/she is open to making these types of strategic introductions. Think about it this way. If you had the best dermatologist and someone had a nasty rash, wouldn’t you feel great making the introduction?

Another easy way to find the right specialty for you is by asking yourself, “What am I truly passionate about?”  If you care about something, it drives you to become more involved. For example, one of my clients is very passionate about animals and is now focusing on working with dog shelters and veterinarians.  She joined the shelter’s board and is routinely interacting with prospective clients for her practice. She is wowing them with her ability to solve problems and is routinely asked legal questions from the board members. These inquiries turn into business meetings and eventually new business.  She’s doing all of this without working harder than before as the new originations roll in. Finding a niche’ that you are passionate about can make your legal career much more meaningful and enjoyable. You will also have a greater chance of meeting prospective clients, as you will be interacting with them on a more regular basis.

#3. Find a space, where there is space.

Be aware of your market and niche’ and who else may already be there before committing to a specific specialty.  While you may have vast experience in commercial real estate for example, there may already be too many lawyers in that area to easily separate yourself from the pack. Do your research and try to find a segment of real estate that isn’t as fully saturated. It might also make sense to branch off into other areas of law to ensure you have your eggs in a few different baskets.

When the recession hit in 2008, many real estate lawyers were hit pretty hard. One of my clients saw this as an opportunity to study estate planning as a backup plan to real estate law. This ended up being a great fit as he was able to leverage his real estate clients and personal contacts to help set up estate plans for everyone he could.  Now that real estate is back, he has doubled his book by focusing on both specialties.

By studying the competition, understanding the marketplace and the amount of business generated in a particular area or niche’, you can better hedge your bets when selecting a specialty.

#4. Look to the future.

Earlier this year, I had the great pleasure of interviewing Jerry Maatman of Seyfarth Shaw to learn a little more about his successful practice. One of the key elements to his amazing achievements as an attorney came from his thirst for knowledge within his area of Labor and Employment. He voraciously read everything he could to better understand what was coming down the pipe to see how he could leverage it to build his practice. He describes in his interview, the 1992 legislation for the Americans with Disabilities Act and how he got ahead of the law to be seen as the premier expert on the subject. He effectively packaged a “Survival Guide” for companies to better deal with the changing laws and regularly spoke on the subject before anyone else. By being a forward thinker, he locked-in his success and was repeatedly hired as the expert on ADA law by some of the largest companies in America.

Developing a niche’ can be a game changer for you as a practicing attorney. For those who are worried about missing other business opportunities because of specializing, who’s to say you can’t take on new business in other areas? However, by focusing your outbound marketing on one thing, you’ll have the opportunity to build your brand name much more quickly than staying a generalist.  You need to have the experience, the passion, the space or the forward thinking that will allow you to become successful in specializing.

Copyright @ 2015 Sales Results, Inc.

Legal Marketing Stats Lawyers Need to Know

Using market trends to inform your law firm marketing efforts is a must for solos and small firms that have limited budgets and resources to market their firms.

Google recently aggregated research from FindLaw and its own inhouse data to provide a look at the legal market trends that should shape your legal marketing initiatives:

74% of prospects beginning a search online end up contacting the office via phone. (FindLaw U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey 2014)

87% of people who contact an attorney go on to hire an attorney and 72% of them only contact one attorney. (FindLaw U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey 2014)

96% of people seeking legal advice use a search engine. (Google Consumer Survey, Nov 2013)

38% of people use the Internet to find an attorney. (FindLaw U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey 2014)

62% of legal searches are non-branded (i.e., generic: “Phoenix divorce attorney,” etc.). (FindLaw U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey 2014)

74% of consumers visit a law firm’s website to take action. (Google Legal Services Study Sept 2013)

25% of people researching legal topics visit YouTube during the process. (YouTube Internal Data 2012)

85% use online maps to find legal service locations. (Google Legal Services Study Sept 2013)

69% use both a smartphone and a PC for research. (Google Legal Services Study Sept 2013)

31% of all law firm related website traffic comes through mobile search (FindLaw Aggregated Hosted Site Data 2014)

71% of people looking for lawyer think it is important to have a local attorney. (FindLaw U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey 2014)

So what do you need to do to convert leads based on these facts? Here are a few action steps:

Provide multiple contact options — phone, email, online chat, etc.

Provide a mobile-friendly version of your website.

Have an intake system that allows consumers to reach your firm on the first call and intake specialists trained to convert consumers into clients.

Concentrate on local SEO to ensure your website shows up well in local search.

© The Rainmaker Institute, All Rights Reserved

Register for the 20th Annual Law Firm Leaders Forum – October 8-9 at The Pierre in NYC

When: OCT 08 – 09, 2015
Where: New York, NY – The Pierre

Join us this October as the Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute proudly presents the 20th Anniversary of Law Firm Leaders at The Pierre Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

Continuing the forum’s unrivaled tradition of industry-defining content and professional networking, the 2015 program offers a comprehensive update on the state of the legal profession and the ongoing challenges affecting law firm leadership throughout the AmLaw 150.

This year’s key topics include:

  • Restoring Professionalism to the Practice of Law
  • Leading Change: A Presentation from Heidi Gardner, Lecturer on Law & Distinguished Fellow, Center on the Legal Profession, Harvard Law School
  • The Meaning of Client Relationships in the 21st Century
  • Data Privacy & Cybersecurity in the Global Law Firm

Call to register: 1-800-308-1700

Or click here to email and we will contact you.