Category: Legal Business Development

The Do’s and Don’ts of Investing in a Lead Generation Service

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In order to grow your firm, you need to invest in a reliable marketing and advertising program. Lead generation services are a great alternative to investing and managing your own campaigns, which can be both costly and time consuming for the average attorney. Lead generation services can not only offer you consistent, quality leads but also provide you with a total marketing package that allows you to manage those leads. There are a slew of companies that will make you a lot of promises, but how do you know which ones are legitimate?

What steps should you take before you decide the right company for your firm’s needs?

Lead Generation Service Marketing Law Firm Legal

Do Your Research

Not all lead generation services are equal. Some will scam you. Some will give you old or undesirable leads. Some will give you leads but don’t offer additional marketing services and support that will ensure continued success.

Research several companies and find out their reputation. Look for a company with longevity, positive client testimonials and a desire to see your law firm succeed. One who knows that their best interest as a marketing firm is to do whatever it takes to grow your law firm; their success is 100% dependent upon yours. No other lead generation service will be worth your hard earned dollars if they don’t care enough to be the best.

Do Make a Long Term Commitment to Your Firm’s Success

Be wary of companies that encourage a short-term approach to your advertising needs. Marketing and advertising is an ongoing commitment. Any successful advertising program, whether it’s done internally or through lead generation services requires two things: patience and time. A consistent stream of new potential clients is the key to long-term, sustained growth for any firm. This can’t be done with a stop and start approach to your marketing.

Don’t Ignore Industry Trends

Effective marketing for a personal injury practice is changing and evolving. It is imperative that you invest in an advertising service that follows closely with potential client’s search behaviors. The firm must employ a diversified approach that will reach at anytime a wide variety of potential clients. Advances in media means potential clients use various devices to stay connected. Whether it’s TV, internet or mobile, the right company will employ more than one of these sources to generate leads for your firm. Using an agency that employs only one of these methods means you are putting all your eggs in one basket – which is never an effective way to spend your advertising dollars.

Getting your firm’s name out there and making it effortless for potential clients to reach you in their time of need is critical to growing your practice. Paid lead generation can be beneficial when used and managed correctly.

Finding the right legal marketing firm that can provide you the ultimate lead generation service, that has exclusive, quality leads in your geographic area in combination with a marketing package that is all inclusive, can be a challenging process.

Article by:

Anush Alexander

Of:

RW Lynch Company, Inc.

Bad Precedent: Lawyer Censured for Buying Google Keywords for Other Lawyers and Law Firms

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I thoroughly disagree with this anti-competitive, anti-consumer censure. It’s bad precedent.

Google Keywords

I was the defense’s law firm marketing/social media expert witness in Habush vs. Cannon & Dunphy on this very issue (although the lawsuit was filed under a Wisconsin state “invasion of privacy” statute).

This is common practice online.  When you Google “Avis,” a sponsored link for Hertz shows up in the margin.  The user isn’t deceived and everyone gets more information and more choices, which is good for consumers.  It’s a strategy that helps smaller firms with smaller marketing budgets compete against big-name, big-budget firms.

This keyword-bidding strategy is certainly aggressive, but it shouldn’t be considered unethical or unprofessional; it’s simply an issue of taste, which is subjective.  We shouldn’t legislate taste.

 

Article by:

Ross Fishman

Of:

Fishman Marketing, Inc.

Join NAWL for their 2014 Mid-Year Meeting – March 19-20 in Washington D.C.

The National Law Review is pleased to bring you information about the upcoming 2014 Mid-Year Meeting of the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL).

2014 Mid-Year Brochure_Draft 5

When

Wednesday March 19 – Thursday March 20, 2014

Where

Washington, D.C.

Register here!

Join us at the 2014 Mid-Year Meeting in Washington, D.C. on March 19-20, 2014 at the Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel.

This year’s program is Leadership through Change: Lessons from D.C. and Beyond. The hard work and collaboration of the entire Mid-Year Meeting Planning Committee have produced a comprehensive and rich program relevant to Women in all fields of legal practice. Topics we will cover include a mix of professional development and substantive sessions: Navigating in a Majority Environment: Clearing the Hurdles to Success; Cyber & Data Security; Developing Lawyers as Leaders; 50th Anniversary of the Equal Pay Act: Where We Stand; and Power: How To Get It and How To Wield It. We will be announcing our keynote and other speakers soon, so please stay posted on the website. Finally, as always, there will be networking time built in throughout the event.

While we hope that you learn a lot from the meeting, we also want you to enjoy yourselves in our nation’s capital—and, with luck, enjoy the height of the cherry blossom season after a very long winter. We believe that you will leave the 2014 NAWL Mid-Year Meeting inspired and look forward to seeing you in D.C.

Chief Litigation Officer Summit – March 20-22 in Las Vegas

The National Law Review is pleased to bring you information about the Marcus Evan  Chief Litigation Officer Summit taking place March 20-22, 2014 at the Red Rock Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, NV.

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Qualifying titles include:
Associate General Counsel
Chief Litigation Officer
Chief Litigation Counsel
Head of Litigation
SVP/VP Litigation
Senior Litigation Counsel

Key Topics in 2013 include:

  • Mitigating the Risks – Safeguarding your organization from whistleblower and retaliation claims

  • Taking the Reins – Solutions for controlling e-Discovery costs and driving efficiency

  • The Best Defense is Prevention – Uncovering practical approaches to litigation avoidance

  • Spotlight on Dispute Resolution – Determining whether to arbitrate vs. litigate

  • Working Hand in Hand – Creating valuable partnerships and synergy with your outside counsel

 

Distinguish Speakers Include:

Tanya Menton
Vice President, Litigation
ABC

Eva Lehman
VP, Litigation and Chief Compliance Officer
Western Digital Corporation

Mark LoSacco
EVP and General Counsel – Litigation, Labor and Employment
HSBC North America

Christopher E. Paetsch
Vice President and AGC Litigation
Kaplan, Inc.

Phyllis Golden Morey
VP and Deputy General Counsel – Litigation
Ingersoll-Rand

Steve Taub
Assistant General Counsel
U-Haul International, Inc.

Reagan Bradford
Deputy General Counsel
Chesapeake Energy Corporation

Tiffany Woodie
Senior Counsel/Head of Litigation
PetSmart Corporation

To watch a testimonial video click: http://ow.ly/tWvdy

To receive the full agenda and to register, contact:
Jenny Keane
Marketing Manager
+1.312.540.3000 x6515
j.keane@marcusevansch.com

The Top 25 Law Marketing Cliches to Avoid

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As a whole, lawyers are very literal, often too literal for good marketing.  As a result, many firms simply opt for the obvious icons that represent the general concept of “Law,” just like most of their closest competitors.  The logical rationale seems to be, “Well, if everyone else is doing it this way, it must be right.”  But that’s wrong.

Your marketing should set you apart, help you stand above the crowd.  And doing exactly what they do buries you in the anonymous middle.  Sure it’s safe, but ”safe” doesn’t help generate revenue.

That is, if your website home page shows a skyline or column, you’ve immediately convinced everyone who sees it that (1) your firm is mediocre, and (2) there’s nothing worth reading inside.  If you want to claim to be a high-end, A-tier firm, then you must look like it, and a photo of a handshake, map, or pen resting on a document won’t cut it.  No exceptions, unless you’re, say, Wachtell or Cravath.

So here they are, the 25 most typical and tedious clichés law firms use (and what they actually convey to the average reader):

The Image (What it means.)

  1. Globe/Map (We did a deal in Toronto once)
  2. Shaking hands (We’re your partner.)
  3. Building/Architectural detail (We work in a building!)
  4. Skylines (We work in a city!)
  5. Columns/Courthouse (We’re lawyers!)
  6. Gavel (Yup, we’re lawyers.)
  7. Light bulbs (We have good ideas.)
  8. Chess pieces (We’re strategic.)
  9. Diverse conference room (Stock photo)
  10. Smiling lawyers (People work here!)
  11. Scales of justice (Still just lawyers.)
  12. Dart boards (We’re on target.)
  13. DNA/Test tube/beaker/gears/CD (We have an IP practice.)
  14. Man/Woman walking, in suits (That’s our profession’s action shot.)
  15. Vacant lobby/Conference room (We go home at 5:00.)
  16. Books (This might be 2012, but we still use books.)
  17. Laptop/Computer (Look!  We use computers!)
  18. Eyeglasses or pen on a document (We work on documents.)
  19. Boxing gloves (We’re tough.)
  20. Rowing/Musicians (We work as a team!)
  21. Crayons/Flags/Circle of hands (Diversity!)
  22. Grinning PI or divorce lawyer (Lost a limb? Wife left you? Good for me!)
  23. Cheetah (We move fast.)
  24. Maze (We solve puzzles.)
  25. Blurry man running up steps (Out of my way! Late for court!)

The fact that you immediately recognized all or most of these, and perhaps laughed embarrassingly at a few, proves that these images have lost their impact.  So, if you’re using any of these in your marketing materials, from website or blog to print ads or brochures, stop immediately.

Either change your tag line to “Average skills. Average price.TM” or, preferably, come up with something that really sets you apart.  Create something else, something great.  Something that helps you stand out in a way that generates real revenue. If you can’t do it, hire someone who can.  But it must be done, it’s important.

Figure out who you really are, then build your marketing around that.

Article by:

Ross Fishman

Of:

Fishman Marketing, Inc.

Last chance! Register now for the Women in the Law Rainmaker Forum: A Catalyst for Stepping into Your Power

The National Law Review is pleased to bring you information about the upcoming Women in the Law Rainmaker Forum hosted by KLA Marketing Associates.

1.24.14

When

For your convenience, 3 dates and times:

February 17 – Late Afternoon

Feburary 19 – Morning

Februrary 27 – Late afternoon

Where

Philadelphia / New Jersey / Virtual

Join us – a safe, intimate forum where Women in the Law “lean in” and access much-needed resources to develop a prosperous and rewarding practice. Make 2014 the year to take control of your career. 
Join for our popular Forum to:
  • Learn critical rainmaking techniques
  • Brainstorm opportunities
  • Dig deep into your business challenges
  • Tap skills/experience of others  

Four 2-hour sessions to change the

way you do business – and win business!

Special Pricing: $499* for all 4 sessions – – and more. Register now to claim your seat that will change the way you do business!

About the Trainer/Coach
Kimberly Alford Rice, Principal and Chief Strategist of KLA Marketing Associates, has successfully trained hundreds of lawyers to build and grow a prosperous book of business over the course of her 20+ year legal services advisory practice. She deeply understands how to engage the organizational and human factors that drive successful implementation and change through her work. To learn more, check out KLA Marketing Associates website.

Register for IQPC's Trademark Infringement & Litigation Summit – April 28 & 29, San Francisco

The National Law Review is pleased to bring you information about the upcoming Trademark Infringement & Litigation Summit hosted by IQPC.

Trademark

 Register by Friday February 28th and receive up to $400 off!

When

Monday April 28 & Tuesday April 29, 2014

Where

San Francisco, California, USA

Trademark law may not be changing, but its application certainly has and will continue to do so. Brands are increasingly global, which opens up new possibilities for companies… but also new trademark issues and potential pitfalls. The online experience adds to this global focus and changes the interaction between brands and consumers dramatically.

IQPC’s Trademark Infringement & Litigation Summit will address the topics that you grapple with on a daily basis, including:

  • How business and infringement concerns guide strategic registration and vigilance
  • Methods of enforcing your mark, including a “soft approach,” ICANN dispute resolution, cancellation and opposition
  • Litigation and enforcement management
  • Evolving company domain name strategy

Perhaps the biggest benefit of attending, however, is the practical, frank conversation about the legal and business choices involved in protecting and maintaining your brand. Attend the Trademark Infringement & Litigation Summit to work through these issues with your colleagues.

Do not miss your opportunity to network and engage with top in-house and outside counsel working in the area. Register today!

NOTE: IQPC plans on making CLE credits available for the state of California (number of credits pending).  In addition, IQPC processes requests for CLE Credits in other states, subject to the rules, regulations and restrictions dictated by each individual state.  For any questions pertaining to CLE Credits please contact: amanda.nasner@iqpc.com.

The 20 Best Law Firm Tag Lines

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Is your firm “Committed to Mediocrity™”?

Tag lines are hard – a few strategically selected words that encapsulate everything you stand for and want your target audience to know about you. It’s the slogan that tells your own people how to act, what makes them different, and help them bring in business. Does your firm have one? Does it stand out? Is it unique and memorable?

Consider FedEx’s brilliant “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” Nine simple words that tell FedEx buyers precisely what they’re going to get, while simultaneously informing all of its employees what their mission is, and its vital importance.

Law firms tend toward weak platitudes like “Committed to clients” or “Results Matter!” or “When Success Matters!” These vague “we’re totally awesome” statements makes a firm feel good about itself but aren’t specific enough for your lawyers or employees, or differentiating for your target market. They apply equally to nearly every firm in the market (when don’t results matter…?). They’re easy for a committee to agree on (“Good idea; let’s tell people we’re smart!”), but they don’t set you apart in a strategic way that generates revenue. What if FedEx’s slogan was “We mail things!”?

Would Nike be as successful if it allowed a marketing committee to red-pencil “Just do it” into “When you need great shoes”? How would BMW’s vision change if “The Ultimate Driving Machine” became “Your Car Matters!”

Here are law firm tag lines from the Feb-April 2011 issues of Inside Counsel magazine, a publication where many large firms advertise.

  • National Firm. Midwest Value.

  • Driving Business Advantage.

  • The confidence to proceed.

  • Canadian Lawyers.

  • Deep relationships. Forward thinking. And not just one lawyer. A team.

  • More together.

  • Top of Mind.

  • Singular focus. Outstanding results.

  • Intellectual property law by the numbers.

  • Driving Business Advantage.

Do you know which law firm is “More together?” Which firm gives you “the confidence to proceed” or “drives business advantage”? How does “Top of Mind” benefit a client?

Here are some examples of brand-related messages we’ve created that are clearer and catchier. They help define the firm internally and externally. They set the tone and help the firm stand out in a meaningful way. They give the lawyers something to say in new-business meetings when the prospects ask, “How is your firm different?”

They act as the platform for a larger campaign that helps the lawyers sell new business. It aids recruiting by defining the personality type and skill set of the laterals they should seek to hire.

Below are twenty law firm tag lines to compare and consider, that support a range of firms, practices, industries, and strategies. They are, of course, just a small part of larger campaigns, but their role can be significant in setting the tone, breaking the ice, and helping create a dialogue. OK, maybe they’re not the nation’s 20 absolute best law firm tag lines, there are some pretty good ones out there, but these are a pretty good start.

Two hours. Period.™

Laner Muchin, Chicago. The world’s most-responsive law firm. A labor and employment boutique where every client phone call is returned within two hours, even less in emergencies.

Seriously Unbelievably Client Service.™

Sandberg Phoenix, St Louis. The nation’s first firm to offer clients a written service guarantee. Their clients rate them an A+ in objective surveys.

Small but mighty.™

Novack and Macey, Chicago. A small litigation powerhouse with an amazing record of success at trial.

Article by:

Ross Fishman

Of:

Fishman Marketing, Inc.

How a Smartphone App Aims to Replace Attorneys

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A smartphone app that allows users to create, sign and send legally binding documents is the latest tech tool developed to shake up the delivery of legal services.  And its name, aptly enough, is Shake.

Shake is the brainchild of Abe Geiger, an entrepreneur who found that standard contracts were too cumbersome and complicated to meet the needs of today’s business world, even though he has access to all the free legal advice he needs (his wife is an attorney).

As with so many other inventions, Shake started with the thought that, “There has to be a better way.”

Smartphone App Legal Services

With some Silicon Valley VC funding, Geiger and his team set out on their mission, which is posted on their website:

Our mission is to make the law accessible, understandable and affordable for consumers and small businesses. We want to empower our users to share ideas, goods, and services without the fear of being stiffed for a freelance gig or putting their business at risk.

Geiger said he believes that change in the legal industry will be driven by small businesses and consumers, not by lawyers and law firms.  He says that the legal market is huge, inefficient, underserved by technology and begging for change.

Sounds like he has more than one reason to shake things up.

Carolyn Elefant, who blogs about solos and small firms at MyShingle.com, wrote recently in an Above the Law post that the app won’t displace real lawyers because the people who want to use an app or a website for their legal documents are not likely to hire an attorney anyway.  I tend to agree.

I also agree with Geiger’s assertion that people are looking for more technology-based solutions for their legal problems, even if that “problem” is only a freelance contract or a NDA.

What attorneys should take away from this is that the market is moving toward technology much faster than most lawyers are, and making technology solutions available to clients – something as simple as downloadable documents off a secure website – is the new way your clients are defining good customer service.

Article by:

Stephen Fairley

Of:

The Rainmaker Institute

One week until the final session! Register today for the Women in the Law Rainmaker Forum

The National Law Review is pleased to bring you information about the upcoming Women in the Law Rainmaker Forum hosted by KLA Marketing Associates.

1.24.14

When

For your convenience, 3 dates and times:

February 17 – Late Afternoon

Feburary 19 – Morning

Februrary 27 – Late afternoon

Where

Philadelphia / New Jersey / Virtual

Join us – a safe, intimate forum where Women in the Law “lean in” and access much-needed resources to develop a prosperous and rewarding practice. Make 2014 the year to take control of your career. 
Join for our popular Forum to:
  • Learn critical rainmaking techniques
  • Brainstorm opportunities
  • Dig deep into your business challenges
  • Tap skills/experience of others  

Four 2-hour sessions to change the

way you do business – and win business!

Special Pricing: $499* for all 4 sessions – – and more. Register now to claim your seat that will change the way you do business!

About the Trainer/Coach
Kimberly Alford Rice, Principal and Chief Strategist of KLA Marketing Associates, has successfully trained hundreds of lawyers to build and grow a prosperous book of business over the course of her 20+ year legal services advisory practice. She deeply understands how to engage the organizational and human factors that drive successful implementation and change through her work. To learn more, check out KLA Marketing Associates website.