Tag: clients

Why Selecting the Right Company Swag is so Important for Your Business and Brand

I recently went to use a pen that I got at a conference from a law firm service provider. It’s my favorite pen. It writes perfectly, it never leaks, it has the perfect consistency and it is a bright color, so I can always find it in my purse.

On the flip side, I have another pen, from a top 10 Am Law ranked law firm with profits of more than $3 million per partner per year that ran out of ink the second time I used it. It’s flimsy and plastic. I was surprised that a firm of this caliber would give out hundreds of these pens to their clients, recruits and prospects.

It’s incredibly important that each touchpoint your target audience has with your brand is truly reflective of your brand.

That means even the pens you hand out at a conference (when we go back to conferences), the coffee you serve, the way the bathrooms look and the tidiness of the reception areas (including ensuring the plants in the reception area are healthy looking) need to be well thought out.

And the kind of swag (or promotional items or tchotchkes as I prefer to call them) you choose to represent your company is much more important than you may think. It’s part of your outward facing brand and can be an easy way to gain positive visibility for your organization.

Let me give you an example. I was a guest in a summer share a few years ago in the Hamptons. One of my housemates walked into the house wearing a baseball hat that said “MoFo.” I said, “do you know what that stands for?” and you can guess yourself what he replied. I told him that MoFo was actually a global law firm. He was shocked. He said he had been given the hat by a lawyer friend of his about 10 years prior and didn’t know (or ask) what the abbreviation stood for. He just assumed it stood for – well you know what.

This is a great example of how the wording and branding on a swag item can make all the difference.

Once I told him MoFo was the name of a major law firm, the hat lost its “cool” quotient to him. Later that summer I saw his once beloved hat thrown on a heap of beach gear in the basement. The MoFo hat had been demoted.

Company SWAG is the abbreviation of “Stuff We All Get” (I personally didn’t know that until I researched this article). It is free stuff and giveaways that employers give out to their current employees, alumni, recruits and clients.

As with so many things in marketing, one size doesn’t fit all, so it’s important to have multiple promotional pieces from which you can choose. Many firms keep closets full of promotional items and have an online catalog to make it easy for employees to choose items when they need them.

It should go without saying that your company branding should appear on every promotional piece.

So, how do you choose awesome company swag that your clients and other target audiences actually want?

There’s a huge difference between being thoughtful with your company swag items and just putting your company logo on the cheapest or coolest items you can find. The benefits of doing the former go way beyond what you might think.

Investing in high-quality swag has the potential to earn you extra brand impressions, build awareness, cultivate strong company culture, and build good rapport between your brand and your prospects.

  • Make sure it’s well-made: The number one rule when considering company swag is making sure it’s high-quality. While the initial excitement of a new or free thing might last a week or so, if it’s not something of true value, people will be over it just as quickly. When you take the time to pick out swag items that are worthwhile, people are going to use it far beyond the first week, giving your swag more longevity and the chance to garner more impressions. If it falls apart, so does your reputation.

  • Think outside of the office. Find something that is useful even outside of the office – it doesn’t always need to be a pen or a flash drive!

  • But sometimes the tried and true works. I have an umbrella from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison given to me for Employee Appreciation Day many years ago when I worked there. This is the Mercedes Benz of umbrellas. It still works after two decades! It even has a cool wind technology that doesn’t allow it to bend during crazy storms. I carry it with me whenever there’s a bad rainstorm. We always had high-end umbrellas stowed away as giveaway items at several law firms when it rained for client events. Don’t underestimate the power of a good quality basic like an umbrella or a tote bag. Just put your logo on it so you get free publicity. You want your brand to be associated with high-quality items, because you are a high-quality company.

  • Keep your company culture at the forefront when choosing swag items. This one really doesn’t need an explanation. Make sure the items you select truly represent you and your organization.

  • Consider thoughtful details. When planning what kind of items you want to order for company swag, think about which items you can use to relay small details about your company and/or its culture.

  • Make sure your logo/brand name is on each item – and that it’s not too big and not too small. Remember promotional items are walking advertisements for your organization. I still get stopped on the street sometimes when I wear a tote bag from one of my prior law firms – someone will inevitably ask me if I am a lawyer and it’s a nice starting conversation point. I am not a huge fan of doing special logos for an anniversary or special event – I think it’s smarter from a brand and cost perspective to stick to the basics, especially if you are not a household name.

  • Extra points if you can work yourself (or your clients) into the item. Intellectual property law firm Amster Rothstein & Ebenstein has one of the coolest promotional items I’ve seen in years. It’s a metal straw – but it’s not because it’s trendy as a metal straw – it’s because they helped the client obtain the patent for that straw. They actually have the patent number on the item – which is super cool too. So, if you did something novel like this – by all means please use it as your promotional item. And if your clients create items that you can use – even better. Why not support them? It helps to build stronger relationships. One of my prior firms had a program where they would source promotional items and startups from small businesses the firm represented. What a great way to support small businesses and your clients!

Taking the time to pick out the right swag will enhance your brand and reputation, promote your company culture and promote positive buzz your organization.

I’d love to hear more about the promotional items your firm is using.

Article By Stefanie M. Marrone of Stefanie Marrone Consulting

For more legal marketing news, click here to visit the National Law Review.

Copyright © 2022, Stefanie M. Marrone. All Rights Reserved.

11 Ways to Tap into the Legal Market’s Greenfield

A survey conducted in 2019 determined that nearly 80% of Americans with a legal issue didn’t hire a lawyer to handle it. When you consider that over 50% of people in the US claim to have had a legal issue at some point over the last two years, you’re looking at a considerable amount of potential clients. In other words, there is an enormous array of people who need lawyers who simply aren’t hiring one.

The secret to tapping into this greenfield dormant legal market is knowing the reasons behind their aversion to lawyers. By understanding the reasons behind people’s hesitancy to pay for legal services, you can attempt to better appeal to them, and tap into a huge pool of potential clients.

Why People Are Hesitant To Hire Lawyers:

!Price

The first and most obvious reason why people are hesitant to hire a lawyer is the price tag attached to them. Considering the majority of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, it’s not surprising that paying between $100 and $400 an hour for a lawyer (or more) is a stretch for their wallets.

Even “simple” legal cases can cost thousands of dollars, and more complex ones can be financially detrimental for a cash-strapped client. Although many lawyers are starting to move towards a flat-fee pricing system that delivers an upfront summary of costs rather than wondering how much your case will all add up, a lot of people still aren’t biting.

It’s time for lawyers to start asking themselves how they can transform the way they deliver and price their legal services to tap into this untapped world of would-be clients.

!Lack of Transparency

Ever heard the joke, “what’s the difference between a vacuum cleaner and a lawyer riding a motorcycle?” — “The vacuum cleaner has the dirtbag on the inside.” This is just one of the many zingers out there about lawyers. It’s no secret that many swindling lawyers have made it hard for the honest ones in the profession. Now, lawyers have to defend themselves against lousy reputations for lack of transparency about their prices.

That’s why it’s incredibly important that you lay out your pricing system from day one. Be clear about your prices, and you’ll save you and your client a world of trouble later on.

!Bad Past Experiences

Another frequent reason for the untapped legal market not hiring lawyers is because many people have had bad experiences with a lawyer in the past. Surprisingly, people’s biggest reason for a negative experience is often because they felt their lawyers were very bad at communication. Believe it or not, a positive client experience doesn’t always come down to their lawyer winning their case or not. Clients often just want to be informed on their case and answered in a timely manner when they have a question.

That means there are people out there thrilled with their lawyers and their lawyers didn’t even give them the best possible outcome on their case. Ultimately, what people want is a positive client journey. Yet, without a systematic method in place, it can be hard to deliver the kind of service that people want.

The only way to convince people that not all lawyers are bad is to get things started on the right foot. Using legal client intake software is the only way to respond quickly when you’re handling multiple cases at a time. Workflow automation for law firms makes your clients feel connected to you from the first moment they reach out. Legal client intake software allows you to set up trigger-based emails that automatically send a message out based on an action of your choosing. The end result is satisfied clients who feel as if they’re your only client.

©2021 — Lawmatics
Article by Sarah Bottorff with Lawmatics.
For more articles about the legal market, visit the NLR Business of Law section.

Influencing the Client Experience – Takeaways from LMA Capital's Half Day Program Part 1

The LMA Capital group brought together a record number of legal marketers in the D.C. area on Wednesday, October 29th to discuss how best to positively influence the client experience and foster lasting relationships between their firms and clients. Tara Weintritt, partner at Wicker Park Group, kicked off the program by setting the scene for attendees. In the past, law firms focused on touting their experience and success in handling particular matters. However, Tara elaborated that smart, capable, intelligent lawyers are baseline characteristics. Clients want to know how you can help them and what it’s like to work with you. After speaking with over 1,500 in-house counsel, the folks at Wicker Park Group have been able to identify seven major areas of concern that are consistently at the forefront of these decision-makers’ minds: adding value, credit, succession planning, billing and budgets, communication, managing expectations, and responsiveness. Tara provided direct quotes from actual client interviews as an introduction to attendees, but six thought leaders in the legal marketing industry gave in-depth (but brief!) TED-style talks to really drill down to the heart of why these are concerns for clients, and what can be done to address these concerns.

Adding Value –  Creating a Culture of Strategic Business Intelligence

Gina Lynch, of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, kicked off the first TED talk. Clients want to know how you can add value to the relationship that does not show up on the billing report. This is where competitive intelligence teams are valuable in influencing the client experience. Firms must go above and beyond the requisite skills required for establishing the business relationship, which are thorough writing and analysis skills. The firm counterpart must demonstrate that he or she can understand the complex research.  CI teams must fully understand the work the client does. Ms. Lynch elaborated, “they need to be able to talk like your client, act like your client”. It not enough to present a report to the client. They want to know how this is relevant to them, what their competitors are doing and what their long-term strategy might be. Ms. Lynch also advocates for the CI team to be outside of the marketing department so it can be involved in all aspects of the firm’s relationship with the client: intake/pitch, research, knowledge management and retention. This circles back to the notion that it’s critical to understand the work the client does. Finally, the relationship should be client-focused! This is a no-brainer as members of the team should be living in the client’s world so it can play offense when a problem comes up. If a CI team is strategically informed, it can spot opportunities for growth (or damage control) when a new situation arises.

Credit and Succession Planning – Creating Strong Client and Industry Teams for the Long Term

Ms. Weintritt, at the start, elaborated that a major concern clients have is not being involved in or more aware of transitions within the firm. Tara Derby, of Reed Smith LLP, in the next TED talk, discussed how to mitigate this concern, and ultimately develop a long-term, successful relationship with the client by creating strong client teams. A successful client team will be focused on leadership, collaboration, a proactive and intuitive approach, and strategic client engagement. There are two things that need to be accomplished in order to build a strong client team: 1) the right client relationship leader must be selected, and 2) he or she needs to work hand in hand with the key account manager, or client relationship driver. This leader needs to be organized, efficient, client-facing and engaging. It’s important that the correct leader and team be in place or else service provided to the client will be only mediocre. Teams are only effective when there is a high level of collaboration across the firm, but people that are part of the team need to make a positive impact on the client. Strong client teams are proactive, not reactive, and to do so requires the team to know the client’s needs, culture, and ultimately how they think. Clients will feel understood and listened too because the relationship is 100% centered around their needs.

Billing and Budgets – Doing Your Homework: Strengthening and Growing Client Relationships Through Better Scoping, Budgeting and Risk Assessment

Since the major shift if the legal industry a few years ago, clients have been more cost conscious. As Melissa Prince, of Ballard Spahr, elaborated in her TED talk, the quality of the work matters less than the value the work provides the client. In terms of cost-effectiveness, clients want transparency in the budgeting process and improved budget forecasting, more than the lowest cost. In terms of scoping, it’s important to develop the client relationship to understand the client’s goals and business objects. This means speaking to the client about their needs before the scoping process. The key thing is to put everything in writing: matter phases, tasks, expected deliverables, proposed timelines and deadlines, responsible time keepers, etc. It’s also key to identify assumptions, that is, to identify what is and what is not going to be included in the matter. In terms of budgeting, use historic financial data to identify ways to improve efficiency. The budget should also be documented in writing as specifically as possible. It should include metrics such as hours work, type of work, who will be completing the task, identifies different hourly rates, and outlines low and high estimates, as well as start and end dates. To preserve a positive client relationship, any overages that arise should be communicated as early as possible. Properly managing their expectations for the scope and budget of the representation will help improve the firm’s efficiency, but also deepen their relationship with the client.

Stay tuned for part 2 of LMA Capital’s Half Day Program.

Article By Nicole Cudiamat Minnis
The National Law Review / The National Law Forum LLC

Influencing the Client Experience – Takeaways from LMA Capital’s Half Day Program Part 1

The LMA Capital group brought together a record number of legal marketers in the D.C. area on Wednesday, October 29th to discuss how best to positively influence the client experience and foster lasting relationships between their firms and clients. Tara Weintritt, partner at Wicker Park Group, kicked off the program by setting the scene for attendees. In the past, law firms focused on touting their experience and success in handling particular matters. However, Tara elaborated that smart, capable, intelligent lawyers are baseline characteristics. Clients want to know how you can help them and what it’s like to work with you. After speaking with over 1,500 in-house counsel, the folks at Wicker Park Group have been able to identify seven major areas of concern that are consistently at the forefront of these decision-makers’ minds: adding value, credit, succession planning, billing and budgets, communication, managing expectations, and responsiveness. Tara provided direct quotes from actual client interviews as an introduction to attendees, but six thought leaders in the legal marketing industry gave in-depth (but brief!) TED-style talks to really drill down to the heart of why these are concerns for clients, and what can be done to address these concerns.

Adding Value –  Creating a Culture of Strategic Business Intelligence

Gina Lynch, of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, kicked off the first TED talk. Clients want to know how you can add value to the relationship that does not show up on the billing report. This is where competitive intelligence teams are valuable in influencing the client experience. Firms must go above and beyond the requisite skills required for establishing the business relationship, which are thorough writing and analysis skills. The firm counterpart must demonstrate that he or she can understand the complex research.  CI teams must fully understand the work the client does. Ms. Lynch elaborated, “they need to be able to talk like your client, act like your client”. It not enough to present a report to the client. They want to know how this is relevant to them, what their competitors are doing and what their long-term strategy might be. Ms. Lynch also advocates for the CI team to be outside of the marketing department so it can be involved in all aspects of the firm’s relationship with the client: intake/pitch, research, knowledge management and retention. This circles back to the notion that it’s critical to understand the work the client does. Finally, the relationship should be client-focused! This is a no-brainer as members of the team should be living in the client’s world so it can play offense when a problem comes up. If a CI team is strategically informed, it can spot opportunities for growth (or damage control) when a new situation arises.

Credit and Succession Planning – Creating Strong Client and Industry Teams for the Long Term

Ms. Weintritt, at the start, elaborated that a major concern clients have is not being involved in or more aware of transitions within the firm. Tara Derby, of Reed Smith LLP, in the next TED talk, discussed how to mitigate this concern, and ultimately develop a long-term, successful relationship with the client by creating strong client teams. A successful client team will be focused on leadership, collaboration, a proactive and intuitive approach, and strategic client engagement. There are two things that need to be accomplished in order to build a strong client team: 1) the right client relationship leader must be selected, and 2) he or she needs to work hand in hand with the key account manager, or client relationship driver. This leader needs to be organized, efficient, client-facing and engaging. It’s important that the correct leader and team be in place or else service provided to the client will be only mediocre. Teams are only effective when there is a high level of collaboration across the firm, but people that are part of the team need to make a positive impact on the client. Strong client teams are proactive, not reactive, and to do so requires the team to know the client’s needs, culture, and ultimately how they think. Clients will feel understood and listened too because the relationship is 100% centered around their needs.

Billing and Budgets – Doing Your Homework: Strengthening and Growing Client Relationships Through Better Scoping, Budgeting and Risk Assessment

Since the major shift if the legal industry a few years ago, clients have been more cost conscious. As Melissa Prince, of Ballard Spahr, elaborated in her TED talk, the quality of the work matters less than the value the work provides the client. In terms of cost-effectiveness, clients want transparency in the budgeting process and improved budget forecasting, more than the lowest cost. In terms of scoping, it’s important to develop the client relationship to understand the client’s goals and business objects. This means speaking to the client about their needs before the scoping process. The key thing is to put everything in writing: matter phases, tasks, expected deliverables, proposed timelines and deadlines, responsible time keepers, etc. It’s also key to identify assumptions, that is, to identify what is and what is not going to be included in the matter. In terms of budgeting, use historic financial data to identify ways to improve efficiency. The budget should also be documented in writing as specifically as possible. It should include metrics such as hours work, type of work, who will be completing the task, identifies different hourly rates, and outlines low and high estimates, as well as start and end dates. To preserve a positive client relationship, any overages that arise should be communicated as early as possible. Properly managing their expectations for the scope and budget of the representation will help improve the firm’s efficiency, but also deepen their relationship with the client.

Stay tuned for part 2 of LMA Capital’s Half Day Program.

Article By Nicole Cudiamat Minnis
The National Law Review / The National Law Forum LLC

Can Salesmanship Grow Your Case Load?

RW Lynch Company, Inc.

The legal profession is overflowing with competition. What sets one personal injury attorney apart from the hundreds of other personal injury attorneys in their area? In such a competitive field, it is vital that personal injury attorneys are able to, not just find potential clients, but keep them.

You already know the competition is fierce. That is why you’re doing all the right things. You’re working with a top legal marketing company, like RW Lynch. You’re sending out email newsletters, direct mail pieces, and even saturating social media. You’re doing everything you can to maximize your presence within the sea of competition.

So why aren’t you landing clients?

Because your job as a salesman doesn’t end the minute a potential client calls you. Your marketing strategy worked, and that is great. But now it is up to you to reel in the leads that you’ve hooked.

Get in touch…FAST

What good is marketing your law firm if you let potential clients slip through your fingers? If you are not eager to act when an injured victim contacts you, know that there are plenty of other attorneys who are. With so much competition surrounding you, are you willing to give your lead time to find help elsewhere?

Show potential clients that you care by communicating with them right away. If they call your office, speak to them personally. If they send an email or leave a voice mail, contact them back as soon as possible. Meet them in their hospital room, at their home, or at your office. You can even meet over a work break, for coffee. Show them that they are a priority.

When someone is in need of legal advice, they will not be sitting by the phone, patiently waiting for you to return their call. They will find help elsewhere. You became an attorney to help people, so don’t make their legal problems wait on you. Your clients will be grateful for your prompt attention.

Collect information

When meeting with a potential client, your job is to gather information. You can do this simply by creating a dialogue. Don’t waste time showboating. Instead, focus on listening. Ask probing questions, and investigate every detail of their account.

Most people in need of an attorney are apprehensive and are unfamiliar with the legal process. Start the conversation by asking them to tell you about their problem. Guide the conversation, but let them do the talking. You will be surprised how quickly the conversation progresses when your prospective client feels like you are truly concerned and willing to listen.

You may want to consider creating a list of questions to keep on hand. Save them to your phone or tablet so you are always prepared to meet with potential clients and gather information, no matter where you are.

Be empathetic

Most attorneys are in the business to help people. Being a good salesman means that you need to show them why you are the right attorney for the job. Victims need to feel comfortable sharing their situation with you. Understanding your client’s needs and empathizing with their situation shows them that you care. Attorneys are hired to solve legal matters, but to a client, these matters are personal.

Many people you meet with will be cautious, and may feel intimidated, speaking with an attorney. After you’ve spent time getting to know your prospective client, and you’ve listened to their problem, clarify the legal process. Answer their questions and explain how you plan to help them using your skill and experience. Clients will feel more at ease if they understand what to expect.

It may be hard for a client to ask questions that they feel are awkward. Or maybe they have follow up questions that weren’t discussed in your meetings. Consider texting with your clients. This shows them, not only that you are available when they need you, but also that you care about their concerns and want to relate to them on a personal level.

ARTICLE BY

Brian Lynch
RW Lynch Company, Inc.

Tips for Improving Your Client Retention Rates [INFOGRAPHIC]

The Rainmaker Institute

Client retention consultancy Sparked counts some of the world’s most successful brands as its clients, including Microsoft, Google, Kraft, SAP, Barclays and more.  So it’s worth lending an ear when they release research that shows a mere 5% increase in a company’s client retention rate can increase profits by as much as 95%.

Many firms don’t place much emphasis on client retention, believing such fallacies as one or two poor experiences can jettison a relationship (actually, clients leave because of poor performance overall, not just a few isolated incidents).

Sparked has created this infographic to show where firms go wrong when it comes to client retention and provides the remedies for correcting it:

ARTICLE BY

Stephen Fairley
OF
The Rainmaker Institute

5 Things to Tell Prospects That Will Turn Them Into Clients

The Rainmaker Institute mini logo (1)

Have you been looking for the “magic words” to tell prospects that will turn them into clients?  My experience in teaching lead conversion techniques to thousands of attorneys over the last decade shows that you need to focus your messaging to prospects on these five areas:

1. Tell them what you can do for them.   At the end of the day, clients are only interested in what you can do for them.  Your job is to tell them what your service can do for them personally and remember- they do not want to spend time looking for the answer. The answer to this question must be one of the first things your clients see on your website and in your firm-wide communications. If your clients are going to remember you, you must first answer the question “What’s in it for them?”

2. Tell them what makes you different. For every service you provide there are many other attorneys who can provide the same services. So what can a client get from you that they cannot get from anyone else? Perhaps it is your credibility or the creative way you bring solutions to your clients. You must determine what differentiates your firm from anyone else and market that point.

3. Tell them you understand their pain. The most effective way to ensure a lasting impact on your clients is to communicate with them on an emotional level. You must find their “pain.” What is it about their business, life, family, time, or environment that is causing pain? Are they not working or working too much? Is their business growing too fast or too slow? Is their family falling apart? Do they have a hard time tracking their employees? Find their pain and communicate with them on an emotional level about how you can help heal their pain and make their business, life, family, time or environment pleasurable.

4. Tell them the benefits of working with you. 
Features are what your service does. Benefits are why your client needs your service. For every feature you have, you must tell your client what the benefit is. Is your firm better, faster, guaranteed or more personal? Will your service create more clients, decrease turnover, or increase profit margins? These are all great features, but you must tell your clients how this benefits them specifically.

5. Tell them why it’s safe to hire you.
 Many of our clients work at small law firms that have services similar to those at larger, more established firms. Why should your potential client buy your service over the big firm’s service? While no one can predict the future of your firm, the savvy small firm recognizes the need to develop creative ways to reduce the risk of their clients in working with them. How could you lower the risk of your clients if they are concerned about working with a solo practitioner or a small law firm?

Article By:

Stephen Fairley
Of:
The Rainmaker Institute

Build Better Relationships in 2014

RWLogoWide

 

While social media, mobile advertising, content creation and blogs are important in your new year’s marketing efforts, building strong relationships with clients and potential clients is still your most important marketing tactic. Don’t neglect this foundation of your marketing efforts. Make relationship building an integral part of your 2014 marketing plan.

build better relationships in 2014

How do you go about building better relationships with clients and potential clients? The key is to communicate and communicate often! But all forms of communication are not equal. Let’s break down the ideal process for building a communication strategy that will lead to stronger relationships with clients and potential clients.

Understand Your Ideal Client:

First and foremost – know who you are targeting. Spend some time looking at your client list. Are there common attributes? What types of cases are you looking for? What types of information are important to potential clients? Or is there a practice area you are looking to expand or start? Now think about what types of information you provide or what types of information would be valuable for each type of client. Today’s consumers are driven by information. Providing highly personalized content directly to the right audience will give your firm the opportunity for direct engagement with potential clients.

How Will You Communicate?

Technological advances mean you have multiple ways to communicate to your audience? Ideally you should leverage more than one to get your message heard. Social media, blogging, and email marketing form a trifecta that attorneys can use to distribute content without having to develop individual messaging for each. This trifecta will allow you to reach not only new prospects (through social media and blogging) but current clients and contacts that are also an important marketing opportunity that shouldn’t be overlooked. Clients may have need or may have contacts within their sphere of influence that have need for legal representation.

If you haven’t already, develop an email marketing list of all your contacts, clients, former clients and referral sources. This will be the basis of the marketing list you will use for email communications. Simultaneously, create a blog (wordpress is fairly easy) and sign up for Twitter and LinkedIn.

Develop An Editorial Calendar:

Now that you understand what your potential clients are looking for and how you will communicate, develop a content list of what you want to write and a schedule (at least 3 months out, but a full 12 months would be even better) for when you will send each article. Once you have your topics laid out you will have a schedule that will be easier for you to maintain moving forward.

Note that more content does not necessarily mean its better! Some attorneys we work with have avoided developing a content strategy primarily because of time constraints – assuming that every article needs to be a treatise on the law. This isn’t the case. You can create compelling content in 1500 words or less that is easily digestible for the average reader. Ideally your content should be informative and conversational, engaging readers and provoking them to want to find out more information or share what they have read with others. Attorneys – this means skip the legalese as much as possible and write content that is easy to understand for the lay person.

Once you have written the article it can be emailed to your contacts, posted to your blog and shared on Twitter and LinkedIn. This allows you to get maximum exposure for every article you write.

Staying in regular contact with your clients and potential clients by providing them with valuable information builds trust, stronger relationships and loyalty.

When settling into 2014 and preparing your marketing strategy, it is important to understand what your potential client’s needs are. Building relationships and providing informative, engaging content is the key to continued success.

Article by:

Anush Alexander

Of:

RW Lynch Company, Inc.

Bedside Manner: The Key to Landing and Retaining Clients

RWLogoWide

Practicing law is very much a client-centric business and providing exceptional service is pivotal to a successful practice. Are you providing the service that your clients expect?

Survey after survey will tell you that the #1 reason why clients fire attorneys is “lack of responsiveness” or in general an overall lack of customer service. Correspondingly, the top reason clients hire lawyers is empathy and responsiveness. Keeping clients and potential clients happy is the key to not only maintaining, but growing your practice. The following are a few tips for ensuring that your bedside manner doesn’t impede your ability to attract and retain new clients.

client retention bedside manner law office management

Return Calls Promptly

The legal industry and in particular personal injury law is highly competitive. Speedy response time to new leads is the key to higher conversions (See our recent article about response time:http://www.rwlynchblog.com/the-key-to-converting-more-leads/). But your bedside manner doesn’t end there: lack of responsiveness is the most cited reason for firing a lawyer. Return client calls as soon as possible, even if it’s an email (or a call from a secretary or paralegal) that lets them know that their call is important to you and that you will respond as soon as possible.

Listen

Our most successful attorneys can attest to this advice: listen to everything a potential client has to say about his/her potential case. Yes, some potential clients can run off on tangents that are seemingly unrelated to a case. However, some of the best cases our clients say they’ve landed are cases that other attorneys turned away; simply because they didn’t take the time to listen and ask the right questions. Don’t lose potential clients because “you don’t have the time” to sort through all of the “riff-raff”. Giving your full attention and asking questions will allow you to uncover the important nuggets of information you may miss otherwise.

Don’t Use Legalese

Take the time to explain legal issues in a way your clients can easily understand them. These are complicated issues and clients are often scared and confused. Explaining issues in a clear and concise manner devoid of legal jargon will put your clients at ease.

Above All Empathize

Taking the time to care, explain the process and reassure clients will not only help you retain clients but will create a lasting impression that will ensure those clients will continue to refer new business your way.

Article by:

Brian Lynch

Of:

RW Lynch Company, Inc.

Can Law Firms Get Business From the Internet?

Correct Consults Logo

 

Yes, but…

Law firms can absolutely get business from the Internet when armed with a strong plan and backed by an appropriate investment.

How Has Internet Marketing for Lawyers Changed?

The Internet is no longer dominated by single industry websites that people simply visit and read. Today, consumers can interact.  They can browse a website, look at and comment on a firm’s Social Media pages, view a law firm’s rating and write their own review.

Business from the Web

A few years ago, a law firm could set up a website, do some on-page search engine optimization (SEO) work, add a few links and get site rankings and cases. Today, search engines look at a variety of factors to determine if a site has value. Search engines look at content to ensure that it is relevant and has true value. They look at visitor activity. They analyze incoming links for quality and relevance. They look at a law firm’s online presence, including other websites and social signals.

The potential for attracting new clients through the Web is tremendous. While other advertising mediums are shrinking, the Web’s growth continues to be explosive. Law firms that take the right approach and are selective in choosing their vendors are drawing more clients and cases to their firm.

What Should Law Firms Seek in a Web Marketing Vendor?

Law firm SEO vendors who have been watching the Internet as it changes know what it takes to make a practice succeed online. When searching for the right vendor, look for one with proven success and a team of experts.

Successful Internet marketing for lawyers requires more than just a designer with an eye for professional flair. The vendor should customize websites and SEO campaigns. Some of the larger vendors employ great salespeople, but clients are provided with cookie-cutter designs and template SEO processes.

Your marketing provider should be legal specific. The firm should not have to push the vendor through projects to get work accomplished. The vendor should understand and be able to easily navigate the world of legal marketing. The vendor should have licensed attorneys who understand and can navigate the ethics of law firm marketing. Prior to hiring us, one of our clients had been forced to spend more than twelve painful months and significant staff-time to launch his site.

Look for a Web marketing company with sufficient staff to support your campaign.  The staff should include professional designers, attorney content managers, programmers, a Social Media team, marketing consultants and strong account managers.

The best vendors are those that endeavor to be a law firm’s partner, not just a vendor. When you find a company that gives your firm the personalized attention it needs, they can be a true asset. This type of vendor will grow with your firm instead of making a sale to you and then going down the street to sell to your competitors. They commit to your firm’s long-term success and return on investment.

What Kind of Return Does Internet Marketing for Law Firms Offer?

If law firms are partnering with the right SEO vendor, there can be huge return on investments for the firm. One of our clients, Ken Hardison, receives a 10 to 1 return on every dollar he invests.  Another client recently settled a case the firm acquired from the Internet for close to $10M. Our Motor Vehicle Accident, Social Security, Workers’ Compensation, Family Law and Bankruptcy clients receive several cases from the Web each month.

Today, very few prospective clients go to the Yellow Pages to find a lawyer or law firm; they search on the Internet first. Achieving a successful ROI through online marketing takes time and strategy, but there are solid results available to those to who invest properly. We work hard for our clients to rank high in the search engines and have compelling websites so they will get the call.

Article by:

Consultwebs.com, Inc.

Of:

LeAnna Easterday