This is one badass excuse for not marketing – “It’s been six months since I won that big case for my client. Why hasn’t SHE called ME?”
I heard that quote directly from an attorney. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO WIN ! It never occurred to him to continue the relationship, offer to share the trial tactics with her in-house law department, co-author an article within the client’s industry publication, or invite the teams to a celebratory dinner. Do you get the message here?
“I always miss the new litigation” is one of the most self-sabotaging excuses for not marketing that I have heard from attorneys. It is easy to solve. You and your practice group attorneys need to monitor court decisions, pending legislation, and new litigation theories. Lawyer marketing means keeping your clients and prospects ahead of economic and industry trends. Invite the marketing and library professionals to engage. Assign your law firm practice group members to tracking journals, organizations, and media and report.
As Sir Richard Branson is fond of saying, “Opportunities are like buses. If you miss one, another will be coming along.” [If you keep your eyes open.]
How often have you heard this excuse for not marketing, “If I made 3 calls a day, I’d run out of people to call in 2 weeks?” Too many lawyers spend so much of their time working for one client that they spend almost no time building client succession planning, moving suspects to prospects and prospects to clients.
Firm leaders need to focus on ensuring that closing skills and marketing begin with the first contact and involve following up, building relationships, understanding a prospects business, brainstorming and offering ideas.
View this as a firm underutilized asset and get them going.
The following excuse from an attorney for not marketing defies intelligence, “I don’t know how to begin.”
Although today’s marketplace for legal services is more challenging then ever, there is a reason why some of us continue to slug away. Once that iron wall of resistance totters, the intellectual and professional awards are extraordinary. So if this quote fits you, just ask!
This is the most agonizing excuse for not marketing, “I failed once; why try again?” Stop the agony and join post-mortem firm reviews on proposals that failed. Take advantage of your firm’s business development training and other professional development programs such as client retention and client management. And learn the value of slugging away.
If ever there were a Zen excuse for not marketing, it is” I’m afraid of the process.” Oh, come on. Follow Arthur Ashe’s advice – “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
And another excuse for not marketing we have heard from attorneys – “I can’t market but I’ll hire someone who can.” Oh come on – practice pitches, proposals and even lunch. Contact someone in your marketing department today.
The second excuse for not marketing that we have heard from some lawyers is, “My partner does all the selling. I deliver the work”! It is clearly the responsibility of client relationship leaders to ensure that all attorneys build relationships with their peers at clients’ and in professional organizations.
Of all the excuses for not marketing, “I know no one who knows anyone” is the most absurd. As Mark Twain observed, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
Hearing from attorneys and marketing professionals in response to the 2017 Law Firm Outlook Survey, “getting attorneys out on the business development trail” says it best. Significant concern was expressed about growing competition but fewer attorneys willing to market. Law firm outlook was also described as needing to increase market share and winning new clients.
Therefore, our article title, Where’s the Beef focuses on the need build a long-term pipeline. But the “beef” also refers to the winner of our Survey Drawing.
MARK LEIPOLD, ATTORNEY AT GOULD RATNER in Chicago selected an Omaha Beef package as his prize.
The strongest responses identified primary needs as:
* Build a long term pipeline;
* Close more “new” business;
* Close more “new” business from current clients;
* Improve training for business development;
* Remove under performing activities and investments.
Clearly, the recognition of these law firm marketing needs are not a surprise. But what seems to run counter to them is satisfaction with what firms are investing in traditional marketing, such as advertising, social media, events, etc. And what several identify as the missing element is leadership’s lack of managing timelines and assignments.
In summary, if management want their 2017 law firm outlook to be successful, focus and execution should be placed on “getting attorneys out on the business development trail.”