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Has Your Marketing Approach Been Rejected and Client Retention Faltering ?

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Client Retention, Strategic Planning.

Has your marketing approach been rejected and client retention faltering??  In fact, a frequent comment we hear from in-house counsel is that lawyers “just show up and offer legal advice.  They don’t listen.”  In fact, in our 2014 survey of counsel in the U.S. and Canada, “they don’t listen to us” is one of the 2 top reasons for terminating a long term relationship.

The art of listening should permeate sales training (yes “sales” training), be part of every marketing plan and be a strategy to use during every concerted business development opportunity. Listening and responding to a client’s or prospect’s needs are imperative if you want to win or keep a client.  An early IBM sales rule was to get your client talking at least 60% of the time.

“Do you know their pain?” should be the first question you ask before preparing for a meeting.  Then walk them through the problem, offer examples of how you solved similar issues, and make your answers[your values] their needs.

Grapes of Wrath Complaints About Marketers

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Conversion Rate Optimization, Marketing for Law Firms.

We have identified  Grapes of Wrath complaints about marketers from in-house counsel,” We were outnumbered and out-talked.”  Pick which ever grape fits your business development style:

* Sending too many people to a meeting;

* Offering to handle what we already have;

* Not being prepared for the meeting;

* Lack of business etiquette, i.e. taking calls

* At a meeting, talking among yourselves, not the client/prospect.

Remember what Jeff Bezos of Amazon says, “Your brand is what stays in the room after you leave the room!”

 

A Badass Excuse for Not Marketing

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Client Retention, Law Firm Marketing.

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?

Self-Sabotaging Excuse for Not Marketing – “I always miss the new litigation.”

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Content Marketing, Law Firm Marketing.

“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 ? “I can only call 3 people.”

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Attorney Marketing, Business Development, Conversion Rate Optimization.

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.

Intelligence Defying Excuse for Not Marketing

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Asking for Business, Attorney Marketing, Business Development.

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!

An Agonizing Excuse for Not Marketing – “I failed once; why try again?”

Written by Allan Colman on . Posted in Asking for Business, Attorney Marketing, Conversion Rate Optimization.

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.