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THE NEW COLORS OF LAW FIRM MARKETING –
the world’s very first law firm marketing coloring book.
Are you ready to learn marketing from a whole new perspective?
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.]
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.
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.”
STEAKS OR PIE?
We want to sweeten our offer for helping us with our 2017 Law Firm Outlook Survey. We’re conducting a brief survey to learn morfe about the key issues facing law firms in 2017. Anyone who responds can participate in a drawing for their choice of an OMAHA STEAKS package or GOODE TEXAS PECAN PIE – both sweetened and tasty rewards for helping us.
We;ll collect responses and share the results with our law firm community. Responses are anonymous and confidential – entry in the drawing is optional.
We greatly value your time and input. Take the survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5CCRFGP
We are conducting our 2017 Law Firm Outlook Survey. It is a brief survey to learn more about the key issues facing law firms as we head into the new year. We’ll collect responses and share the results with our law firm community.
Responses are anonymous and confidential.
We greatly value your time. To take the survey, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5CCFRGP
Driving performance is the next piece of our business development puzzle (part 4 of the 9 pieces). Sure, today’s marketplace is about as challenging as any market on earth. But there is a reason why some of us continue to slug away for decades. Once that iron wall of resistance totters, we find that the intellectual and professional rewards are extraordinary. You can enjoy the sweet satisfaction of knowing that you have succeeded where many other worthy aspirants have failed. [Visit our Books page for more details from Own the Zone.]
Driving performance to increase marketing and business development growth requires its own separate set of best practices, including:
You can achieve success driving performance using many different tactics. Pick the ones that serve your current situation best and get started. The shot that will never score is the one you never take…
Just in case you missed the earlier posts, you can find them here:
A Business Development Puzzle – Win a Prize
The Second Piece of the Business Development Puzzle
Do You Know the Next Piece of the Business Development Puzzle?
And you can get more more in-depth content from Own the Zone by getting your copy from our Books section.
British Airways got a real boost from this marketing and business development ad, “Emails Don’t End in Handshakes.” It today’s highly competitive market for professional services, one-way electronic communications do not win new clients nor retain current clients. That is why in our marketing and business development keynotes and seminars, we emphasize the absolute need to build trust through personal relationships.
Just as we teach specific tactics to create partnering relationships, we must realize that there are specific behaviors on our part that can further our relationship with them or destroy it altogether.
As “emails do not end in handshakes” emphasizes, in business development, it is critical to go where your clients go. If your clients, prospects and suspects will be attending an industry or ACC conference, be there to reinforce the relationship. Ask them to be on panels with you or co-author an article. Learn more about the charitable organizations that are important to them. If a prospect is speaking at an upcoming event, attend it even if the subject matter is not in your particular specialty area.
Business development does not occur simply by offering an engagement letter. Closing skills begin with the first contact and involve following up, building the relationship, understanding their business, business brainstorming and offering ideas before ultimately asking for the business. In other words, being face-to-face, even if only occasionally, is how you win and keep clients. Indeed, to grow business, emails do not and will not end in handshakes.
For a complimentary 15 question Rapid Marketing Assessment of your firm or practice area, acolman@closersgroup.com