Every Attorney Should Pick a Niche and be an Expert
One of the most important things that every law firm and every lawyer needs to strive towards is having credibility. People need to believe that behind your name there is a vast sea of knowledge, ideas and ability. Many attorneys seem to believe that doing a good job, one client at a time is all that they can do to build confidence in their brand. The truth is that there are a whole host of things you can do convince potential clients and the general community that you are an expert.
One of the most important things you can do to build your brand is to position yourself as an expert in your niche market. As you read through the articles here at Rainmaker Lawyer, you’ll find that theme repeated again and again. Every attorney wants to be the leader of the pack. The fact of the matter is that the lawyer or law firm that is the “best” is the one who is perceived as being the best. These two things are not always the same.
You may not be able to control the outcome of every case. You may not be able to guarantee that the clients with the best cases come to you and not the competition. What you can control is how potential clients, referral sources, and the general public perceive you and your firm. You can be perceived as an expert in your law specialty. Here are some things to keep in mind as you begin your journey into the land of experts.
You need a regular platform for your ideas and suggestions. You need a space for people to hear from you. There are several ways to do this, you can blog or send out print or email newsletters. You get published in magazines and send the clips to your top contacts as part of a “what’s going on” mailing. You can reach out to the media and offer your legal opinion on controversial issues. You can do speaking engagements; write a book, offer to give workshops to local organizations, the list really is endless. One way or another, you need to develop a space where you can be heard. As your reputation grows, so will the list of those who want to hear from you.
Become a provider of solutions to anyone willing to listen. There are different ways to establish your expertise. One of the most popular ways is to provide people with solutions. This is sometimes a touchy subject because you might be giving away potential work by spelling out the answers of common legal questions, but the benefit usually far outweighs this possibility.
For example, explaining to people where they can get do-it yourself legal forms for minor legal issues can mean that those people don’t come to you to have those specific services performed. However, what it also does is let the consumer know that you are more interested in adding value to their lives than in your own bottom line. It communicates that you really are in this to help people and provide solutions. In this scenario, potential clients are much more apt to listen to and trust you when you explain that certain things really should be handled by an attorney.
Don’t try to control responses. When you begin marketing yourself by adding value, there is one thing that you will have to get used to. Usually in marketing you need to constantly be aware of whether or not your message is landing the way that you want it to. However, when you start trying to position yourself as an expert, it’s important to focus on the quality of content in your message. If you try to walk the straight and narrow, never saying anything that would ruffle any feathers, then you’re going to be boring.
People may not always like what you have to say. You may paint a dire picture of a situation when people really want to be cheered up. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Having an active, passionate debate on your blog or anywhere else is interesting and will create more interest in your ideas. There are times, actually, there are a lot of times when you had better be sure that people are happy with what you’re saying. However, when you position yourself as an expert and start to get your name out there, people are going to look for more than a talking head. Have an opinion and don’t be afraid to use it.
Talk like an expert without talking down to people. There is a fine line between talking over people’s heads and talking in a way that makes them realize that they need your services. If your speech is full of complicated, unexplained legal terms, you’ll come across as dry, boring and arrogant. You need to be accessible to your readership and those who listen to your speeches. Your language should always be clear and should utilize common terms. When using legal terms can’t be avoided, make sure that you give them an easily explained definition. This cannot be stressed enough. If you need to use metaphors or made up scenarios to explain your point, do it. Don’t lose your audience, they may not come back.
Being an expert is really more a state of mind than anything else. Of course you have to be an ethical, competent attorney, but people are really looking for quality, credible information. There are attorneys out there who are at the top of their game, they never make a mistake and they know all the answers. But nobody knows their name. Market yourself, market your firm, position yourself as the best. You really have nothing to lose from the effort.
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EmailMarketing Habits that Build Your Law Firm
Law firm advertising is expensive.
If you are a solo attorney or you are a partner in a small law firm chances are good that you cannot afford to advertise with much frequency.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t be an effective rainmaker.
In fact, we’ve found that the opposite is actually true. The smaller the firm, the better the attorneys are at bringing in the business – without advertising.
This makes sense since there is essentially is no one else available in a small law firm to assume the responsibility for new business development.
But how do those small law firm rainmakers manage to fit in activity that helps their practice grow?
The answer lies in something that can not only make or break our business; it can make or break us in our everyday lives.
The secret to building a small law firm while handling a heavy caseload is good habits. I’m not talking about brushing your teeth after every meal and watching your sugar intake. I’m talking about the little things that add up to big dollars in the long run for small law firms and solo attorneys.
Here are five habits many rainmaker lawyers in small law firms and large law firms have adopted to build their business with a limited amount of time and a tight budget.
Write Something First Thing in the Morning
Good marketing involves writing.
Some attorneys write blog posts that draw traffic to their website. Other attorneys produce a monthly newsletter that keeps people updated on the trends in their specialty.
Many write letters and mail them to clients as a way to attract attention and interest from new clients. The number of ways to use the written word to pull clients into your practice is endless.
The challenge comes in finding time to actually do the writing.
Most of the rainmaker attorneys we work with do their writing first thing in the morning. This not only gets the day off to a productive start, it also helps them build a library of marketing collateral.
Successful attorney marketers get their creative juices flowing by writing something – anything when they first get to the office in the morning. The way you write is the way you think and organizing your thoughts first thing in the morning will definitely get your day off to a good start.
Set Up a Mailing Each Week
There is an open secret among people who are really good at marketing – one we teach to everyone but one that only the most efficient follow….
The secret is repetition. A prospective client must hear your message at least seven times before he/she will be ready to do business with you.
That’s seven times.
Even though we teach our clients this key point, very few actually believe it – until it works for them.
Rainmaker lawyers communicate with their clients and prospects regularly. They use email and regular United States Postal Service mail to stay in touch with their client base.
They use the mail to educate their clients and to keep their name in front of them.
The best rainmakers mail often. Some of them even send out a mailing each week. A typical schedule could look something like this:
- Week One – mail a newsletter to existing clients.
- Week Two - mail an educational piece to prospects.
- Week Three - mail to clients who have worked with them in the past but are not currently active.
- Week Four - mail to referral partners. (These are people who may not be clients themselves but may have the potential to refer clients to them.)
The key to success with this approach is to reach out and touch these folks every month - or at least seven times per year.
Schedule Lunch with a Client Two to Three Days Each Week
There is nothing to be gained by eating lunch at your desk. You can’t be 100 percent focused if you’re crunching on a salad or slurping soup while reading depositions. If you truly want your lunchtime to be productive you need to use it as marketing time.
You should invite a client to lunch a couple of days a week. You don’t need to focus on business during lunch. The reason you are going to lunch with your client is to build or strengthen your relationship. Deep client relationships mean more work for your firm. Clients do business with people they know, like and trust. Spending “non-business” time with your clients is the best way to deepen that relationship with them.
Join a Group that is Full of Prospective Clients
This habit should be a no-brainer but many attorneys miss it.
You should belong to a group that meets regularly and is full of prospective clients or referral partners.
For example:
An attorney who specializes in elder law should belong to the National Association of Assisted Living Communities.
Trust and estate attorneys should belong to a local and a national CPA association. Internet law attorneys should belong to several on-line business associations.
The list is endless.
If your practice is focused on all walks of life but specific to one particular matter – like divorce attorneys or real estate attorneys, local civic organizations are a terrific source of leads – if you “work them”. By “working them” I mean taking a leadership role and getting noticed. You want everyone in the group to know who you are and what you do for a living.
Taking a leadership position in a group or organization will almost always lead to new clients. There is a natural credibility extended to people in leadership positions in these organizations. People just assume that since you are responsible and civic minded that you must be good at what you do. Use this to help you originate new work.
Practice the Arms Length Rule
Although this habit is simple it is the one that most people find unsettling.
Simply put, the arms length rule states that you should introduce yourself to anyone who comes within an arms length of you. In addition, you should ask them what they do and tell them what you do.
Next you should ask them to keep you in mind should they come across someone who needs your services. Then hand them a business card and get their card or contact information.
You should follow this encounter up with a few letters or email exchanges (remember seven contacts). This will eventually build your client base in a natural and almost effortless way.
Sure, some people will not give you a business card. And yes, some people will think you are a bit forward. But we’re not worried about them. We are looking for the one person in ten who refers five new cases to you as a result of this meeting.
Yes that does happen.
A good rule of thumb is to get the business card of a new contact every day, seven days per week. This will give you a minimum of 365 new contacts per year and at least fifteen to twenty new clients as a result.
Good marketing does not have to be time consuming. It is a matter of doing the right things, regularly. It is a matter of good habits.
We have just discussed five fast and easy ways to build your client base. If you get in the habit of using them you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll be able to build your business.
