Terry Graham, M.A.
Marketing Professional Services • (415) 686-8442 • tg@terry-graham.com
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Legal Marketing
Legal marketing refers to all forms of "communications" and "solicitations" that promote services provided by lawyers to prospects, with the ultimate goal being a "sale." Marketing of professional service such as law requires special attention be paid to help key marketing targets distinguish your services from those offered by your competitors. A strategic marketing plan -- whether it is for your firm, a practice group, or an individual attorney -- identifies your services, key target markets, and an appropriate, realistic, cost-effective mix of marketing activities. A marketing calendar keeps you on track. Tracking soft- and hard-dollar results over time allows you to identify, improve and strengthen best activities. To succeed, your marketing plan must always be a work in progress, as dynamic as the market itself. (Terry Graham, brings years of experience and an entrepreneur's perspective to your specific situation. She has developed scores of marketing plans tailored to meet her client's needs.)
Ethical Considerations in Law Firm Marketing
The State Bar of California in its Rules of Professional Conduct (link on the left) includes Rule 1-400 Advertising and Solicitation. Attorneys engaging in any marketing activities should study this Rule. The justification for Rule 1-400 is that it will protect the public from having to discern the commercial intent of promotional activities strictly from the content of the message. According to the State Bar, the Rule is intended to keep all forms of legal marketing information from being "false, misleading, deceptive or confusing." Ultimately, all marketing communications are judged against these criteria. The State Bar Board of Governors also adopted 16 "standards" (repealing Standard #11 in 1997) intended to clarify Rule 1-400. Lawyers cannot be charged with violating the remaining 15 standards; they can only be charged with violating Rule 1-400. However, the Standards provide detailed guidelines that can help the Bar determine if a violation has occurred. The State Bar of California maintains a toll-free Ethics Hotline at 1-800-238-4427 to help lawyers identify and analyze their professional responsibilities. (Terry Graham has taught the ethics of marketing communications for the State Bar and other local bar associations, and applies Rule 1-400 to marketing activities she recommends and implements.)
Rainmakers, Mistmakers & Wet Blankets
by Terry Graham, M.A.
In a booming economy, talented rainmakers bring in legal matters that are often handled by "Worker Bee" attorneys. Bee-Team players may have significant client contact, but the rainmaker owns the client and is typically paid accordingly.
This mutually beneficial rainmaker/worker relationship changes radically in a weak economy as clients seek faster, cheaper solutions to their legal needs. In a reasonable effort to protect their income, rainmakers delegate less work. Idle workers respond by competing internally for fewer billable hours, a time-wasting exercise in futility that fosters a divisive versus cooperative workplace.
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Working without a Marketing Plan is like taking a road trip without a map. In this four-hour workshop offered by Terry Graham, up to 10 participants will develop their own personalized marketing plans, tailored to their practice emphasis, market realities and personality style. Attendees will leave the workshop with a practical, effective plan that that can be followed -- and expanded -- in 2010 for good results. Terry will also provide attendees with tips and techniques to support and expedite their plans.
This workshop is available as an in-house training program or can be set up by a group of individual attorneys seeking assistance with their marketing programs. Total cost is $795 for 10 or fewer participants at any location in the greater San Francisco/Sacramento area. Call Terry today to set up a workshop. 415/686-8442.
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Today's shaky economy means that lawyers must view their billing policies, procedures, and the bill itself as key marketing tactics that can attract and retain clients, or push them out the door to more savvy competitors. Fixed and/or capped rates, alternative forms of compensation, sharing risks and rewards, and other billing possibilities should be evaluated and possibly applied. Cutting overhead without compromising service quality can allow a firm to retain profit margins without increasing fees. Your bill itself should show your client that you are keeping his/her costs low, and not billing for expenses that should be built into overhead (e.g., HVAC, coffee, etc.) (More) |
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Are entrepreneurs born or can they be created? The term was coined in 1800 by French economist J.B. Say, who explained that, "The entrepreneur shifts economic resources from an area of lower productivity and yield to one with higher productivity and greater yield." Hard evidence does not show that entrepreneurs fit any particular personality pattern; they are defined not by who they are, but what they do: innovate. By contrast, management tends to protect the status quo. Encouraging entrepreneurship in your practice -- if handled carefully -- will help you to create new business opportunities, new client niches, and new approaches that increase profits. (More) |
Small Firm Survival Tactics
In today's hard economic times, small firms can take a few simple steps to survive and even prosper.
Management commitment to change is critical. Consider creating (or updating) firm-wide and individual marketing plans that reflect economic realities. Compensation, performance evaluations, and recruiting policies may need to be reshaped. Client feedback on what's working, and what needs work, should be incorporated into your practice management decisions. Track and reward marketing successes. Evaluate failures to see if specific marketing activities need to be refined or abandoned, or if these failures actually signal emerging business opportunities. Above all, provide top quality service.... (More)
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Creating and "working" a Top 10 List of your best potential sources of new business is the fastest way to make new sales. Depending upon your practice emphasis, your List includes current and former clients with ongoing legal needs, prospects who are inclined to hire you, and friends and family members.
A Top 10 List of Referral Sources, gleaned from historical information on past business referrals, can be an even better source of business than a Client List if you create a plan to ask for their help in finding new clients.
Ideally, your firm's attorneys will meet to discuss their own Top 10 Lists, generating a firmwide Top 10 List. Cooperative strategies to land new business from each prospect should be mapped and implemented, with results tracked regularly. (More) |
