• By Laura Lee

[News] Helping Clients Take Advantage of Facebook’s New “Legacy Contact” Feature

As our lives become increasingly digital, more and more of the assets we accumulate are based in technology or created online.

Estate planning attorneys have the important job of educating their clients on how to handle “digital assets” in the event of a person’s death or incapacity, and then helping the client document such wishes in a will or trust.  Whether it’s an email account, blog, collection of domain names, hosting accounts, apps, ebooks, etc., a good estate planning attorney can help ensure that only a person the account owner trusts can access and maintain digital assets in their absence.

One area of digital asset planning that has received a lot of attention lately is the management of one’s Facebook profile page.  Until recently, loved ones of the deceased only had two choices: 1) Keep the wall public so everyone could continue to post messages and thoughts on the wall or 2) request to have the page “memorialized,” which meant the profile was no longer searchable or visible to those who were not already friends of the individual.

What Facebook did not allow to happen was for someone to manage the profile in the owner’s place.  Without explicitly having the password (and the permission to use it!), loved ones could not accept new friend requests, pin important information about memorial services to the top of the profile or update pictures.

That’s all changed this week, though, with the roll out of Facebook’s Legacy Contact feature.  Facebook users now have the opportunity to choose a “legacy contact,” either a family member or a friend, whom they want to manage their account when they pass away.  Or, they can let Facebook know that they want their account deleted immediately upon their passing.

From Facebook’s Newsroom:

Today we’re introducing a new feature that lets people choose a legacy contact—a family member or friend who can manage their account when they pass away. Once someone lets us know that a person has passed away, we will memorialize the account and the legacy contact will be able to:

• Write a post to display at the top of the memorialized Timeline (for example, to announce a memorial service or share a special message)
• Respond to new friend requests from family members and friends who were not yet connected on Facebook
• Update the profile picture and cover photo

If someone chooses, they may give their legacy contact permission to download an archive of the photos, posts and profile information they shared on Facebook. Other settings will remain the same as before the account was memorialized. The legacy contact will not be able to log in as the person who passed away or see that person’s private messages.

Alternatively, people can let us know if they’d prefer to have their Facebook account permanently deleted after death.

As your clients plan for the handling of their digital assets after death, the Facebook Legacy Contact Feature is an important tool to mention during the process.  By simply logging into their account and following the directions below, they can easily make their wishes for their Facebook account known.

How do you feel about the creation of Facebook’s new “Legacy Contact” feature?  Will you take advantage of the opportunity to name a contact and share this information with your clients?  Sound off why, or why not, in the comments below!

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

I Stink at Marketing My Law Practice—Now What?

The weather couldn’t be prettier down here in the Florida Panhandle this time of year.  I’ve been enjoying some beautiful weather here at the beach soaking up some much needed sunshine after battling the flu for weeks!

If you get a chance to come down to the Panhandle be sure to let me know so we can meet up!

It is October now, and I hope that the marketing plans you made for your firm in January are rolled out and implemented full steam ahead.  Because 2017 is right around the corner.  You should have been reaching out to organizations about speaking opportunities, setting up coffee dates with key referral sources, or making fabulous offers for prospective clients if you’ve dropped the ball.

However, that window of opportunity in 2016 is closing fast, so strike while the iron is hot!  Even seemingly small connections can turn into bigger and more lucrative opportunities down the road.  Just a few months ago, we had a heck of a time getting a client into a well-known organization to speak to a group of HIGHLY targeted prospects.  So…we put our marketing hats on and got creative. We thought, “How can we get in the door just in time for the New Year?”

Here’s a big secret: When you get stuck, always approach things from the perspective of “What’s In It For THEM.”  Shift your mindset!

So, with 2017 approaching, we gave another call back and explained how much we love what the organization is doing and wanted to support them financially to help meet THEIR goals.  We were basically making a sponsorship donation.  And, as we had hoped (and planned for), the small donation FINALLY cracked the door open for the coveted speaking opportunity that other law firms in town would kill to have!

Even if you think you stink at marketing, there are so many ways to get the visibility for your firm that you want and deserve.  Sometimes you just have to think outside the box. My feature article below has some pointers for you…

I Stink at Marketing My Law Practice—Now What?

Not every lawyer has a gift for marketing a law practice.  On the other hand, pretty much every law practice depends upon marketing.  It can be a very difficult dilemma, indeed!  So, for those who don’t feel like they’ve got what it takes when it comes to marketing, what’s the answer?

Actually, there are a few good options.  Being a less-than-skilled marketer doesn’t need to spell doom for your law practice, rather it means that you need to dig deeper to uncover what will work for you.

Go With Your Strengths

If you’re reading this, then it’s probably because you already know the importance of marketing your law practice.  You’ve probably also noticed that there seems to be no shortage of ways to do just that.  But, it’s quite likely that you don’t feel comfortable with all of the possibilities.  For example, if you’re someone who doesn’t like speaking in front of a crowd, we could tell you all day how beneficial it is to give presentations without you deciding to give it a try.  It’s just not your thing!  On the other hand, you might be hugely charismatic in one-on-one situations.  If you also happen to like to eat, then you might just have hit on an area of marketing in which you excel: the lunch meeting!

• I never want to cold call someone, but I love writing = direct mail
• I have tons of info to share but no desire to do a seminar = blogging
• I want to reach out to others, but I don’t have time to go in-depth = social media

Take the time to analyze your strengths and then build on those for an authentic and results-oriented way to market your law practice.

Educate Yourself

Maybe you don’t know a ton about marketing a business, but it sure does look like fun to you!  In that case, why not take a marketing class at a local college or even take a course online.  Nothing quite beats the enthusiasm that goes along with implementing new ideas, and classes are a great way to gain exposure to those ideas.

If a class doesn’t seem like it would work for you, you might also consider hiring a business coach.  This person will get to know your specific business, along with your personality, in order to make suggestions for strong methods to market your law practice.

Hire a Pro

Let’s face it.  Not every lawyer has an interest in marketing his or her firm.  With few exceptions, it’s just not typically why someone goes to law school.  If you’ve determined that you don’t enjoy marketing and/or that you’re just not getting good results from your efforts, it might be time to bring in the big guns.  Hiring a professional, especially one with a proven track record of marketing lawyers, can actually be the best course of action.  Not only does it free up the lawyer’s time to do Lawyer Stuff, but it can also save a fair amount of money in the long run by avoiding newbie mistakes and giving your legal marketing a more professional appearance.

So if you want to do this at no risk (well, actually for $1.00 to kick you off) click here to learn more about our Inner Circle Accountability & Private Group Coaching Program! What do you have to lose besides getting the phone to ring and revenue?

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Creating a Marketing Plan That WORKS for Your Law Practice

There are so many parts and pieces when it comes to marketing a law practice, that it can get a little overwhelming.  Instead of taking a helter-skelter, see-what-works approach to marketing the practice, it’s a good idea to come up with a consistent plan to follow.  A law practice marketing plan doesn’t have to be set in stone, as you’ll want to monitor it and make occasional adjustments based on results; but it is a practical way to organize your approach and stay on track.

Just as with any other part of marketing, the marketing plan can be done in many different ways.  For those who need a place to get started, though, here is a great way to do so:

Legal Marketing Plan Step 1: Strategize

If you have no idea where you want to go, all the maps in the world aren’t going to help you get there.  The first step in creating a legal marketing plan is to figure out what it is that you are trying to accomplish.  Are your goals monetary?  Are you looking to serve a certain number of clients?  Perhaps you want to branch out into a new area of law.  It’s possible that you want all three!

Before deciding how you’re going to make your business successful, you have to define what success means to you.  By doing this, you can develop reasonable steps to take in pursuit of those goals.

Legal Marketing Plan Step 2:  Develop Goals and Objectives

The goal is what you want.  The best goals are quantifiable and have a deadline.

• Increase billable hours by 15% in the third quarter
• Sign XXX Company to a retainer by the end of the year
• Conduct four new consultations a week

Each of these goals can be measured in order to see if they’ve been met or not.  Again, you can’t reach your destination if you don’t know what it is!

Objectives are the steps you take to reach the goal.  So, for the goal to develop four new contacts a week, you might implement the following objectives:

• Pass out ten business cards a week
• Check in with referral contacts once a month
• Lead four workshops a year

These objectives are action steps that you intend to take in order to make the goals real.

Legal Marketing Plan Step 3:  Set a Budget

Once rent, payroll, association fees, etc. have been paid for the month, it can feel like there’s just nothing left to be spent on marketing your law practice.  Instead of looking at it as an expense, however, it’s a good idea to think of your marketing budget as an investment.  How much per year are you willing to invest in making your goals happen?  Spending a few hundred dollars for marketing collateral should lead to considerably more income as you reach that 15% billable hour increase goal!

Decide what you can/are willing to put toward marketing and make it a monthly part of the business’ budget.  Using those numbers and your best judgment, you can then tackle individual objectives on the way to meeting your goals.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

[SWIPE] Our Best Email Subject Lines of 2014

I love January.  A New Year always brings new opportunities to review the inner-workings of our businesses and see how we can proactively make changes, or improve upon things that are already working for the year ahead.

This week I’m actually battling walking pneumonia (BOO!), so in between rest and loads of chicken soup, I decided to dig in and take a peek back at our top performing email subject lines of 2014.

Email marketing is such a HUGE part of our business and a huge part of our attorneys’ businesses, as well.  Whether it’s sending out weekly email newsletters, promotional emails for legal workshops or upcoming events or persuading referral sources to send new business and collaborate, email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to communicate with the prospects and clients of your firm.

But, please don’t be fooled.  Just because email makes direct response marketing more cost-effective and accessible, doesn’t mean that it’s EASY.  If your communications are constantly getting filtered into junk, or worse, no one is opening your messages, it’s a huge waste of your time and effort.

I always say that there’s a fine art to getting an email open and read, and it’s something we really focus in on here at Legal Marketing Maven.   And, once the email is opened, it’s a whole ‘nother animal to get people to respond and take action.

If you’ve sent out email communications in the past and felt ignored or that your efforts produced little to no response, I’d challenge you to go back and review the content of what you sent out.

Start with the subject lines.  Here are a few tips to get your readers to open up:

Make it personal:  If a prospect believes the email is coming personally from you, they are more likely to open it and respond.  Ex:  Can we talk for a second, <insert name>?

Create a little mystery:  Be purposely vague or intriguing with a subject line to entice readers to open and learn more.  Ex.  We announced the overhaul of a client’s new website with the subject line: “I got a facelift!”  Imagine the clicks!

Use numbers:  People like numbered lists and steps.  Examples include, “5 Ways to Avoid Probate” or “6 Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing An Attorney.”

Shed a little light on your personal life.  Readers are nosy and want to know what’s happening with YOU behind the scenes. Give them a peek at your life outside of the law.

Get to the point:  Let them know upfront if there is an invitation or gift inside that requires their attention.  Ex.  I have a gift for you… open quick!

The other piece of advice I would offer you is to make sure that you are including a CLEAR call to action in your emails.  Are you TELLING the reader what you want them to do?  Are you letting the reader know HOW you want them to respond?

Many times we’ll help our attorneys spark communication with their readers by clearly asking for responses or suggestions about a whole host of topics that simply catch people by surprise, humanize the attorney and open up the lines to chat.  Try it in your own mailings.  For example, ask clients for their top suggestions of places to vacation within a two hour drive, or favorite local spots to buy art or discounted furniture for the office.  You may be shocked when your inbox fills up with responses and the occasional…”oh by the way, I’d like to come in and get your help with something.” I promise, this REALLY works!

And, if we want the reader to take fast action on something, we ASK.   There’s no beating around the bush.  The call to action is clear, concise and easy to act upon.

Remember that when it comes to email marketing, and marketing in general, a confused mind always says “no.” If it’s not clear what you are promoting or what you want the client to do, your emails will get deleted or lost in the shuffle.  Be sure to have a CLEAR call to action in every communication that you send.

I hope you find these tips helpful and that you are able to use some of these suggestions to craft more effective email marketing campaigns this year.   And, feel free to swipe some of our top performing subject lines from 2014.  You can see how they easily fall into the guidelines and tips I gave you above:

My facelift  (Note: This was the launch of a new website)

I’m moving, AGAIN + Info on our scholarship opportunity!

Thanks (insert name)

My naked mermaid saga

Hey… I need your help with something real quick

How Did We Get So Much Stuff?!

With Thanks

A tribute to my young client killed in a horrific crash

Saying goodbye to my old love  (NOTE: this was about a purchase of a new car)

I can’t stop laughing at this (truly) + a new workshop for you!

A friendly reminder for you… + my epic mom FAIL moment

See you this month?

Thanks for the pics + heads up for these warning signs!

Have a great week!

Laura Lee

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

New SEO Techniques for Lawyer Marketing

Anyone who is marketing a law firm online understands that Google is very important.  Most computer users will go directly to Google, type in their search term, and hope they get back good information.  Your goal, of course, is for your law firm to show up in results that come back.  There are methods for improving your ranking in those results, referred to as SEO, or search engine optimization.

No one knows with absolute certainty how exactly Google determines which sites to pull into a user’s SERP (search engine result pages), and the algorithms used change as much as 600 times a year.  The search engine giant is always tweaking the system to try and make it more accurate and helpful.  By being aware of what some of the algorithm’s criteria are, though, you can improve how you market your law practice online.

In a fairly recent major change to the algorithm, Google has placed more emphasis on location.  So, someone from California is more likely to get results from LA and Sacramento law firms than from some practice in Delaware.

There are some things that you can do in your law practice marketing that can have a positive effect on how and where your firm shows up in results.

First of all, Google tends to give more attention to businesses that have a Google+ page.  Law practices will often rank better when they have optimized their Google+ Local page.  This means making sure that you have chosen the right business category.  It’s also a good idea to ask your clients to leave positive reviews on your Google+ page.

The other aspect of improving your law firm’s marketing with SEO is to pay attention to your actual web site.  Sure, you want to do things such as keeping fresh, keyword-enhanced content going up on the site, but you can also make other minor changes that are helpful.  One suggestion is to add a “location” page.  In doing this, double check that the information you include on this page reflects exactly what you have on your Google+ page, especially when it comes to your address.  Additionally, it can be helpful to add “Services” pages.  Create an individual page for each service your provide and make sure that your location is included.

Search engines are a huge part of modern law firm marketing strategies, and being aware of important criteria and changes like these can help your web site rank higher when folks are looking for a lawyer in your area.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Holy Excuses!

Theoretically, every small business owner understands that marketing is a basic need for success.  Still, it can be intimidating and leave lawyers wishing they didn’t have to develop this skill.  It’s impossible to overstate the importance of marketing for lawyers, though.  If you find yourself procrastinating due to any of the following excuses, you’re not alone.

I Have Enough Work

When you’re busy filing briefs and meeting with clients, it can seem like there’s just no time in the day to devote to marketing your law firm.  You might even think that you don’t need to market because, “Hey, look how busy I already am!”  All businesses are cyclical, though.  Busy today does not mean busy tomorrow, ESPECIALLY if you’re not marketing today.  In order to keep your business thriving, it’s imperative to constantly be cultivating new clients and new projects.  Otherwise, you’ll end up in a dreaded “slump” where you’ll be wishing you’d thought ahead.

I’m a Lawyer, Not a Marketer

You spent years studying and working to get to the point where you could be the best lawyer, and now you’re expected to market your law firm, too?  Yep!  While you are obviously a lawyer, you are also a business owner, which means you have chosen to take on the responsibilities that come along with that role, too.  You don’t have to get an MBA to be a success, but you do need to take steps to market your business in order to make sure you have a business to market!

I Don’t Know How to Market My Law Firm

Great news!  You don’t have to know everything.  Learn one skill at a time and build on that knowledge base.  There are also companies like ours that can take a lot of the marketing stuff off your plate.  Work closely with the company to figure out what your goals are and then let them do the job for you.  That’s not to say that you don’t have to put any personal effort into marketing your law firm, but we can definitely make it a lot easier on you.

I Feel Uncomfortable Marketing to People I Know

The point of your marketing doesn’t have to be about selling yourself or your service.  Instead, it should be about building relationships and helping people solve their problems.  You don’t need to be pushy or take advantage of others in order to market your business.  What you have to offer is helpful and valuable to others, and your job is to let them know what you can do for them.

No matter how you look at it, you need to be marketing your law firm all the time.  Some efforts are more overt that others, say sending out email newsletters or purchasing an ad.  Others are less obvious but arguably even more important, such as providing great service, being an active member of your community, and helping others understand how you can help them.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Online Reviews…The Good, Bad and Ugly

There are so many ways for clients to tell everyone they know about you, and thanks to the Internet, they can even tell people they don’t know!  This is great if the things they’re saying make you look good.  If they’re posting negative reviews and comments, however, it can feel like a punch in the gut to someone running their own small firm.

So, what do you do if someone is trying to sabotage your legal marketing plan by saying nasty things on Yelp, their blog, or your Facebook page?

First, don’t panic.  This is a time to keep your cool, because how you respond is more important than whatever this person had to say in the first place.  Keep in mind that even though this negative comment is out there, it is certainly not the only thing out there.  It is one person’s opinion in a sea of opportunities for you to present yourself as you’d like.  It’s annoying and infuriating, but it is not the end of the world.

Once you’re calmed down, not just pretending to be calmed down—take a day or two if you need to, you can plan how to respond.  Because of their background, a lot of lawyers jump right to the idea of writing a cease and desist letter.  There are some problems with this.  For one thing, it could theoretically add legitimacy to whomever made the claim against you.  It can also be really hard to even find out who made the comment as so many of those things are done anonymously.  And in the grand scheme of things, the letter might not even work.

With the idea of a letter considered and thrown away, you can now look at actually responding to the comment.  Most of the review sites will allow you a way to respond to the negative comment.  In doing so, you don’t want to come off as anything but professional.  You can use the opportunity to explain your side of the situation—oftentimes the individual is mad that they lost their case, not because there is actually anything wrong with you—but do it in a calm, rational way that doesn’t sound overly defensive.  If the person responds back, make a point to only engage if you can do so calmly and in a way that shows you in your best light.  Remember, too, that there’s no rule saying you have to respond at all.

Finally, consider asking your clients, colleagues, and supporters to visit the site and leave their own feedback. This will “bury” the negative comment down to a lower position that will probably not be seen by many.  In addition, when you have a bunch of five-star ratings or comments about your professionalism, it shows that the negative comment is not par for the course and is likely coming from someone who is bitter.

A bad review here or there isn’t going to completely destroy your legal marketing efforts.  If you find that you are getting a lot of negative reviews, however, it may be necessary to take a look at what you’re doing and make some changes.

• By Laura Lee

Could you use some individualized help growing your practice?

Summer is almost here, our team has expanded significantly and we have room this quarter to accept a few additional private clients who could use some more individualized help growing their practices.

This is NOT exclusive to just Estate Planning and Elder Law attorneys.

This is more than just receiving marketing materials that your team can implement on their own (if that’s what you need, check out our Done-For-You program here).

Instead, this is OUR TEAM, doing your marketing FOR YOU, so that you can focus on what you do best: practicing law!

We serve attorneys in the following areas:

• Copywriting and ghostwriting
• Blogging
• Website management
• Email marketing
• Email newsletter creation and management
• Print newsletter creation and management
• Graphic Design
• Public Relations
• Social Media management
• CRM or Infusionsoft management
• Mailing and fulfillment
• Team coaching

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

P.S. Curious about what it’s like to work with us? Here’s what a few of our clients have to say:

“Laura Lee is a great motivator and implementer. She is passionate about helping her clients grow their practices and she has certainly helped me grow mine. Laura Lee and Legal Marketing Maven have been instrumental in helping me transition my practice from all divorce and family law to its current 50-50 mix with estate planning and probate, and that side of the practice growing each year. As a direct result of their materials, I have been on local television and radio shows featured as an expert on the topic of estate planning and probate. I have several ready-made and often-requested educational and promotional e-books and legal guides which they prepared and taught me how to deliver them to my prospects in a systematic and effective manner. Their team is highly trained in communicating the legal principles I with which I wish to educate my potential clients, so that they are already prepared to retain me before we even meet. Best of all, they are great people to work with and very loyal and dedicated to their clients and their needs. ”

~Steve Worrall
Attorney at Law

“Laura Lee is AWESOME. She listens, asks questions and works closely with you to achieve the best results, quickly and at a reasonable cost. She is number 1 in my book!”

~Nancy Cavey
Attorney at Law

• By Laura Lee

The dirty “D” word for law practice owners

Make Your Law Practice Marketing Plan Work for You

Let’s be real.  You didn’t go into law because you wanted to be a marketer.  You studied and worked so that you could become a lawyer.  But, you are also a business owner, and that comes with the need to market your practice.  So, how does a lawyer successfully get the message out without becoming a full-time marketer?

The simplest way to do so is to develop a marketing plan that works for you.  That means identifying the things you can or should do on your own while looking to others to take on appropriate tasks.  You can narrow this down by asking yourself a few questions:

• What do I enjoy doing?  If you’re the kind of person who loves to mix and mingle, then in-person networking could be a great opportunity for you.  Consider joining some groups or associations that allow you to meet others face-to-face to talk about how you can help meet their needs.  If you like being “the host with the most,” it might be fun to put together a referral group of attorneys with different specialties that gets together for dinner once a month.  When you turn something you enjoy into a marketing opportunity, it can make that aspect of being a business owner kind of fun!

• What do you not enjoy?  You’ve got enough on your plate with running your business, taking care of employees, and—of course—representing your clients.  There’s no time in there to be forcing yourself to do marketing tasks that you don’t enjoy.  Maybe you really don’t like writing, for example, which means that your blog is never updated or your email newsletters are half-hearted, if done at all.  Skip the headache and the drudgery by hiring someone you trust to take on these tasks.

• What are you good at?  Are you a heck of a carpenter in your spare time?  Do you have a way with animals?  By identifying those things that you do well, you can narrow down volunteer opportunities or speaking engagements that complement both your interests and your area of practice.

• What should you leave to the pros?  Generally speaking, things like graphic design, search engine optimization, or even video production take some specialized knowledge that most people just don’t have.  Instead of forcing yourself into a role that will likely end up hurting your business anyway, recognize that there are times when you really do need to bring in the professionals.

What much of boils down to is being true to yourself.  You don’t want to adopt some sort of phony marketing persona for the sake of drumming up business.  It’s not authentic and will end up putting people off.  Instead, focus on the things you like and do well, and take a pass on those things that would benefit from outside assistance.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Exposing yourself (decently, of course!)

When it comes to successful marketing, the name of the game is exposure.  You’ve got be willing to “put it all out there,” as much as possible so more people can become acclimated to your practice.

I always say there are two ways to do this.  You can throw money at it.  Or, you can get creative and invest your time.

If your budget isn’t where you would like it to be at the moment, one of the easiest ways to expose your business to others is to simply TALK about what you do to everyone you meet!

At first glance, this might seem icky, slimy or embarrassing. But it shouldn’t!  Let me give you an example of how beautifully this can work when done the right way.

My right hand gal, Amber, went on a cruise to Cozumel last week.  While sitting on the beach with her 3-year-old daughter, a woman walked up to her and asked to share a bucket and shovel.

She casually asked Amber where she was from and what she did. She then proceeded to tell her that she was a swim coach who teaches children to swim in 5 days and people from all around the country fly in to use her services.   In fact, her toddler was swimming freely in the Caribbean, while Amber’s toddler was still wearing swimmies close to the shore.

But the “exposure” of her business didn’t stop there.  After the trip, she found Amber on Facebook.  She wanted to stay connected and reminded her that she was there if she ever needed anything for the kids.

Amber was so impressed that she’s now considering flying her two kids down to take her classes after many failed attempts with private instructors (and her own lack of patience lol).

But my point is, if the instructor had been afraid to EXPOSE herself and what she did, she wouldn’t have earned a potential client who was willing to fly halfway across the country to use her services.

If she was too afraid to open her mouth and share how she helps children and parents have peace of mind to swim safely, her business wouldn’t have the national reach that she currently enjoys.

You must be willing to expose yourself, all the time, every day about what you do and who you serve.  For some people, this is a natural thing, but for others, it’s more dreadful than having teeth pulled.

But remember, it’s FREE marketing!  And nothing beats that in my book!

I would love to hear if you have had similar experiences like this.  Please feel free to email me and let me know how it worked out for you and if it generated new business.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Still holding out for the client fairy? A story of consistency and OUR most skeptical client.

Around the time I wrote this post declaring that legal marketing is not magic (…and to stop expecting it to be!), we recently started working with a very skeptical new client who was hoping for such magical results.

He’d been around the marketing block quite a few times, having worked with all of the gurus who made beautiful brochures, fun websites….and he even tried public seminars a time or two, to no avail.

Every time a campaign seemed to flop, he’d put the brakes on hard and look for better solutions to bring in more clients to his practice.   A totally natural response.

He was no doubt frustrated with marketing and made a comment to us that he was hoping to see more results after just a month or two of work.  I assured him that they would come, not because I’m a rockstar, but because it takes a solid formula of consistency, sweat equity and time to make a big impact on referral sources and prospective clients in the community.  He had to give it more time.

Fast forward to last week.  After spending much of the summer traveling, he reported on our monthly strategy call that September was pretty well booked with lunch meetings with key referral sources and prospective clients for new business.   Old (and very high-net worth) clients were coming back in for more work in droves—partly fueled by the fact that he was now staying in front of them regularly with electronic and print communications and creating top of mind awareness.

And, after making it through the typical doldrums of summer that practically all firms experience, he was able to hire someone else part-time to take more marketing off of his plate and work with us to ensure he was communicating with clients, prospects and referral sources even more regularly.

I hung up feeling very proud… not of myself or my team, but of HIM.  He is a brilliant attorney and a very neat person that more people SHOULD know about. It was HIS diligence and HIS commitment to CONSISTENT marketing that brought results.  He literally had to put blinders on to all the bright, shiny objects that came his way, got a routine going and watched the snowball effect take place.

I had a similar conversation with another client out in California.  Through consistent marketing, we were able to infiltrate all of the nursing homes in her area.  Not only did we land on their speaker rounds, but managed to build meaningful relationships with the staff.  Beyond our automated communications, SHE worked hard to connect with them in very personal ways that no other attorneys were doing (remember, this type of marketing makes the shift from “What’s in it for me” to “How can I be of service/value to you?”). Although initially very introverted and hesitant to do it, she has such a wonderful and caring personality that made this type of networking and relationship building a great fit for her.

So while in the beginning, and even now, the seminars in the nursing homes are not very profitable (they are mostly for the residents and not too many family members show up), she now gets a tremendous amount of referrals from the staff…which is what really counts.  She is favored over other attorneys in the area and keeping them out of her “territory” that she worked hard to claim.  The seminars are just the FIRST step.   A great legal marketing plan always has a bigger picture, massive follow up and multiple long-term steps to achieve practice goals.

I just wanted to share these two quick stories again to reaffirm that legal marketing is not magic.  It doesn’t have to be slimey.  It doesn’t have to be a “hard sell”.  You don’t even really need all the bells and whistles. It simply needs to be educational, reach your target audience on an emotional level and designed in such a way to elicit a response (whether that be for coffee, speaking opportunities or direct offers for appointments, etc.—depending on your ethics rules).

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

What’s the SWOT?

When you’re running your own practice, you are so much more than “just” a lawyer. You also have to be a manager, a planner, and a marketer. All of these roles take a different set of skills, and to be successful, you need to have at least a basic knowledge of each. In some cases, though, there is a single thing you can do that works for all these different categories. One of the activities you can, and should, do in order to be a better manager, planner, and marketer is to identify your business’ S.W.O.T.

The S.W.O.T. is a part of strategic planning that helps to identify where your business is now and help steer it in the right direction for the future. It takes some work on your part, but by the time you’re done, you’ll likely have identified several areas that you can use to bolster your marketing plan. Sharing what you’ve learned with your employees also works to make sure that everyone is on the same page and working toward the same goals.

So, what is the S.W.O.T?

S = Strengths: When you look at your business as objectively as possible, what do you feel your strengths are? Perhaps you have specialization that sets you apart from other attorneys in the area. Maybe you are great at “hand-holding” new clients who are intimidated by the legal process. Spend some time and come up with at least five strengths and put some thought into how you can leverage them in your marketing to really shine.

W = Weaknesses: It’s not necessarily fun to look at your own flaws, but when you do it from an objective perspective, it can be a really powerful exercise. Weaknesses are those things that you want to target for elimination. For example, maybe you are having trouble keeping up with the workload and some things are falling through the cracks. By writing this down, you can give yourself permission to find a solution, such as realizing that it’s time to hire some help.

O = Opportunities: Uncovering opportunities for your business is one of the most enjoyable parts of the S.W.O.T. process. Opportunities are things that you want to capitalize on, either now or in the future. Are there services that are lacking in your area that you could add to your practice? Do you have ideas for a referral system that could pay off? It might be helpful to lay out all of your opportunities with some deadlines and milestones for making them into reality.

T = Threats: Threats are those things that could negatively impact your business but that you don’t have any direct control over. For example, are there some changes in the law coming up that may cost you clients? Is a rough economy a problem when it comes to building your client list? The point of listing your threats is to give yourself the chance to monitor them and find ways to mitigate their impact.

Realistically, it doesn’t have to take a ton of time to do a cursory S.W.O.T. analysis. The important part is that you take that time to identify what is working for and against you so that you can take steps to capitalize on that knowledge.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

5 great resources for a profitable 2013

We all make resolutions to be more profitable and bring in more business
in the New Year, but the real question is…

What specifically are you doing to ensure your goals become a reality
in 2013?

• How will you command the attention of better quality prospects
  each month?

• How will you increase your referrals from local professionals?

• How will you pull together live seminars that fill your pipeline to
  capacity for 2-3 months at a time?

• How will you land FREE publicity in your local papers and on TV?

-and-

• When will you find the time to focus on your marketing and create
  the materials necessary to make 2013 your best year in practice yet?

If you keep doing the same things you’ve always done, you’re likely to get
the exact same results. Einstein called that insanity, right? I happen to
agree.

Instead, why not start off 2013 with some NEW tools in your arsenal?
I’m talking about tools designed to get the job done right, with a proven
track record of RESULTS (i.e. new quality clients, 1^st page SEO rankings,
publicity in your local paper or TV stations, etc.).

To kick off the New Year, I’m releasing 5 of our favorite campaigns and
marketing resources that continue to bring in excellent results for our private
clients, and I KNOW they’ll do the same for you!

But I don’t want you to just take my word it. Here’s solid proof that they WORK:

• Using our Estate Planning Seminar Mega Pack for spring seminars, our
  private clients in various parts of the country averaged 20-25 attendees
  EACH NIGHT during a 4 night seminar spree. Average amount of
  appointments madeat the seminars consistently ranged between 35-45.
  What would you do with an extra 30 appointments this month?

• Our clients were regularly featured in their local media using our press
  releases and publicity campaigns. Here are a few links from 2012 for you
  to check out

Steven Spewak featured on STLtoday.com, “Estate Plan Strategies, LLC Offering
Free Health Care Directives For Local Heroes November 26-30^th http://interact.
stltoday.com/pr/local-news/PR110112011010912

Darlynn Morgan featured in the Orange County Daily Pilot, “When Teens Become
Adults” http://articles.dailypilot.com/2012-05-24/opinion/tn-dpt-0525-mailbag-20120524 _1_water-taxi-service-harbor-commission-harbor-character/4

Albert Hehr featured in the Plain Dealer, “When Your Graduating Teen Becomes a Legal
Adult, Take Steps To Protect Your Right to Parent In a Crisis” http://blog.cleveland.com/
letters/2012/06/when_your_graduating_teen_beco.html

Need some more page one rankings? Here are a few screen shots showing how our
supercharged blog content packs great SEO results:

And the BEST part with all of our products and campaigns? There’s no guess work.

We walk you step by step through EVERYTHING you need to know to implement the campaign fast and get the best results. We’re also easily accessible by phone and email if you need guidance purchasing mailing lists, fulfillment, etc.

So, if you’re ready to hit the ground running in 2013, you can now scoop up one… or ALL of our favorite resources for the next 48 hours ONLY at 25% off the regular price. This is a firm deadline…the page will come down and purchases will NOT be possible after January 10th.

Use the code SUCCESS2013 at checkout to apply the 25% discount to your order.

The only catch is that the materials are area exclusive, so they will be issued
on a first-come-first serve basis. If your area is no longer available because
someone purchased it first, or we have a client already in your territory, we will
contact you immediately and issue a full refund. We believe in marketing integrity
and do not work with competing firms.

With that said, I encourage you to check these resources out if you desire to build
stronger, more profitable relationships in your community this year. This New Year’s
blowout because is based on our commitment to YOU and YOUR success, so don’t
wait to take advantage of the materials at this pricing. As always, if you have questions
or would like more information about a particular campaign or product before you buy,
just email us and we’ll help you out.

If you are training someone to handle marketing and community relations at
your firm, purchasing these materials to use as a guide or template of a solid direct
response marketing campaign is an excellent idea. Check it out here!

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Pick Up the Phone and Follow Up

Legal Marketing Tip of the Week

I’ve been doing a lot of hands-on outreach for our private clients lately to get them speaking gigs in front of referral sources orother relevant groups.

I literally spent hours on the phone this week following up with every organization we sent a pitch or speaker packet to, just to see what they thought and if they were interested in moving forward.

For every unfriendly voice on the other end of the line who couldn’t be bothered with my call (which would probably be discouraging if I didn’t have such thick skin!), there was another who was thrilled that I took the time to follow up.

Many had further questions (and real interest) about the materials we sent, but they just never found time to pick up phone and call us back (you know how that goes).

We eventually did land a few speaking engagements and invites to lunch as a result of our efforts–which shows how important follow up is during any marketing campaign.

If you can make one shift in your marketing plan this week, I would encourage you to assign SOMEONE on your team to follow up by phone, email or preferably both when you are reaching out for speaking gigs.

To make things even easier, send something tangible first (i.e a speaker packet, letter, postcard) and you’ll find the follow up call isn’t so “cold,” as you are already on the group or organization’s radar.

Now what are you waiting for–get to it!

Do you have more questions, or would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Turn Your Law Firm Team Members Into Raving Fans!

Through my years of working with attorneys I have heard more than one complaint about how their team members aren’t very good at discussing the services their law firm provides to prospective clients. The disappointment is usually because their staff members are unable to describe services to the satisfaction of the prospective client to where they make an appointment to meet with the attorney. And this is a very valid concern.

But there are a lot of people who aren’t good at sales.

So, what’s an attorney to do?

Fire all the staff and start over?

No, please don’t do that! Instead, turn them into raving fans of the firm and the services you provide.

Yes, make sure they can describe the services that your firm provides like they would if you asked them to describe their children, their favorite pet, or a hobby they are passionate about.

Get them EXCITED about what you are doing at the firm.

In my experience, the inability to describe services the law firm provides with enthusiasm is a result of not really understanding the value and benefits. Here are a few things you can try before you give your team the boot.

1. Explain why you chose the practice areas that you did.

Most attorneys choose their practice areas because they were passionate about them. Do you have a personal experience that made you choose that particular area? I once knew an attorney who had lost her husband at a very young age. Even though she was an attorney she had failed to plan properly for her own death or the death of her husband. After all, rarely to 20-somethings get motivated to do so. The story she had to tell was extremely touching and it is her passion to make sure that families don’t struggle needlessly at a time when they are grieving for the loss of a loved one. So, there was at least one person on her staff that understood that she was an estate planning attorney and could explain the services that were provided, but didn’t really have that passion that is needed to motivate people to do their own planning. That is, until she finally heard the attorney’s story.

2. Give them real-life stories of the services you provide.

If your law firm is like most, your staff is extremely busy with day-to-day tasks. Their heads are down and they are working on bits and pieces of the matters that flow through your office. But, have they ever really seen the whole picture? Share with your staff some of the stories of the problems you have solved for people. People go to attorneys to solve their problems. Just share with your staff some of the inspirational stories that you surely have and help them see, in real-life terms, how you help people.

3. Make sure they are describing the benefits instead of just the services you provide.

Your staff may be very clear and quite articulate about describing the services that your law firm provides and still not be able to effectively sell your services. The reason is that people need to understand the services you provide in terms on how it will benefit them. For example, they may understand that you litigate personal injury cases, but what they should be describing is how you put the pieces of people’s lives back together after an unexpected event like an injury due to automobile accident takes them tragically off-course. Teach them to describe your services in a way where people can understand, in terms of their particular situation, how their lives would be better if you worked with them. Ticking off a list of services you provide means very little to the general population, but taking those services and explaining how they will benefit that person will generate more clients in your door.

These are just a few examples of situations that I have observed where there may be a disconnect between having your staff members being able to bring clients into the firm. If you have a particular situation with a team member that you would like to solve, please feel free to listen to this workshop that I did with my partner Paula Woolley on effective follow-up.

Do you have more questions, or would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

5 Tips For Setting Up Your Law Firm For Outsourcing Success

The entire Legal Marketing Maven team is traveling this week to Fairfax, VA, to participate at Ben Glass’ Great Legal Marketing Conference.  Our good friend Jay Fleischman is our guest author this week.  Jay has been outsourcing the tasks in his law practice for many years, and shares below 5 tips for outsourcing success.  We’ll be back next week and ready to share many new ideas that I’m positive we will come away from Ben’s event with.  Have a great week!
~Laura Lee

Are you thinking about outsourcing certain tasks or workflow issues in your law firm?  If you are, you’re not alone.  Outsourcing is on the minds of many solo and small firm lawyers.  The promise of lower overhead, more freedom and the ability to concentrate on core business problems creates a siren song for attorneys.

But as with any other decision in your law office, you’ve got to have a roadmap; without one, you’re doomed to failure from the outset.  The notion of outsourcing is not nearly as quick and easy as making a phone call to a stranger and walking away.

Here, then, are the 5 tips I live by when outsourcing any process for my law firm:

Determine:  Think about your needs and goals.  What do you want to outsource, and why do you want to do so?  This may sound simplistic, but the “why” portion of the question gets many lawyers hamstrung.  Rather than having a reason do something, they frequently think in terms of what they do NOT want to do.  “I don’t want to be bothered with drafting these motions,” rather than, “I recognize that drafting routine motions is best left to someone else, leaving me free to carefully review and revise drafts for a final review.”

Document:  When outsourcing, don’t presume that anyone else in the world has your brain or background.  You need to be able to provide any professional with a detailed set of instructions on exactly how you want tasks accomplished.  Without such documentation, you’re leaving results up to chance.  You’re also guaranteeing that an outsourced professional (who likely charges by the hour) will need to spend more time than is necessary merely to get up to speed.

Interview:  When it comes to outsourcing for your law firm, there’s nothing more important that ensuring that there is a match of skills and attitude.  Office-bound employees are subject to vetting, so why would you not do the same with an outsourcing professional?

Manage:  The service you provide is always your responsibility, so you need to manage the work your law firm outsources.  Some tools you may decide to work with are Basecamp, Google Wave, or even Google Docs.  Wikis and project management solutions abound, and it’s your responsibility to ensure that they are utilized to maximize the efficiency of your law firm.

Hone:  Your initial experience with outsourcing will be merely a trial run for the long-term.  Mistakes will be made, none of which will be anyone’s fault in particular.  Instructions will be misunderstood or poorly communicated, and the ball will be dropped.  You will be managing each task closely, but it may be frustrating to both you and the outsourced professional.  Take the time to listen to suggestions for improvement, and make some constructive ones of your own.  Refine the process regularly and you will minimize the problems later on.

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Officially Re-launching LM2- Coaching, Implementation and Marketing Support for Lawyers

Wow—it’s been long time coming in writing this post!

As I explained last week, I am turning the page and no longer working with Alexis Martin Neely and the Family Wealth Planning Institute.

Instead, I’ve realized it’s time to re-open the doors of my own business, which was extremely successful before my  decision to commit to one client in 2007—and ultimately one that changed the lives of many attorneys and practices all over this country.

So I’m excited to announce that I’ll once again be providing private coaching and high-end implementation services for qualified attorneys and attorney membership organizations in the US and Canada.

But here’s the really exciting part.

My company, Legal Marketing Maven, is now partnering with my good friend and well-respected implementation Goddess, Paula Woolley of Progressive Office Solutions and other incredible team members to provide full-service, complete marketing support for lawyers who are really serious about exploding their business this year.

So what does a full-service, complete virtual marketing team look like?

Basically, you’ll have a private coach, marketing director, copywriters, graphic designers, IT gurus, client service directors and administrative support staff virtually at your fingertips… devoted entirely to the growth, prosperity and vitality of your small or solo law firm.

You’ll also get the benefit of working with me as your personal mentor, coach and business strategist.  I’ve helped multiple businesses surpass the million dollar mark and I’m happy to give you the tools and strategies to do the same.

You will  also benefit from my network of service providers, marketing professionals and business gurus as I’m out there continuing my own personal education and staying up to date cutting edge strategies both in the legal and non legal communities. which of course is needed for long-lasting growth.

However, as I said this is a major time commitment on our part and we can only take a limited number of these high level relationships.  They are also limited geographically to ensure fairness and a true competitive edge to the lawyers we serve.

If you’re interested in becoming one of the few lawyers we serve at this level (and FYI a number of spaces are already filled—and filling fast just via word-of-mouth) please email me directly at help@tremendous-arm.flywheelsites.com

Yet for those of you simply looking for a la carte legal marketing , virtual administrative services or regular marketing support on a less-intensive level, we still have plenty of options to meet the growing needs of your small or solo firm.  You can see all of our services or request more information by visiting our services offered page.

Again, I am so excited to embark on this journey with you and look forward to completely transforming law firms across the country this year.

To your success & productivity!

Laura Lee

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Weekly Staff Meetings – What NOT to Do

Last week we discussed the importance of having a weekly meeting with your team, and some suggestions to make these meetings productive and help streamline the work flow in your law business.

We’ve all had to attend meetings (sometimes regularly scheduled meetings) that we simply dreaded.  Since you do want your team meeting to happen every week, the last thing you want is for it to be something your staff does not look forward to.

Here are my tips for what NOT to do with your weekly team meeting time:

Do not assume everyone can stay in the meeting for an unlimited amount of time.  I recommend scheduling 60 minutes for the team meeting, and do your best to keep it within that time frame.

Do not spend the entire time, focused on one agenda item.  Everyone should come to the meeting with a printed agenda of items that everyone has contributed to.  If you see that the discussion of a certain item will take more than a few minutes and your agenda is full, suggest that the members of your team that are involved with that item, have a separate meeting to go more in depth on the topic.

Do not forget to take notes, always appoint someone to be in charge of taking notes (keeping the same person for this each week works well) and appoint someone in charge of reviewing the notes from the previous week and making sure that all open items carry over to the next agenda.

Do not ever use a team meeting to call someone out personally about a problem.  If you are having issues with a team members you or your manager should handle those problems privately.  On this same note if you are having a problem with a team member do not make that obvious during the staff meeting, by you comments, tone, or lack of responsiveness to that staff person.

And do not control the meeting.  You have selected your team because of the talent and gifts that they bring to the table.  When you bring all of those gifts to a meeting of the minds that is conducted in a “safe place” where there are no stupid questions or ideas, your business will benefit from this weekly activity in ways that you never dreamed possible.

Do you have tips that make your meetings more productive, or a staff meeting experience to share, please post a comment, we love to hear from you!

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.