Author Archive
“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated!” – William James
Do You Know Who the Most Successful Referral Marketer of All Time Is?
His name is Joe Girard.
Joe was so successful at generating sales through referrals that he was named by the Guinness Book of the World.
Records as the #1 salesperson in the world.
He won this distinguished title 12 years in a row!
Who was Joe Girard?
Joe was a simple car sales person in Detroit.
Joe would single handedly sell 6-7 cars on any given day!
That’s is a staggering amount of sales.
And the most amazing part is that nearly all of Joe’s sales came by way of referrals.
What was Joe’s Secret?
Joe had created a system of staying in touch with all his past customers and people that knew him.
Joes secret was his uncanny ability to stay in touch with all the people that knew him.
Joe had relationships with thousands of people who he communicated with on a regular basis.
Staying in touch with people is how you create trusting relationships and relationships are what
bring referrals.
It makes sense!
But What was Joe’s System for Staying in Touch?
Joe discovered early in his career that he could not possibly “physically” contact a lot of people on a regular basis, so he thought, the next best thing would be to send them greeting cards.
So Joe started to send greeting cards on a regular basis to all the people that knew him.
It worked!
The more cards he sent, the more referrals he received so he began to send more and more cards to people.
His cards contained heartfelt messages that were personal and handwritten.
He discovered that the secret key to getting all the referrals you can handle is to send heartfelt greeting cards on a regular basis to your network of people that know you.
Heartfelt greeting cards have a magical effect on people. They leave a lasting impression that’s not soon forgotten.
In fact, I believe that sending greeting cards is more powerful than calling a person or meeting with them.
Cards have staying power!
People keep them and your card becomes a reminder of how much you appreciate them.
So Why Aren’t You Send Cards on a Regular Basis?
Advertising Cutbacks Always Backfire!
Quote of the Week:
Advertising cutbacks always backfire!
It may sound intuitive to increase advertising when the economy is steadily decreasing. But marketing is heavy stuff. Some of the weakest times for the economy are actually the strongest time for advertisers – like you.
While the competition may be stalling or scaling back, your firm can prosper simply by maintaining or refocusing efforts on a few dynamic legal service marketing strategies.
Remember: Now is not the time to cut back. It’s the perfect time to consider a second opinion about how to maximize your marketing resources and begin (or continue) to reach out to highly targeted audiences with the right message for today’s economic climate.
Dedicated to Your Success,
Ken
Quote of the Week – “A Goal Without A Plan, Is Just A Wish!”
Ken’s Quote of the Week –
“A Goal Without A Plan, Is Just A Wish! “
Budgeting for Next Year
It’s that time of year and I’m not talking about the holidays! Its budget time! You should be putting together your budget for 2012 – TODAY! Every year in October/November my partner, office manager and bookkeeper meet for 2-3 days of planning and setting the next year’s budget. We usually being on a Friday afternoon and finish on a Sunday afternoon.
The purpose is to project income for each division as well as set the budget for all expenditures. We go over our profit and loss sheets for the first 9 months of the current year line by line. We also examine the previous year’s budget and how closely it has been maintained.
We project how many attorneys and staff we anticipate needing/hiring, plus we look at any new equipment/overhead expenditures (like computers) we may need. In addition, we take into account the various new marketing projects that are slated for the upcoming year and all related expenses involved.
As I have always said, “A goal without a plan, is just a wish”! By planning a budget for the upcoming year, we are forced to plan for the year to come.
We are also forced to look back at our actual income, the line item expenses from every month, quarter, and the year to date totals. This forces us to face when we went a little overboard and when we stayed true as well as to determine what the monthly income to expenses ratio is, to assist us in better future spending. In addition, we have elected to make the office managers bonus contingent upon keeping the line item expenses that she oversees within/under budget such as supplies. This allows for some ownership and accountability. It also gives the partners accountability to one another to stay within budget. We have found that it is much easier to run the firm when everyone is accountable to someone (even the partners)!
So get a jump start on next year’s budget planning now to help secure the future!
Never Eat Alone
Never Eat Alone
Keith Ferazzi is described as the world’s foremost expert in professional relationship development. Forbes and INC. magazines have called him one of the world’s most “connected” individuals. Keith Ferazzi co-wrote the book “Never Eat Alone”, which has defined networking today.
The main idea is to make it a habit to purposefully connect with other people on a regular basis. Ferazzi explains “connecting” as a constant process of giving and receiving. You should ask for help and offer help at the same time. In his book, Ferazzi explains twenty steps of strategically connecting. We will focus on a few pointers here but you can also find a complete summary of the book here.
One major goal, as described in the book’s title, is to never eat alone. A great way to accomplish this is to take referral sources to breakfast or lunch once or twice a week. You should also invite local doctors, fellow lawyers, body shop owners, members of local business organizations, and other professionals from your community to meet with you. By doing so, you are creating and nurturing contacts, promoting your business, and building relationships in your community.
During these casual outings, get to know your guest personally. Ask them about their business, what their goals are, what do they wish to get out of your relationship and if there are any questions they need you to answer. Also, be sure to ask for referrals but do so in a mutually beneficial way – ask what you can do for them. You want to make it clear that you’re willing to help them as well. Ask how you can send them referrals, if they are having any problems with their business, how might you be able to help…these are all ways to “connect” and bring people into your network.
Lastly, be genuine! Demonstrate that you are truly interested in nurturing the relationship and you are there to help them. By doing so, you are offering your expertise at no cost to them. This will make them want to return the favor. Also, be sure to create a contact list that includes birthdays, anniversaries, favorite hobbies, wine, and so on and be sure to send out cards and gifts throughout the year to show your appreciation in the relationship, of course always acting in accordance with the rules and regulations of your State Bar.
Most importantly – stay in contact with your network – once you “connect” you MUST stay connected!
By following this concept, you will expand your business in your local community and enhance your reputation among other businesses in your area.
And always remember – Never Eat Alone…this one tip will get you off to a great start!
Getting the Most Out of Networking at Conferences
Getting the Most Out of Networking at Conferences
Attending a conference is a great way to further educate yourself and your staff while gathering information and catching up on the latest technology, marketing and management trends. But most importantly, a conference is a great opportunity to network. Conferences provide excellent environments for making new contacts, reconnecting with old ones, meeting fellow attorneys, marketing experts and vendors while learning new and different ways to promote your own firm – And all the while you’re increasing your chances of getting referral cases! How? By networking.
In an article by Sharon Merit Abraham on Law.com, she explains how to get the most out of each conference you attend. Here are a few of her points:
- Seek Out New Relationships – Be sure to attend conferences that have people in attendance who you can either do business with, learn from or hire to perform specific services for you. It doesn’t matter if they are attendees themselves, speakers or exhibitors, as long as you have a common ground and can form a mutually beneficial relationship.
- Identify Key Players – Find out who the presenters and vendors are and who is expected to be in attendance prior to the conference to identify if there is anyone with whom you’d like to meet.
- Schedule Meetings – Schedule meetings with people you’ve made contact with previously who will be in attendance at the conference. This is a great way and time to to reconnect.
- Be Prepared – Bring plenty of business cards and make sure all the information printed on the cards is correct and up to date.
- Practice Your Approach – Some people have never met a stranger. Others have a very hard time meeting new people and get nervous when speaking to a stranger. If you get nervous, practice speaking with people locally or role play within your office to prepare yourself for meeting new people.
Another plus to networking at conferences is having a chance to meet with your vendors, find new vendors and see who your competition’s vendors are. It’s always a good idea to keep an open mind at conferences and take a look at all the vendors – even if it only consists of the obligatory exhibit hall walk through – you never know who may catch your eye and end up being the difference for your firm. Gather any and all materials of interest to you, even those that you are unsure of. When you return to your office, make yourself a file of all the contacts and vendors you met at the conference. When the time comes for you to find a vendor for a particular service, just pull your file. I guarantee this will save you time, money and a lot of headaches.
Don’t miss ANY social events. Be sure to attend all mixers, cocktail parties, luncheons, and dinners held during the conference. These events are great ways to make initial contact with new faces and take part in the joy of seeing familiar ones. Social events offer more of a relaxed environment for initial greetings than seminar rooms, classrooms or exhibit halls.
Lastly, none of these networking tips will do you any good if you do not follow up with the contacts you make at the conference! When you return home, be sure to send an email, make a phone call, write a personal note or even plan a lunch meeting if applicable. Just be sure to take some sort of action to acknowledge and maintain the relationship and further the communication initiated at the conference.
When you attend PILMMA’s Fall 2011 Summit in Las Vegas, October 14th & 15th, remember these tips and take advantage of all the networking opportunities provided to you there. Help your firm grow – learn new and exciting marketing and management strategies, make new relationships expanding your referral base and increase your contacts – fellow attorneys, speakers, vendors, etc…everyone there will be ready to network. And now, thanks to these tips, you will be too. See you in Vegas!
If you haven’t already signed up for the Summit click here for more details on what and who to expect where, along with how to register.
Email Marketing for Lawyers and the Importance of Auto-Responders
Email marketing is just as important as other types of marketing such as newsletter marketing. However, marketing through emails is often overlooked. I have addressed the topic of newsletter marketing numerous times and hope that you are all taking advantage of this easy and most effective marketing tool. In case you’ve missed it, here’s a blog post about why I feel newsletter marketing is so effective and how you can use it to better market your firm. Now, back to email marketing…
Email marketing is based on the same principal as newsletter marketing – maintaining top of mind awareness with your clients and potential clients. You want to be THE firm people think of or call instantly when something happens in their life and they need legal advice.
Email marketing can be simplified and automated to the point where it requires very little work. This is one of the great benefits of email marketing. The time and money spent on it will be far overshadowed by the return! The best way to create an effective email marketing campaign is through the use of auto-responders. The use of auto-responders requires people to opt-in or request to receive your emails. They typically do so by filling out a form on a “Contact Us” page or opt-in form on your website offering a free book, free report or free consultation. Don’t have a “Contact Us” page or opt-in form on your website? Read this to find out why you MUST have these on your firm’s website.
Using a contact and email management system like icontact or AWeber enables you to set-up emails to be sent to specific people at specific times. Most of the work occurs on the front end so you must carefully plan your email strategy, then write the emails and create appropriate sequences for delivery. You must also create and install the “Contact Us” form on your website. This will require some work with your IT or website development company/department but it will definitely be worth the time, money and effort.
Once the system is set-up, those who opt-in will automatically be sent the emails you have lined up in the sequence. I suggest you create different email sequences based on the types of prospects, cases, clients, past clients and even how long someone has been a prospect. The most important thing to remember is that all emails MUST provide value to the recipients. They must educate or help them in some way. If your emails purely sell yourself and your firm, then email marketing will not work for you, in fact, it will hurt you.
By reminding prospects and clients of who you are and providing them some sort of value with each email, you are nurturing your relationship with them ensuring that they know and trust you and your firm.
Are you currently using auto-responders? If so, what results you have seen? Let us know!
Investing In YOU Is Investing In Your Law Firm
Why do some people find success quickly as entrepreneurs while most others struggle?
“What’s the fastest way to grow my business?” That’s usually the first question I get asked when I meet an entrepreneur, whether they are new, experienced or aspiring. My first response to them is also a question….“What are you doing consistently to learn how to run your practice, market your firm and bring in new cases? Are you part of any Business-Building Mastermind Groups?”
I’m shocked each and every time when they reply, “I’m not in one”…or “I don’t really need one”…or even worse, “I can’t afford one.”
That last response is the one that really gets me. What do they mean they can’t afford one?!
They can’t afford a Business-Building or Mastermind Group but they can afford their daily fix of Starbucks or cigarettes, or they can afford to buy new clothes and spend their money on pricey concert tickets or gourmet dinners…
And then they wonder why they’re so frustrated and anxious about their firm’s growth and struggling to pay the bills!
It amazes me! It really does. Once in a while, we’ll have a member call to cancel his or her monthly membership. The reason why usually doesn’t make sense.
For example, I saw an email once from a former member who cancelled his membership a while back. It said, and I quote, “Ken’s stuff is awesome and I’ve already made money from following his tips and advice but I had to cancel my membership because I just don’t have time to read and listen to the information you guys send me.”
Wait a minute. Let me get this straight….He’s profited from the tips and information provided by PILMMA but he can’t find the time to read and listen to the information we send him even though he knows it’s going to benefit his business and make him more money?!? See, I told you some reasons just don’t make sense.
If it were me, I’d stop all the other non-revenue producing activities (that I’m sure he’s probably doing) and I’d be focusing on IMMEDIATELY opening every PILMMA envelope and email received, clicking on every link and reading every publication from cover to cover and IMMEDIATELY implementing what I learn each month!
By the way, this is the same guy who will be making excuses for himself soon, moaning and griping about how bad the economy is, or how there are too many restrictions on legal marketing or just too many lawyers out there to even worry about trying to advertise. Basically, he’ll be using the “Let’s Blame Everyone and Everything Else” types of excuses.
Personally, I would NEVER consider cancelling the monthly coaching “investments” I make because I know that once I stop, my business will most-likely decline instantly.
Jim Rohn, legendary author, entrepreneur, and business philosopher, always said: “Tell me how many books you’ve read in the past year, audio programs you’ve listened to, seminars you’ve attended, and coaching you’ve had, and I’ll tell you how much money you’re making.”
Spot on. Genius. I love it.
Think about this old saying: “You don’t go to school once in your life; you should be in school every day of your life!” You MUST continue to educate yourself on how to market and manage your practice. Anything you can learn on a monthly basis will improve your firm on a monthly basis.
When you stop learning, you stop growing. Once you stop growing, you start dying.
Invest in yourself. Keep on learning. Invest in your firm. Keep on growing.
Dedicated to Your Success,
Ken Hardison
How Law Firms Can Use QR Codes
Recently, these funny looking black and white boxes have popped up everywhere and on everything. QR codes are the new technology darling of the marketing world. But I do not think these little boxes are a trend, I believe they are here to stay. First, QR codes will last because you can share much more valuable data than with traditional barcode. Second and most importantly, QR codes will last because anyone can create them and read them for free.
Read this article from the Marketing Insiders’ Journal to learn more about QR codes.
Quick Response codes (QR Codes) are two-dimensional codes that can be read by iPhones, Androids or other camera-enabled Smartphones. Created in Japan by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave in 1994, these codes have been used internationally for years. In 2011, they finally took hold in the US thanks to endorsements from Target, Best Buy, Macy’s and Post Cereals.
How do they work? Owners of iPhones and other smart devices must download a QR reading application, usually available for free, if not already on the phone. When a QR enabled phone is pointed at the code, it locks into the information contained within that code, such as text, photos, coupons, videos or websites.
Want a QR Code for your firm? You can create your own QR Code for free online. A popular site for doing this is www.kaywa.com. There’s also www.likify.net where you can create a QR Code that links to a fully functioning LIKE button for your Facebook page. There’s no limit to how or how much you can share with QR Codes. From videos and landing pages to an entire eBook, these codes are quickly becoming a marketer’s dream come true.
These codes are great for printed materials since they allow you to provide supplemental information without cluttering up your ads. Be sure to place a QR Code in a well-lighted spot on your materials and not too close to other graphics or text. Crowded placement could inhibit the ability of the QR Code reader to lock into the symbols and link to your information.
Use QR Codes on your business cards, newsletters, direct mail pieces, signage, and promotional items. Give potential clients instant access to what you and your firm are all about. To top this off, you can track and analyze the results of your printed pieces with increased precision. Remember, if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it or repeat it.
Here are some examples of QR codes and how to use them:
On print materials, promotional items and the internet. Be creative!
Search Engine Rankings for Lawyers- Big changes ahead!
This week Google announced three big changes that affect a user’s ability to search. These changes will enhance Google users’ ability to search in new, faster ways.
Here are the three changes:
1. Instant Pages – This is an enhancement to Google Instant which provides users with search options and phrases as they type. This function tries to anticipate a user’s search based on the most frequently used search phrases. Now, the service will also begin preloading the most frequently displayed results based on the anticipated search phrases to save time.
What does this mean for your firm? Now, more than ever, search engine rankings are vital. Since Google is suggesting phrases for users based on the most commonly used search terms, you definitely want your firm to be on that list! I suggest you evaluate your current standing in Google rankings and begin a plan to increase your web presence. If you or someone in your firm is not trained in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), you should seriously think about investing in some SEO training. This is not something you can do haphazardly. Even small mistakes can hurt you and cause you to drop in rank.
2. Image Search – This is an entirely new search site at www.image.google.com. It allows users to drag and drop images into the search window to find other images and search results related to the chosen image.
What does this mean for your firm? Searches are no longer based solely on words or phrases. This is an entirely new area for search engines, so my suggestion is to wait and see users respond to the new Google image search before altering your website strategy too much.
3. Voice Search – This gives users the ability to speak their search queries.
What does this mean for your firm? With this new search option, I believe people will be more detailed in their searches than ever. I also think there will be an increase in the use of vernacular and slang terms. This means you will need to expand your search terminology (SEO style) even more to include these terms and stay ahead in the rankings.
Overall, I think these changes are only a preview of the future of search engines. For you this means, short key word phrases are a thing of the past – they simply will not work as well for you now as they did previously for search engine rankings. I believe we will see more people using longer, detailed phrases in their searches, which is actually a good thing because it will in turn provide users with more targeted accurate search results. As long as you fall into these long, detailed phrases, it will be good for you as well. Evaluate your marketing plan, review your current rankings, learn about SEO and talk to other lawyers and even members of your staff…stay on top of this so you and your staff can be ready to meet the challenges of online marketing.
I also recommend you evaluate your internet marketing plan, read some books on the subject or hire a coach to train you how meet the changing trends.
Future of Auto Accident Cases
“Intelligent vehicles…allow drivers to receive warnings from other cars, road signs and traffic intersections. Beeps, flashing lights or even electronic voice alerts tell drivers that they’re dangerously close to each other. When necessary, the technology can instantaneously force cars (to) take evasive action to avoid collisions…” – David Hatch, Technology’s Next Frontier: Intelligent Vehicles
Today, we see cars practically parallel park themselves and listen to back-up detection sensors in cars warn of children or objects within close proximity. The next logical progression is cars driving or correcting themselves automatically without the aid or hindrance of a driver.
This is great news for society – bad news for personal injury attorneys who rely heavily on auto accident cases. This however, does point to a bright future in the products liability field…so take note.
This week’s Bright Idea serves as more evidence to encourage you to analyze the future of your firm and look into other practice areas. If you haven’t already, read my blog post from last week about how tort reform is already changing and will change personal injury law. I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you foresee in the future for personal injury law.
Next week I will announce what I believe is the future of personal injury law and how I feel you can prepare for your entrance into that arena.
Future of Personal Injury Cases
The majority of states have some form of tort reform which limits how much accident victims can collect and several states recently introduced new bills to limit compensation. How does this affect you and your firm?
As new laws and the insurance companies make it harder to receive compensation for your clients, you must expand and look to other practice areas. I do not mean this to say that personal injury cases are going to disappear; I simply think we need to try to anticipate the future of personal injury and what it will look like, 5-10 years down the road.
I suggest you look into and explore new practice areas now. Be proactive. If tort reform continues to increase, you don’t want to find yourself unprepared 10 years down the road stuck in a practice area that is no longer as viable as it once was.
Here are the practice areas I suggest you look into for your firm:
- Employment
- Social Security Disability
- Corporate Litigation
- Long term Disability
- Veterans
- Wage and Hour
Come back next week to see why I did NOT include auto accidents on the list. The future is not as a far off as we think.
Personal Injury Lawyers CAN use testimonials in marketing
Your State Bar may not allow you to use testimonials in marketing, but there are other ways you can make testimonials work for you and your firm. Why not use them in follow-up letters or other forms of correspondence after a potential client has contacted you?
I believe that if you were to call your State Bar you may be surprised to find that the use of testimonials after a potential client has already contacted you is perfectly acceptable. Whether you are contacted by phone or online, following up with these potential clients may not technically be considered marketing since you are simply providing them information they requested. Your marketing efforts compelled them to contact you initially. It is now your job educate them about you and your firm.
Do not be afraid to use testimonials! However, be sure to contact your State Bar before implementing any new use of testimonials to ensure it is indeed allowed.
Some testimonials work much better than others. Here are some points to keep in mind when choosing testimonials to use in your marketing efforts and/or correspondence with potential clients:
1. It is always better for a testimonial to be accompanied by the full name of the person who provided it as opposed to using only initials. Using initials instead of someone’s full name may cause some to doubt the validity of the testimonial or not believe it at all.
2. To add even more credibility, add a picture of the person providing the testimonial along with his or her full name. This personalizes the testimonial and is an attention grabber at the same time.
3. Video testimonials are the best because they are the most believable. Videos convey emotion and give life to the words of the testimonial. Video testimonials are the ultimate social proof that people support you and your firm.
Unfortunately, thanks to lawyer stereotypes, we as personal injury and disability lawyers have a larger mountain to climb in order to gain the trust of the public and prospective clients. The use of testimonials as social proof that you have taken good care of your clients and are a lawyer who can be trusted, can shrink that mountain into a molehill on which you can easily stand and be recognized as the right lawyer for the job.
Dedicated to your success,
Ken
Ken Hardison Weighs In
When I decided to launch this weight loss journey, I knew it was going to be tough. It is very simple to say “I need to lose weight”, but an entirely different ball game to actually do so. My idea to partner with Save The Children added fuel to the burning desire I have to shed these pounds. Your pledges have motivated me more than you know. It’s inspiring to know that I have your support and we are all doing something to help children in need all over the world.
So far, thanks to your pledges, each pound I lose is worth more than $100! I’m pleased to announce that in the past two weeks I have lost 15 pounds! This means that to date, at least $1500 will be given to Save The Children!
So you may ask, how am I losing weight or what is my plan? Well, I’ve definitely had to change some of my eating habits. For example, I’ve started snacking on fruit such as apples instead of grabbing junk food. When and if I drink soda, I now drink Coke Zero instead of regular Coke. These two simple changes have helped a lot. I’m not about to say that these past two weeks have been easy by any means, but they have been worth it and I’m motivated to keep going, lose this weight and reach my fundraising goal of $30,000 by October 15th for Save The Children.
If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to make a pledge and join me in supporting this great charity while challenging me to stay on track! Whether you pledge because you simply don’t think I can do it or because you want to help Save the Children is up to you and I appreciate your support either way. Be sure to check out my weigh-in video for this week. I’ll be checking in with you all in the next week or so to update you on my progress. Thanks again for your support!
Tips for a personal injury or disability law firm blog
Creating a blog is a means for gaining more exposure for you and your firm. You want people to visit your blog – the more traffic, the more exposure, the more potential clients become clients. There is no exact formula for a successful blog but the only way to get people to really notice your blog and continue to visit or recommend it to others is to post new fresh content that is relevant to your audience. Getting new content isn’t as difficult as you might think. Here are some ways to easily get fresh content for your blog posts:
- Repurpose things you already have. If you have a free report or you taught a class or gave a speech, reuse that material or re-work it into something new. Go into more detail in specific sections or simply break it up into several different blog posts. If you look back on things you have on file, I guarantee there’s a wealth of information in there for you to use on your blog.
- Use your Frequently Asked Questions for subject matter. If you have FAQ on your website, then take each question, use it as a separate post and expand on it. Answering each question in more detail is a great way to drive people to your blog – and on that note, be sure you have a link on your website to your blog to make it easier for visitors to find.
- If you don’t have FAQs or need some ideas, ask your staff. Have every employee write down questions, objections or comments they hear from clients or potential clients for one week. Compile this information and use the most commonly noted things as individual blog posts.
Repurposing what you already have and breaking out different points in more detail is a great way to position yourself as an expert or leader when it comes to certain topics. Content from your FAQs is relevant for anyone looking to hire a lawyer since they more than likely have some of the same questions found on your FAQ list. As long as you know your audience and consistently provide them with relevant interesting information, you’ll have no trouble increasing your blog traffic.
Help Save the Children
Help Save the Children – Announcing Ken’s Charity Weight Loss Challenge!
In one of PILMMA’s weekly Bright Idea video posts earlier this month titled “Who Are You?”, I spoke to the importance of humanizing yourself so your clients and potential clients can get to know who you are and what you’re all about. I mentioned that one way to do this is to get involved with charities you support and take action on things that are important to you.
Well, this week it’s my turn…
It’s my pleasure to officially announce Ken’s Charity Weight Loss Challenge. As many of you know, I’ve battled being overweight my whole life. I’ve finally decided to do something about it and figured while I was at it I could support a great cause with the help of you, my friends and colleagues. I’ve chosen to sponsor the charity “Save the Children” since 90% of all donations go straight toward helping the children! My goal is to raise $30,000 by October 15th, 2011.
If you’d like to help me, visit my website www.kenscharityweightlosschallenge.com and pledge whatever dollar amount you’d like per pound I lose. Even one dollar per pound would be most appreciated. I am personally committing $20 per pound to this challenge. Please join in and help me lose weight while helping the children of the world get the food and medical attention they so desperately need. All donations will go directly to the charity.
Each week I will update the weight loss challenge site and keep you all posted on my journey. Visit www.kenscharityweightlosschallenge.com for more information and to make your pledge to help me save the children.
All Personal Injury Law Homepages MUST-Have
This week’s Bright Idea focuses on your website’s homepage. What’s the one thing every law firm’s homepage MUST have? A “CONTACT US” form.
A “CONTACT US” form acts as a lead capturing device without being intrusive. Visitors to your site enter their name and e-mail address to request more information about your firm or to ask certain questions. You want to capture their information but be careful – don’t ask for too much, you could turn people away.
One thing you always want to ask for is their e-mail addresses. You ALWAYS want to capture e-mails from potential clients whenever possible to use later in your marketing efforts. Even if people don’t hire you initially, keeping in contact with them by sending them educational materials along with information about your areas of practice and your firm will keep you at the top of their mind so if or when they need a lawyer in the future, you’ll be the natural choice.
By providing them with information that interests them or aids them in any way will set you apart from other firms and make them feel as if you’re helping them instead of trying to sell to them.
Still wondering why your homepage need a “CONTACT US” form? It’s a fact that most visitors on the web only stay on a site for 3 seconds. If they can spot a chance to get more information or get their questions answered quickly and easily, they’re more likely to fill out the form without hesitation.
Make sure you place your “CONTACT US” form at the top half of your homepage so visitors don’t have to scroll down and find it. The more visitors have to scroll to find information or interact, the more likely you are to lose them. Don’t make contacting you feel like a scavenger hunt.
Personal Injury Lawyers Increase Credibility
Want instant credibility, expert status and a business card that lasts for years? Then write an educational consumer book.
A book is the ultimate marketing tool because it positions you as an expert and shows that you want to help educate the public. Better yet, books don’t get thrown away; they sit on shelves, end tables and get passed around to family and friends!
This task is not as daunting as it seems. Here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Write it for a 5th to 7th grade reading level. You want to use easy to understand metaphors and charts as a way to explain complex topics.
2. Include a section titled “7 questions to ask a lawyer before you hire them”. Include the seven questions and the answers, so the consumers know what to look for when interviewing a lawyer. Make it flow so you are the natural choice when they go to hire a lawyer.
If you do not want or have the time to spend writing a book, PILMMA has books available for licensing!
E-mail Valerie@pilmma.org for more information. We do all the work and you get to customize the book – YOUR name, YOUR logo, and YOUR firm. Give us a call at 1-800-497-1890 to find our more.
What do clients think you are?
Who are you? Better yet – who do your clients think you are?
This week’s Bright Idea is about potential clients seeing, knowing and trusting you based on your Social Media persona. The best suggestion I can make to you is to “humanize” yourself. This means including more than just your headshot or law school resume. Show potential clients you’re a real person – they need to be able to relate to you in an everyday sort of way.
Use a more personal bio of yourself that includes things that are important to you along with details about what has made you who are and why you wanted to be a lawyer in the first place. This may be some cheesy story about when you were a child and someone wronged you or it may be a poignant, meaningful story about overcoming the odds against you – whatever it may be, share it!
You still want to build credibility with law school and professional awards, but you also need to relate to your potential clients. So in addition to your extended biography, you should post a few casual photos of you enjoying your hobbies, family and friends. You don’t want to offend anyone or depict yourself in any negative light, so choose your pictures wisely. You can also have some fun with this – for example, post some baby pictures of you and your staff members and have people on your page guess who is who.
Another way to humanize yourself is to focus on charities you support. Post pictures, articles and news about or from the organization on your sites. You can also post articles that are a bit more casual, instead of business as usual. Just last week I saw an article about the odd things people have found on New Jersey beaches…now, if you’re located in New Jersey, this would be a great article for you to use on your site – definitely an attention grabber that will also make you a news source for your visitors. It never hurts to give people something to of interest, especially when you’re drawing them into your social network. After all, the more they visit, the longer they stay, the more they get to know you.
It’s a proven fact that people hire lawyers they know, like and trust. Put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid to show potential clients who you are. If they get to know you and trust you – you’ll be the one they call.
Say Thank You your Law Firm’s Clients
Your past clients can be just as important as your current or future clients because of their ability to give you referrals. Check out this week’s video as I share a few tips on how to say thank you to your clients and staff.
At my law firm we do an annual Client Appreciation Picnic with food, games and a live band. We invite our entire mailing list of past and current clients as a way to say thank you. Click here for a PDF of the postcard invitation we sent out to keep in your marketing swipe file. The cartoon style of the postcard is fun and shows myself and partner, Ben Cochran, in a more relaxed manner, rather than our regular business suit head shots.
Here are some tips to create an awesome Client Appreciation Day:
- Rent a location at a local park because the location is well known and usually has nice facilities
- Use your staff! Make this a company wide event so everyone is involved.
- Create committees to meet once a month/week to decide on the location, food, games, agenda, and facilities.
- Do your staff have any talents? Use them! This is a way to get to know your staff and to have them contribute to the event.
- Invite your staff and their families to the event
- Be sure to bring your promotional material. Although this is a time for fun, you also want to gain referrals from this event and keep your Firm name at the top of someone’s mind.
- Get your Firm’s lawyers involved. A few years ago we had a dunking booth and all 12 lawyers, including me, had to sit in the booth for 30 minutes. Guests could pay $5 for two chances to “Dunk Your Lawyer”. All of the money raised was given to a local charity on behalf of our clients.
- Post photos to Facebook and have those in attendance tag themselves.
Click here to see the Facebook page for Hardison & Cochran and view their photo album from this event.
Spring and Fall are the best time to host these events because of the nice weather. Hope you enjoy this tip and say Thank You to your clients.
Yellow Pages and legal marketing- not worth it
Just last week as I drove though my neighborhood I saw the infamously massive Yellow Page book sticking of all the mailboxes on the way to my house. Sure enough, I had a present waiting inside my mailbox as well. Naturally, I took it from the mail box and threw it in the recycling bin.
This week, San Francisco put another nail in the coffin of the almost defunct Yellow Pages. City authorities are pushing new laws which would limit the distribution of Yellow Pages within city limits. This law would impose a $500 fine for each book distributed violating the ban. The city cites growing environmental concerns of printing such a large book that is seen as unnecessary, since all the information can quickly be found online.
To combat these new proposed laws, Yellow Pages has created their own opt-out website, www.yellowpagesoptout.com. At this site you can opt-out of all or certain selections of the Yellow Pages directory in your specific area code.
It seems all types of print advertisement may be in danger as environmental concerns rise and online advertising replaces traditional print. I suggest you begin to analyze your current advertising campaign and strive to learn as much as you can about digital advertising. This is a topic I would like to explore in depth in the coming months. Stay tuned for more information!
Click here for a complete article on this new law
Personal Injury and Disability Lawyers Should Never Send a “Naked” Letter
Every time you send a letter to a current client, it’s an opportunity to market yourself. Take advantage of this! Remind them of the areas in which you practice and how much you appreciate referrals.
Watch the video above to find out how to dress up your letters so they never go naked again!
www.pilmma.org
Optimize Your Internet Marketing with Conrad Saam
At this year’s Spring Summit, Conrad Saam will be presenting the fundamentals of SEO (search engine optimization), improving the results of your internet marketing and how to manage your online reputation.
Sandie Wike Will Multiply Your Leads!
Sandie Wike will be teaching the importance of database and automated marketing, and the value of multi-step follow-up systems at the PILMMA Summit in Atlanta. If you miss this you are guaranteed to miss out on signing new leads!
Topics to be covered include:
- Grassroots Marketing for Lawyers
- Marketing for Mass Tort Cases
- Launching a Successful Mobile App
