Lance and Linda Lawyer of L & L Law
are sitting in their conference room early Saturday morning. Their
conversation is focused on business development.
"Our phones aren't ringing as much," said Lance, "and our website isn't getting as many hits. We need to step up our marketing."
Linda agrees. They decide to use a week
of activities to jump start their marketing, network with other
lawyers, and re-establish authority in elder law, their area of
practice.
Five days of simple marketing steps can
make a difference. It can bring in new clients and remind you to make
marketing a vital part of your business.
Try these activities:
Monday: Write a
thank-you note to the last person to send you a referral whether or not
that referral led to work for you. You're thanking your contact for
thinking of you and a hand-written note stands out in a sea of e-mail.
Tuesday: Write the
first of your two blog posts for the month. Be sure it offers useful
information to potential readers, such as a change in the law or an
update on a recent court case. Don't post it—let it rest for 24 hours
before you publish it to your blog site. When you post it, include a
link to your profile in the SBM Member Directory and your website.
Wednesday: Check your
holiday card list for accuracy. Think about sending a card during the
year for a holiday you enjoy or a day relevant to your practice. If
you're an elder law attorney, perhaps a date from the history of Social
Security would be a good choice or if you have clients in the car
business, maybe July 30, Henry Ford's birthday, is an interesting day to
note. Make a note of the date on your calendar. Sending cards at
different times of the year separates you from the many greetings
clients receive during the holidays.
Review, edit, and post your blog from Tuesday.
Thursday: Think about
your perfect client. Where would you go to meet that person? Find
organizations in your area where you could connect with your dream
client. Don't forget your local bar association—you can meet lawyers who
don't want clients you'd gladly represent. Those lawyers can be a good
referral source, and you can reciprocate by suggesting them to your
clients when appropriate.
Consider enhancing your referral
business with a listing in the SBM Lawyer2Lawyer Professional Referral
Directory. The State Bar of Michigan has partnered with ZeekBeek to
develop this powerful new member service that provides additional value
to your online SBM directory profile by highlighting the specific
services you offer.
Friday: Meet a client
or potential referral source for coffee or lunch. When you return to
your office, make a note of what was discussed. Review your week to
determine which marketing activities were effective and should be
repeated.
Business development and marketing is
vital to your practice. The more business development activities you do
and the more consistent you are in doing them, the more clients and
revenue you'll bring in and the faster your practice will grow.
Roberta Gubbins has served as the editor of the Ingham County Legal News.
Since leaving the paper, she provides services as a ghostwriter editing
articles, blogs, and e-blasts for lawyers and law firms. She is the
editor of Briefs, the Ingham County Bar Association e-newsletter, and The Mentor, SBM Master Lawyers Section newsletter.
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