lawyer marketing - vermont bar association gone smolo lawy… · don’t be ashamed of marketing...

Lawyer MarketingBe Proud; Not Ashamed

I am not a Marketing Expert

But I am a student of marketing

Building my practice for 38 years

Former Chair ABA Delivery of Legal Services

Tried lots of approaches

Are you happy with your practice?

“To change ones life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly.”

– William James

Don’t be ashamed of marketing

• Don’t do “dumb stuff”

• Help people who need you, find you

• Clients must choose you, but you must also choose them

• Helping clients find lawyers is an access to justice issue

• Your happiness and success depend on having the right clients and cases

There is no Magic Bullet

Know Who You Are

• Be who you are and do what you want to do.

• You are not for everyone; everyone is not for you.

• Your market must suit. You must fill a need.

• You must have a service worth buying.

• To be attractive to your clients you must likely prove indifferent or even offensive to others.

Brand awareness is not for SMOLOs

• Short memories

• You will spend a fortune

• You will be addicted

How do most people find a lawyer?

A referral from a trusted source

• referrals from friends/family (62%)

• other lawyers (31%).

• online search (37%)

• directory listings (28%)

• TV ads (13%),

• online ads (13%),

• radio ads (7%),

• billboard ads (6%)

-- 2017 Legal Trends Report, (Clio)

You Must Have a Strong Web Presence

The Yellow Pages are Dead

Google My Business LinkedIn

Your Web Page

Lawyer Directories

• AVVO

• Justicia

• And more!

Have you Claimed your “Google My Business Page?”

Your Website is

Crucial

Build trust:

• Who are you

• What do you look like

• What do you do

• What do you know

Be Generous with your knowledge:

• You can afford it

• Great for generating traffic

Here is our Website

• Clear message: what do you do

• How are you different

• Pictures

• Information/Content

Consider doing video

Have a free offer

Build your Network

•Friends and Family

•Other Lawyers

•Former Clients

•Have a Public Presence

Encourage Referrals

• Be sure lawyers understand what you do

• Ask for referrals

• Make referrals

• Share fees, within the rules, for good cases

• Don’t steal the client

Your Network will wither if you don’t feed it

•Stay in touch

•Don’t be a pest

•Be personal, not commercial

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Rome was not built in a day

“It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”

-- Franklin D. Roosevelt