Posts Tagged ‘Legal book of business’

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Marketing yourself, generating revenue and increasing your value, part three

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Congratulations on working through the first two weeks!  You’ll be signing your first client in no time.  Just keep your eyes on the prize and keep networking.  Remember that this entire process is aimed at making sure you start generating revenue for the firm.  Once you establish yourself as a “rain maker,” you’ll be a highly-valued attorney who will be considered a crucial member of the team.

This week will delve a little bit deeper into some of your business relationships.  As is true every week, you want to make sure that you’re keeping up with people who respond to you.  If you’ve sent emails/made phone calls/left messages on Facebook or LinkedIn and folks have returned the favor, make sure that you contact them immediately.  No matter what type of law you practice, time is always of the essence.  If someone needs an attorney today and you don’t call them back, another attorney will!

Monday: Ask your marketing coordinator or HR team to allow you to update your bio on the firm’s website.  Make sure to include any articles you’ve written or cases you’ve published.  More importantly, though, include some legal experience you have that may resonate with the average client.  If you are a tax attorney, you may want to focus on some real life tax experience that shows you’re an expert.  (Before graduating from law school, I spent 5 years as a CPA at one of the largest accounting firms in Los Angeles.)  People enjoy real-world experience, and they’ll be much more likely to call someone they feel they know and trust.  To that end, make sure that you also include a picture with your biography.

Tuesday: Hopefully you attended the party or other social function that you RSVP’d to in the first week.  If not, make sure you’ve booked something for this week.  Do not feel overwhelmed by this event.  Be prepared to use your elevator pitch and hand out business cards left and right.  Talk to anyone and everyone at the event.  You have no idea what legal needs people may have, or who they may know.  Be polite and friendly and start making some connections.  Get as many business cards as you give away.  Be sure to follow up with all of your new connections within 24 hours of the event and add all of the information to your online address book.  Continue to book more events.  You should try to go to some breakfast or happy hour or seminar at least twice per month.

Wednesday: Write a blog post.  I know what you’re thinking – I have no idea what I’m doing and I don’t have a blog.  Don’t worry about those details right now.  Just sit down at your computer and start writing about what you know.  Look back at some of those legal blogs that you’ve been reading the last two weeks to figure out the format and length and get to work.  Write about what you know best – your area of practice.  Maybe there is new legislation pending, maybe there was a ground-breaking case recently decided, maybe you’d like to answer (once and for all) a series of questions that you’re asked all the time.  The topic doesn’t matter, as long as it shows off your knowledge.  Once you’re done with the blog post, have someone else (someone not in your area of practice) read and critique it.

Thursday: Get back  on your Linked In account and join at least one professional group.  After you’ve joined, start a discussion on that group or respond to a discussion initiated by someone else.  By beginning and participating in discussions, your peers will begin to recognize you as an expert in the field.  Take the rest of this hour to look at the blogs you started to read and make at least one comment on one of the blog posts.  Make sure that your name and a link to your website is visible on the post.

Friday: Start shopping your blog post.  Start looking at blogs where this content may be useful to readers.  Contact the blog managers and ask them if you can submit an article to be posted.  Many times, bloggers are thrilled to get some free content.   If your post is accepted, make sure to get credit (name and email address) and make sure that the article links to your firm’s website.   You should reach out to at least two different bloggers.  Realize, however, that you should only publish on one blog.  The blogger who contacts you first gets to publish the article!  This is the beginning of your work as a published legal author!

Another week of work behind you.  You should really feel good about everything you’ve accomplished.  Although it’s tough work, networking and building your reputation in the legal and non-legal community is worth every minute you can spare.  If you need assistance in this process, please contact us.  We’re happy to help!

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Marketing yourself, generating revenue and increasing your value, part 2

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Marketing yourself is the most important thing you can do for your career in this uncertain legal climate.    Last week, we talked about setting aside only one hour per day to start marketing yourself and proving yourself to be someone who can generate revenue for the firm – something partners cannot resist.  This week, we continue in the quest to help you in your efforts to bring in deals and cases to grow (or begin to grow) your book of business.

Even though the below suggested exercises create a bit more work in an already stressed-out day, I urge you to take some time and really engage in this process.  Like everything in the law (and in life!), there are no guarantees.  I can’t tell you when or how you will bring your first new matter.  However, every attorney who has been successful in bringing in new business went through this process (or something similar).  Begin at the beginning and follow through.  This could be the most productive five hours of your week!

Before we begin with the schedule, please make sure that you responded to anyone who may have emailed you last week regarding your initial outreach.   This is crucial.  Answer emails and phone calls immediately.  Many times, if someone has a hot lead, it will go cold if you wait too long to respond.  Part of this marketing process is learning to stay connected with the “outside” world and not so focused on life in the law firm.  Remember, the folks outside of the firm are the most likely to have leads for new cases.

Monday:  Set up a Linked In account if you don’t already have one.  It’s very simple to do.  It will require some information about you, your practice, your experience, etc.  Please fill out the information completely.  The more information you include about yourself, the more people will be able to find you in case they need a lawyer.  After you’ve started the account, look around on the site and find some folks you know.  Make connections with them.  If you already have a Linked In account, take some time to review connections, add new connections, add to your bio, update your picture and join some groups.  Don’t overwhelm yourself, just spend an hour on this site.

Tuesday:  Set up an account on Avvo.com.  Avvo is a lawyer review site.  It’s becoming more and more popular as attorneys all over the country are joining.  Be sure to add a current picture and update your biography completely.  Look around the site and find some other lawyers you know.  Write a nice review for an attorney and send them an email asking them to do the same for you.  In most cases, they’ll be happy to reciprocate!

Wednesday:  Check back in on the blogs that you reviewed last Friday.  Make a comment on at least one blog post.  Make sure that the content is relevant and interesting.  The most important part of this process is to include your name and a link to your website.  If you own your own firm, link to the home page.  If you work at a firm, link to your bio page or a relevant page on the site. (If the blog post is about new patent filings in California, link to the page about new patent filings on your firm’s site.)  Typically, when you click on the “comment” button, you will be given very specific instructions about how to sign up and link to your site.

Thursday:  Write and rehearse your elevator pitch.  You’ve heard the phrase before, but probably never knew what it meant or how it could help.  An elevator pitch is a short, lay-person’s description of what you do.  (So short that it should be able to be said in the time you ride an elevator.)  Write out this pitch and practice it.  Make sure that you use terminology that is understandable to everyone.  Make it short and sweet with just enough description that the person listening will be able to remember who you are and what you do.   Take the next 30 minutes to get back on Linked In and write a couple of updates, accept any connections you may have and join another group.

Friday:  Hand out at least 10 business cards and practice your elevator pitch.  I know it sounds impossible, but just do it.  Don’t worry that the person seems an unlikely source of future referrals of work, or that he or she knows nothing about your area of the law.  Simply hand out the cards and speak with people about what you do.  (Please remember to be polite and ask what they do, as well!)  Give one to your waitress at lunch, hand one to the guy standing next to you in line at the grocery store, give out a couple at the gym.  This is really an exercise in getting yourself out there.  Talk to people.  Hand out your card and let them know that you are looking for new transactions, clients or cases.  You may be surprised at the results you get.

Take some time over the weekend to reflect on all of the work you’ve done.  Believe it or not, you’ve already put in at least 10 hours of time toward this new goal of bringing new business.  Congratulations!

If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We’ve been successfully helping lawyers and law firms connect for years.  We’d be thrilled to help you, as well.

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Marketing yourself, bringing cases and increasing your value, part one

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Even in the best economic climate a law firm is a competitive environment.  In a sea of shifting hungry laterals, partners are all seeking to maximize their individual talents and abilities.  In this market, the way to shine is by generating business for the firm.  Hourly rates are steep; annual billing requirements undermine attorneys’ dedication to pursuing their best and highest use.  The distraction of billing, which is largely indicative of compensation, ironically serves as a barrier to the real, more long-term job security gained by marketing, rain-making and business generation.  One cannot bill 2,000 hours – or have appearances of doing so – and maintain a devotion and commitment to client development.  Attorneys are left with two options: Bill like a banshee or reduce billable hours and spend some working hours marketing.  The former is more a short-term “fix”; it can be spotty, and screams “you’re only as good as your last case or deal” whereas the latter reaps longer-term rewards and engenders security.

Even though billing is very time consuming, it’s imperative to make time each week to market yourself.  Schedule one hour per day to do nothing but attempt to generate business.  Look at it as an investment in your future at the firm and beyond.  Even if you’ve never brought a case, you have a chance to bring great value to your firm.  Throughout the next few weeks, we’ll be breaking down your time and help your marketing efficiency.  Here’s your schedule for the first week of rain-making.

  1. Monday.  Look through your “address book” on your computer.  Organize all current or previous clients with which you personally dealt.  Make sure you have email addresses and phone numbers.  Do a little online research on these folks to see what they’re up to these days.  Have they moved jobs, started their own businesses, achieved a great success in their business, appeared in the paper/on TV for some reason?  Make a few notes for yourself on each of these current/previous clients.
  2. Tuesday.  Pick two or three of the clients and send emails.  Don’t ask for anything, just check up with them.  Mention that you saw that they recently …. (fill in the blank.  Bought a business, moved their office, commented on a story on Larry King, etc.)  Congratulate them.
  3. Wednesday.  Search your address books for your personal contacts — friends, family, ex-classmates from law school, former co-workers, etc.  – and send out a newsletter.  Let them know that you’re searching for new business.  Make it very clear what type of case you’d like.  Also, let them know that any type of leads would be helpful.  Maybe they don’t know anyone who needs a bankruptcy lawyer, but they know someone who knows someone…  These “friends of friends” connections can be amazing.  Be clear that you’re ready to meet folks who may need your legal services.
  4. Thursday.  Look for events to attend.  You can look at websites for attorneys (CalBar.org, local bar associations, etc.), review charity sites, hobby sites, etc.  At this point in the game, it really doesn’t matter what type of event you attend, you just need to get out there and meet people.  Buy tickets or RSVP to at least 2 events that will occur over the next two weeks.
  5. Friday.  Review blogs that pertain to your area of law.  Note that these blogs don’t have to be legal blogs.  Go to Google and type in your area of law and the word “blog.”  See what shows up.  Just do a little online research.  Make some notes for yourself and bookmark the blogs that you enjoy.

Marketing and rain-making can really be this simple.  Stay tuned for next week’s “rainmaking schedule.”  Your efforts will pay off over time.  Understand that these efforts rarely result in immediate success.  However, over the course of three months, you will have booked at least 65 hours marketing yourself.

For more tips on marketing yourself, contact us. We’re lawyers who have been helping lawyers for years.  We understand the pressures of billing and the importance of bringing cases, and we’re excited to help you in your journey.

Let us know the results of your first week of marketing yourself . We’d love to hear from you!

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Five ways to grow your book of business

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

In the current economic climate, it’s more important than ever to make sure you have every advantage when contemplating a legal career move.  One of the best ways to ensure that you’re a desirable candidate is to have a healthy book of business.  Of course, this is easier said than done.  It takes effort and patience to create an enviable (and hirable) book of business, but it’s well worth the effort.

Developing a book of business is not the reason most of us attended law school; and it’s certainly nothing that we’ve been taught.  At times, lawyers can find this process to be overwhelming.  Therefore, we at Swan Legal Search have broken down the process into a few simple tips that are sure to help you grow your book of business.

  1. Strengthen existing relationships.  Strong relationships within (and outside of) the legal community are imperative.  It’s common for folks to aggressively pursue new contacts and forget to follow up with and give attention to existing contacts.  This is a big mistake.  Sometimes, upon first meeting, the contact has no need for a lawyer.  Six months, a year or even two years later, his/her situation may change. Make a list of contacts and be sure to communicate with them at least twice per year.  Send a short email asking how they’re doing or inform them of your status.  The follow-up doesn’t have to be long or incredibly formal, but it should be professional and they should know that you are seeking new clients.  
  2. Get referrals.  If you have current contacts or clients, ask them to refer you to friends, associates and/or acquaintances.  Referrals are the easiest way to get new clients, because you come as a recommendation from a trusted source.  One important note – if you are referred to a client, be sure to give him/her the “royal treatment.”  When referred clients go to their original source and sing your praises, more referrals are sure to come your way!  (Remember to send referral thank you gifts.)
  3. Market yourself.  As a lawyer, it’s sometimes tough to learn how to market yourself.  However, it’s really the best way for folks to learn who you are and what you do.  There are many ways to market yourself without being unethical or tacky.  Write an article to be published in a legal magazine or send an introductory letter and business card to someone with influence.  Whatever you choose to do, get your name out among other lawyers and business owners.  You’ll be amazed how quickly your phone will start to ring.
  4. Put yourself in front of people.  Speaking with influential people face-to-face is a wonderful way to meet potential clients.  I love technology as much as the next person, but nothing is quite as impactful as an in-person meeting.  There are many types of events you can attend.  Find a business or charitable organization that “speaks” to you.  Go to as many meetings and events as you can, talk to new people and make sure they have your business card in hand by the end of the conversation.
  5. Take advantage of your alumni associations.  It doesn’t matter how many years ago you graduated, your high school, college and law school alumni associations can be wonderful resources for building a book of business.  Check with your alumni associations to find out if there’s a way to get involved or to get a mailing list of other alumni.  Reach out to fellow alumni and let them know what you’re doing.  People love to help others with whom they feel a connection.  Many alumni will be thrilled to speak with a fellow graduate and may become clients.

Need more help?  Please contact us today.  We’d love to work with you and help you with your career  goals!

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