Legal Ease Blog

Is Your Law Firm Invisible Online? Do Something About It

I recently did a presentation for a group of lawyers on marketing their practice on the internet, and I was surprised at how much resistance there was in the room. Only two of the lawyers present had a LinkedIn profile, but even those two hadn’t used LinkedIn for much of anything except accepting invitations from others. Neither of them had profiles that were considered to be 100% complete.  Even worse, many of the lawyers in the room did not have a website. Those with websites had very rudimentary resume-style websites. Most didn’t understand how beefing up their presence on the internet could help them.

Perhaps this shouldn’t be a surprise to me – after all, I wrote about lawyers’ resistance to websites over five years ago in my post, Think You Don’t Need a Web Presence? 

Unfortunately, it seems that the thinking among lawyers hasn’t changed much over the past 5 years.

It always makes me laugh when lawyers tell me that their clients come to them via word of mouth, so they don’t need a website. It’s even funnier when they say, “I don’t need a more complicated website with all of those bells and whistles. My clients don’t find me by doing an internet search.” Duh! That’s because you’re practically invisible on the internet!

During the presentation I mentioned above, I even had one lawyer tell me that when you Googled her name, plenty of other things came up (like newspaper articles, mentions of her bar association activities, etc.), so there was no need for her to have a website!

Why is this thinking faulty?

First of all, if people are searching for you – by name – on the internet, they have already heard something about you. They are either looking to verify that information, to find out more, or to find your contact information. Why rely on what other people, who may or may not have your best interests at heart, have to say about you? Who knows how long that content will be there? Wouldn’t you rather control the content that’s out there about you? How do you know that what other people have to say is what your clients want to hear or know about you?

Perhaps more importantly, do these other sites contain your contact information???

Secondly, if people are looking to ‘vet’ you on the internet, one of the things they are specifically looking for when they search for you by name is your website (or your law firm’s website). When they can’t find one, what do you think they are thinking about you? How do they know that the newspaper story or bar association mention is even about you as opposed to someone with a similar name? What do you do when you cannot find a business website? I know what happens when it happens to me – I think that the business isn’t serious and I move on to someone else.

If that’s happening, it’s no wonder your clients are not finding you on the internet! The clients who retain you must be finding you some other way.

While I agree that a lot of people are not searching for a lawyer on the internet, the fact is that many people go on the internet to search for information. Often they do that search before they do anything else. (For more on this topic, see my post from last month, ABA Techshow, Lawyer Blogs and Social Media).

OK, so maybe your firm does have a website – but you can still be virtually invisible to potential clients online if you are not ‘working’ the site. This TED talk by Eli Pariser (see video below) is an eye-opener that shows that Google and other search engines (including Facebook and, most likely, YouTube, the second biggest search engine) are increasingly ‘customizing’ search results based on user preferences and geography.

Not only does that mean that someone in Nebraska gets different results for the same Google search as someone in New York for the exact same search terms based on geography, but it means that two users in the same town may get different search results based on their past use of Google and the internet.

This means that if people aren’t using and clicking on your site and links to that site, it may become more and more invisible. It also means that if you are not taking advantage of easy ways to optimize your site for your clients’ preferences and their geographic area, you’re going to lose out bigtime.

One easy example? A Google Places account. For most businesses (including lawyers), having a Google Places account is a no-brainer. (There are exceptions to this, for example, where a lawyer has a home-based practice and does not want to advertise their home address).

When you do a search in Google for a particular term, usually the Google Places results come up at the top of the page, directly underneath the ‘sponsored links.’ Here is a screenshot of a search I did for “divorce attorney long island”:

 

The red-flagged "A" result in the search results corresponds to the map on the right side of the page. Those results usually show up before the rest of the 'organic' search results. That means that if you have a Google Places page that corresponds with the search, chances are that you will come up much higher than a more 'optimized' website with no Places page.

When I did a search simply for 'tax attorney' with no location designation in the search, here is what I got:

 

While the Places results were not at the very top of the results, Google did return a number of Places results on the first page geared toward my location, even though I did not enter a location as one of my search terms. Notably, many of the Places results were not firms that otherwise came up on the first page of the search results.

(I recognize that these screenshots are difficult to see here, but you can see the list of red Places results, even if you can't read them).

It goes without saying that your Places page should contain a link back to your website and/or blog, but notice (if not in the images above, then in your own Google searches) that when you appear in the Google Places results, a link to your site appears, as well as a link to your Places page. Those results without a separate website link solely to the Places page.

If your law firm is invisible (or so far down in the search results that it might as well be invisible), do something about it - whether that's setting up a Google Places account or generating some good content for your website.

Do Something! Grow Your Law Practice on a Shoestring Budget

One of the questions I'm asked most frequently by lawyers about marketing or developing business is, "Where do I start?" Law school teaches about the law that applies to clients, but doesn't provide any guidance about how to get clients. Whether you are starting a new practice, branching out into a new practice area, expanding your client base or just trying to acquire business development skills to make yourself more valuable to your firm, marketing and business development skills are essential.

We're starting our eight part teleseminar series again, beginning March 7, 2011. If you want to learn the basics of law firm marketing and finally get a marketing plan off the ground, consider this series. Paramjit Mahli of SCG Legal PR Network and I will be leading the totally re-vamped series after a three year hiatus.

Weekly telephone sessions will take you through eight key elements of your marketing strategy, from fitting marketing into your busy schedule to effective networking to creating your own customized marketing plan, we'll work with you to finally get business development off of the back burner.

The sessions:

1. Organize and Manage Your Practice to Make Time for Marketing
2. Effective Networking
3. Identify and Profile Your Highest Value Clients
4. Speaking Strategies
5. Creating a Client-Focused Marketing Message
6. Writing - Get Noticed and Get Business
7. Developing Your Marketing Action Plan
8. Media Relations for Lawyers

Learn more and register for the program, How to Grow Your Law Practice on a Shoestring Budget here. All you need is a telephone!

Do Something! Join Your Local Bar Association

If you live in an area with a 'volunteer bar,' have you joined your local bar association? If you are a member, are you active?

I have to admit that for most of the time I was actively practicing law, although I was a member and paid my dues every year for my local bar association, I wasn't particularly active. I seldom attended events, and in fact, rarely set foot in the home of the Association at all, other than when I needed MCLE credits. I didn't get involved. At the time, I just didn't see the value.

Like many organizations, to a newcomer or an outsider, the bar association can seem very closed or 'cliquish.' Walking into a room filled with people who already seem to know one another can be daunting, and actually joining a conversation can be even more of a challenge. Walking into a committee meeting as a new or potential new member can be overwhelming.

Some recognize that the bar association can be an opportunity to network with lawyers, particularly when you're fresh out of school and looking for a job. But the networking and leadership opportunities offered by bar association involvement aren't limited to job-seekers. In fact, many of the most active members of my two local bar associations are well established attorneys who enjoy their bar involvement not only as a way to give back to the legal community, but as a way to further improve their already successful practices.

I have become active in both of my local county bar associations, and my participation has been well worth it. It started with small steps and it's amazing how much it has grown. In my experience, most bar associations are struggling not just for members, but for participation. Although it may look from the outside like a closed society, that is only because (at least in my experience) the members come to know one another well, refer business to one another, establish relationships, and truly care for one another - often on a personal as well as a professional level.

The more I look at it, the more I realize that my participation is the result of the efforts of other lawyers in those associations who took the time to invite me to become more active, but they did it in a very specific way - and it was very effective. Rather than simply making a vague statement about 'getting involved,' each of them invited me to attend a specific meeting or event at which they would be present. Not only did it make it easier for me to participate because I had a specific date, time and location, but also because I felt that not going would let them down. After all, they had invited me personally.

I am grateful for those who encouraged my participation, and if you get involved, I'm sure you will be, too.

Have some insight to share about your bar association involvement (or lack of it)? What has it done for you? What would you like to see happen at your local bar association? How has your bar association helped your practice? Share your comments!

Do Something! Improve Cash Flow

One of the biggest issues law firm owners face is the issue of cash flow, and it's an issue that has been getting even more attention lately as a result of the 'down' economy. I tell my clients that every issue related to billing, fees or getting paid relates back to the initial meeting with the client. You need to know how to talk to your clients about money, how to articulate the value of your services and how to make it as easy as possible for them to pay you.

It sounds simple - especially the last part - but too many law firms resist it. They think conversations about money are unprofessional. And taking credit cards is considered particularly unprofessional. But if you look up the definition of "professional," you'll see that in addition to being related to a 'profession,' being a professional means being paid for doing a particular activity or type of work, rather than merely engaging in it as a hobby. Under that definition,  if your clients can't - or don't - pay you, are you really a professional?

Of course, credit card acceptance isn't the only way to make it easy for your clients to pay you. But if you take up front retainers (and many lawyers should), your clients may not have cash on hand to pay you, particularly if you practice in an area in which the client's legal expenses were unanticipated (such as criminal law). Clients are used to paying with credit. They may not be able to 'afford' to give you a check for that $5,000 retainer, but that won't stop them from using their credit card to buy that new flat screen TV. Why shouldn't you keep that client if they have the credit available to pay you?

Payment solutions that make sense for lawyers

Lawyers have specific ethical responsibilities and rules with which they must comply, and these rules and responsibilities are unique to lawyers. It is important to be mindful of these rules when choosing a payment processing company to work with and choosing payment options for your firm.

I recommend that you seek out a company that has experience working with lawyers, that understands lawyers' ethical obligations and that knows the difference between an escrow or client trust account and a firm operating account - and has products that understand those differences, too. One such company is Capital Payments, who recently launched a new website, Lawyer Payments, that exclusively addresses the payment needs of law firms. Their Escrow Management program can help lawyers create payment systems that work for them, and their credit card acceptance and electronic check options can also help improve cash flow.

 

 

Do Something! Meet Clients' Needs

The majority of client complaints about lawyers are not about the lawyer’s technical skill or competence. Instead, clients complain about the quality of the service they receive, particularly inaccessibility, lack of communication, lack of empathy and understanding, and lack of respect. Take heed of those complaints and look critically at how you treat clients in your office.

Some keys to helping clients feel respected:

Be accessible. Lawyers are busy people. But being busy is no excuse for leaving your clients high and dry. Make sure that your clients can get the answers they want when they want them. Educate and empower employees to assist clients as much as possible. Provide clients with additional avenues for information online or through informational materials you provide them throughout the engagement. Return telephone calls promptly. Make sure clients know when you will be available to meet or speak with them by telephone.

Make no assumptions. Don’t assume that just because you’ve seen the client’s problem before, you know what the client wants or what the client is willing to do to solve it. No two clients are exactly alike. Clients have unique biases, backgrounds, goals and financial circumstances. Find out what they are before you barrel ahead with a solution.

Give the client some control. Even when you think you know the best course of action that a client should take in a particular matter, you need not only your client’s consent, but their support as well. Where possible, give the client options over the course of action to take or how to approach a particular problem.

Communicate often. This one seems like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to let communication slide when there’s so much happening on any given day – particularly when a client’s matter has stagnated or you’re waiting for a response from the court or another party. Communicate even when there’s nothing to communicate. Don’t worry about over-communicating – if you do that, your client is sure to let you know.

Be a good listener. Clients may come to you for your expertise, but they want to be involved and to understand their matter, the steps being taken on their behalf, and how those actions affect or may affect the outcome of the case. They want to know that you are listening to them, not just waiting your turn to speak so that you can tell them what they should do. Before you give your suggestions, make sure you understand their position by repeating it back to them.

Be a hand-holder. I’ve heard many lawyers complain over the years that their clients require too much “hand-holding” or that their questions and constant need to know what is happening or to have events repeated to them is actually impeding the representation. What those lawyers fail to realize is that to the client the ‘hand-holding’ *is* the representation.

Do Something! Motivating Employees

On a recent flight on Southwest Airlines, I was reading through their in-flight magazine, Spirit, and I came across a piece entitled School of Thought, a part of their "Life Apps" feature. It was a short piece highlighting a study conducted by author Dan Ariely that revealed some misconceptions about what really works when trying to motivate people.

I found the piece particularly compelling, not just because I'm always interested in what motivates people, but also because I recently read Daniel Pink's book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us which covered a lot of the same ground (albeit in much more detail) and came to similar conclusions.

One common complaint I hear from law firm managers is that they have difficulty motivating their employees, particularly when it comes to non-billable tasks, and that effort seems to be lacking in a number of areas. This issue often arises when we discuss marketing. Lawyers just cannot understand why associates don't work to develop business when they know that developing business is the best way for that associate to increase their compensation.

The answer may be that focusing on compensation is a de-motivating, rather than a motivating factor.

The studies referenced in both Pink's book and the Spirit magazine article show that in many circumstances, emphasizing compensation or monetary bonuses is misplaced - particularly where basic needs are already being met (compensation is fair within the marketplace) and the work is more than merely rote work. In fact, in some instances, the promise of a monetary reward for performance actually hindered productivity. In short, as Pink says, sometimes rewards and punishments turn what was interesting and motivating work into a drudge.

To really motivate others where the work requires creativity, innovation or decisionmaking, instead of focusing solely on salary and the promise of monetary bonuses (or the threat of job loss), incorporate the following:

1. Recognition and Feedback - Pay attention to people and what they are doing. Good employees want to know not only that you're aware of what they're doing, but how they can learn and improve.
2. Ownership - Let employees help develop ideas, propose and execute solutions. The more people have invested in an idea or can claim it as their own, the more likely they'll work hard for it.
3. Credit for Contribution - Allow employees to take credit for their work and remind them how important their contribution is to the project, the firm's goals or the individual case.
4. Opportunities for Growth - Instead of rewarding with money, reward with an opportunity to grow or learn.
5. Praise for Effort - Effort and action lead to results, but those results aren't always immediate. Focusing only on results can cause employees to give up when they don't see an immediate response, or to avoid difficult challenges (thereby avoiding failure).
6. Choice - Let employees be accountable; whenever possible, allow them to make choices about who they work with, what they work on, how they spend their time or how they accomplish a particular task.
7. Unexpected Rewards - Expected rewards narrow the focus to the reward itself, rather than focusing on creative solutions to problems. Instead of providing expected rewards, provide unexpected rewards at unexpected times - but always after the task has been completed so the focus remains on the goal, rather than the reward itself.
8. Self-imposed Goals - Allow employees to set goals for themselves that are focused on learning and mastery.
9. Purpose - Provide a rationale for tasks that need to be performed, and inform all employees of the firm's goals and purpose.
10. Atmosphere - No one performs at their best if they feel bullied, harassed, uncomfortable or micromanaged. Your employees spend a lot of time at work - make it a congenial place to be.

The bottom line is that most people want to do a good job. Even in this economy, it isn't all about the money.

Do Something! Develop Relationships with the Media

As my friend and colleague, Paramjit Mahli of SCG Legal PR Network says, "When done well, a solid media relations program enhances the reputation of the quoted individual by connecting the person to the credibility of the publication." Many lawyers overlook media relations as a part of their marketing and business development efforts. Hiring a public relations professional, particularly for solos and small firms, can often be cost prohibitive. But if you are looking for new ways to market your practice and get known as an expert, media relations may be worth a look - and it doesn't have to be expensive.

Your media relations program revolves around the same thing that your other marketing and business efforts do - relationships. Only this time, the relationships you'll be establishing are relationships with reporters (and sometimes editors or producers). Apply the same rules you use to develop relationships with potential clients and strategic alliances:

• Begin by determining which publications, radio stations or networks and which reporters you want to target and do your homework to determine the appropriate reporter covering your community or the issues that relate to your practice area. Learn about the publication or media outlet you are targeting
• Offer something of value - provide information or contribute ideas that will help the reporter do their job. Focus your communication on ideas and information that will be of benefit to the publication's audience. Make it more about them than about you
• Be respectful of their time. Reporters work on deadlines, so you'll have to act fast and be responsive in order to develop good relationships and get quoted
• Follow up
• Remember to say thank you

If you're serious about adding media relations to your marketing and business development toolbox and you've got some money to invest, consider joining SCG Legal PR Network. For roughly the same (or less) than you would spend for a month's worth of consulitng from a PR professional you'll get a full year's worth of services. Among other goodies, you'll be notified directly of the legal stories reporters need sources for without having to do the legwork of finding the stories and reporters yourself. Then all you'll need to do is be responsive, be a good source and build your relationships from there.

Do Something! Taking stock of where you are now

It's tax day in the U.S., and chances are that means that you have recently spent time  putting together your personal and business financial information - or you've been avoiding doing just that and are now forced to file an extension. Either way, like it or not, you've probably been faced with some financial realities about how well your practice did last year. But what about this year?

The first quarter of 2010 is already behind us, and if you're like many of my clients who made resolutions to be better at staying on top of the business end of their practice, but find that (just like last year) they haven't gotten around to it, take heart - it's not too late to do something about it.

The 'where are you now' evaluation
In order to ascertain what needs to change or how to improve your practice, you first need a good idea of where you are now. After all, even if you know where you think you want to go, you can't plot your course unless you know your starting point. One of the tools I use with my clients is what I call the "where are you now" evaluation.

This evaluation is like a snapshot of your practice as it exists today. Some of this information may be at your fingertips or easily accessible through your practice management program, but some of the information may not be as easy to obtain. But the process of gathering this information and reviewing these items will help you to highlight not only where you are now, but where your systems may be lacking to capture the information you need.

The information I recommend that my clients gather includes:

Clients

• What new clients who retained the firm over the past year?
• What revenue was received from each client?
• What is the value of each client to your practice (keep in mind that a particular client's value may or may not be directly reflected in the revenue received from that client)
• How are your clients coming to you? (be specific)
• What services were provided to each client?

Ask the same questions about new business generated from existing or former clients.

Practice Areas

• What areas does the firm practice in?
• What services does the firm provide?
• How valuable is each practice area or service to the firm?

Financial Management

• What are the firm's expenses?
• What is the firm's revenue?
• What is the firm's yearly gross?
• How steady is cash flow?
• Is there a pattern or some predictability to the firm's cash flow and revenue?

Space and Facilities

• Describe your current space and facilities
• How are your current facilities serving your clients?
• If you meet with clients outside of your facilities, describe the manner in which you do so, and the benefits to your clients?
• How does technology affect your use of space/facilities?

Technology

• What technology is currently in use within the firm?
• How does the firm’s current use of technology help clients?
• What obstacles does the firm’s current technology present?

Marketing

• In what ways is the firm currently marketing the practice?
• For each marketing effort, note the client segments/niches and practice areas/services being marketed
• Do these marketing efforts target the firm’s identified ideal clients?
• Are these marketing efforts integrated into a plan? Do they support one another?

Referral sources

• Who refers business to your firm?
• How often are you in contact with your referral sources?
• What kind of business do you receive from these sources?
• What is the value of business received from each source?

 

Procedures and Systems

• What procedures and systems are currently in place in your practice (ex: client pre‐qualification, potential client follow up, intake, billing, etc.)
• Are those systems used consistently?

Strengths and Weaknesses

• What are the firm’s three biggest strengths?
• What are the firm’s three biggest weaknesses?
• What are the three biggest strengths of your biggest competitors?
• What are the three biggest weaknesses of your biggest competitors?

Challenges

• What are your biggest marketing and business development challenges?
• What are your biggest operational challenges?
• What are your biggest business or practice challenges?
• What have you done in the past to deal with those challenges?
• Are those solutions working?
• Why or why not?
• What are your clients’ biggest challenges? How well are you currently meeting them?

Need help with your "where are you now" evaluation or finding solutions to the challenges you've identified? Contact me to find out how I can help.

Do Something! Strip Down Your Practice

Yesterday, the topic on Oprah Winfrey was "Stripping Down." Her guests were Peter Walsh, an author and organizing expert (formerly from the hit show "Clean Sweep" on TLC), and a family of four who felt 'disconnected' from one another. Walsh worked with the family for one week, helping them re-connect by stripping down everything that was getting in the way -- from fast-food meals to television and cell phones -- and giving them assignments that would foster and promote relationship-building.

What is keeping you from creating and maintaining meaningful and effective business relationships, whether with colleagues, clients or employees? How can you translate Walsh's 'stripped down' approach to your practice? What can you simplify or eliminate?

Here are a few thoughts to get you started:

Email can be a quick and convenient way to communicate when you're on the go, communicating at off-hours, or just need to get a quick message out, but do you rely too much on email to communicate with clients? Is it really necessary to 'reply all' to every message? Are you missing an opportunity to connect with your clients on a deeper level?

My regular readers know that I'm a big fan of procedures and systems to create consistent experiences for clients and to manage employees, but those systems and procedures need to be reviewed from time to time. Are they all still necessary? Can some steps be eliminated? Do your systems help your clients or create more confusion (and more unnecessary hoops for them to jump through)? Do you customize your systems and forms to be personal to your clients, or do they feel robotic and impersonal? Do your systems improve effectiveness or do they create distance?

Are you supporting your employees and giving them what they need to succeed? Do you recognize their individual strengths and weaknesses and give them constructive feedback? Are you allowing them to do the job and giving them additional responsibility for how that job gets done, or are you micromanaging? Has your management style evolved with the experience level of your employees?

Can you simplify your marketing message to eliminate legal jargon? Is your message concise and memorable or is it so long and complicated that your audience glazes over immediately?

Look at your practice with a critical eye. Instead of thinking only about what you can add, think about what you can strip away to improve your business relationships in 2010 - and share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

 

Do Something! Set goals that mean something - and plan how you'll meet them

It's January, and that means that articles, discussions and advice abound about setting goals for the new year. Have you set your goals?

I asked a number of attorneys recently about their professional goals for 2010. Almost all of them responded that they'd like to increase revenues, expand their client base, or grow their business in 2010. Are those really goals? After all, doesn't everyone want to make more money this year than they did last year (especially with the dismal economy in 2009?)

If you're going to bother setting goals at all, those goals should mean something - they should be tied to the core principles of your practice and the services you provide to your clients. They should be specific enough to gauge whether you're making progess toward those goals throughout the year, and to allow you to identify what else needs to be done to meet the goal.

Make sure your goals are realistic. You can have a wish list of things that you'd like to accomplish, but that isn't the same thing as having goals. Your goals need to be achievable within the time frame you've designated. Taking on too many goals at once or goals that are unrealistic will overwhelm you. If you reach your goals early, you can always add more.

Prioritize and commit. You can choose the goals that will have the most impact on your firm or your clients, the ones that are easiest or fastest, or the ones you've put off the longest - but whatever you choose, make sure you are committed to it. 

Merely setting the goal means nothing unless you've got a plan to achieve it. What will you do differently this year to help generate more revenue? Your plan should include interim objectives or benchmarks and outline the strategies and methods you intend to undertake in order to achieve your goal. Will you generate additional revenue by mining existing clients for additional work, increasing your fees, taking on higher level clients, expanding your practice, or something else?

Last, but not least, you need to create action steps and accountability to move you forward. At each stage, identify the individual tasks that need to be accomplished.Who will do the work? Who will hold them accountable and how? What is the deadline?

Take a look at the goals you've set for your practice in 2010, refine them and make a plan to achieve something great in 2010!