8
Jun

3 Misconceptions About Lawyer Marketing

Posted by Krista

Most lawyers I talk to hate the concept of marketing - it doesn’t work or they’re too busy or selling is unprofessional. This article will address some of these misconceptions about marketing.

Marketing does not mean you have to start using sleazy sales pitches or manipulative advertising to drum up business - in fact, I hope you don’t consider them. It can be done quite professionally and ethically with tactics you are comfortable with. And the good news is that once you have a marketing system in place, it will only take you a couple of hours of your week to continue the lead generation process. Here are three common objections to marketing.

Objection #1 - Marketing doesn’t work.

This just isn’t true. Marketing does work. But it requires more than just sending out postcards or buying advertising in a local newspaper. Most lawyers don’t have a system in place, or they have an ineffective one that doesn’t generate leads. Many are reactive and wait in anticipation for prospects to call or to receive their next referral. Others spend a couple hundred dollars on a website or newspaper ad and wait for the phone to start ringing.

Marketing doesn’t work that way. It starts with clearly defined goals and objectives and details activities to do in order to accomplish those goals in very specific terms. For example, if you’re looking for business from Jim Smith, you need to talk to Jim Smith about his personal or professional concerns. You need to understand who he is and what motivates him. What are his top concerns? And what can you help out with?

To do that, you need to schedule some marketing activities around Jim Smith. Maybe that means sending him a letter or simply picking up the phone.

The problem is that most lawyers do this haphazardly - and usually when they really need a new case to pay this month’s bills. Marketing takes a big picture approach. You start cultivating relationships now so that people come to you when they have a problem. If you get the word out to enough people, you’ll never have a slow time.

Going back to our Jim Smith example, your marketing plan might include the following action steps:

  • Call Jim Smith on February 15
  • Invite him to the seminar you’re having on March 1.
  • Ask him about his business, specifically if he’s having problems with that new business law that you’ve helped other businesses like his adapt to.
  • Write down a few talking points and/or topics to research for your next conversation.
  • Send Jim Smith a helpful article about one of the problems he expressed.
  • Follow up with Jim Smith at the seminar about the article and see if he could use your help.

You can see how this is a multi-step approach. You’re not just sending a few letters and hoping that a few of them will produce work. You’re actively seeking out the people you’d like to work with, finding a way in which you might help, and building a relationship.

Objection #2 - I’m too busy.

Ok, you say, maybe marketing can work, but I’m too busy to take on yet another project.

Let me ask you this, do you like all the work that you do? Are all your clients ideal to work with - meaning you have good chemistry with them, they value your expert legal advise, and they happily pay your fees? Or do you have a couple �difficult’ clients. Have you taken a couple of cases in practice areas you’re not particularly fond of? Are you getting paid what you want to be paid?

If you’ve ever thought of ‘firing’ your worst clients, then marketing can be a great benefit to your firm.

Marketing requires you to pick a target audience - a target that already needs your services, will gladly pay your fee for them, and whom you get along well with - and focus solely on that group. Marketing is not just about going after new clients, but how you can better serve your existing clients.

Objection #3 - I don’t like selling.

Fine, but I don’t like selling, you say. Ok, then don’t do it. You don’t have to be the pushy door knocking salesman or an annoying telemarketer. What you do have to be is in tune with your prospect’s needs - and that simply requires a shift in mindset from selling to wanting to get to know your prospects and to help them solve their problems. You probably already do that with your clients anyway. I’m sure you feel good when you help your client achieve the objectives you set out to achieve! If you view marketing as a tedious task, you won’t do it. Instead, look at it as a way to get to know your clients and prospects better.

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