At Rainmaker Lawyer Consulting we work with attorneys all over the world. The most restrictive place of any we have ever seen, in terms of law firm marketing, is Florida. The Florida Bar has very stringent Attorney Advertising rules and they enforce them. Many of our Florida clients despise these rules. They believe they restrict their ability to build their firm. Many of them feel that the rules affect their right to free speech.
Regardless of what you think of these ethics rules, they exist for the protection of the client. They may be a bit out of hand but their intent is not to restrict business.
Working within these rules is no problem for a smart legal marketing expert. Most of our clients are highly effective at marketing not matter what the rules are.
Why?
Because we practice relationship-based educational marketing. We do not ask our clients to act like used car salespeople. This video provides more detail:
If you want to attract more clients you must first understand that the law is a relationship business. If you develop a good relationship with your referral sources, they will send clients to you in droves. If you maintain relationships with your past clients, they will refer your new clients.
If you put the relationship first in your marketing you will never have a need to worry about any ethics rules because that is the most ethical thing you can do.
I went to lunch with a group of smart lawyers today. One of the topics of conversation was advertising and how lawyers get business. This group of lawyers was particularly sensitive to law firm advertising rules (they are in Florida and this state is one of the most restrictive in the country for attorney advertising).
The topic of attorney advertising came up because of a story told by one of the members of the group. This particular lawyer was lamenting about how several of his friends/colleagues/former clients didn't know that he worked on a specific area of law. He told the group that he was frustrated by his inability to better communicate this information.
The lawyer then proposed a solution: He said he was going to take out an ad in one of the local publications that focused on his target market. Not a bad idea. Just a bit premature.
This video explains.
The first step in any law firm marketing campaign, to be done before attorney advertising, is to engage your current client database, your database of past clients and your database of referral sources. In addition you should engage the members of your natural network (friends, relatives etc). The best way to do this is with a monthly newsletter.
Engaging your database is the fastest way to get the word out about anything. In six months, you will have referral cases streaming into your office. And this will happen at a fraction of the cost of advertising.
Think about it. You are engaging people who know you, like you and trust you before you advertise to engage total strangers. It really does make sense.
Somehow law firm marketing gets sucked into the debate about whether or not the practice of law is a business or a profession.
The other day I overheard a couple of lawyers rehashing this debate (the discussion began with the viewing of a television commercial).
Ultimately, as a lawyer you are a professional. This means you have standards you must uphold. It means you have ethical guidelines you must follow. When you open your own law firm you also have a business. When you are a partner in a business you have a responsibility to the other owners of the business to make as much money as possible.
So why can't you run your business in an ethical way and still make money? This video goes into detail on that specific point.
I get sucked into this debate because many lawyers see law firm marketing as unethical. It is almost as if you are supposed to sit back and wait for clients to find you and not promote yourself at all. I understand that there are some unethical people out there doing crappy things with marketing. But you find that in any business. Don't lump law firm marketing into the business vs. profession debate.
In the end, there is no debate. Be professional and run your business.
If you are searching for clients in a desperate frenzy your legal marketing may resemble an Easter Egg Hunt. That's the last thing you want. If you do it right, legal marketing should be a way for you to target the ideal client who will pay your ideal fee. This video explains.
Don't let your legal marketing become an Easter Egg Hunt! Match your message to your market and your Easter Eggs will come to you.
Your law firm marketing can contain testimonials and references if the client asks to see them. In most states, the law firm regulating bodies prohibit the use of testimonials in law firm advertising. But clients should always choose a lawyer based on thorough research. References and testimonial letters are part of that research process. This video explains:
Once a client asks you for references or requests information on your services, in most jurisdictions, you may provide him with reference letters. Here are four ways to use these reference letters to help your client make a good decision when selecting a lawyer:
Encourage the Client to Check References on All Lawyers
It is a good practice for a client to request references from all the lawyers they are speaking with before they make a hiring decision. When the client comes to see you, you should point out that the hiring of a lawyer is an important decision and the client should request references from attorneys. When they request your references, you should present them with the letters past clients have written you. This is law firm marketing and good advice.
Framed Reference Letters Make Great Artwork
In your office you should have framed testimonial letters all over the walls. This will provide your clients with great reading material and it will also help them make a good decision when selecting a lawyer. This is law firm marketing and art.
Scrap Books with Letters are Excellent Reading Material
Placing a scrap book in your waiting area with your press clippings in it is a good idea. You should also include copies of any letters written by clients. If people are waiting to see you, the least you can do is provide them with something to read. This is law firm marketing and common courtesy.
Educational Event Presentations
If you are giving an educational presentation at an event, you should always invite a client to the event to give a presentation. The client can present their own legal "best practice" without ever offering an endorsement of you, solicited by you. The audience knows that you are their lawyer. Make sure the presentation doesn't sell you. It does not need to look like law firm marketing.
Testimonials are the most compelling form of law firm marketing you will ever receive. If you follow the guidelines of your local regulatory body, there is no reason you should not employ them in your law firm marketing.
Note and disclaimer: Most state regulatory bodies prohibit the use of unsolicited testimonials in law firm marketing.
Always check with your state and local regulatory body before implementing any law firm marketing campaign. This is particularly true of testimonials and client references.
Ethics in law firm marketing is the responsibility of the attorney. This video and article is not intended to imply that this practice is in compliance with the rules of conduct in any or all states and municipalities.
Many attorneys advertise where all of their competitors advertise. The use the telephone book, television, billboards, etc. They do this because they don't know any better. Selecting media for your attorney advertising is critical. If done right it can be a competitive advantage. This video explains why.
Here are some guidelines for selecting media for attorney advertising:
EVERYBODY is not your ideal client. Select a target market and find out what they read. What they listen to. What they watch on television. What websites they visit on the internet. Selecting a target market will make your media selection easier.
Go where your clients go. You want to select a form a media that your clients use. For example: If you target dentists as clients for your transactional practice, you should advertise in dental trade magazines.
Take a direct response approach. Make an offer in your advertising. Give away a free report or a free audio CD. Force people to identify themselves as prospects.
Never run an ineffective ad a second time. If something doesn't work, doing more of it will not get you better results. Never do something that doesn't work the same way a second time.
Attorney advertising can work if it is done the right way. Focus on your ideal client and this will help you determine which media to select.
Most advertising is terrible. Attorney advertising is notoriously bad. It is so bad, in fact, that every state has a regulatory body that oversees its implementation. This video provides us with a couple of examples of advertising that makes attorneys look bad and is probably not very effective.
As an alternative to this kind of ridiculous, ethically questionable advertising, I recommend attorneys take a proactive approach toward marketing. Here are a few ideas, specifically related to traffic infractions (as described in the video):
Volunteer in the Community
You can benefit greatly from becoming well known in the community. Volunteer for as many community organizations as possible. If you are known as someone who cares about the people in the area, you will be the first call for just about any traffic infraction. People trust others when they see them frequently. They distrust people who appear opportunistic.
Establish Relationships with Influential People
Attorneys who work with the public should volunteer to speak to small, local groups. Venues like Rotary Clubs, houses of worship and social organizations are excellent educational opportunities. They will help you find the influential people within the community. (They are also great ways to grow your mailing list.) Mailing your newsletter to people in the local community (particularly community leaders) is a great way to increase your referrals.
Market to Other Attorneys
Other attorneys love to have referral options when they are presented with a matter that is not in their practice area. This allows them to service the person who called and it establishes a referral relationship with another attorney. The marketing dollars the traffic attorneys in the video are spending can be better spent by marketing directly to attorneys who don't handle traffic tickets.
The approach highlighted in the video is unflattering to the legal profession. It is also expensive and its effectiveness is open to debate. Before you spend your money on this type of advertising, think of ways to reach the same audience with an ethical, cost effective approach.
