One of the best ways to market your legal services is to teach clients and prospects about the law. That’s what they want to know when they go to a search engine or click a link. They want to know how bad their problem or situation is, available solutions, the risks, and their options.  And if they are searching for a lawyer, they want to know why they should choose you. Educate them and they will be much more likely to choose you, because the information you share not only helps them decide to do something about their situation, it shows them you have the knowledge and experience they n ..read more

You’re in the risk mitigation business. You help your clients avoid or prevent risk and lessen the consequences when something goes wrong. The safer a client or prospect feels about the advice you provide them, the more likely they are to follow that advice.  The same is true for hiring you.  How can you reduce your clients’ (especially new clients’) perceived risks and, therefore, make it more likely that they will hire you? Submitted for your approval:  Free content. Articles, blog posts, presentations, books, reports, webinars, podcasts. Show them what you know, h ..read more

Sure, you can ask them. During a meeting or consultation or over coffee. You can also look at their website or blog, read their book, listen to their presentation or interviews, or send them a survey or questionnaire.  The problem is, people often don’t tell us what they really think or want.  Some don’t know what’s possible or have trouble articulating what they need Some tell you what they think makes them look intelligent, more successful, or a better person Some tell you what they think you want to hear  And some play everything close to the vest and don’t tell you mu ..read more

Okay, maybe you’re not the best lawyer in town. Other lawyers have better skills, more experience, a better track record, deeper pockets, more charisma, and better connections. They look better, smell better, and have a boatload of energy.  How can you possibly beat them? By working harder than they do? Maybe. But that gets old.  You beat them not by outworking them, but by out-marketing them.  That doesn’t mean your marketing has to be amazing. Just better. You do a few things well and do them more consistently and enthusiastically. It means knowing your market—what they ..read more

Or waited too long to say yes and got burned. Or hired a lawyer with less experience and lost the case. Or didn’t follow your advice and had to spend thousands more to have you fix it. Your words of warning or advice might go in one ear and out the other. So don’t just tell them, show them. Paint a picture in their mind, visually depicting what happened to other clients.  For example, if you have a client or prospect who says, “I need to think it over,” you might respond with something like this:  “I had a client say the same thing to me, but unfortunately, he didn’t ‘thin ..read more

For years, I’ve been saying that it only takes 15 minutes a day to market a law practice successfully. I’ve said that because if I said “one hour” you probably wouldn’t do it, and also, because it’s true.  15 minutes is all you need.  But do it “every day,” not just when you have some free time.  Make it a habit, a commitment. Put the time on your calendar as an appointment with yourself and don’t miss that appointment.  If you don’t schedule this time, you won’t do the work. Life will get in the way. Especially if you don’t like marketing and have to force yourself t ..read more

Jim Rohn said, “If you want to become more successful, study success.” How do you do that? By studying successful people. People who have accomplished what you want to accomplish. People who inspire you. People you would like to learn from and emulate.  Lawyers who have done what you want to do. Entrepreneurs. Business leaders. Great speakers and writers and philosophers.  You can find successful people in your city or on the Internet, in biographies and the pages of history, and even in fiction. Read their books. And books about them. Listen to their presentations and interviews. M ..read more

On the outside, Shrek was tough and scary. A monster who could slay dragons and vanquish villains. On the inside, he was gentle and kind.  Your clients want you to be Shrek on the outside, fighting their enemies, protecting them, and being tough. On the inside, where they deal with you, they want you to be warm and caring and easy to talk to.  How do you attract clients by showing them your strength without scaring them off with bluster? By being open and friendly and warm in your writing and speaking, in your blog and newsletter, on social media, in the “About” page on your website ..read more

You’re doing okay. Making six-figures or multiple six-figures, but you want to hit seven- or eight-figures (or more).  You can. And you can get there in less time and with less effort than it took to get where you are now.  The hard work is at the beginning.  In the beginning, you had to learn the law and the law biz. You learned how to bring in clients and keep them happy. You learned how to build a network, become a better speaker or writer, manage cash flow, find your niche, and find your stride. You made mistakes and learned from them. You had successes and know what you li ..read more

The formula is simple: to earn more, you have to bring in more clients (and/or more work from existing clients), reduce overhead, or increase your fees.  You get the part about improving your marketing and bringing in more business, and you’re working on that. You’re also keeping an eye on overhead. But you’re not considering increasing your fees.  Especially now when money is so tight for so many.  Maybe you should.  If you suspect you’re not charging enough based on inflation and increased overhead, and what other attorneys charge, maybe it’s time to think about inc ..read more