Top Ten Unconventional Networking Tips That Work

A lot of people tell me networking makes them uncomfortable—that it's weird and awkward.
Networking can be that way sometimes, especially when you first start, but I am going to help you overcome your fear by using myself as an example.

Below are 10 actions I almost didn't take because I feared rejection or someone labeling me as weird and awkward:

1. I spent more than 30 hours emailing 55 people.
When I wrote "The Ultimate Networking Tips Guide: 87 Killer Resources" I spent days writing emails to the authors of the articles I featured. Each email was personal and explained how the author has helped me achieve success. Writing the emails took longer than finding all 87 links!
Result: Many authors whom I idolize wrote back telling me they were honored to be featured. Many of them shared the article with their networks.
Lesson: Thank people who have helped you no matter how famous they might be. You would think they get thank-you emails all the time, but they don't. They mostly get emails seeking help. Make their day.

2. I asked people on Twitter to grab drinks.
I tweeted two complete strangers (one was a New York Times best-selling author) to ask if they wanted to get drinks.
Result: Instead of meeting for drinks, my offer turned into a networking event that more than 70 people attended. We even created a meetup group so we can do another four meetups this year.
Lesson: The answer is always no unless you ask.

3. I reached out to 1,000 strangers on LinkedIn.
When I graduated from college and started looking for a job, I joined my college alumni group on LinkedIn. I went through every member in the group to see if they were located in New York and worked in marketing/public relations. I wrote a LinkedIn message to each person who fit the criteria and asked them for help.
I had so much success that I joined about 20 marketing/public relations groups on LinkedIn and used the same strategy. I ended up emailing more than 1,000 complete strangers.
Result: Everyone who responded gave me great advice, which helped me land my first job. One of those people is my mentor, and we've been talking for the last six years.
Lesson: Ask for help! People are willing to help if you are polite and ask them in the right way.

4. I respond to everyone who tweets my articles.
See for yourself at @Jmmuscarello. I love connecting with people who share my articles and find them helpful. I always ask about their favorite part of the article.
Result: I use the feedback people provide to create better content.
Lesson: Feedback is the breakfast of champions, and people appreciate that you listen.

5. I followed up with Gary Vaynerchuk for eight months to get a 10-minute interview.
Gary Vaynerchuk is my idol, and I always wanted to interview him. He rejected me when I first reached out. The second time I reached out, he accepted. But when the big day finally came, he didn't call.
I was bummed. I followed up, and it turned out there was a scheduling conflict. We were able to set a new date.
Result: I was able to interview my idol, whom I consider to be the ultimate networker.
Lesson: People are busy; they are not trying to hurt your feelings. Sometimes they just need a friendly reminder.

6. I spent three vacation days at a conference.
I attended 99U's Pop-Up School, and paid for it myself.
Result: It was one of the best vacations I ever took. I had the time of my life.
Lesson: Investing in your personal development is essential to success.

7. I send thank-you notes to people who help me.
My thank-you notes are always handwritten and sometimes include something special. I even developed the acronym G.R.E.A.T to help other people write great professional thank-you notes.
Result: A blog post I wrote about how to write a professional thank-you note has become one of my most popular posts.
Lesson: Don't underestimate the power of simplicity. It's the little things that make people happy.

8. I send follow-up emails after networking events.
If I meet someone at a networking event that I want to get to know, I email him. I always make the follow-up email about the other person. It's never about how he can help me—it's always about how I might be able to help him.
Results: I have helped and received advice from some of the smartest people in my industry.
Lesson: You have to take initiative and follow up with people. They are not going to reach out to you.

9. I sent someone pajamas and slippers for her birthday.
I got the idea after we were talking on the phone one night and she mentioned that the state she just moved to was very cold. It turned out to be a pretty memorable gift.
Result: She later told me on the phone, "I think of you every night when I put on my slippers."
Lesson: A memorable gift doesn't always need to be complicated or fancy.

10. I email people just to say hello.
A typical email could be as simple as this. I don't need anything from the people I contact. I send them an article or a new tool I read about that will help them in their career or business.
Results: People return the favor, and share the same types of articles with me.
Lesson: Be helpful without having an agenda. This is how you build true friendships and relationships.

Embrace being different and use it to your advantage. When you are like everyone else, you are no longer memorable.

Which strategy is your favorite? Leave a comment below.
John Muscarello is the marketing manager at SheSpeaks. A version of this article originally appeared on Start Networking Today. 

Business Networking: Strategies for Breaking the Ice

Walking into a room full of strangers with name tags is daunting for anyone, but for lawyers in particular, it is a necessity for business.  Nancy Fox, a networking specialist offers these 10 tips:

1. Be prepared. Arrive ready with icebreaker questions, like #11 from her eBook, "What business books have you read recently that you've found valuable?" or #26, "Tell me how you got into your business?"
2. Be proactive. "Make the first move and thus take the pressure off the other person. They will be grateful and pleased that you've broken the ice."
3. Make consistent eye contact. "This is essential because people really believe when you make eye contact that you are interested in them and are committed to the conversation. If your eyes are wandering, they'll feel that you don't really care."
4. Break the ice with grace and politeness. "Avoid joining a conversation where only two people are talking -- they may behaving a private conversation. Instead look for people who are standing alone or in groups of three or more."
5. Listen. "Lawyers are trained to be good speakers, but to break the ice, a person must truly listen actively. Spend more time closing your mouth and opening the door to breaking the ice, by listening actively. People deeply desire to be heard."
6. Smile. "Most of us are watching others for non-verbal cues, but we should focus on the nonverbal cues we are giving. The more you smile  at people, the more you will open the door to conversation. A smile shows warmth."
7. Introduce others. "It's a gift to the other person and it makes you look like a real connector, and the ice thaws quickly."
8. Say something positive about your new connection. "Doing this at the outset of the conversation will break down a lot of barriers."
9. Break the ice with someone you haven't spoken with for a very long time. "Simply say, 'it's been such a long time and I've been thinking of reconnecting with you. Tell me what's new with you?' People will resonate with this approach, because they too will have people they haven't spoken to in a long time."
10. Download her free eBook, "55 Great Icebreaker Questions" and you'll never be anxious again in a room full of people you haven't met.
11.  After you collect cards and leave the event, quickly jot down something you talked about with each person who gave you a card.  Then write a quick note to that person, enclose another of your business cards and mail it to them.  This is a great way to be remembered after the event.
12. Don't forget to enter your new contact's name and information into a database so you can efficiently reach out when you have something to share!

Co-Op Marketing Campaigns Within the Legal Industry for Big Pay-Offs!

Why is it so difficult to promote a Co-Op marketing campaign within the legal industry? As a concept, it has proven successful. Then why the resistance? What makes it a Win-Win? You can create a successful Co-Op by pooling resources and branding your Co-Op as an authority while supporting a community.

Five Steps that will create harmony and ensure the Legal Marketing Co-op meets expectations.
Align these steps throughout the development process and you will have a successful Co-Op marketing campaign.

1. Pinpoint Market Find a recognizable underserved community, this will become your target niche market.  Select legal industries complementary to that community. For example: If targeting U.S. Veterans; pool boutique firms that specialize in government benefits, foreclosure prevention, medical malpractice and bankruptcy.
   
   
2. Develop Monthly Budget Budget should never be an afterthought. Properly executed, Co-Op advertising can outproduce traditional single media buys allowing for more spend. Use sustainable marketing methods that will expand the Co-op’s footprint into the niche market. By becoming authorities in your niche market you reduce advertising spend and increase ROI.
   
   
3. Outline Process Transparency and guidelines must be in place. Establishing rules in advance provides controls within your Co-op. Co-ops that ultimately succeed develop procedures that allow all members equal exposure and participation within the marketing campaign. If you don’t have the internal systems to allow transparency, you need to create them.
   
   
4. Identify Expectations and Goals Unite as a team. What is the measure of success for each firm? How long will the Co-Op exist? Create a code of conduct that will guarantee a certain standard of customer service.
   
   
5. Fashion a Motto People care about “inclusion” in a brand’s message, when they share the same values. People who have a strong relationship with a single brand state that they “share values” with that brand. What does your niche market value?
   
   “Lawyers for Veterans: advocates of economic justice, individual respect, and community wellbeing by serving the legal needs of our Colorado Veterans.”

Author Bio: Laurie Lee Swoboda is a strategic, multi-talented internet marketing guru & web designer with an eye for marketing perfection. Even though her skill set is vast, she continues with her education to this day. While her primary expertise is developing groundbreaking marketing campaigns, she is a social media architect, brand identity guru, content creation wizard, blogger extraordinaire, business development fanatic and web design solution enthusiast. Read more at http://about.me/llswoboda and http://laurieknowsmarketing.com/.

Tags: Marketing

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Larry Bodine

 

Law Firms on Wikipedia

This post is courtesy of Carolyn Elefant.

If you're like most lawyers, you probably use Wikipedia for a variety of purposes, from finding a layperson's explanation of a legal concept to getting the back story on current events. Some of you may be avid enough users that you may have even registered for a Wikipedia account and contributed to some of the entries. But chances are, you never considered creating a Wikipedia page for yourself or your law firm.


Truth is, up until a few weeks ago, I didn't either. But as I described in this post at Legal Blogwatch, most major law firms already maintain pages on Wikipedia. What's more, the UK Law Society points out, Wikipedia has enormous reach:


Wikipedia is one of the largest reference websites -- 684 million visitors yearly. For a sniff of its power, whether you like it or not, cogitate on this snippet from the New York Times 'Bits' technology blog on 30 March, entitled 'Microsoft Encarta Dies After Long Battle With Wikipedia': 'Microsoft delivered the coup de grâce Monday to its dying Encarta encyclopedia, acknowledging what everyone else realised long ago: it just couldn't compete with Wikipedia... In January, Wikipedia got 97% of the visits that web surfers in the United States made to online encyclopedias, according to the internet ratings service Hitwise. Encarta was second, with 1.27%.' That's how powerful Wikipedia is.

With that kind of traffic, a listing on Wikipedia could theoretically bolster a firm's search engine visibility. So I decided to test my theory and ran a couple of searches on some of the law firms listed in Wikipedia. Sure enough, the firms' Wikipedia listings came up within the top five to ten front page search results on Google.


Still, is a Wikipedia site worthwhile for solo and small firm lawyers? For starters, what kinds of information would you include in the listings? Many large firms with long histories describe the firm's origins and provide bios of firm founders and well known alumni. But solo and small firm lawyers might not have enough background material to include. A smaller firm might also link to reported cases or cross reference practice areas described on Wikipedia. For example, a bankruptcy lawyer could cross link to the entry on Bankruptcy in Wikipedia, thus providing a good resource for clients with basic questions. Likewise, lawyers could cross reference the city where they practice or hobbies they enjoy.


Ultimately, I don't think that Wikipedia is an indispensable component of a lawyer marketing portfolio in the same way as a website or blog or business card. But for lawyers looking for something different or who can devise a unique use for Wikipedia, it might be a marketing tool worthy of further consideration.

More Cost Efficient Law Firms

Just saw this article in the legal marketing blog about what clients stand to gain from cutting lawyers and staff. Thought you might find it interesting.

According to general counsel Paul Newton of Bupa, the large U.K. based international health insurance company with 8 million customers in 190 countries, “some of these savings have got to find their way into clients’ pockets, not just partners’ pockets.” His comments appeared in an article on the U.K.’s legalweek.com entitled “Time To Focus On Clients’ Health.”

As he put it, he and others are obviously aware of the “cost cutting at law firms of late – and, unsurprisingly, in-house lawyers are asking where the savings will go.” Clearly, he won’t be happy if some of these savings are not shared with his company.

I don’t mean to be cynical, but I expect many large law firms are primarily cutting associates and staff to ensure that the partners make more money. If in-house lawyers in the U.K. are looking to share in such cost savings, are their U.S. counterparts far behind. Newton informs us that he was able to reduce the rates of one of his regional law firms by 50%. “It is amazing what you can achieve when you start introducing a bit of competition,” he is quoted as saying.
I’m not proposing that BigLaw clients here at home hold their breath until they get their share of these savings, quite the contrary. This presents another solid reason why they should consider utilizing the legal services of small to mid-sized firms instead.

Just one more business development opportunity that presents itself to smaller, more cost efficient law firms.

View article...

Virtually every guide on marketing a law firm recommends speaking engagements as an effective way to generate clients. At Media Masters we understand that and so we speak regularly at different law firms and legal organizations, offering free CLEs. We have found this to be the most effective way to market our business. In fact, Miranda is speaking this morning for the Solos Supporting Solos group here in Houston. And if I may say so myself, she is an awesome speaker.

The key to our success with these events is NOT focusing on what we will get out of it, but instead focusing on what we can teach our audience. There is so much about the media and about marketing that lawyers don't know and it's our job to educate them. If they like us and want to use our services, then great! But that is not our ultimate goal. Which, I believe, is why these events really work for us.

Carolyn Elefant, in her blog, addresses the importance of public speaking as a way to market yourself. Of course, I agree with her. Below are her tips on how to have a successful speaking event.


1. Identifying your target audience. Before organizing a speaking engagement, decide what types of clients you want to target. If you're interested in representing high-worth estate clients, giving a talk at a CLE to other lawyers isn't likely to have much impact, since most lawyers aren't likely to refer lucrative cases to you. Likewise, speaking at a public library in a lower-income area won't generate the leads that you're seeking either. Consider the audience you want to attract, and pick your speaking venues accordingly.

2. Finding a place to speak. Don't wait to be invited to speak, or you might find yourself waiting indefinitely. Instead, take a proactive approach and identify opportunities. Once you've decided which audience you want to target, do some research on where these groups congregate. One colleague of mine handles legal research and writing on a contract basis, so she actively targets busy lawyers, focusing her speaking activities on bar associations. Other attorneys who I know who handle IP or corporate matters send speaking proposals to trade associations. But formal, established groups aren't your only venue. There are multiple, less casual groups that share similar interests -- from high tech to women's or grandparents' issues to finance -- which often publicize their events in mothers' magazines, local papers, or online at Meet Up. These groups are often desperate for speakers and would welcome an inquiry.Finally, you don't have to limit yourself to any kind of group at all. You could try to organize your own event that you could put on at a local coffee shop, bookstore, or library. If you serve a remote or high tech audience, you could consider an online seminar or webinar. The one disadvantage to sponsoring your own speaking engagement is that you'll have to spread the word on your own instead of relying on another group to advertise the event.

3. Choosing a topic. Try to identify timely or provocative topics that will attract your prospects' attention and make them want to attend. For example, instead of offering a talk entitled, "The Basics of Estate Planning," why not propose the topic "Estate Planning: Can You Do It Yourself -- Without a Lawyer?" This title injects some controversy -- to use a lawyer or not -- and gives you a chance to educate an audience about the importance of a lawyer for certain estate planning matters. Other timely topics -- at least right now -- include foreclosure, consumer credit, divorce and alternatives (since the economy is causing stress on marriages, but also making divorce too expensive), and trend talks about the new presidential administration (e.g., "How the Obama Administration's Employment (or immigration or antitrust) Initiatives Can Impact Your Business and How You Must Plan for Them").

4. Materials. A speaking gig provides an opportunity to give away materials with your contact information to prospective clients. Consider useful tools, such as "checklists for estate documents" or "steps to incorporation." You should also use Microsoft's PowerPoint software or some type of supporting materials during your talk. One caveat: Be sure to take the time to stamp a copyright notice on your materials. Some lawyers will steal your materials and pass them off on their own. A copyright notice should prevent the most blatant abuses at the very least.

5. Getting the word out. When it comes to publicizing an event, all the usual advertising suspects apply, from email to direct mail (which can be costly), small notices in local newspapers, posts on your website and blog, as well as other blogs whose readers might be interested in your event. You can send out a free press release on sites such as Free Press Release. Use your speaking engagement to invite current clients and colleagues whom you want to impress, and ask them to bring friends as well.As a further draw, offer some freebies, such as a door prize or a free consultation. And be sure to include free refreshments, even if it's just a few sodas and pretzels, or donuts and coffee. Mention refreshments in your invitation materials -- after all, everyone loves free food, and it doesn't add much to the cost.

6. The actual speaking event. If you're being hosted by another group, follow their rules. Submit all material in a timely manner and show up at the time requested. If your host doesn't mind, see if you can stand at the entrance and greet guests as they arrive or mingle with them before your talk. It's a nice personal touch that makes people feel welcome.Practice your talk beforehand so that you can deviate or cover other topics without losing your place. Of course, don't read prepared text -- even if you stumble, you'll engage audiences more when you speak extemporaneously with notes as a prompt rather than reading from your notes verbatim.After your talk, take the time to wait around to answer all questions and to collect business cards. And if you're speaking at a hosted event, see if the sponsor will allow you to circulate an evaluation sheet or seek testimonials from participants. You can use the feedback to refine your presentation and to promote your next event.

7. After the talk. Chances are, you won't engage clients right on the spot. That's why the follow up to your talk is so important. First, always be sure to record your presentation, even if you do it with your own, hand-held digital recording device. That way, you can make recordings available to participants as a courtesy, and also distribute the presentation for marketing purposes later on. Second, follow up with everyone who handed over a business card or expressed some interest in your service. Third, list your talk on your website and on other directories where you've posted your profile.

As with any other marketing tool, a single speech -- just like a single article or a single blog post -- in and of itself likely won't amount to much. But making speaking events a regular part of your marketing portfolio can help attract clients and, in the long run, enhance your reputation -- which can lead to more business.

Twitter Takes on Ticketmaster

To continue our discussion of Twitte this week I offer this post by ClickZ's Ana Marie Virzi, demonstrating yet again the power of social media and how lawyers can benefit.
Ticketmaster couldn't have picked a worse day to have a computer glitch. At 9 a.m. Monday -- the day after Bruce Springsteen rocked Super Bowl XLIII -- tickets for the New Jersey native's concerts in his home state and on Long Island went on sale. Springsteen fans trying to buy concert tickets got a message saying the system was undergoing routine maintenance. What's more, some people were directed to TicketsNow to buy tickets at a higher price. Problem is, TicketsNow is Ticketmaster's sister site.

Springsteen fans immediately brought their grievances to Twitter, sharing their frustrations with other would-be concert goers and documenting their complaints for the world to see.

"Diff between TicketsNow and a scalper? One is a subsidiary of TicketMaster. Bruce tix, face value $95, 'on sale' through TicketsNow $776!" wrote John Bordeaux 52 minutes after tickets went on sale at Ticketmaster.

Deep Focus CEO Ian Schafer weighed in on an apparent Ticketmaster e-mail marketing blunder. "Ticketmaster sends an email alert to me saying Springsteen tix go on sale at 10am. Everyone else tells me it was 9am. WTF???"

Ticketmaster, which apparently doesn't have an official presence on Twitter, couldn't respond quickly enough to the Twitter protests. The damage was done. Nearly 30 hours later, Ticketmaster spokesman Albert Lopez was quoted on RollingStone.com as saying, "It was an unfortunate computer glitch that happened on our side...It wasn't our finest hour."

On his Web site, BruceSpringsteen.net, the Boss even complained about Ticketmaster's move to upsell tickets on TicketsNow. "We perceive this as a pure conflict of interest," he wrote.

Twitter: The 21st-Century Rotary Club

It takes work to be a good networker.

For decades, groups like the Rotary Club and the Jaycees have afforded business leaders and others the opportunity to network. Likewise, industry associations and conferences offer venues for people to connect.

Sure, it's great to get out of the office. But if you're like most people I know in business, you spend a good part of your workweek tethered to a computer at work or in a home office.

So what's a networker to do? Head to Twitter. That advice was offered up by panelists speaking at LegalTech New York, a conference for lawyers and law technology professionals. (Disclosure: ClickZ's parent company, Incisive Media, runs LegalTech.)

"Twitter's like a networking meeting on steroids, though the conversations are better and there's fewer insurance salesmen in the room," said Matt Homann, who heads up LexThink, a consultancy that promotes innovation in the legal community.

Or take Kevin O'Keefe, CEO of LexBlog, which helps law firms set up blogs, and the operator of LexTweet.com, a community of legal professionals using Twitter. He said microblog entries about his personal interests, such as baseball, helped him connect with lawyers from Washington, DC, and Europe, for potential business deals.

"Small talk leads to big things. [As lawyers], relationships are how we get clients. Start to follow people who are doing interesting things," advised O'Keefe, who is based in Seattle. (People who opt to follow other Twitter members automatically receive those people's tweets, which are messages that cannot exceed 140 characters each.)

Twitter is also a great way to reach out to people without being intrusive. To prepare for his LegalTech panel presentation, 10e20 president Chris Winfield posted three questions on Twitter, including "How could a lawyer or someone in the legal field use Twitter effectively?" Within 30 minutes, he had 135 responses. "Before, if I wanted to get that information, I would have had to call people," said Winfield, whose public relations company specializes in social media and search engine optimization.

Certainly, there are risks involved in using Twitter, but many are no different from those of other public forums, online or off-. O'Keefe, for instance, warned against making derogatory remarks on Twitter or divulging too much personal information. Instead, people who tweet should share information and opinions relevant to their target audience.

"It's instant anthropology," said Homann. "You are able to plug into the things that people think are the most important [issues]."

Don't Forget To Follow Up After Seminars!

Hosting informative seminars, booking speaking engagements, and participating in trade group meetings are great marketing avenues that can substantially build firm awareness and ultimately lead to increased business. In fact, the results of these activities should be directly measured to evaluate the overall effectiveness of a firm’s marketing plan. However, many lawyers fail to take the logical next steps: Further qualifying the attendees and asking for future business. This omission may short circuit a firm’s sales opportunities without the partners even knowing what they did wrong. Ignoring or taking a passive approach to earning new business. This complicates matters further and perpetuates the “we will wait for them to call us” mentality that permeates the legal industry and cripples marketing efforts and initiatives vital to a firm’s success. Many attorneys presenting at seminars fail to perform a simple, yet vital marketing practice: taking the next step. The next step is simply following a marketing process until completion. In this case, the marketing process for a seminar starts with all of the planning events, continues with the seminar implementation and delivery, and terminates with the opportunity to qualify prospects as potential firm clients. A good way to to do this is to coach each speaker to make a mental note of which attendees could be future prospects by following up with more qualifying questions. This sounds rather similar to the exercise all litigators go through during jury selection, but for some unknown reason, the skills learned as a lawyer sometimes do not seem to find a parallel use in the business development world. During breaks, the attorneys should be mingling with and getting interested in a room full of potential prospects. A light alternative to typical closing techniques A great approach and soft sell for attorneys petrified of “closing” a sale (or even to be associated with the term ‘sales’) or asking for future business might be something like this: write down a key point of interest that an attendee mentioned during a question and answer session and follow up with that attendee during a lull in the break, the awkward lunch time return transition, or at the close of the seminar. If there is some genuine interest, or if the discussion lends itself to a more detailed conversation, ask the attendee if you could follow up with them by phoning them, having lunch, or sending an email or an appropriate article. Use whatever follow-up technique works best for your firm or practice group. The important thing is to actually do the follow-up. All of these gestures help break down the formal and often standoffish image that many prospects have of lawyers. In my experience, the average prospect may be more reluctant to reach out to a large law firm with the glossy marketing materials, expensive stationery, and high profile street address. However, if the presenting attorney or firm representative removes that initial reluctance by reaching out to the prospect, then the approachability barrier is taken out the equation and one can move on to developing and exploring a potential business relationship. Always move forward Being successful at getting new clients in a seminar environment is almost a gift. I would like to emphasize “almost” because it will still take a little effort, and it still helps to be likeable and approachable. Remaining passive in the hopes that a prospect is going to make the first move is not going to maximize your time spent going through the seminar process. Even though the individuals are already interested in what you have to say by virtue of their attendance, YOU have to move the sales process forward! For these attorneys, some minor adjustments to their motivation, a better understanding of their purpose, and genuine desire to earn new business could have netted them a new client or two. Should’ve been like shootin’ fish in a barrel! Special thanks for this post to: Johnny Manriquez, Esq., Sales Attorney for Scholefield Associates, P.C. in San Diego, CA. He heads the firm’s business development department and is directly responsible for client development and support, networking with construction industry executives and developing client management programs. He can be reached at 619.544.0086 ext. 105 and Johnnyfrm@construction-laws.com.

Client Development: Plan or Random Acts of Golf and Lunch?

As the Cheshire Cat observed to Alice long ago, the path you take doesn't matter if you don't know where you're going. That applies to marketing for too many lawyers and law firms. We know we want more clients and more business, so we go to a trade association meeting, invite a prospect to lunch, send out a newsletter, and hope something sticks.

This scattershot approach is counterproductive. Far more effective is to develop a plan and adhere to it. The two primary ways you can do this are to evaluate your marketing tactics, and the hypothetical client targets they're aimed at.

First, target your strategies. Make a list of five things you do to market yourself, your department or your whole law firm. Rank them in the order of what has worked best. Which activities bring in the most profitable new clients, develop most referral sources or generate the most inquiries? Your list might read something like:

Networking with other professionals and referral sources
Seminars
Website
Advertising
PR

Now cross the bottom two off the list. You need to be ruthless, this is no time for sentiment or favorites. Stop doing them and put the money you've devoted to them back into the top three performers -- the ones with the most bank for the buck.

Then, target your clients. Create a profile of your ideal client and develop a marketing strategy that focuses on this target, not everyone. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

What characteristics describe your ideal client?
What is your client's occupation?
What are your client's demographics?
Where are your clients located?
How do you know when it's a "fit?

Then, go get 'em! Increase your revenue by five and six figures while everyone else is sitting still, wondering how you flew so high! When it comes to the strategies you want to pursue and the targets you want to reach, you can't create them until you conceive them.

This post courtesy of LawBiz® and reprinted with permission. "Copyright 1999-2005 Edward Poll." Thanks, Edward!

Law Firms and Recruiting Videos

Kashmir Hill, one of my favorite bloggers, blogged yesterday about recruitment videos. Kashmir's blog can be found here: http://abovethelaw.com/2008/10/adventures_in_lawyer_advertisi_2.php

In the blog, Kashmir refers to Chicago firm Freeborn and Peters. Their career site promises associates the opportunity to "thrive in an open, supportive, collegial culture." A series of recruitment videos have firm attorneys and partners in starring roles and are a testament to the firm's unorthodox culture. Check them out here-- they are long, but worth it.

Kashmir's favorite video is "Attorney Lunch," featuring attorneys snoozing, taking shots of coffee, and whistling while they march, as well as an evil partner who misdirects said attorneys to an e-discovery seminar instead of a "weekly gathering of attorneys with free food and drink." We are left wondering though why Freeborn attorneys have such paralegalish days: making photocopies and re-stacking boxes of document production.

Another video, "Bags," ends with the exhortation: "Work Hard. Play Hard." Kashmir's tipster had this to say about using videos like this as a recruiting tool: "I'm still not entirely sure what I think of them as a recruiting tool. On the one hand, they're completely hilarious, especially for a law firm, and I thought it made the firm look like a fun place to work. On the other hand, I could see how a lot of people would think the videos portrayed the associates as unprofessional (doodling and bored while on the phone with someone, looking unprepared while taking a deposition, etc.). So I think it completely depends on how you think they struck the balance between good humor and professionalism. I'm sort of amazed that the firm put the videos up on its website at all, but ultimately I think it was a good thing they buried the videos on the associate recruiting page where potential clients most likely wouldn't look!"


Be sure to check out these videos. They're funny, but are they an effective recruiting tool for new talent and what will be the overall impact on the firm itself? Let me know what you think.

And thanks for this blog, Kashmir!

Keep Your Clients Close

Everyone knows we are in the midst of some tough times. Many law firms and corporate America in general may never be the same. So what can you do to weather this storm? One thing is to keep your clients close.

Hildebrandt just came out with their “Special Client Advisory: Fall 2008.” This advisory delineates nine steps for firms to follow to help them stay afloat during these tough times. Number eight, quoted below, talks about the importance of nurturing your relationship with your existing clients. Read below.

"Eighth, stay in close touch with your clients, especially those key clients that are important to the firm’s future. Now is not the time to save money by cutting back on productive marketing expenses. Your clients are experiencing the same anxieties and uncertainties as the firm itself, and ramping up communication to them will stand the firm in good stead when economic conditions improve. Lawyers have time on their hands, so put it to good use with increased focus on client development, client teams, and appropriate business development training."

Having a plan of action is key right now for law firms. Number eight on this list can really help to pull you through these tough economic times, and even put you in a better position when this is all over. Good luck!

Don't Forget the Holidays!

Financial times are tough. Politics are getting dirtier by the minute. With all these headline news events, it's easy to forget the things we need to be doing as business professionals. What's the number one thing? Keep building and running your business. Now more than ever, as the market fluctuates, it's so important to "keep swimming" until we are out of this mess.

One great business building opportunity is the Holidays! And, in case you haven't noticed, the Holidays are upon us. Just take a look around the local stores and malls and you'll see that businesses are gearing up for this profitable event- and you should be too. Here are some tips to make this Holiday season profitable for your business.

1. Don't wait until the last minute to prepare. Start now!
2. Make your list of people to see, cards to send, gifts to mail out.
3. If you are having a party, get all the details nailed down.
4. Get your Holiday card and/or Holiday newsletter ready to go.
5. As for gifts, what will you send? Be thoughtful with your choice.
6. Once those holiday party invites start pouring in, calendar everything and attend as many events as possible. These parties are a great networking opportunity without pressure because everyone is in the holiday spirit.
7. Remember the reason for the season. Be kind to others and count your blessings.
8. Enjoy your family and loved ones.

Good luck with your holiday plans and let us know how you're doing!

The Houston Business Journal is seeking nominations for the 2008 Best Corporate Counsel Awards program, honoring outstanding general counsel in the greater Houston area. The awards will be presented at a reception on October 14, 2008 and will be published in the October 17 issue of the HBJ.

Categories include: outstanding solo corporate counsel, outstanding corporate counsel with an attorney staff of 11 to 30, outstanding associate or assistant corporate counsel, best team effort by a corporate legal department, and many others.

The deadline for nominations is Thursday, August 21. So if you are a Houston-based attorney who actively practices inside a corporation or other private sector organizations get nominated!

Award categories, details and nominations will be accepted online at the Best Corporate Counsel nomination site. Click here

Survey Reveals Popularity of Online Networking Among Legal Professionals

According to a new survey released July 10- lawyers are hungry for lawyer-only networking sites and are finally "catching on" to the social media revolution.

The 2008 Networks for Counsel Survey was administered to 224 private practice attorneys and 449 corporate counsel on an international basis, with 22 countries represented. Company size ranged from 100 to 10,000+ staff. The survey was sponsored by Lexis-Nexis and Martindale-Hubbell. The complete findings are available online.

Here are some of the highlights:

• 50 percent of attorneys are members of online social networks and over 40 percent of attorneys believe professional networking has the potential to change the business and practice of law over the next five years.
  
• The survey of 650 attorneys also reveals the high degree of interest – more than 40 percent – among lawyers in joining an online professional network designed specifically for their profession.

“The legal profession is traditionally slow to adopt new technologies, so attorneys’ readiness to use online networking tools represents a significant shift in behavior. With our expertise in social networking for businesses, Leader Networks has seen that private online communities are one of the best ways to bring professionals together for business networking,” said Vanessa DiMauro, president of Leader Networks and author of The 2008 Networks for Counsel Survey. “We recognize a real need for a private, online network for attorneys given the results of this survey.”

Networking is essential for attorneys, but difficult

• The survey found attorneys leverage collaboration tools and referrals to service the needs of the organizations they represent to find clients, and to identify specialized attorneys and other resources. Traditional methods of networking are increasingly difficult.
• Private practice attorneys rated client referrals or recommendations first (59 percent) and peer referral or recommendation second (55 percent) as the most effective means of networking.
• Relationship-based methods surface next most frequently, including in-person networking events (28 percent) and alumni relationships (26 percent)
• Only 16 percent of respondents felt that they had the time or resources to leverage current opportunities to network with their peers
• The majority of attorneys using social networking sites are between the ages of 25-35
• 54 percent of attorneys reported being a member of an online social network such as LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook or MySpace.
• 33 percent of attorneys that are connected use social networks for personal use; 18 percent use for professional use and 49 percent use social networks for a combination of the two.

The top five attributes considered when corporate counsel are deciding to join a professional legal network, are:

• Access to information not found anywhere else (46 percent)
• Ease of exchanging information/experiences (45 percent)
• Ability to identify, evaluate and select private practice attorneys quickly (29 percent)
• Finding the “right” attorney directly (26 percent)
• Speed of collaboration (21 percent)