Client Development for Lawyers Archives

13 12, 2007

Send Holiday Greetings That Really Connect

2019-02-10T23:15:55+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on Send Holiday Greetings That Really Connect

The holidays and year end present many opportunities for enhancing existing client relationships and developing new prospects. Many attorneys don’t take full advantage of the opportunities, however, because they fail to invest a little forethought. Here are some ideas to consider if you engage in the venerable tradition of sending out holiday greetings.

When to Send Out Greetings

Although the number of holiday cards sent out has declined over the last decade, it is still difficult to stand out in the flurry of holiday communication. Some lawyers have migrated to sending Thanksgiving cards. What an excellent opportunity to express gratitude for your clients’ trust and confidence in you, as demonstrated by their business. Alternatively, you might choose to adopt the French tradition of sending New Year’s cards. Either way, at least your card won’t be buried in a stack of other cards. If you want to showcase your firm’s experience in representing clients who do business in China, perhaps you should consider sending out Chinese New Year cards.

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16 11, 2007

Differentiation by Design

2007-11-16T18:25:00+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on Differentiation by Design

Recently I ran into a Houston lawyer at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. As we chatted, he extolled the virtues of the hotel. He began with his amazement that, although he had only stayed there once before, the doorman called him by name when he arrived. Then he gushed about the impact of walking into the luxurious bathroom in his room.

At the Vintage Inn in Napa, California, as I unlocked the door and stepped into my room, I heard gentle strains of soothing music. Lamplight and a fire flickering in a fireplace created a romantic mood and warmed me from the chill of the night air. A small table held a complimentary bottle of wine, with glasses and a corkscrew. I sprawled on the bed, and felt like I had landed on a fluffy cloud. This was not my usual business trip experience. When I got home I started planning how I could get back to that hotel.

What do these stories have to do with your law practice? They illustrate the marketing power of focusing on a client’s experience when delivering service. These hotels stood out in an industry with competitors literally around the corner. Would your clients say that about your firm?

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10 11, 2007

Who Do I Need to Know and How Do I Meet Them?

2007-11-10T20:27:52+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|1 Comment

I. Rule 1.01 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct

A lawyer should not accept employment in a matter beyond his/her competence.
Unless: 1.01(a)(1) a competent lawyer is associated with client’s prior informed consent
“Competence” defined as having the ability to timely acquire the necessary knowledge, skill & training.

Need to know: lawyers

That you can call on to give you advice and guidance to expeditiously acquire such additional knowledge, skills and training as you may need.
That you can associate in your client matter with the client’s consent if the matter is too complex to handle on your own.

How do you meet them?

Houston Young Lawyers Association meetings
State and local bar association section meetings.
Solos Supporting Solos.
Call your old professors, especially if you are practicing in the same town. They can answer questions and refer you to other lawyers. They may even be able to help you find employment down the road if you stay in touch. Established lawyers often contact their old professors when they are looking to hire a young lawyer.
Lawyers in firms where your friends are working. Even someone just 2 or 3 years ahead of you can be helpful.
Take on bar association duties or section duties.

Start attending meetings before you have questions, so that you will already have the relationships established before you have the questions. Most of the organizations have student memberships, but very few students take advantage of them. You will stand out as dedicated, plucky, and savvy.

Find ways that you can benefit the lawyers you would like to benefit from. When you do them a favor first, they will want to find a way to benefit you.

Perhaps offer to 2d chair a trial with them for free, or at a very cheap rate.
Handle some of their “dog” cases for them.
Find out what needs or interests they have and try to help get them met.
Baby-sit their kids in […]

1 06, 2007

Marketing: What Are You Already Doing Right?

2007-06-01T12:54:51+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on Marketing: What Are You Already Doing Right?

On a panel for a webcast by the Law Practice Management Program about “Finding and Keeping Good Clients,” we discussed the efficacy of public speaking. Rick Albers, a real estate lawyer in Austin, recounted that another lawyer once told him that he had spoken many times at continuing legal education programs, and never got any business from it. Rick’s mouth dropped open. He himself had referred four matters to that lawyer over the last several years. Rick made those referrals because he knew from hearing the lawyer speak that he was knowledgeable in the relevant area of practice.

Many years ago, when I had my own law firm, my father asked me how I got my clients. I blinked, dumbfounded by the question, and finally responded, “I wish I knew, Dad, so I could get more of them.” That question spurred me to examine my list of current and former clients. I discovered that 75% of my business came from referrals from other lawyers. To my surprise, many of those referrals came from my competitors!

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27 04, 2007

10 Tips for Developing Associates into Rainmakers

2007-04-27T13:38:50+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on 10 Tips for Developing Associates into Rainmakers

10 Tips for Developing Associates into Rainmakers

Today most law firms, large and small, expect partners to bring in business. In determining whether an associate makes partner, the firm usually considers whether the associate has the capability to bring in business.

Some firms don’t do a very good job of communicating this expectation to their young lawyers, however. In fact, some partners may actively discourage associates from spending time on business development activities, if that takes any time away from doing billable legal work. The firm then unrealistically expects a new partner to support himself with his own business like turning on a water faucet.

While firms that think longer-range may not begrudge the time an associate spends on client development, they don’t all have a policy for reimbursing associates for business development expenses. Young lawyers still trying to pay off student loans are expected to pay for any marketing lunches or other outside activities, bar association and section dues, and community association dues. Asking associates to lay out their cash to benefit the firm they are not yet members of can have a significant tempering effect on their efforts. Finally, some savvy law firms actively support mid-level and senior associate efforts to develop clients by providing time and financial resources, but very few provide real guidance to young lawyers about how to market themselves.

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10 01, 2007

What’s Holding You Back?

2007-01-10T16:45:28+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on What’s Holding You Back?

A couple of years ago I wrote about strategies for actually accomplishing the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year. It’s that time again, and you can read that article by going back to the January 2005 issue of The Practice Manager or you can view it on our website. If you implemented those ideas, I know you made a lot of progress. If you didn’t make progress or didn’t implement any strategy to achieve your goals, then some hidden factors may be influencing you. […]

18 11, 2006

Business Development: Follow-up or Fall Down

2006-11-18T13:36:17+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on Business Development: Follow-up or Fall Down

Recently I celebrated a business development victory with a lawyer. I asked him what he thought was the most important ingredient in his success. “Persistence,” he replied. “I just kept following up.”

That’s where many of us fall down. We attend networking events, give speeches, join organizations, and do other things to be at the right place to meet prospective clients. We succeed in meeting what appear to be some good business prospects or good potential referral sources. Hooray! Now what do we do?

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12 06, 2006

What Does Marketing Have to Do with Practicing Law?

2006-06-12T11:15:40+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on What Does Marketing Have to Do with Practicing Law?

The answer: Everything, if you are a small firm practitioner. How can you practice law without clients? Without marketing, how do you get clients? Most law schools don’t even mention the concept of marketing, much less teach aspiring lawyers how to sell their services. Selling and marketing, in fact, are dirty words among lawyers, being considered cousins of the unethical practice of soliciting.

The reality is, however, that you are probably engaging in marketing every week. The question is, how effective are you at it? Every time you respond to the question, “What do you do?” you are marketing. Every time you meet or greet someone who already knows what you do for a living, you are marketing. What are you advertising about yourself when you are not even talking about your business? Are you communicating by your demeanor and conversation that you are competent and knowledgeable, yet compassionate and trustworthy enough for someone to safely reveal a significant and troubling problem to you? Or do others feel inferior, judged and unimportant in your presence? Which professional would you choose to handle your important concerns?

Instead of marketing unconsciously, get on the road to becoming an effective marketer by following these three tips:

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1 11, 2005

Get Noticed to Get Business

2005-11-01T10:46:49+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on Get Noticed to Get Business

An important axiom of marketing is: “Customers do business with people they know, like and trust.” The significance of that axiom swells when you market a professional service instead of a product, because your potential clients can’t see, touch or taste your wares in advance of the purchase. To achieve that coveted status of being known, liked and trusted in advance of providing the service, choose marketing strategies that enhance visibility, credibility, personal relationships and referrals. Clients can’t like and trust you if they don’t know you exist. So this month we’re focusing on how you can augment your visibility to potential clients and referral sources.

The Value of Name Recognition

When you increase your visibility, you increase your name recognition. People gravitate toward names they recognize, even when they don’t remember why they recognize the name. The “I’ve heard of her somewhere” factor pays off. A while back I read an article reporting the polling results about the best lawyers in another city. I recognized the names of many of the lawyers selected, and could confirm the quality of a number of them from personal experience. I also recognized the name of one lawyer in a category that I didn’t have much knowledge about, but I assumed he was good because I had heard of him. Later I saw his name selected in several other categories requiring dramatically different skill sets and knowledge bases. Something seemed awry. With today’s in-depth specialization, rarely can a generalist truly excel in multiple legal practice areas, and this fellow was named among the best in four different areas! On reflection, I recognized that he had been very active in leadership roles in bar and community activities, and was a former State Bar President. He may be a genius and a multi-tasking time management pro, or he may […]

1 06, 2005

It’s All for a Good Cause

2005-06-01T11:04:13+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|1 Comment

More accurately, it’s for two good causes: your bottom line, and the promotion of a charity or social cause that you believe in. I’m talking about “cause marketing.” Cause marketing (also known as cause-related marketing) has been defined as a partnership between a company and a non-profit organization that increases the company’s sales while raising money and visibility for the cause.

An early and often cited example of successful cause marketing involved raising funds for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in 1983. American Express pledged a one-cent donation for every transaction made by its cardholders. American Express donated $1.7 million to the restoration, and experienced a 28% increase in card usage, creating a win for both organizations.

Cause marketing works best when there is an obvious link between the company and the cause. Bayer Aspirin paired up with the American Stroke Association to raise money for ASA and to educate the public about strokes. Bayer’s sales increased 9% over the same month in the previous year.

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