Just a short video on how to get more clicks to your website. This tactic is often overlooked, but not to be underestimated. Anyone can do it. http://youtu.be/_19s6Z0FOr8 This works...because it's what I do and I monitor the calls that I get.
Read more...I just went to Halfords. The staff member was great. Called me "Sir" for a start. That's nice. Went to Decathlon, looked at a bike and put it back in the "wrong" place. Huffing and puffing from staff who was displeased with me. Chalk and cheese. Why the story? Because I wrote this... "Law firms that exhibit consistent competence across these areas can also charge more and retain clients." http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/Misc/Total-Quality-Service.pdf It's a simple checklist for you and will help you measure your Service Quality competence, which is what really counts when getting referrals.
Read more...Quick video on the difference between Marketing, PR and Branding. http://youtu.be/Om8u2hF0qAU And why you should be a premium brand. Probably helps if you take a look at this newsletter below I sent out in 2012. "Any idiot can figure out why it won’t work. It takes intelligence to figure out how it can work." I like that quote. Probably said by Dan Kennedy. Hint...Get his books Lots of people seem to read about marketing and then spend lots of time figuring out how it doesn’t apply to their business. Which probably explains why there are so many average businesses around. I've put a little PDF together with some thoughts on this...please get it here http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/files/Any_idiot_can_figure_out_w.pdf It'll take a couple of minutes to read...but it may just land you a few new clients. http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/files/Any_idiot_can_figure_out_w.pdf
Read more...There’s an old saying that that it’s about “Who You Know.” Let me tell you something. That's wrong. It’s About Who Knows You. Getting yourself the right personal brand is very important. Take a look at Paul Hajek of Clutton Cox. He's branded as a conveyancing expert. Expert status from Clutton Cox.JPG In lawyer business people are going to buy you. What is your personal brand? Have you ever Googled yourself to find out? So what is it that they are considering buying when they think about buying you? Does it convince them to buy before they have even spoken to you? When you get your personal brand right this is what it can do; You can create the demand for your service without advertising People will have confidence enough to buy from you You’ll earn a reputation for excellence that will be talked about You’ll establish yourself as the expert You’ll be seen and known as a leader of the group You’ll become a valuable resource to people Your professional stature will increase You’ll be a positive influence because you will be delivering You’ll have the decision makers knowing who you are and they are the ones that can make the decision on hiring you And all this will lead to you getting qualified, quality leads. What you must do to make yourself a quality and memorable brand... Read more here http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/Misc/How-To-Position-Yourself-A.pdf
Read more...A book I enjoyed re-reading was The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack. It lead me to research open management and about 18 months ago I wrote some questions that need answering if employees are to understand how their job is important to the company. http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/Misc/Open-Management-Questions.pdf These questions are more relevant than ever. And as your success depends on other people helping you I think this will help you.
Read more...Pre-framing and buyers. You might have heard about pre-framing (or not). Basically it's about putting people in a certain mood before popping the question. Think about how your kids pre-frame by telling you how wonderful you are before asking you for a tenner. Or how a man takes a woman to a restaurant or romantic place to pop the question. (Or the woman does). Pre-framing also works in business. If people expect you to be expensive then they are already prepared to pay what you ask. If someone answers the phone and puts a client through to "our divorce expert" that pre-frames how the conversation will go. (As opposed to saying, "I'll see if there's anyone in that department"). Pre-framing research has been done that proves tiny, one sentence changes can have a major effect on how people feel about other people. And this is important to you. Because pre-framing questions can also help you get more clients. For example, I once asked a prospect, "is getting the cheapest price for this work the most important thing or do you want it do be done the right way?" This pre-framed my prospect into knowing I would not be the cheapest and would offer a higher price. (Which he took). Everything you do can help you pre-frame. If you answer the phone efficiently that pre-frames for someone. If you qualify someone before they ever get to work with you, that pre-frames for you by making the prospect realise your time is valuable and your expertise is reserved for quality clients. When I hear what law firms say to prospects, I know that pre-framing can play an important role in getting more business. For example, just taking control of appointment options by restricting it to two to choose from, can make a prospect realise you are serious and that you are busy. They then know they have to be a serious buyer to access your expertise. There is not really much on pre-framing and business, it's more NLP stuff that covers it. All I wanted to do is let you know to think about how you set your prospects and clients up to give you the answer you want, which is "I'll buy at any price you suggest because I know you are right for me." Branding is another way of pre-framing your offer and with that in mind I just wanted to let you know that if you want a new logo for your firm or promotion then you are welcome to submit your idea here http://goo.gl/forms/yBJK02K5q6 Or just email me. If I think my designer can help I'll make sure he does a good job for £47 (or your money back).
Read more...One of the things that I have to keep reminding people of is that marketing does usually cost money and that it's an investment. The other thing is that it's something you want to do more of than your competitor. You want to be spending more money because if you do it right, no-one will be able to compete with you. The fact is that the person who can afford to spend the most to acquire a client or get them to buy again is going to win. The more profit you make the more you can afford to market. If you think a 17% increase in business with higher prices is something you'd like to achieve. Here's a PDF about how to do it - with a video When someone talks about price it’s the best BUYING signal you can ask for. Even if it is a price objection, the prospect has made that mental leap and thought about having what you have to sell. The request for the lowest price is just another barrier to overcome. Here's the information you want. http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/Misc/Never_Let_It_Be_About_Pric.pdf PS do you want me to talk to you once a week on a one-to-one basis for an hour or so and get your strategy right? I have three slots open for £747 for my 50 Days To Marketing Success programme where I'll get your marketing into shape so you can profit for the next 12 months like clockwork. Just let me know if you want more success and I'll send you the questions you have to answer before I take you on.
Read more...When you have paid out to do some marketing and you get "THAT" call...you know the one that will make you money...don't you hate it when it gets thrown away because of lousy call handling? It happens every day and I GUARANTEE it happens at your firm too. Here's my report on tracking your calls so you know what marketing works and what doesn't...there's a lot more in this report too so feel free to pick my brains by reading it. I have solicitors who get 5000 calls a year who know exactly where every call comes from and precisely the best way of handling them to maximise conversions on the phones. >>>>>>Grab it here>>>>> http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/files/Solicitors_and_call_tracki.pdf To track your calls and record them use this. http://www.AdMeter.co.uk or email graham@admeter.co.uk and tell him I sent you and ask for a Boyd Butler price. If you don't want to make the call I'll do it for you - it's that important. Just been thinking about your telephone enquiries... Have you ever recorded your enquiries? Let me tell you it is an eye-opener when you do. One thing that really strikes me is the need for whoever answers the phone to take control... I hear all sorts of things from staff such as "my computer's just stuck...she only works Friday...when would you like to come in?" It just sounds awful and doesn't give a good impression. For scheduling reasons it's important you take control of calls. To ensure you qualify your applicants it's important you take control. To ensure you get your prospects to make the right choice - you must take control. Have you ever been to a supermarket and stood for minutes deciding which marmalade to buy? The choice is simply overwhelming and often people just give up. People want to be told what to do. That's why brands work. It means people don't have to think - there is a click-whirr process that goes on in their brain. The choice is automatic. Here's an example of a woman (yes it's relevant because I've had heard the differences between women and men on the phone) calling after browsing the divorce pages of a firm's website. Here's how I'd expect a call to go if someone takes control. (I'm not going to write how it normally happens - you can imagine.) ______________________________________________________________________________ "Hello, I've been reading your website and I'd like to see someone about a divorce. I don't qualify for Legal Aid" "Would you like to take advantage of our special assessment consultation that is free of charge?" "Yes please." "Our Divorce Specialist, Mrs Janice Grey has two appointments available this week, Thursday at 10.30 am and Thursday at 3pm. Which would you prefer?" "Thursday 10.30am please." "Have you read the document, "What to expect from your 30 minute consultation with our Divorce Expert Janice Grey?" "Yes I have", "Great, that's good preparation to get the maximum out of our meeting" or "No I haven't" "Ok, can we send it by email to you or please make sure that you read it on the website before you arrive for your appointment - it tells you everything you may wish to bring". "Ok I will do - where are you exactly?" "We are right opposite the cinema. There is a map on our website. As we have limited free appointments each week it's important you let us know if you cannot make the alloted time for any reason. Please call us on 0844 8745377 at least 24 hours in advance so that we can re-allocate your appointment. We'll let Mrs Grey know to expect you on Thursday, 29th March at 10.30am at our Reading office and we'll text you a reminder on Wednesday." _______________________________________________________________________________ You can probably come up with your own procedure for enquiries that dramatically improves your efficiency, and puts the prospect at ease. They want to know they are in safe hands. Make them feel safe and they'll trust and like you for it. And that's 99% of the selling job done. And this video is reminder of why I think everyone needs to be an internet marketing expert nowadays.
Read more...I get asked "what three things would you do Boyd if you haven't done any marketing before". So here's a video about what I'd do to start off. It's not much of a Xmas present because I haven't wrapped it in silver bows and stuff but hey...it didn't cost me anything to make either....(not factoring in time and expertise in that equation). http://www.screencast.com/t/q6vGVkiJMxF
Read more...I haven't sent an email to my list this month because did you know that by Jan 31st, 95% of the people who have made a New Year’s Resolution have broken it already? Most people don't even make resolutions because they get disappointed year after year that they don't follow through. That's because resolutions are just “wish lists”. In the New Year, people want a fresh start. They want to make things better and be happier. But they lack the motivation to do something about it. Or don't know how to find the time. If this is you then maybe you'll like the handout that I have attached. It's helped me to act. You might also like this from me - it's a mixed bag but there might just be a nugget in there that's worth its weight in gold; http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/files/The%20Best%20of%20the%20Best.pdf
Read more...I revisited one of
my old contacts who has a couple
of lead generation websites this week.
And boy are they different to most solicitors
websites that market.
Here's the short video on
referrals. (And a challenge later on).
http://screenr.com/KAA
Nothing is better than getting a pre-sold
prospect to call you after being referred
by one of your best clients.
So if there's nothing better why not
try and increase the number of referrals?
Here are the categories of businesses you should get referrals from;
Accountant | Financial Adviser | Printer | Web Design | Banking | Mortgage Broker | Graphic Design
Computer Support | Telecoms Provider | Office Supplies | Photographer | Insurance Broker |
Electrical Contractor | IT Consultant | Marketing Consultant | Florist | Builder | Security Products | Architect | Cleaning Services | Signage Company | Travel Agent | Decorator | Business Advisor | Promotional Gifts Company | Interior Design | Surveyor | Telephone Systems | Car Sales | Computer Sales | Car Sales | Internet Services | Public Relations Company | Alternative Therapists | Events Organiser | Health Insurance Broker | Plumber | Office Machinery | Office Furniture | Car Servicing | Health and Safety Consultant | Will Writer | Estate Agents Residential | Commercial Letting Agent | Caterer | Landscaper | HR Consultant | Hotel | Employment Agency | Carpet Cleaner | Utilities Broker | Couriers | Car Hire | Car Leasing | Gardening Services | Wine Importer-Merchant | Mobile Phone Retailer | Jeweller | Book-Keeping |Removals/Storage | Secretarial Services |Personal Trainer | Hypnotherapist | Dentist | Private Doctor | Private School | State School
Want a copy of the letter that gets referral partners on board
for one of my property clients (not a law firm)?
Send me a video testimonial and I'll send it to you.
Ok to do a video testimonial type some nice words
on to a Powerpoint slide. Go to ScreenR.com
Sign up for a fr-ee account. Place the screen capture
box over the Powerpoint slide. Record yourself reading
the words on the Powerpoint. (You need a microphone
on your computer or external microphone plugged in)
Save the video and send me the link. (Now you can do videos).
Just like this which took me 30 seconds!
http://screenr.com/z8F
Go on...practise on me! (If you get stuck
then let me know I'll help you.
Or just use the webcam feature on You Tube and send
me the link when you've done it.
Here's another story to repurpose
if you are an employment solicitor.
http://goo.gl/BMSUJ
Remember you can swipe news stories
and repurpose them in many ways...
Your website/press release/email to clients
newspaper/ radio/direct mail/audio/video
Joint Ventures with marketing partners are
a goldmine waiting to be discovered.
Thompsons solicitors do it with the teachers' union
NASWT. And they are on to a good thing.
You see someone else has paid for
the marketing to get clients for Thompson (the NASWT)
They've developed a trusting relationship. (NASWT news)
They are ready to endorse you.(NASWT mailing)
So all Thompsons do is make it easy, make it profitable
and guarantee a benefit.
Check this out and swipe it for yourself.
http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/solicitor_joint_ventures
You may not be ready to take on a 200,000 strong union
but you might be able to work local/regional partners
without batting an eyelid. And a warning...don't have one partner
and expect 100 new clients a month.
Get 50 partners and expect 2 new clients a month from each.
It's realistic, it means not all eggs are in one basket and
for most firms it'll mean gradual growth which is more
manageable.
Who has clients like your best clients? Talk to them
and maybe make it reciprocal...it's F-ree marketing.
Ok, by now you may be getting more website visitors. Or fewer.
That’s because Google changed the way it delivers search results for local listings.
For businesses that have a local angle, (like yours) the Google search results are now a blend of sponsored listings,
(at the top) Google Places and organic results.
If you’ve seen a decline in your rankings you need to get back into the game by adding to your online strategy.
Much of what you do now has to be part of a strategy and one that you keep reviewing.
Here are some things you should do.
* Make sure you are listed in as many of the directories that Google takes information from as possible.
* Get links from quality local websites that feature in your locality.
* Utilise a broad spectrum of social media. Video, articles, and quality content to create a deep internet profile.
* Include relevant Places categories in your listing. E.g. Conveyancing, Wills, Probate, Divorce etc
* Utilize long and short tail keywords, while avoiding duplication of keywords.
* Create customized fields and informative business descriptions that utilise relevant keywords for your Google Places Listing.
* Use photos and videos on your Google Places listing.
* Fill out all applicable fields, including Hours of Operations, Payment Methods, and Service Areas.
* Utilize Google Places Posts to keep information fresh and relevant.
* Encourage online customer reviews (be aware of what sites are feeding reviews for solicitors into Google Places).
* Respond to Google customer reviews through Google Places.
* Ensure that your Google Places flag is located in the proper spot.
* Add coupons to your Google Places account
* Try out Google Adwords if you haven’t already and start small and track results.
* Check your Google Places quality against the guidelines Google gives (link below)
http://www.google.com/support/places/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=107528&rd=1
What Else Should You Be Doing?
Reviews of business are now on view so make sure you manage your online reputation.
What to do: Build your reviews as soon as possible.
Initiate a customer testimonial scheme on various online profiles.
Monitor your profiles regularly and respond to any issues that arise;
Come up with a strategy to improve your online reputation and profile, even if it’s already great.
Search for your keywords e.g. solicitors Reading
See who is ranking well. Where are their reviews from?
Get your clients to review you in the same places.
You may want to have a computer in your reception for all your clients.
They can then rate you on various different review sites such as Google/Qype.
Strike while the iron is hot.
PS here's a great book I recommend
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