Recommendation Isn't Referring

Law Society research says 90% of people would recommend their solicitor
to a family member of friend. (IF ASKED BY A RESEARCHER).

Those are my capitals. Because it doesn't really matter what someone says to a researcher. What matters is what YOUR CLIENTS do.

Industry pats on the back don't do anything for your bottom line.

You can't spend researched recommendations at the bank.

And satisfaction is not loyalty.

The true test is loyalty.

How many of your clients will never leave you and
will defend you to the hilt?

Because loyal clients are the best referrers.

And the question is "How are you systematicallly asking
and getting referrals?"

Action on getting a systematic referral process
in place will do everything for you.

The research doesn't show how many referrals each
loyal client is giving you.

The research doesn't show how many each client could
give you.

The research doesn't show the value of each referral and what you should invest in getting referrals.

If you know how to get loyal, highly profitable clients and get them to refer
their best friends, clients and colleagues (i.e. people like them)
then you are on to a winner. But everyone already knows that don't they?

Still, how many people have a referral system in place?

Have you?

First admit you don’t know. Then learn. Then act.

Read more...

Referral Partner System for Lawyers and Solicitors

Remember my last email where I talked
about getting a partner referral programme going?

(It's down below)

Well here's a letter format you can
swipe and deploy for your firm.

This is a real example being used by
my client.

http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/Misc/Partner_offer_for_Rentals_.pdf

Send this letter out to the top 75 businesses
in each category listed.

Obviously change the words for your own (or ask me
to do it for you £££ ;-)
but use the same or a similar format.

Any questions, let me know.

Boyd

PS enjoy the match. An England win means
happy people. Happy people buy things.

PPS advance notice...I'm away for August...
so get any questions in before then...

-----Original Message-----
From: boyd@greatlegalmarketing.co.uk
Sent: Tuesday, 15 June, 2010 10:19am
To: boyd@greatlegalmarketing.co.uk
Subject: Great Legal Marketing Newsletter - How To Create A Referral Network.

Good morning...

Still on the the theme of referrals.

Did you know there are only 5 steps you have to take
to create a referral network.

But you have to take at least one step today.

And that's to open the PDF
I've put together for you.

It's right here

http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/Misc/referral-networks-for-soli.pdf

I'll probably get a few emails after people read this.

So bear with me if it takes a couple of days to get
round to answering yours.

Read more...

Get Your Solicitor Firm on Bing For Buyers To Come

Here's a new tip for you.

You know Google Local right?

And if you've done what I suggested
you are probably making good money
out of it.

But have you done the same for Bing?

Because in my books Bingers are Buyers.

So it makes sense to get yourself on
the Bing local version.

You can do this so easily...I don't even have
to make a video to show how it's done.

Just click here
http://marketlocation.my118information.co.uk/Default.aspx?action=H

And follow the instructions...

PS for all you employment lawyers
using the World Cup to sell your services
take a look at this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZQL5kobOEs

How many ways can you present information
that makes it more interesting?

Read more...

5 Steps To A Solicitors Referral Network

Still on the the theme of referrals.

Did you know there are only 5 steps you have to take
to create a referral network.

But you have to take at least one step today.

And that's to open the PDF
I've put together for you.

It's right here

http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/Misc/referral-networks-for-soli.pdf

I'll probably get a few emails after people read this.

So bear with me if it takes a couple of days to get
round to answering yours.

Read more...

Do You Continually Test Your Prices for Your Legal Services?

Not the most professional.

Not the best.

But a very important
video

Here it is...

http://screenr.com/hZp


PS If you continually test your prices
and have no problems with getting
premium prices for your services you don't
waste time watching this...but one of my clients
doubled his prices after doing this and has
had 12 record months...

Read more...

Mend Your Law Firm Marketing Bridges

Whenever I talk to a solicitor, listen in on calls or visit a law firm I find small inconsistencies or glaring problems which, if corrected, would lead to a lot more business.

In most cases, the owners or Partners simply leave the selling up to individuals.

They give them far too little coaching.

Your business has opportunities to do better.

When was the last time you tried to identify them and make changes to capitalise on them?

Let’s take phone calls. A lot of initial prospects phone a law firm.

They want to get a feel for the person they might consult with.

They might be asking for prices.

They might be comparing firms.

But I know 90% of owners don’t review how this phone call pans out.

How the solicitor puts the prospect into a liking-trusting-buying frame of mind.

Or not.

If you don’t have a systematic way of improving the way in which your prospects are converted on the phone then you have broken bridges to be built.

Try recording your calls and listening in. (I can arrange this for you)

Identify things that are said that work. And things that don’t.

The script you develop over time will be hugely valuable and powerful in getting you more business.

Go from converting 30% of leads to 80% at a higher rate?

Maybe.

And what would that mean for your business?

I've got a simple script that I have used in the past.

I use this to make sure I get what I want from a call...

If you want it let me know...

PS I write for The Negotiator Magazine and here's a page

you might want to look at - it has a list of questions you should know

the answer to http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/Misc/neg-3.jpg

To make it bigger you should be able to click it.

Read more...

How RG Solicitors market to Estate Agents to get more Conveyancing Business

I'm impressed a little with
RG Solicitors and how they
are targetting Estate Agents
via Estate Agent Today.

I've shot a short video
on what they are up to.

(At the end there's something
you can swipe and deploy with
schools in your area).

The video is here - or click on this link below.

http://screenr.com/6SK

Shame they don't have a proper landing
page for Estate Agents (do you?)

Shame they don't use video? (do you)

Shame they don't tell me what a free Will
is worth....oh well. Should get this newsletter
shouldn't they...

PS What problems are you having
at the moment with your marketing?
Don't be shy...ask me....

Read more...

Solicitors Must Test Prices Regularly

Not the most professional.

Not the best.

But a very important
video

Here it is...

http://screenr.com/hZp


PS If you continually test your prices
and have no problems with getting
premium prices for your services you don't
waste time watching this...but one of my clients
doubled his prices after doing this and has
had 12 record months...

Read more...

Marketing for Lawyers Isn't a Dirty Word

Some lawyers think that marketing is a dirty word.

They think it’s a bit distasteful. That we “don’t do things that way.”

Which is wrong. (And you know it ;-)

Because marketing can be a matter of life or death.

Think I’m overplaying it?

Consider the marketing that a charity like Save The Children engages in.

If they market well, they make more money. And they save lives.

If they get it wrong, fewer children are saved.

If you are marketing ethically

it is the right thing to do and profitable.

And that’s what you should be thinking when you market.

What are you doing that is good. How are you helping?

What problems are you solving?

And if you get great at marketing yourself wouldn’t it

be great to have lots more customers and be able to donate

a little bit to charity yourself?

What about getting involved in the free Wills scheme for over 50's?

http://www.icr.ac.uk/support_us/help_us_in_your_will/will_for_free/index.shtml

Remember probate comes from Wills...

If you know which charities your

clients support? (hint...hint...more reciprococity)

you're on to a win -win. So make it systematic to find out.

Remember the key psychology behind things like this?

http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/Misc/Psychology-GreatLegalMarke.pdf

Read more...

Help Estate Agents and They Will Help Your Solicitor Firm

June 7th - Help Estate Agents and They Will Help Your Solicitor Firm

There's a lot of noise about referral fees being paid out to Estate Agents.
And some agents will always go for the cash...i.e. who pays the most.
And that's ok for you if you are happy with it. (Until someone pays more than you).

Ultimately every business wants more leads. And what do you think would happen if you could help Estate Agents get more leads? Would they come to you?

Would they give you conveyancing leads? Would they be loyal?

So here are a couple of ideas for you to make Estate Agents loyal. (And I'm assuming you have a partner marketing plan that targets them and sets you up as "the estate agent's solicitor" for your area?)

1 Write a report on "How to sell your house for top dollare when getting divorced."
You can then co-brand this with the estate agent and share the marketing.

2 Write a report on "How to sell a house when the owner has passed away - your guide to Probate and Property." Ditto for the marketing.

3 Write 50 Top Tips for Estate Agents and send them to the Estate Agents that you want to start building a relationship with.

Of course the 50 Top Marketing Tips bit is easy.

You just use mine (with permission that you must request) that I've already prepared for you...

Get them here

Read more...

Guarantees Win Business for Law Firms.

One of the problems buyers have is choosing.

Because choosing a law firm means you might get the choice wrong.

And people are worried about making mistakes. That's natural.

Everything you can do to prevent someone making a mistake in choosing
you will help you get more clients. Testimonials (Social Proof), Referrals, (Trust)
Chambers/Lexcel (Authority) all help.

And so do guarantees. The bigger the guarantee the less risk there is for someone to get it wrong by choosing your solicitors firm.

So it's great to see one of the best marketed firms, Bonnalack and Bishop


using a guarantee with commercial litigation. Tim Bishop, who runs the firm, is more entreprenuer than lawyer. He has taken a marketing-focussed approach to his firm. It's one you can swipe and deploy a number of ideas from.

What guarantees can you make to get more people to choose your law firm?

For more on guarantees and marketing law firms click here.

Read more...

Testimonials and Referrals for Solicitors

Great Legal Marketers,

Do you collect testimonials and referrals for your law firm?

You know that your clients want great service.

Do you know if you give it to them?

I am going to assume you ask your legal clients about
your service. And that you do some kind of follow-up survey.
And maybe you actually do something with the results.

Let me ask you...

Is your client survey also a way of getting testimonials?

Because if you word it the right way you will
get them every time. And you will get testimonials that
say you are great, (for specific reasons).
When you get these testimonials people are
declaring they like you.

And they are on the way to becoming loyal.

Which means they are prime clients for getting law firm referrals for you.

And those that really enthuse...
you must dig deeper to get a case study from them.

Or maybe a video testimonial. This works with
business and private clients.

How you do your client follow-up does matter.
If you haven’t got a client survey in place that does this you
might want to get one.

And if you don’t know how... cue music....

“Who you gonna call?”

B-O-Y-D B-U-T-L-E-R!

Read more...

Do you collect testimonials and referrals for your law firm?

You know that your clients want great service right?

Do you know if you give it to them?

I am going to assume you ask your legal clients about your service.

And that you do some kind of follow-up survey.

And maybe you actually do something with the results.

Let me ask you...

Is your client survey also a way of getting testimonials?

Because if you word it the right way you will get them every time.

And you will get testimonials that say you are great, (for specific reasons).

When you get these testimonials people are declaring they like you.

And they are on the way to becoming loyal.

Which means they are prime clients for getting referrals for you.

And those that really enthuse...dig deeper to get a case study from them.

Or maybe a video testimonial.

This works with business and private clients.

How you do your client follow-up does matter.

If you haven’t got a survey in place that does this you might want to get one.

And if you don’t know how... cue music....

“Who you gonna call?”

B-O-Y-D B-U-T-L-E-R!

Read more...

People Pay Top Dollar for Legal Solutions

It is incredibly difficult to be a successful lawyer/owner/entrepreneur

and that's what most law firms are run by.

Sole practitioners - responsible for everything.

In reality these owners find it hard to know what to do. Because they
are in the thick of things on a daily basis.

This is no different from any industry where the owner is also a worker,
(except the onerous and unfair restraints put on solicitors by regulation).

Where law firms should focus is on providing solutions
and not just advice.

Advice is seen as expensive and ubiquitous.

People will pay any price for solutions.

Many law firms are members of my newsletter.

Some of them take the advice.

Som even act on it.

But if I were to provide the solution to your legal marketing problems and
do it for you...i.e. give you lots of willing buyers that would
pay the price you want...what would you pay me?

If you create a system that provides solutions profitably
and it is not reliant on time billed or geography
then you have something very valuable.

It is almost immune to any threats because it is so valuable to clients
and prospects will find you with good marketing.

The system is based on;

Find what people want = solutions to their problems.
Make sure there are enough of them = market.
Devise a way of delivering it = profitably.
Communicate it to them you have the solution = marketing.

Rinse and repeat with new solutions when you find out
more niches.

The beauty of this is that you also have something you can sell
when you retire or when you want to. Because it's similar to a franchise.

(See Gerber's E-Myth Revisited book).

The answer is always the same in business.

Great marketing gives you more money.
You can invest more in the solution.
You get more clients because of it.
Which you re-invest in marketing.

Apple Mac anyone?

Read more...

HIP, HIP Hooray?

In case you didn't know. Home Information Packs are no more.

CLG Secretary of State Eric Pickles said: “HIPs are history. This action will encourage sellers back into the market and help the market as a whole, and the economy recover."

That's Government PR.

Time for some PR in your local media?

I'm sure your local paper/radio station wants a solicitor's comment...

Can you provide it? Of course you can...

And what about the legal consequences for your Estate Agent
partners? Let them know the score...

After all, with a HIPs revolution, they may be looking to change
other aspects of their business...

Like where they send their conveyancing...;-)

Read more...

Do You Continually Test Your Prices For Your Legal Services?

Read more...

Mend Your Law Firm Marketing Bridges

Whenever I talk to a solicitor, listen in on calls or visit a law firm I find small inconsistencies or glaring problems which, if corrected, would lead to a lot more business.

In most cases, the owners or Partners simply leave the selling up to individuals.

They give them far too little coaching.

Your business has opportunities to do better.

When was the last time you tried to identify them and make changes to capitalise on them?

Let’s take phone calls. A lot of initial prospects phone a law firm.

They want to get a feel for the person they might consult with.

They might be asking for prices.

They might be comparing firms.

But I know 90% of owners don’t review how this phone call pans out.

How the solicitor puts the prospect into a liking-trusting-buying frame of mind.

Or not.

If you don’t have a systematic way of improving the way in which your prospects are converted on the phone then you have broken bridges to be built.

Try recording your calls and listening in. (I can arrange this for you)

Identify things that are said that work. And things that don’t.

The script you develop over time will be hugely valuable and powerful in getting you more business.

Go from converting 30% of leads to 80% at a higher rate?

Maybe.

And what would that mean for your business?

I've got a simple script that I have used in the past.

I use this to make sure I get what I want from a call...

If you want it let me know...

PS I write for The Negotiator Magazine and here's a page

you might want to look at - it has a list of questions you should know

the answer to http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/sitedata/Misc/neg-3.jpg

To make it bigger you should be able to click it.

Read more...

See how Family-Law Dominate Google

Here's that marketing video I promised you.

Andrew Woolley probably wants to keep it secret.

http://screenr.com/ADC (shh...don't tell him).

Read more...

What's Your Answer To "Why Should I Use You?"

I've prepared a little video about

how you can find your....

_______________

Uniqueness
_______________

And answer the propect's question

"Why Should I Buy From You?"

You probably have Tim Bishop
of bishopslaw.com to thank for this.

You see he tried to watch the original
video I did and told me it sucked! He was right!

So I redid it without the awful music.

Click this link for the new video

I learnt three things from his email...

It's ok to try something and for it not to work.

and...I'm building a community where people
can tell me I'm wrong.

And...I noticed Tim's emails contain
a PS with a cross-selling line...something
I am passionate about.

Because I get lots of "out of office" bounces from
members of GLM. And not one has had
a cross-selling PS.

And here endeth today's lesson ;-)

Read more...

Satisfied or Loyal Legal Clients - Whaddya Got?

One of my clients has 100% satisfaction as his

objective.

I've told him it's not good enough.

Why?

Because satisfaction is a given. But it's loyalty that counts.

What's the difference?

Well...my wife may be satisfied...but I prefer her to be loyal...
(Geddit?)

So what's the sign that your clients are loyal?

A referral is the signal that your client is loyal.

If the client is paying you, great.

But it is not full loyalty until they begin referring clients to you.

The test for loyalty is;

Will the client do business with you again, and will the client refer others to you?

If loyalty = getting referrals

doesn’t it make sense to encourage them?

PS you can also swipe and deploy this - click on it

http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/di/247916

Read more...

Elder Law or Legal Services for Young Seniors?

I call them Young Seniors – baby boomers now in their 60’s.

They aren’t ready for classic “retirement”.

They aren’t expecting to live on reduced income.

They aren’t waiting to die.

In fact many of them are looking at remaining active through their hobbies, starting a new business (not tied to a desk or commute), and looking to live between two or three locations.

You won’t get far by calling your services “Services for the Elderly”.

Because they don’t consider themselves elderly.

Young Seniors is a better term.

So perhaps look at your services and give them a make-over.

You provide the legal advice on Equity Release schemes.

And a financial adviser provides the products. But you retain the client as your client. After all, they are more likely to trust a solicitor than a financial adviser.

And why not go to all the financial advisers you trust and ask them to let you market Wills and Trusts to their clients and you market their Financial Services to your clients?

Maybe you could do a short talk with them at the golf club, tennis club, sailing club and all the other places that wealthy “Young Seniors” hang out.

PS When I joined Reading Football Club (I’m the portkabin to Premier League kid) the first thing I did was start up the Young Royals. Note that I didn’t call it Junior Royals. Kids want to be older. Seniors want to be younger.

Read more...

Killer Articles Are Just a Checklist Away.

I'm going to take a look at what

Great Legal Marketing members

do well over a few newsletters.



Because as far as I know you are

well ahead of the curve on legal marketing.



First up is a new member, Data Protection And IP Lawyer Pritchetts Law.



I like the way she writes this article with a good biography,

good sub-headings (for people like

me that scan the page) and

a good top ten list.



Here's the article link.



http://www.legalrss.co.uk/pritchettslaw/threat-of-500k-data-protection-fines-from-6-april-2010-stephanie-pritchett-releases-top-10-data-protection-compliance-tips



Pritchetts Law is run by Stephanie

Pritchett.



Too often I see boring articles, written

in leaglease that you can't send out

to a client base or as a press release.



Remember it's about leveraging all your

marketing to get the maximum return.



Here's my expert guide to article writing - click here



Which means anything you write or record

should be able to go out to at least 5 different

channels...e.g. local paper/radio/client base/

chamber of commerce/partners.



Next up...



Andrew Woolley's http://www.family-lawfirm.co.uk

and how they get business nationwide...



And if you see any great examples out there

please let me know.



PS

If you don't have a Data Protection

and Privacy lawyer but your clients

want this service...get in touch with Stephanie.

(hint...a way for you to make more money without

doing the work).

Read more...

Can You Disrupt Legal Marketing Like Direct Line Insurance?

Time with your family and for yourself is important.

And it got me thinking this Bank Holiday week end.

One of your goals has to be to “make money whilst you sleep.”

Because everyone must look at ways of leveraging their expertise.

And not get paid just for "time".

And that's when you start dreaming of the ideal future.

Imagine if you could spend 4 days out of the office every week doing what you want to do.

Imagine knowing that your website is attracting thousands of visitors who then buy 100's online legal services from you every week.

Imagine the documents are filled in by the customers and get reviewed by your team of freelance solicitors who all work from home.

Oh, and all that compliance business is taken care of.

And you just come in to the office once a week to do manage it all.

Isn’t this how you’d like to set up your business if you could start from scratch?

I’ve been looking at the service from Direct Law and think this type of direct selling to customers could have the same disruptive effect that Direct Line had in the insurance industry.

Before Direct Line, you went to a local broker, who performed a service in finding you a good deal. Or so you thought. But along came Direct Line and did it...well...direct. And others followed.

There’s probably a lot to gain by local solicitors being the first to offer direct services in their geographic market. Because getting a Will from a local solicitor still means something.

And having a downsell i.e. lower cost Will service is a great offering to those who like a lower price and convenience and to those that just can’t afford a higher price.

Having a Will sold on line and then reviewed by a solicitor will also mean that you can increase the price of the pure “face to face” Will service. You can probably increase it enough to pay for the software to run the online Will services.

It’s early days.

But direct sales of online legal services has the potential to disrupt the legal market as much as Direct Line did.

And when you figure in back-end services (because you have a trust relationship with the customer, you may find these your most profitable clients.

You owe it to yourself to check these things out.

Check out this Illinois Divorce Lawyer in the US

It may take a couple of years to work all this to a level where you are working only one day a week. But it’s a great goal to have.

Read more...

Solicitors Stop Competing on Price

“You can’t compare apples and oranges.”

I’m sure you’ve heard that expression, maybe from your grandma or your mother.

I’m going to tell you that in business it doesn’t pay to take her advice.

I hear from many salespeople that the product they are selling can’t compete on price with their competition.

That they can’t sell the product any cheaper because they’ll go out of business.

The reason that selling purely on price isn’t a long-term strategy is because you will always be beaten.



There’s always someone that will do a better deal to get in the door, will discount more heavily or offer a product of lower quality that your customers and prospects will accept.



Sure, people love superior quality, they just don’t always like to pay for it.



So your challenge is not to compete on the same terms as everyone else.



If you’re not winning the game, change the strategy.

Make it impossible for buyers to compare your product on price alone.



What action can you take?



Look at your product or service with fresh eyes.



Can you add value, bundle products together, extend warranties, offer guarantees, delivery and completion speed?



What can you offer as a free premium?

• Hotels offer free breakfasts


• online companies offer Fedex next day delivery


• website designers offer unlimited re-design


• storage firms offer free pick up of items from your home


• newspapers offer guaranteed response adverts

Can you offer a checklist of things your product does that your competition doesn’t?



Invent an unfair advantage for your product.

Make it impossible for your competitors to keep up with you.

Use apples to oranges comparisons and eliminate price resistance.

Read more...

Who Wants To Know How Prospects Find Your Legal Website?

Read more...

Volcanos and Employee Rights

Yes there's still a chance you can write that

article about "Should Employees be docked pay

if they didn't turn up to work during the Volcano

week".



Because employers still don't know what to do.



Take a look at these comments on the

Teacher's website

http://community.tes.co.uk/forums/t/402451.aspx?s_cid=16



So if you haven't sent out an email alert to your clients

with the basics (and cross selling) then why not do it

today? You can even do a search on Twitter to get ideas

for real time problems you can answer on your email.



Check this out

http://twitter.com/#search?q=employers%20volcano

Read more...

How Wright Hassall Won Thousands Of Pounds Of Business

Watch the video below

Read more...

Schedule Your Tweets While You Watch QI

If you are like me, Stephen Fry on QI may be your cup of tea.

I admit I don't watch every second. Because I'm Tweeting.

What I do is I set up scheduled Tweets on Twitter so I can

set and forget. And this is the video of the tool I use to

do this - click here for the solicitors Twitter scheduling tool video



It's free for law firms.

Remember what you can do with Twitter - solicitors Twitter idea

Read more...

The Death Of The Billable Hour For Solicitors

I've been searching the globe for law firms that don't do billable hours.



Why?



Because you can only work 40 hours a week.



Which means you are limited in terms of productivity.



Plus, you are limited because you are not leveraging true value.



I.e what value you are delivering to the client which may be much

more than the billable hour.



Subscriptions will flourish. Because knowing what you are paying out

each month makes it easy to budget. And knowing what you

are getting in each month makes it easy to manage.



Virtual law firms, where previously unhappy, experienced lawyers work

on a retainer/commission structure will bloom. Lower overheads

for the controlling company and more flexibility both sides.



Technology is what prospects/clients want to get in touch.



Why traipse into expensive real estate offices of a law firm

when you can just as well skype from home/office.



Law firms will continue to discover niche areas and work faster and flexibly

on smaller scales. These individuals or firms will not be restricted by

geography, but more their expert status and how well known they are.



Solicitors that survive and thrive will be those who learn how to become

Great Legal Marketing firms because technical quality is expected yet Legal

Service Quality is what is most in demand.



Here's the list of legal marketing greats;



http://www.family-lawfirm.co.uk/About-Us/default.aspx Woolley and Co - Based in Warwickshire.



Axiom Legal. In a nutshell they’ve used the professional consultant business model (and corresponding cost structure) and employee former big firm lawyers and experienced in-house counsel that charge half the rate.



www.strozfriedberg.com competent technology focused attorneys who would traditionally work for a large law firm but choose to utilize their skills by consulting



(www.rimonlaw.com). They are a virtual law firm based in San Francisco that use top-tier American expat lawyers.



Outside Counsel Solutions at http://outsidecounsel.net/about.aspx. Their US attorneys provide top-quality legal counsel to clients all over the USA, from offices in New York and Jerusalem, at highly discounted rates.

Read more...

Volcanos and Employment Law for Solicitor Marketing

Volcanos are in the news.



Thousands of employers want to know if they

can dock the pay of their staff that don't turn

up because of ash.



And thousands more probably want to know

if they can dock pay if staff don't turn up

because of accidents, trains and automobiles.



If you are an expert on employment law or

employee rights...


Have you written your USEFUL and VALUABLE
article for your website
and sent it out to your list of business clients via email?

And your local media? So you can do interviews?
Just like Berwins do on radio http://twitter.com/#search?q=volcano%20ash%20employment

Here's a story you can use for inspiration.

http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2010/04/19/55280/volcano-update-employers-not-obliged-to-pay-stranded-staff-say.html

Write that article tonight instead of watching
TV.

Always use what's going on in the mind

of prospects to get yourself noticed and do your solicitor

"expert marketing".



It's called "Theatre of the Mind" and you can use a Twitter search
to find out in real time just as I did.



Just type in to Twitter search function the

subject you want to eavesdrop on.

Read more...

Continuity Revenue For Solicitors

Did you know there are only three ways to make more without slashing costs.

· More customers.

· Bigger orders. (Either price or volume).

· More frequent purchases.

I describe this system as Finding, Getting, Keeping and Growing customers.

You see marketing is not just about finding new clients.

It’s the whole system you put in place.

So I got to thinking about how you can get clients to purchase more frequently.

Because at the moment, most law firms only sell the one transaction.

And then, maybe, try and cross-sell. Often not successfully.

But what if you swiped Sky TV or BBC Magazines or Golf Club ideas and created a membership?

Perhaps a service where you are guaranteed an income from each client every year.

In return for a fabulous and wanted service?

100 clients paying £500 a year? Guaranteed? (£50k)

There’s plenty of expertise that you can draw on in your own law firm and outside it.

You can offer a service for personal clients. A “Roadmap for Tomorrow”.

This could be updated annually in conjunction with a financial adviser and accountant. (With you as lead).

And of course, serviced regularly.

It certainly beats billing by the hour.

And most of this type of work can be outsourced too.

I’ve got some ideas on this myself.

And will be working on it with at least one law firm.

But for now, if you’ve got any ideas of how you can get continuity revenue feel free to share them.

And if you are doing it already - that's great legal marketing.

Read more...

Solicitors Help Out Estate Agents For Referrals

Fancy doing Estate Agents a favour? And getting refferals

in return, (through reciprocation)?



More than half of Estate agents do not have any lone worker policies in place,

with no safety procedures in place for staff who carry out viewings

or valuations on their own. See the story here



If you advise on employment law then you can help agents.



You can develop this opportunity for your law firm.



Send out a Resource Report titled,



"Everything You Must Do By Law To Protect Estate Agency Staff

When Doing Lone Viewings."

Make an offer in the report to offer a bespoke service. Offer it at a high price.
Then also make an offer for a discounted price i.e. take off £100 for every
conveyancing job you receive in return.

Remember as solicitors you must identify the problem, agitate it and then solve it.

You know what the problem is, (I've told you), you use the report to agitate, you
offer a bespoke service to solve it and an offer to make it easy.

And you can do a solicitors video report like this instead!

Read more...

Law Gazette Gold - Solicitor Marketing Bites

Here are the contributions I've made to the Law Gazette

over the past few months.



You'll find it here



(I like the bit about receptionists

because it actually happened to me).



Don't forget to download it here

Read more...

Daily Inspiration Quotes From Twitter For Law Firms

Need a daily dose of inspiration

to get things done? It's on my Twitter account



http://twitter.com/boydbutler



(all set up using Social Oomph remember the video)





PS - have you checked your

Google Local categories?

Are you listed under all five

categories you should be?



And what are they you ask?



Solicitor, Services - Solicitors,

Solicitors, Legal Service Provider,

Conveyancing,





If any of the newsletters have been useful click here to find some

things I would really like for Easter ;-)

Thanks for stopping by. (There’s plenty to keep you going here!)

Read more...

Do You Build Rapport Personally And For Your Law Firm?

Newsletters members got this first. (Hint hint).



Find today's newsletter article on Rapport for solicitors here



And maybe refresh with Do People Like You? That's here.

Read more...

You Can't Rely On Word Of Mouth Anymore.

Why You Must Be First Choice On The Internet If You Want To Grow Your Solicitor Business.

As if you didn’t know. People are going to find you online and buy your services.

If they can find your law firm, like you and trust you.

And it’s not just me that says it.

A YouGov poll of 2,266 people commissioned by online solicitor directory legallybetter.com revealed that personal recommendation remains by far the most favoured method of choosing a solicitor.

But the internet is playing an increasingly important role in assisting consumers to choose a law firm.

• 21% of those polled said they would use internet search


• 20% said they would use websites with independent consumer ratings of law firms’ quality of services.


• 10% said they would use specialist web directories of solicitors


• 4% said they would ask their contacts on social networking sites such as Facebook

The survey found that men were slightly more likely than women to use the internet to find a solicitor.

Personal recommendation still results in people checking you out online. So it’s a must to get a

Winning Internet Strategy! ‘Nuff said – time for action.

Read more...

Be a Nosey Neighbour and Spy on your Law Firm Competitors.

It's a good idea to spy on your competitors.



They may have a good idea you can swipe. Or maybe they are doing

something that you can draw attention to and compare

your own services to, (favourably using compare and contrast).



Imagine having the spying automated for you.



And fast news coming back from the trenches of law firm marketing.

.

The quicker you know what other law firms are up to the

quicker you can react.



(And profit).



Here's a great weapon that helps

spy on your competition.



This service is www.ChangeDetection.com



It's not complicated.



Type in the web page address you want to monitor

and the email address to send alerts to.



For example a rival solicitors news page or

www.GreatLegalMarketing.co.uk



You can customise what changes you want reported

on the page versus only major changes etc.



You can review the changes that

were made because it highlights them.



I use this tool (along with Google Alerts) to help keep an

eye out for relevant changes online. (Including whether

my clients do their homework!)



Who do you want to spy on...?

Read more...

Be an Expert and Grab Celebrity Status For Your Law Firm

How are you getting on becoming the expert in your niche?



Are you writing, speaking, delivering expertise to an audience

that is turning you into a brand online and offline?



Here's a piece I wrote in Navigator Magazine.



This gets me in front of 200 law firms. If they like

what they read, they might visit this website.



And join in so that I can build a relationship with them.



Do you have a list of publications and groups

that you are systematically targetting so you can become

known as the expert in your field?



Remember it's about who knows you, not who you know.



How you can do it is in the article - get it here

Read more...

Sole Practioner Builds Business On Google

One of my clients has steadily been building his business

for conveyancing and HIPS via Google searches.



Read about what he recommends other sole practitioners

do in the latest "SOLO" Sole Practitioners magazine.



Here's a copy. (PS his article is on page 9).

Read more...

The "Little And Often" Referrals System

The "Little and Often" System.



Referrals are the best ways to grow any law firm.



You know this already.



So how do you boost

your referrals?



The answer is...



Create a system to make

consistent deposits into clients'

"emotional bank account."



The Emotional "Bank Account"



Stephen Covey, author of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,

created the concept of the

emotional bank account.



Everyone has an emotional bank account.



You have an emotional bank account.



I have an emotional bank account.



An emotional bank account is how somebody

feels about YOU.



It's similar to a real bank account.

you can you can make deposits or

withdrawals from it.



If I create a POSITIVE interaction with

you I am making a deposit to your

emotional bank account.



If I create NEGATIVE interactions with

you I am making a withdrawal from your

emotional bank account.



So Here's the BIG SECRET.



Create as many positive interactions

with your clients as you

can, as frequently as you can!



When you do this, people will be ready,

willing and happy to help whenever

you ask for it.



So here's what you need to do...



CREATE A SYSTEM that consistently makes

deposits into your clients

emotional bank account.



The Key Element of the Formula



When you're making consistent

deposits you need to do one more thing.



You need to REMIND people how important

referrals are to you and your business.



Reminding is a softer form of asking for

referrals.



When remind people about

about how important referrals are to

your business, they'll start sending

them to you...in a BIG way!



So here's the formula...



DEPOSIT -> DEPOSIT -> DEPOSIT -> REMIND



Make at least 3 deposits and then make 1

reminder withdrawal.



Geddit?



To remind yourself of how to ask for

a referral to get more clients for your law firm

go here



and to make deposits check out this.

Read more...

Get A Google Listing Right Or Suffer The Consequences

If a law firm doesn't monitor it's Google Local information

then there could be a problem. One of invisibility. Make

it a weekly task to check your Google Local listing.



Watch this video so your law firm doesn't disappear.



Here's the video.

Read more...

How Solicitors Can Siphon Off Traffic From You Tube

Read more...

Tesco have Estate Agents Panicking - Lawyers Next?

I am not an Estate agent but I do help some of them with marketing.

So the launch of ISold from Tesco is of interest.



And if affects your Estate Agent partners so you should keep up.



My question of any agent or Tesco is...



Why should I sell my property through you?



If you can answer this question and prove your answer

is the solution to my problem you get my business.



I think that Tesco will say.



"Tesco is the only Estate Agent

company that can market your property to 10 million

of our own customers, in store, online and in the

local newspapers for less than the price of your

household insurance and you only pay a success

fee that is 1/4 that of the average estate agent,

saving you enough to fund your holiday".



My Estate Agent answer may be;



"Butler's is the only agency where ready and willing buyers

PAY to receive information on properties exactly like yours

BEFORE they are advertised."



Buyers who have paid to get details fast will bid the price

up on my house and I will get a better price for my property and

it will sell fast - saving me two months of my life.



And that is invaluable.



it goes to the heart of how you are unique and express your difference.

Read more...

How Fast Or Free Is A Great Guarantee

I was with Estate Agents and solicitors yesterday.

After some really great brainstorming a promotion 20 years

old was dusted down and spruced up for 2010.

"Sell Your House in 10 Weeks Or Less

With Us Or You'll Pay Nothing When We Do".

It's a sellers market. So this is not going to cause too many problems

for the Estate Agent.

But offering a guarantee makes it much easier for a client

to make a decision about which agent to go to.

Because people are scared of making mistakes. Especially with

important and big things. Like selling a house.

Dominos make it with pizza, (delivered in 30

minutes or your money back).


What guarantees can you give that reverse the

risk for the buyer and make it easy to decide

to pick you?

Here's more on guarantees.

Read more...

I Watched Television About Solicitors Last Night.

I don't really watch much television.

(It doesn't teach me much)



But last night on Channel 4 I watched

Scams, Claims and Compensation Games.



It was about personal injury lawyers and their battles

with councils, razor manufactures and others.



One thing I picked up on was a law firm that

sponsored the appointment cards at the local
accident and emergency. A great legal marketing
idea.



This TV show was watch by millions.



It's will bring awareness

of personal injury claim possibilities

to many people.



So if you handle personal

injury claims, revamp an article ,

send it out to local/regional media owners and offer

yourself up as an expert.



And think about using tabloid style headlines

in your articles like Scams, Claims and Compensation

Games - because more people read tabloids.



Remember I mentioned getting partnerships

with car accident repair firms? Same idea as the

hospitals....(scroll down, you'll find it).



And when you are looking at converting prospects

to clients for personal injury claims think visual.



People want to know how much they might get.



Here's two ways you can show them.



Personal injury marketing pic one

Personal injury marketing pic two

Read more...

Can You Make It Easy To Buy From You?

Andrews Estate Agents have gone and bundled their commission

HIP and Conveyancing partners into one easy payment.



It means that for 2% commission with the agent you get the whole package.



It makes it easy for the house seller to deal with one company. And

with a little bit of a twist, such as a "no fee if we don't sell" it could

be a winner for Andrews in a market where there is little differentiation.



Check out the all in one package.



Can you do this with your products and partners?

Read more...

Do You Have Loyal Clients Or Satisfied Clients?

A quick quiz question. Choose one right answer.

You know you are building loyalty with a client when:

A. Your client wants to know more about your service.

B. Your client refers other clients to you.

C. Your client places orders with you only.

D. Your client will always take your call.

The correct answer is right here

Read more...

Check Out My "How To Use Twitter For Lawyers Report

Get it right here. And a recap; What's your answer to the question,

"Why Should I Choose Your Law Firm?." Need help? Check this out.

Read more...

Check Out My "How To Use Twitter For Lawyers Report

Get it right here. And a recap; What's your answer to the question,



"Why Should I Choose Your Law Firm?." Need help? Check this out.

Read more...

You Can Do The Same Videos For Free

Read more...