As you watch all your contacts accruing,
The value of each needs reviewing.
With your limited time,
It would be such a crime
To invest in those not worth pursuing.

Some people may be concerned that the word “target” is aggressive or predatory. However, we use it in our business merely as a generic term to describe a wide range of individuals who might be influenced or changed by your actions. Targets may include clients, prospects, referral sources, program chairs, publishers, editors, and other people who can help you in your business development effort. By using the word “target,” we avoid having to repeat all of these subcategories.

If you can locate highly qualified targets, then you will be well on your way to success. Of course, you still need to decide how to communicate the value that you offer. But it is much easier to sell to people once you know that they are the right people.

To stay in your comfort zone, we recommend that you always strive to find targets that meet the following two comfort criteria:

1. They should have the potential to lead to new business.
2. You should like them.

Focusing on meeting targets that satisfy these two criteria will increase your comfort with selling. When you are confident that your targets are likely to lead to new business, you will feel more justified in investing your time and money. And when you like your targets, the experience will be more enjoyable.

For more marketing tips, check out our book Selling in Your Comfort Zone.

Public relations can contribute to three important parts of your business development effort:

• Lead generation: You can use public relations to meet new people.
• Substantiation: When people hear about or experience you through a public relations effort, it substantiates your position in their minds.
• Follow-up: Meeting new people does you no good unless you follow up, and public relations gives you a variety of vehicles for doing that.

For more tips, check out our marketing seminar “Benefitting from Public Relations.”

Check out this unique $10.77 legal marketing tip.

One solo practioner shares what she learned about legal marketing and more in the year since she first hung her shingle.

Case closed. Now what? The end of your representation is when you give a free consultation, not just the beginning.

Expand you practice by marketing to colleagues.

Harness the marketing power of niche expertise.

Law Students

Four steps to networking with your adjunct professor.

Mailings closely tailored to specific recipients rank among the most effective, even if sent to only a small number of prospects. When you have something that will interest a segment of the people on your mailing list, mail to one person or a group of people—whoever might find your item useful. For example, if you are a tax specialist, a new development in divorce taxation would interest the family lawyers on your mailing list. A summary of a new case on international copyright issues might draw the attention of specialists in international trade, whose clients will benefit from the information.

When sending to an individual or a selected group, add a personal note: “Jane, this reminded me of our discussion last year about the Sukarnoputri case. The Supreme Court overruled it yesterday.” If you send something to several people who know each other, make each note different so they don’t compare notes and find you sent the same intimate message verbatim to everyone.

Rather than leave your published articles to dry up and crumble in obscurity on library shelves, turn them into effective mailings. If the publication owns the copyright, buy reprints. You can even send a technical article to lawyers in other fields, since one of your goals is to show off your expertise. They will at least give it a glance on its way to the recycle bin. But they will remember you better if you send them an article with information they can use, such as

• “Five Things That California Business Lawyers Must Know about Anti-trust”
• “Ten Tax-Saving Tips for Your Clients Faced with Divorce”

How Often?

How often should you send something to the people on your mailing list? Often enough that your prospects have you in mind during those unpredictable moments when they have a good case to refer but not so often as to provoke the reaction, “Not him again!”

For more tips, check out our article “A Mailing List to Market Your Practice.”

Do some reconnaissance to find out about what your competition offers. Information about your competitors is not always readily available. However, there are some ways of obtaining it. One method is to ask people you trust who have had interaction with your competitors. Perhaps you have clients and friends who have done business with your competitors.

You may be able to go to programs where your competitors are speaking. Or check out the promotional materials on their websites.

Make a Comparison

Once you acquire information about your competition, the next step is to make a comparison. The obvious way to compare your services is by how much you charge. But remember that value is comprised of many qualities of which money is only a part, so avoid falling into this trap. We have many clients who are the highest priced providers in their markets but who are still confident that they offer the best deal.

Even if you charge more than the competition, you still may provide benefits that make you the preferred provider. Think about the meaningful things that differentiate you from your competitors. Consider your positive personal traits, your systems for ensuring quality service, and all of the benefits that you offer.

Become Proud of the Fees You Charge

Ideally, you should develop your confidence to a level that you are proud to quote your fees. This may seem odd to you at first. After all, who is enthusiastic talking about fees? We know professionals who are actually embarrassed to quote their fees. They suspect that they might be overcharging their clients, or that the competition offers a better deal. However, once you become genuinely confident that you offer a superior deal to the competition, you will be proud of the fees you charge.

For more marketing tips, check out our book Selling in Your Comfort Zone.

Five essential steps to achieving flow in legal writing.

How to talk like a lawyer.

For clear and effective legal writing, go ahead and use the passive voice.

Ten editing techniques to improve your writing.

Law students

Escape the law-school textbook scam.

The solution is so simple: always try to negotiate a follow-up at the end of every meeting. Whether it’s a casual conversation or a formal pitch, afterward, look for a reason to stay in touch. Offer to do an analysis. Propose a low-cost service that will demonstrate who you are and what you do. If your prospect reveals a need that you don’t provide, make a referral and set up an introduction. If your prospect mentions his or her accountant, express an interest in meeting him or her. If your prospect expresses an appreciation for Ethiopian food, invite him or her to lunch.

If you can’t think of anything specific to offer, at minimum, negotiate a timeframe in which to follow-up on your pitch. Say, “I look forward to hearing from you, but I know you’re busy. If I don’t hear from you after a period of time, may I touch base with you?” Ask permission to check in. If your prospect is interested in working with you, he or she will say yes. Then figure out an appropriate timeline to make that call. By negotiating permission to follow up with a specific reason, you won’t feel awkward about touching base with your prospect at a later date.

The sales cycle can take many, many years, but if you’re skilled at following up, you’ll be able to stay connected with your prospect and ultimately make the sale.

For more tips, check out our marketing seminar “How to Pitch.”

Consider a newsletter. Even if a newsletter oriented to your specialty does not enthrall most lawyers in other fields, a reader who recognizes your name will invest thirty seconds to see what you have to say. That thirty seconds may be all you need. Turning other lawyers into specialists in your field is not your goal; rather, it’s to make them aware of developments in your field that might affect their practices, regardless of their specialties, and to remind them of your expertise in your area of practice.

The best newsletters strive to give value. It’s fine to announce that you gave a speech to the Accounting Society about business valuation, but your readers will be more impressed if you share some substantive highlights. For examples of ways to announce other activities that you may consider newsworthy, compare these:

Thomas P. Sawyer joined the Monterey County Bar Association.

Who cares?

Rebecca Thatcher was invited to speak to the San Luis Obispo County Bar Association’s Law Practice Management Section on how to give better client service by better communication. She made these ten points …

Don’t overwhelm your readers. Keep your newsletter brief and clean. To do a visually pleasing job, consult a graphic-arts service. But keep them on a short leash, as they sometimes advocate more glitz than necessary. Although newsletters should look professional, too slick can cost too much and come off as trying too hard.

Brochures

Brochures have been largely replaced by websites as a way of enlightening prospects about your firm and its capabilities. Emailing a link to your website is almost as good as printing and sending a brochure. If you don’t have a website or want a brochure anyway, assume an audience of sophisticated skeptics who will not be impressed by the usual hype. Keep your message as factual as possible. As for format, my cautions about newsletters that are too amateurish or too glitzy also apply to brochures.

For more tips, check out our article “A Mailing List to Market Your Practice.”

• How Should Law Firms Approach Social Media
• Finding Friends (and Clients) on Facebook
• I Tweet. Therefore, I Am.
• Building a Better Blog
• 10 Reasons to Use Google+
• How to Create a Law Firm Social Media Policy

So you have social network profiles. But are you engaging in conversation?

Twitterers, check out these Twitter best practices for lawyers.

Yet another social media site is taking over the web: Pinterest. Read why lawyers should check it out.

Law students

Hopeful students get better grades and are more satisfied with their lives.

Don’t get stuck in the habit of simply doing the work. Good work is important, but it is only one component of the value you offer. Remember the confidence formula: Benefits minus fees equals confidence in your ability to offer value. The more benefits you are aware of offering in relationship to the fees you charge, the more confidence you will have in the value you offer. Ideally, you want the benefits to far outweigh the fees. In other words, you should be confident that you offer a really great deal.

What added benefits can you give your clients? Depending on the nature of your work and relationships with your clients, there may be many types of added benefits that you can provide. Here are five main categories:

Education

Clients expect a certain amount of education as part of the work you do for them. They expect you to help them understand the problems they are facing, and they want your advice. But there are many more ways that you can educate clients. For example, many professionals give the added benefit of conducting seminars for their clients. Or they write articles and newsletters and then disseminate these publications to their clients. The more you help your clients by giving them interesting and useful information, the more confidence you will have in your ability to offer value.

Entertainment

Entertainment is a common added benefit. People like to have fun. Often, clients highly value meals, ballgames, the theater, and parties.

We had a client who enjoys auto racing and invites his clients to go to the racetrack. We have had many clients who love classical music and regularly bring their clients to concerts. Think of things that you like to do and consider inviting your clients to participate. Entertainment gives value to your clients and helps strengthen your relationships.

Introductions

Many professionals regularly give the added benefit of making introductions. Perhaps you know a good lawyer, accountant, or banker who could be of value to your clients. You may have colleagues within your own organization who can provide other services that could benefit your contacts.

Join a networking group to expand your ability to make introductions. Networking groups can provide access to other professionals with a wide range of expertise whom you can introduce to your clients.

Leadership

Another type of added benefit is leadership. You may be able to take a leadership role in the lives of your clients. For example, maybe you can get active in their trade and professional organizations. By going to their meetings and joining committees, you are taking an active interest in their businesses and learning more about the issues that impact their lives. You can also get involved in the nonprofit charities and community organizations that your clients care about. Not only will this give added benefits to your clients, but it can be personally fulfilling, give you the ability to spend time with your clients, and help you meet new people.

Inspiration

This is one of the hidden benefits that you may offer. Many professionals do not think of themselves as being inspirational. But the fact is, everyone we know either is or can be more inspirational. This is because we define inspiration as the ability to instill self-confidence. Whenever you act as a sounding board and let clients tell you about obstacles they are facing, that’s inspirational. When you give your clients advice that reveals a pathway for overcoming the obstacles they are facing, that’s inspirational.

For more marketing tips, check out our book Selling in Your Comfort Zone.