Develop Business in the Recession By Barbara S. Straczynski May 20, 2010, 2:04 PM
Everyone wants to get more business, build their practice and be successful. Current economic circumstances make that even more difficult, but Carol Greenwald, PhD, told Annual Meeting and Convention attendees about key points where they should focus, and how to do it, so that business can continue to move forward when times are tough. Value: When you think about value, you need to think in terms of "what does the client value?" It's not about you. The way you get work and build your reputation is value. But again, it's what the client values. Your client will find value in your services when you do things like: Call monthly -- especially litigators -- tell the client that you haven't forgotten about them, that this many people are ahead of you, and tell them about the process so they know what's going on. Maybe you know about calendars and schedules and postponements, but if you don't tell your client, they won't think kindly of you and so they won't tell others and won't hire you back. Let me correct that -- they will tell others not to go to you for their legal needs because you forgot about them. Track issues and laws: Assign someone at your firm the task of tracking issues and laws of interest to your clients. Define your best client: what do they need? how do they pick lawyers and when? Make a personality for your best client and identify their needs. Select best products (packaged services): take a basic service and turn it into a "product offering" by thinking in terms of what benefit it will bring to a client. Adapt a service into a product offering by figuring out the client's mindset and needs. Plan and Act-- Goals: Set two goals and a minimum of two strategies., ie. I am going to identify 2 referrals that can get me clients. You need a vision for where you want to go. Create strategies: Go where the clients go. For business practice, what are the local organizations? ie., Chamber of Commerce. Sell what they want to buy. Become known on a topic so you can write about it, speak about it, pick a geographic area and become the go to person on that topic. Be visible: It's easy to forget you. Clients and potential clients should see you all the time. Have a two sentence "elevator speech" that should be interesting and inspire questions. Sell: You have this problem and I can solve it. Basically, you are no different than a product maker or store. You are going to sell what they want to buy because you figured out what they need and when. Existing clients - probably 70% of your business: Make sure they get client care -- do interviews about what they care about, where they're going, what major hurdles do they anticipate? Work with them to discover what needs to be strengthened and what is strong that needs to be protected. Being a vendor or only responsive is wrong .Be an advisor, part of the decision making process where you can be most effective. And you'll be visible so they'll remember. Then, exceed their expectations: This will give you loyal clients. Make marketing a habit and remember that it's a process. Measure and Evaluate: make notes keep track annotate and record process review evaluate adjust implementation begin again Without this, you will have no benchmarks and you won't see progress. --Marketing is a process, make it a daily habit --Focus and prioritize; target or get lost --exceed expectations, relevance and value --enjoy the process and be memorable.
Make a Comment	Recommend this to Others
<<< Previous Blog - New and Experienced Lawyers Breaking Attendance Records at Annual Meeting and Convention
Happy Hour at Municipal Court 101 - Next Blog >>>