I’m finally back after two sick days, and have a question: How are law firms tracking their clients in the news? Are you doing this at all?

I have to keep it under wraps right now, but I think I’ve developed something for the small firm that would allow them to easily and automatically track what their clients are doing, see their press releases, etc. It’s something that is a bit of a no-brainer, and I definitely don’t claim that I’ve come up with something brand new or even that innovative.

Oh yeah. And it’s free.

Popularity: 44% [?]

When I was writing my last post, I had an “aha” moment.

Ever since I started blogging and encouraging attorneys and law firms to do so, I’ve been presented with the following question: “Why should my attorneys spend their time writing a blog? It seems like a waste of time.”

At this point, I would usually lay out the following points:

• Positioning the attorney as an expert in their area of practice- Blogging is a way for an attorney to give proof that they know their stuff in their particular practice area. Saying “our attorneys are experts in _____ law,” is one thing. Proving it is another. Blogging is a great way to do that.
• Adding more content helps your search engine rankings- Since blogs are updated more often than “traditional” web sites, search engines give blogs more credit. Since frequency of updates is one factor in the search engine ranking algorithms, having a frequently updated site helps rankings.
• Blogging is a more personal, honest way to talk to your clients- Blogging is inherently more casual than the firm’s web sites. A blog has personality. It allows your attorneys to show their expertise, while at the same time showing a human side not normally seen on the “plastic” attorney bios. Today’s clients/potential clients have a highly sophisticated BS meter. They know when they’re seeing firm-centric marketing text that gives them no real information on their issue. They know a thinly-veiled advertisement when they see it. You’re not going to fool them. A blog, however, cuts through the PR. A blog is a forum for honest communication.
• Blogging is a conversation- A firm’s web site is a form of one-way communication. The firm puts out their message, and the site’s visitor reads the message. That ends the communication. Blogs, however, allow readers to post their comments, questions, and reactions. It allows the blog author to read criticism, suggestions, and compliments, giving them a chance to learn more about the issues they’re writing about. Comments often point to similar articles or news stories. And questions allow the blogger then chance to dig deeper and to communicate with the audience. When was the last time you saw a firm site that allowed comments?

During the ALA conference session on Ask the Marketing Experts, one attendee, very negatively said “Why in the world should my attorneys spend their time on these things? There’s just no way any of my clients have the time to read “blogs”.”

I can understand doubt. I think that blogs often get a bad rap. People see them as a diary. Drivel written by ego-centric people talking about their pets (ahem.). They hear the word “blog” and immediately dismiss them as an unprofessional, amateur form of communication that cannot possibly apply to professionals.

Here’s the “aha.”

I see a three step process for new clients. I mentioned this a bit in my last post, but this time I’m going to add some points (as well as pictures of pets. I didn’t say the attendee’s opinion was totally off!).

Step One: Recognition of a problem

In this step, the potential client realizes they have a problem or situation that could require some legal help.

Step Two: Learn more about the problem

Here, they go online to research the issue. Most likely they’ll go to Google or another search engine to enter search terms.

Step Three: Seek advice-

In this step, it’s time to find an attorney that can help with the problem.

Law firm web sites can, at best, come into play on the third step; after the client has already researched their problem. But if they use a legal blog as their research source, the firm has effectively cut one step from the process. Think of the impact of that. If your firm is giving valuable information even before the client has decided to seek counsel, you’ve already formed a relationship. You’ve established trust. You’ve given proof that you know the issue and know how to handle the work.

Why would they look elsewhere for representation?

Popularity: 64% [?]

I’m back in Boston and have finally recovered from the long week in Montreal at the ALA conference. I’ve organized my notes from the event, and here’s the latest installment.

During the “Ask the Marketing Experts” panel, attendees were encouraged to move from table to table to discuss different marketing topics with the experts (hence the name). But since Larry Bodine was covering Blogs, Web Sites, and Other Technology, I stayed in one place for the entire session.

Here’s how I’m going to present this. I’ll first show the question, followed by Mr. Bodine’s response (beginning with LB:). I’m in no way quoting him verbatim. I’m just going from my notes and expanding upon them. I’ll then add my own notes. So here goes.

Subject 1: Blogs

Q: Why do a blog?

LB:To get clients. Using a blog, individual attorneys are now getting higher rankings than their firms. Since blogs are updated more frequently than regular web sites, search engines are giving them higher rankings. In addition, having a blog on a practice area makes the attorney an expert in their area.

LawFirmBlogging:I think that the higher ranking point is a great one. When you step back, the goal of every marketing effort is to attract clients. With that in mind, we have to ask: How are clients going to find us? Well, one way is through search engines.
I think we need to think of blogs as a completely different animal than law firm web sites. They come in at a different time in the selection process for clients, and that’s a very important difference. Here’s how I like to think of it:

• Step One: I have a problem- In this step, the potential client realizes that he or she has a situation that could require legal help.
• Step Two: Learn more about the problem- Here, they go out to the web to research the issue. And most likely, they’ll go to Google and enter a search term.
• Step Three: Seek advice- In this step, it’s time to find an attorney that can help with the problem.

Where law firm web sites can come into play at step three, blogs can come in at step two. Blogs are seen as an information source; web sites are seen as an advertisement for services. This is an important distinction. If you can get your content in front of the potential client at this step, it is an ENORMOUS advantage.

Q: Is a blog really a good marketing tool?

LB: Yes, if you update it frequently. There’s a blog out there called Patently O, maintained by Dennis Crouch. I talked to him, and found out that he gets over 10,000 visitors per week, and has brought in Fortune 1000 clients and lots of patent work. If you’re able to find a specific niche, add current events and court opinions, you can stay up-to-date. Then a blog can be a great marketing tool.

LawFirmBlogging: I agree with Mr. Bodine here. Yes, blogs can be great for your marketing. But I think you have to do it right. If you’ve got a specific topic and there are few experts already blogging on the subject, that’s a great opportunity.
I also think you need to look at what you’re hoping to accomplish. If your goal is to set yourself up as an expert on your subject, blogging is the best. If your goal is to attract clients directly from your blog, it can be done, but it takes work.

Q: Doesn’t it take a lot of time to manage a blog? Do you need to update it daily?

LB: No. You can do mulitple posts in one day and post date them. In theory, you could do a week’s worth of blogging in an hour, by post dating your entries. For law firms, I think the best way to maintain a blog is to have a blog on a practice area with multiple authors.

As for frequency of posting, no, you don’t have to blog daily. I think posting 2-3 times per week is fine for a practice area blog.

LawFirmBlogging: I think it all depends on the amount of dedication you are willing to give to your blog. I know some legal bloggers that literally spend 2-3 hours each day on their blog, and I know some that put up a post or two a month. Sure, the more you update, the better chance you’ll get a higher ranking, but I think you should focus on quality rather than quantity. I think you should blog as often as you’re comfortable with. Yes, this is a marketing effort, but you really should do it because you’re having fun with it.

Q: Won’t having a blog take away from my site’s content?

LB: No. The best thing to do is to write a short summary on the blog, and link to your firm’s content.

LawFirmBlogging: Agreed. I think you have to think of your blog as a separate venue for your ideas. It’s not a zero-sum game; people aren’t going to say “I’ve got this problem, and there are only two places to go: the firm’s site and this blog. I can only go to one or the other.”

Subject 2: Web Sites

Q: Do you have to ask clients’ permission to list their name on the web site?

LB: I think it’s a good thing to do it. Just shoot them an email and ask. It’s worth it.

LawFirmBlogging: I think the best way to do this is at the beginning of the relationship. I’d adivse firms to have this as an item on their client intake form. That way, you know from the beginning whether or not the client objects to being listen on your site.
In addition (at least for smaller clients), clients love this. It’s a plug for their site, and it shows that you care about them. It shows the client how much you value them, so much so that you’re willing to use them as an example.

Q: How do you convert site visitors into clients?

LB: The best way is to have some kind of interaction on the site. You should have an eNewsletter, or some way to collect information. If you’re able to get a name and phone number, that’s a great way to 1) know who’s visiting your site and 2) you can pick up the phone and ask the subcriber out to lunch.

LawFirmBlogging: Nothing to add here. Opt-in is a great way to get information about the human beings that are visiting your site. Your stats can give you numbers, but opt-in can give you more.

Q: How do you measure new business from the internet?

LB: You have to ask. Ask how they hear about you. Lots of time, they’ll say “well, I know the partner x.” But now and then they’ll say they looked you up on the internet. I do know for a fact that general counsel will come up with a short list. Then they’ll look at your web site. If you have a bad one, you just lost their business. If you have a good one, you stay on the list.

LawFirmBlogging: In addition to having web site/ blog as an item on your client intake form and an opt-in, there are a few tricks that you can use. First, I’d suggest using a different contact email address on your web site. That way, you can know that the person emailing you got your contact info directly from the web site. If you’re fortunate enough to have several phone lines, you could have a separate phone number on the web site as well.

Subject3: Extranets

Q: Are extranets picking up?

LB: Yes, they’re really picking up. Clients want their own extranet, pass-protected to see their documents, their matter, and how much the bill is so far.

It’s huge to manage but clients love it. It’s personalized and customized just for them. I really like it. I can login and see what’s going on. It makes you feel special.

LawFirmBlogging:Sure. I think extranets are great. That’s all.

Q: We’re a small firm. I don’t know if we have the resources. Are there services that do extranets?

LB: Get something that allows you to own all your code. Don’t use a service. Make sure you own the code. You can get a database-driven website for $5000 or less. It’ll include an extranet.

LawFirmBlogging: You can definitely do this. All you need is PHP/MySQL on Apache and someone that knows how to write a little code.

Well, that’s the bulk of the notes I took during Mr. Bodine’s session. I’d like to thank him for the opportunity to present this here.

Popularity: 46% [?]

Today I had the pleasure to attend the “Ask the Marketing Experts” panel session at the Association of Legal Administrators’ annual Conference. The following presenters were there:

• Phyllis Weiss Haserot- On Business Development Coaching
• Norm Mullock- On Business Intelligence
• Iris Jones on Client Service Teams and Sales Training
• Charles Maddock on Branding
• Jeff Reade on CRM/Databases
• Sally Schmidt on Client Surveys
• Larry Bodine on Web sites, blogs and other technology

The format of the panel was unique in that each panelist was asked to present their most “frequently asked question” along with a 2-minute answer. After this portion, each presenter went to a table for a 10-minute Q&A. At the end of the ten minutes, the session leader whistled loudly, indicating the end of that 10-minute period. Attendees then rotated to other tables.

Well, I decided to stay at one table. It’s not as if there weren’t very interesting and informative tables: there were. I just decided that since I write about web sites, blogs, and other technology for law firms, it would make the most sense to stick around. In my next post, I’ll give the “transcript” (not verbatim, but you’ll get the idea) from Larry Bodine’s sessions. In this post (it’s getting long already, but bear with me), I’ll lay out the presenters FAQs and their answers.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot- Business Development Coaching
FAQ: How does coaching work, and what’s the difference between coaching and training?
Training is structured and has a beginning, a middle and an end. It’s something that is pre-formatted and fairly rigid. Coaching is quite different in that it is custom tailored to the individual attorney. They may be different in the execution, but both coaching and training have the same goals in mind. Ms. Haserot is of the opinion that the best results come from mixing training and coaching.

Jeff Reade- CRM/databases
FAQ: What does it take to have a successful CRM implementation?
1. Data has to be all in one place. He gave the example of having all attorneys in one room, with their Palm Pilots on. Think of your CRM as that….only possible.
2. Keep it simple: If you actually get buy-in at your firm, don’t overpromise. Don’t make the mistake of giving the impression that having a CRM will be the be-all end-all for you firm. It isn’t. Don’t oversell what it can do. Otherwise, having some success with the CRM could be perceived as a failure. Not good.
3. Plan, plan, plan. Implementing a customer relationship management system isn’t something you’ll do overnight, and that’s a good thing. It’s not flipping a switch. Instead, you should plan out exactly how you want to implement it, and give reasons why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s a daunting task, so make sure it makes sense.

Norm Mullock on Business Intelligence
FAQ: What is BI and how can firms use it?
Business Intelligence is basically a way of leveraging data. BI is the framework around your firm’s data that makes sense of the information you have. More and more firms are hiring marketing professionals from outside the legal industry because they have one thing in mind: What is my ROI? Business Intelligence software is a tool that helps understand the return on investment and how to maximize the data the firm alredy posesses.

Iris Jones on Client Teams and Sales Training
FAQ: Why client teams?

Ms. Jones is a former attorney, so she claims to be long winded. Rather than winging it for two minutes, she instead used bullet points and offered more details later on. Unfortunately, she talked much faster than I could type, so here’s what I have:

• Client service teams can drive profits from key clients
• Client service teams result in greater efficiency and enhanced firm integration.
• Client service teams can ensure a consistent approach and message
• Client service teams can result in new practice groups not seen from a traditional standpoint.

Charles Maddock on Branding
FAQ: What is branding and why is it essential to law firms?
Branding is: what you’re known for, what you could be known for. It is why clients and recruits pick your firm. It makes the marketing message consistent and concise. Branding is not just a logo or a website…it’s the culture, beliefs, and what you stand for as an organization.
One huge difference to Mr. Maddock is that clientsare now selecting law firms on reputation rather than individual lawyers. It used to be that clients would pick a firm because they knew an individual attorney there. New studies show that is no longer the case. Clients are now picking firms…not just single attorneys.

Sally Schmidt on Client Surveys
FAQ: What is the best way to conduct a client survey?
There is no best way.
It all depends on
1. clients- size, sophistication, amount of work, location.
2. firm- what are resources, $, etc., commitment
3. objective- what are you trying to learn? If you’re looking at high end clients, do a personal interview. If you’re trying to find something from a large volum of clients, do it electronically

The idea is that there really is no cookie-cutter, stock client survey. It all depends on what you’re trying to get out of it, who you’re going to ask, and what works best to support those goals.

Larry Bodine on Web sites, blogs and other technology
FAQ: Are law firms really getting new business from web sites and blogs?

The answer: Yes.

Mr. Bodine cites new research that shows law firm web sites are the single best tool for corporate and transactional firms for getting new work. 82% of firms get work directly from their web sites.

Law firm web sites can generate business as long as they show your firm has:

• industry experience- you have to show that you know a client’s business. If you have the greatest web site and beautiful design, that doesn’t matter if you can’t do the client’s work.
• · representative clients- show you represent the right clients. List the kinds of clients you want more of.
• Success stories- have you ever won a case, closed a deal? Just name the client, the issue, and how you saved the day.

Well, that’s it for now. I’ll post more on Larry Bodine’s session later tonight (or early tomorrow). It’s time for me to go out and get some air.

Popularity: 51% [?]

..applause.

I’m still here in Montreal, and apparently live blogging from the sessions themselves are impossible. Due to that, I’m in my hotel room, blogging about the sessions I’ve seen thus far. Here’s my setup:

If you look closely, you’ll see the nectar of the gods on my left. Yep, look closely. It’s red bull.

Here in Canada, they have the regular red bull, but they also have this. It’s the original Thai red bull that really packs a punch. Anyone who knows me can surely attest to the fact that I love red bull and any energy drink that can lift me up a bit and make me type at inhuman levels. Well, there’s a full supply of this stuff here and I’m definitely taking advantage.

Yesterday’s session was entitled “Breaking Through the Barriers: Sales and Marketing.” The sesion was conducted by:

Alvidas A. Jasin: Director of Business Development at Thompson Hine LLP
Iris J. Jones, Esq: Client Services Advisor at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Sally J. Schmidt: President of Schmidt Marketing, Inc.
Adam L. Stock: Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Dorsey Whitney LLP.

Right from the start, these experienced law firm marketing experts wanted us to know that they use the “s” word: sales. Rather than using Business Development or Marketing, they wanted to stress that “sales” is what they are interested in.

What’s the difference?

Sales takes place after all the marketing initiatives have gone on. It’s like Glengarry Glenross “always be closing…” That’s how they think of sales. When you think about it, that makes sense; all the marketing in the world means nothing if it doesn’t result in a sale.

With this difference as a starting point, the panel began talking about creating a sales culture. It’s a sublte shift in thinking that can create an enormous difference. Take, for instance, the Thompson Hine sales organization shift.

Before implementing a “sales culture”, the firm had a Marketing Manager that reported directly to the partner in charge of the office. Remember, this is a multi-office firm. Now, the firm has a Business Development organization. It works like this: There’s a Director of Business Development and a Business Development Advisory Team. Reporting to them are separate “Business Development Managers.”

This way, each business development manager focuses on one practice group. Let’s use an IP group for instance. Rather than having a separate marketing manager in each office, marketing is instead divided by group. The IP Business Development Manager is focused just on IP in multiple offices. That way, each BD Manager becomes an expert in one group nationwide.

Another shift in thinking has to do with staff. Sure, it’s nice to say that everyone in the organization- from partners to secretaries are conducting their work with marketing in mind. But the panel gave some examples of how, in reality, it can be pulled off.

One example dealt with how secretaries should be involved in the marketing process. One firm decided that in order to truly understand a client, the legal secretary should know the client’s secretary. They actually had the legal secretary meet with the client’s secretary for lunch in order to foster a multi-level relationship. Now that’s practicing what you preach!

One other “duh!” moment occured when the panel showed a chart showing revenue by clients. In many firms, more than 80% of their clients are producing less than 5% of the revenue. In contrast, .2% of clients are bringing in over 25% of the revenue. Let’s say you have 10 clients that bring you over $1 million. Then you have 3,300 clients that bring you less than $50,000. Should you really be spending your time and energy trying to attract clients that don’t cover the overhead?

I’m not saying to drop all the little guys. That’s not the case at all. But when you’re trying to attract new clients, it’s very important to look at the big picture.

At the end of the session, Mr. Jasin told us we’d be getting a free gift. What was it?

Since the title was “Breaking Through the Barriers”, he had everyone break a block of wood with their hand. The idea, of course, was that you shouldn’t look at the obstacle, but rather look past it to see where you want to be. I took a couple of photos of the participants:

I am now leaving to go see an ask the experts panel. Though I’ve been sitting next to Larry Bodine at these marketing sessions, I’ve yet to hear him speak. He’s been keeping track of this conference as well at his blog.

Until then, au revoir.

Popularity: 46% [?]

I’m here in Montreal, attending the Association of Legal Administrators Annual Conference. Yesterday I had the pleasure to hear Bonnie Shucha (of WisBlawg) talk about Blogging and RSS technologies for lawyers/law firms.

I’ll write more on that later…..

One highlight: During her talk, she was using powerpoint, and she referenced LawFirmBlogging.com!!! I was floored! She had no idea who I was (of course), so we were both surprised.

I was also fortunate enough to meet Larry Bodine, who is writing about the conference at his blog. In it, he covers Bonnie Shucha’s session as well as other marketing ideas here at the conference.

I hope to get a chance to speak with both again this week to discuss blogging. I’m now off to the Sales and Marketing Session, and will be blogging “live” from there (in quotes because I’m not sure if I’ll have a connection).

Popularity: 50% [?]