Here we are again heading into the summer with half the year behind us already! How has business been so far? Have you surpassed the goals you set for yourself earlier in the year? Did you even set goals? Like any industry, there’s no standing still, if you are not growing your practice you are probably falling behind. By now you are well aware that the old rules of law firm marketing are in the rear view mirror. Still spending thousands on a full page ad in the Yellow Pages? The one they delivered to me is in the recycling bin with the plastic wrapper still on it. Word of Mouth is still the best way to generate new clients but is it enough? Probably not. Without a doubt, the single most important thing you can do to improve your case load is to make marketing a Top Priority.
The legal industry continues to accelerate into a future where the attention span of the average consumer is whittled down to microseconds as they actively try to filter out what is relevant in their lives. A personal injury victim searches online for an attorney or sees a commercial on television and decides to make the call. Will that call be to your firm? You know who your competitors are in your region and you must be in the arena to gain your unfair share of the business available.
It is so easy to dive back in to the busywork that needs to be done every day and simply table a real commitment to marketing. “It’s too complicated”, “we’ve been burned in the past”, “it doesn’t work”, “we can do fine without it”. These are all famous last words of struggling attorneys and failing law firms who have not embraced a strategic approach to filling their pipeline with potential new clients. I challenge you to use coming summer months as a time to take an inventory of what you are doing to make your practice a magnet for new business.
So here is the summertime challenge:
- Make a real commitment to marketing—not a half-hearted decision to “try” something but a full-fledged commitment to identify at least 3 ways to fill your funnel with new leads. It could be a revamp of your website, an investment in lead generation marketing, creating a referral alliance with a non-competitive firm or all of the above.
- Be strategic, take a deep breath and don’t get overwhelmed with all of the noise on how to advertise. Start by building an ideal customer profile, an avatar of what your best client looks like, where they live, visualize the type of accident or injuries sustained if you are a personal injury lawyer and how you can help that individual get the generous settlement they deserve.
- Focus on where your core business lies and be willing to apply key resources of time and money whether it’s Social Security Disability or Workers Compensation lead generation. Remember, it’s an investment that will pay dividends if there is focus, patience and commitment.
But remember to keep your priorities straight. Enjoy summer vacations, spend time with family and live life. Prioritizing marketing will help you achieve what you want most out of your firm.