Select Specific Targets When Marketing Your Practice
You might not realize this, but you have a virtual army ready and able to help you market your practice. Clients, attorneys, associates and other professionals are some of the people you can "recruit" to work alongside you. Here are some ideas:
Market to Current and Former Clients
There's no better "salesperson" for your legal services than a satisfied client. Maintain regular communication with all your clients via a newsletter or a bulletin. And always keep your database current.
Market to Attorneys In and Out of Your Practice Area
A referral that comes to you from an attorney-any attorney- should be handled with kid gloves. Why? Because more referrals may follow. Plus, it helps boost your "referral reputation." If you'd like lawyers to regularly send you cases, tell them why they should send them to you. Address this question: why and how will it benefit them and the client?
Market to Other Professionals, Contact and Centers of Influence
Other professionals who market to the same type of client you do make an excellent source of referrals. They're usually eager to find a lawyer they can trust. The same goes for "centers of influence," such as clergy and community leaders. They're great referral sources because of their strong influence and wide reach.
Market to New Clients
Sometimes you have to go straight to the client- or have the client come directly to you. The key is to "leverage" your time and resources. You can do this by putting on seminars, joining an advisory board or even participating in a program like Martindale-Hubbell's Attorney Match service, where qualified clients come right to you via email.
Referral Tip: Whenever you receive a referral from anyone, be sure to immediately acknowledge it with a thank-you letter or card, or by using some other appropriate show of appreciation. Also, reassure the referring party that you will take special care of the client. This puts the referring party at ease and will encourage them to send you more referrals.
