VIDEO “I regularly receive numerous email newsletters many of which are deleted within seconds Jeanette Miller, Managing Director Geoffrey Miller Solicitors www.motoroffence.co.uk You can get some of my old newsletters right here Do you want to enjoy the positive personal and professional 1 Find new prospects 2 Get these prospects to convert to new clients 3 Keep existing prospects 4 Grow the existing and new prospects 5 Enable these prospects to become volunteer referrers You may be able to do this without employing any more staff or increasing even radically changing the ethos of the company. Call me today on 0118 968 0935 - Just so you know, I work with you as your consultant There are no contracts. If you don't like what's happening Call me today on 0118 968 0935 if you want more business. Want 12 months of email marketing for your commercial law firm? Do you know the SEVEN Performance
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It’s About Who Knows You.
Getting yourself the right personal brand is very important.
Take a look at Paul Hajek of Clutton Cox.
He's branded as a conveyancing expert. why you .
*********************here
*********************HOT for local search results for law firms
If you get local business then you're looking to
be found for local search terms...like "solicitor Reading."
Now if you want a little bit of an edge, you can tag
your photos with a geolocator...it's free from Google.
I did a rough video about this.
http://screencast.com/t/O2r7By2k2Q
Might help you get some local searches because anything which helps
And as no one is doing it...well it probably will help.
And as it's a video you can delegate it!
https://picasa.google.co.uk/ is the Google photo app I talk about.
Why Reviews Mean Trust - Newsletter article
This
survey echoes what I have been telling clients for years...
Reviews are extremely important. They provide social proof that a
company is good, honest and trustworthy.
They are so useful because one of the easiest ways of selling is to say,
"we have hundreds of clients that have written about
what a great job we did for them."
What a great thing to be able to say to the dithering prospect!
This proof answers the question, "why should I choose you and pay your rates?"
And before you say you don't have time to collect hundreds of
testimonials and get a review from every single client think again.
Because
this firm in Chipping Sodbury has done it and is under
the same time pressure as every other firm.
And
this firm has a unique way of doing it...
The point is that they ASK, even before working with a client...
They simply say "our clients are happy to give us a testimonial when we
have done good work, will you be happy to give us one at the end of our work for you?"
So maybe you could spare 1 minute to send an email
to your clients asking for a testimonial?
Ask them the three magic questions.
What were you looking for by working with us?
What was the experience like?
What would you say to others considering working with us?
If you can get some factual answers like,
"We wanted to reduce our inheritance tax liability by 50,000 pounds" then it's great.
If you only have "nice people to work with" testimonials that's not as great,
but can be effective if you can get people to rate you 5 stars on Google. (More about that below).
If I only had one tool to sell it would be a box of testimonials
or hundreds of videos of people saying I am wonderful and I helped
them make 100,000 pounds. (Well I do have an email one of those
here )
Being known as the best because that's how people see you
moves you a long way toward becoming a successful brand.
In fact, claiming to be
100% The Best Solicitors is possible
if you have proof. Let me ask you, "Who would you rather go to? A brain surgeon with
100% success rate or one with 85% success rate?"
A law firm with a 95% success rate or one with an 80% success rate(see
this )
So I apologise for the firms already doing this stuff. (I hope you don't
mind me reminding you to continue your great work).
And to other firms I ask that you spend just a few minutes a week
getting reviews and testimonials.
Reviews do two things. Firstly they help your internet rankings. Secondly, they help people decide to click on your website link. Or not. It would be great if your clients just decided all by themselves to write outstanding positive reviews about your business. It would also be great if money grew on trees. You’re going to have to ask your clients to give you positive reviews (unless you believe in the tooth-fairy.) So here’s some things you’ll want to bear in mind. Firstly, what reviews do you want? (I’d suggest Google reviews but there are other review websites.) Secondly, have you got a simple process that allows all your employees to strike whilst the iron is hot…e.g. when your client is smiling about your work? Thirdly, do employees understand that more reviews that are positive means more business means more money and success for them and the firm? Fourthly, getting reviews won’t be really easy at first. You’ll have to adapt your strategy. But it’s a major factor in managing your online reputation so it is worth doing. There may be reviews about your already on the internet. It might be worth Googling your company name plus the word review. You might find fake reviews, negative reviews, positive reviews or no reviews. Whatever your thoughts are about reviews, you’ll surely realise that they are important factors in helping people decide where to spend their money. Here's a good article from a solicitor Yair Cohen about fake reviews... And here's a
quick video about getting more reviews on Google.
Have you got a problem with your online reputation? Is it putting potential clients off? Writing Articles - Here's a before and after example you can use
https://secure.toolkitfiles.co.uk/clients/9590/sitedata/Misc/Killer-Article-Writing-GLM.pdf
If you copy my format you won't go far wrong.
Don't have time to get leads through writing? (Or video)
If you don't want to write the content yourself
you might want to visit www.words4business.com and use their content for blogging and email newsletters. (I'd say just do the free trial Joe offers and see what happens as a minimum)
I took one article and spent 3 minutes on it and got on Google's first page for a relevant search term just by adding in some geographical terms. Civil Partnerships Solicitors Bournemouth (I sent Joe a video of how I did it - ask him for it.
Here are 20 ways you can slice and dice the content Joe sells to make it go further...
1 On your website
17 As a Tweet
18 As a Facebook Post
19 As a LinkedIn post
20 As a chapter in a book
20.1 As a Google+ post
Amazing how much blood you can get out of a stone!
V ideo and Audio Testimonials are a key selling tool One of my clients just got 16 video testimonials he could use to sell by using Testimonial Director.
Just a couple of years ago, the only practical way of capturing video testimonials was to be in front of your customer with a video camera. But today, YouTube. You grab the embed code from there. Alternatively you can go for a system that allows you to get video testimonials of doing it...something I think will make life a lot easier. Check out this interview I did with Testimonial Director It allows clients to record testimonials directly on your website. Speakpipe service. It enables your clients to give you a and to send you voice messages right from a web browser without Here's how it worked for me....Boyd audio testimonial A tip for you is to ensure you use testimonials on the top 10 pages of your
Automated Marketing Secrets see how it works by clicking this link
http://eepurl.com/ebjXn
It will send you a series of emails from me that I never have to write because it's all automated.
_____________________________________________________________Your Clients and Prospects Want To Hear From You
Just used a new service to record something
for you...It's a cracking true story.
Grab it here
Best laywer true story
I wonder if your clients would like to "hear" from
you more often? If you're using any blogging or writing tohttp://shoutomatic.com ?
And how about getting lots of audio testimonials
easily with something like https://www.speakpipe.com
Nothing sells better than testimonials . Let me know if
you try it out. Or even better see how it works by
going to this page
https://www.speakpipe.com/Testimonials and recording
a really nice mess ____________________________________________
Some short 2 minute videos for you that get you thinking.
"Where will you go" video
And the "belief" video
PS there are some more videos from this series right here
Cross Selling Checklist
One of the new members asked me about cross-selling,
1. Make it part of the job - and explain why it's important
Cross selling is habit you must create. And PROFIT from.
Remember " If you aren't counting, you're just practising".
PS, you know I talk about tracking your marketing?
I'm going to be launching a service that will allow you to do this
very soon because I believe in it 100%.
If you want to be the first to try call tracking, gratis,
maybe on your newsletter/advertisements/website - email me today
Travel broadens the mind and the pocket. I travelled over the summer and kept my
eyes open for things that might be useful to GLM
members.
Here's something I spotted from the university of life.
It's a cafe in France where you pay
a lower price for your coffee if you ask
politely. It's 2 euros if you don't say please
and 1.80 if you do.
Manners cost nothing and yet this cafe
owner decided to make them worth something and
got lots of publicity as well as a nicer clientele.
There are hundreds of ideas like this you
can use to get local or national publicity.
And that means free advertising.
My old boss, Sir John Madejski copied an idea he saw in America and
made £250M (AutoTrader magazine). So I know that if you try you might
succeed.
Does Your Firm Do Conveyancing? Claim Expert Status – because experts get paid more.
Paul Hajek from Clutton Cox gets 4 our of 10 clients via his website for conveyancing.
That's based on excellent writing and blogging, (he's won awards for it, PrimeLocation, Legal 360 and is Law Society Accredited for Conveyancing Quality).
He took my advice and wrote a book about his subject which is conveyancing. He's now got expert status. Which is why he converts even more of his prospects to paying clients.
As I've worked with Paul for a number of years, I've been on his case to let other Great Legal Marketing Subscribers use his book to do the same. I know how hard it is to find the time to write a book. But because I believe in this I have moved heaven and earth to get Paul to agree. (Authors get precious with their work!)
If you are interested in having your own expertly written, 111 page book with everything in it you need to win instructions - then get in touch with me.
We are talking about having your name on the book as the author. Your company on the cover. And giving you 1000 copies for you to give to your Estate agent partners and conveyancing prospects.
I'm pretty sure you don't have 3 months spare to research and write a book. But with the average conveyancing deal worth £1500-£2000 in fees, your new book only has to get you a couple of deals a year and it's paid for itself. And that's excluding any publicity you get.
Let me just mention 3 reasons you might want to do this;
Nothing gives you better instant expert status than having a book. When you let your local BBC Radio station and newspaper know you have written a book they'll want to feature you. That's priceless publicity. (I'll give you a sample press release) When you offer to send prospects your book, it blows them away.
This is not a freebie.
Paul has to make some money out of his hard work. But if you are interested, it's £2200 for 1000 copies of the book with your name on it. This is a real book not a digital download. People still love physical books!
I am also going to set up an autoresponder sequence for Paul - this is so he can convert even more clients who get the book.
Email Paul@CluttonCox.co.uk to become a published author.
Content Marketing Mistakes To Get More Sign Ups http://www.screenr.com/SX78
But they are also great for getting someone to pick up the phone, send you an email or sign up for some more info. Once someone makes the connection with you and you have their contact details - you put them in a marketing sequence that I call "Buy or Die ". (see video http://www.screenr.com/hrss )
Pages on websites that are designed to illicit a specific action have to make it easy for the prospect to take action. Think of your pages as a slippery slide where the headline leads you to the opening line and then the opening paragraph and so on. If you can keep someone interested until you ask them to take action - then you are on to a winnner.
Many law firms are starting to use reports and guides to get people to give them their contact details. (Content marketing like this is a great tool http://visual.ly/content-marketing-explosion
Often the reports are good but they don't get as many sign ups as they should. This is usually because the basics of landing page design are taken into account.
Here are 10 steps you can take now to optimize your enewsletter/report/pdf landing page to get more customers and prospects to sign up for your content.
Spell Out the Benefits: On the landing page, clearly list why someone should sign up for your enewsletter.Show Them a Picture: Show a sample picture of what they will be receiving (what does the email newsletter or report or download look like?).Link to a Sample: Link to a sample enewsletter and have that sample open up in a daughter window (don’t take them away from the landing page).Sign Up is Above the Fold: If prospects have to scroll down to get to your signup area, there is a problem. Bring the signup above the fold.No More than three to five Fields: Less fields = more likely prospects will sign up. Only ask for the fields you truly need. Name and email is bare minimum.Clear Link to Privacy Statement (Below the Fold): Although no one will ever click on it, be sure to have a privacy statement available that has been checked by your legal team.Tell Them What You Will and Won’t Do with Their Information: At the bottom of the page, be very clear about how you will use the information they’ll be giving to you.Button Says “Subscribe” or “Sign Up” (Not Submit): Words like submit and phrases like “click here” don’t accurately spell out the positive action you want prospects to take. Use “subscribe” or “sign up”.Get Rid of Needless Distractions: The landing page for your enewsletter has one goal…to get people to sign up for the enewsletter. Get rid of all the distractions that may take them away from the signup page.Testimonials and Awards Are a Must: Put at least one good testimonial about what a user thinks about your enewsletter or report. If you are stuck for content then why not take a look at http://www.legalrss.co.uk/
Ask Joe Reevy what he can do for you and trial his stuff. Tell him I sent you
and he'll probably send me a t-shirt.
And if you are into conveyancing copy Paul Hajek http://cluttoncoxco.web2.hubspot.com/receive-your-free-copy-of-my-book/Default.aspx he's even willing to let you swipe his book for your own use (for a modest fee)
Website visitors don't often buy anything or even call you.
But there is a solution to this problem.
And it's called Remarketing.
Here's a video http://screenr.com/SX78
It's about 3 minutes long and it'll give you the basics of
this spooky marketing technique.
Check it out here
______________________________________________________________________ >Ways To Convince Your Prospects Are Many - this report to find out. Manage Your Online Reputation - new video and report page. Citation Report - Find Out Where Your Citations Are And Where Get the training here "Yes please £47 is a bargain to find so many new 2 Minutes "Work" Can Get You New Clients In Six Days. People go online to find out which companies they can trust.
So your website has to have some trustworthy information.
This is what I did to put some trustworthy info on a site.
I just got some content.
Put in a word or two.
And got found on Google within 6 days.
And it took me 2 minutes.
So now I've got a chance of getting some more Civil Partnership
A receptionist could do it. A Partner could do it So could a Sole Practioner.
2 minutes - once a week.
Check this out.
Video One - doing it
http://screenr.com/mXis
Video Two - seeing the Google results in 6 days
http://screenr.com/jN9s
Flint Bishop Sign Up Small Businesses To Subscription Service
I've mentioned before that packaging something so that it is easily understood
is a great way to sell services. People like packaged products and packaging adds
value.
(Remember my video on this http://screenr.com/Xce )
Alan Mercer from Flint Bishop has invested some time and effort in creating a
subscription based HR and Employment law service. FB Support was created
when Alan realised (from meeting business clients) that their HR needs weren't being met, either by companies like Peninsular, or local solicitors.
There were service and cost issues that these SMB's and PLC's didn't like.
So Alan created a service that they do. Check out the site for yourself and think if there's something you can do that is similar to package up your services.
http://www.fb-support.co.uk
There are two things worth noting. First, people often buy at £99 a year and then trade up...i.e. in for a penny in for a pound and secondly, Alan didn't just think of an idea...he researched it and TOOK ACTION.
And here's my video reminder http://screenr.com/Xce on packaging
Use The News - The Media Love "It's National Divorce Week" and
Free PR is a great way to get yourself known as the experts in your field.
And it's pretty easy to come up with very short press releases for local media
who want news stories to fill their radio airtime or pages.
So do you have a publicity plan? Do you cut out articles from newspapers
For example, if you offer Divorce legal advice next week there is Divorce Week.
Maybe you could write a quick release and send it to the local radio producer
Something like this...
Did You Know That Divorce Week Starts on the Jan 9th 2013?
Unfortunately, the first true week back at work after Christmas and New Year is also the
"This time of year is when people make decision about their future. It seems that being
"A fresh start to the year and to a future life is always attractive. But at Solicitors in
"We're certainly not celebrating a busy January because people ask us for divorce advice.
If you are thinking about divorce at this time of the New Year , SolicitorsInBournemouth.com
Ends
Paul Solomons runs SolicitorsInBournemouth.com. A qualified and experienced solicitor,
For more information please telephone 01202 802 807.
Here’s 3 reasons why a solicitor should be your starting point for divorce advice.
The law changes from time to time. Lawyers must keep up with the law. That’s our job. As solicitors we have to make sure that the advice we give is applied in the right way. There are so many common myths about divorce that you must consult a lawyer before you separate otherwise you won’t know what the outcome may be. PS Here are some tips that I have collected from various members. I think number one is
Grab them...https://secure.toolkitfiles.co.uk/clients/9590/sitedata/Misc/From-the-brain-of-Boyd-But.pdf
They are the sort of things that might help you.
What Do You Want From Your Work?
And only you can make the commitment to take action.
So Please Read More On This And Check This Page Why You Should Ask Your Best Legal Clients What They Want From Your Website
One reason why Google is successful is because it allows people to abdicate from responsibility. Their process of searching for what they want is summed up by “Don’t make me think!”
Freedom to research is scary.
Prospects searching have a fear of making the wrong choice. Google gives law firms appearing on page one of Google results huge credibility with these “scared prospects” because if they pick one of the top firms on Google they feel they aren’t going to be wrong.
When you are already ahead of the competition on page one you can only mess it up.
How do you mess it up?
You fail to get someone to like and trust you. Not everyone will like and trust you so don’t try and be everything to everyone. Decide who you want to be friends with.
Who are you current best clients?
They are who you want to be friends with. Your strategy should be to get more of them by giving them online the sort of experience they want.
So how about asking your best clients what it is they want?
Sure enough you’ll find out what you need to have a website that will get others to like and trust you and soon become another of your best clients.
What can you learn from the way in which your calls to your solicitors office are handled?
The answer is...practical stuff.
Things like where your leads come from, how many convert to sales and what you can do to improve this. ( I call these "the numbers").
You also find out things about how they are handled - and what you can do to improve the way you run your business.
Hearing recordings of calls to your business will reveal a gold mine of information.
(It's ten times better than any survey and ten times cheaper). And your staff will get better at selling. They'll be able to build up a list of common questions and all your staff can help answer them. This is then a great guide on how to handle a call, (and a sale).
Law firm employees aren't always natural salespeople so building this checklist will be a major asset to your firm. And it's a way of sharing sales skills amongst everyone in a co-operative way.
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How To Make Your Law Clients And Your Life Easier
When someone comes to you for a Lasting Power of Attorney (or any service) and you sell them on your services and they ask for an appointment and they say..
"Is there anything I have to bring with me?" you want to make sure you make life easy for them.
Give them something that explains what is going to happen and what they need to bring with them when you have your meeting. You can include details of how to get to the office, where to park and what to do in case of last minute cancellation. Include testimonial letters and any press cuttings too. You can then send this in the post (and email) to them with a confirmation of the appointment.
(Ideally you'd take a mobile number too so that you can text them a reminder via Admeter) .
This process saves time on the phone, sounds more professional and acts as a referral tool
That's because you put two guides in the envelope asking the person to refer you and in addition you also cross-sell other elder law services.
If the NHS can send something out about what will happen when you go for a consultation...every law firm should be able to do the same.
Or is everyone already doing a great marketing job on this? I'd like to think so.
W hy the Steve Jobs Legacy Could Be Great For Your Business (or not).
Steve Jobs has left a legacy of amazing products.
But one thing really astounded me this week.
It's the Apple voice activated operating system - (see the video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nZSkvwpBBok
When you can ask a phone any question you want such as,
"Find me a great local solicitor that can handle my divorce"
and the phone gives you the answer...
"I recommend Solicitors in Bournemouth, they have 79 positive reviews from happy clients, they are accredited and insured and offer a free consultation and fixed rate options. They are 1.7km from your home and offer free parking. They are rated 5 stars out of 5."
That's going to be pretty amazing. And scary for many firms.
(You might want to get my Review Crusher training at this point - get it here )
But then the world isn't going to be the same for anyone in any industry...
All you can do is cover as many of the bases as possible...and ensure that your online reputation and marketing is the best it can be.
Because online is at the centre of your brand. (Make sure you've seen this page on my website too)
Watch this video if you haven't about why you website should be a multi-media channel.
You Can Film 100 of Your Own Video Testimonials This Year
Got a laptop at the office? Got a webcam? Got a microphone? (use a Samson Go Mic recommended).Then you can get every visitor to your office to make a video testimonial for you. Just sit the laptop at reception. You'll get something like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvt5SFclNBU This is VERY POWERFUL. Please try it. And then send me lots of £'s when it works for you. Because it will. how you can use those 100 video testimonials.
Your Business Is The Internet - So Pay Attention To How You Are Doing • Selling • Generating Leads • Client Service • Delivering Services • Building Loyalty • PR - Expert Status • Branding • Repeat Lifetime Clients
All these things above are a function of your website.
Some people still don't get it.
Which is why I put a little basic video up on the website right here
But I want to ask you one question...
What is the bounce rate on your website? (That means how many people
come to your site and then leave it within 8 seconds).
Because if you can reduce your bounce rate from 75% to 50% you'll make a lot
more money. That's because you will engage with 25% more people. And get 100% more leads.
But first you have to look at your numbers. And then devise a way of reducing your bounce rate.
So if you have a high bounce rate don't let your web designer fob you off.
Tell him exactly what you want to happen to your website because your website is your business. And your business is in internet marketing.
And if you don't know what to do...maybe become an expert by talking to a few...
Love Your Clients? Get Them To Carry Your Card
Remember the advertising catchphrase, "Don't Leave Home Without It"? Alan Whicker and Karl Malden used to advertise the American Express card, almost describing it as the 4th emergency service. (You have to be over 40 to remember these adverts ).
The American Express card could get you out of trouble. Their traveller's cheques could be replaced if they were stolen. The basic premise was American Express was good in emergencies - other cards not so good.
This made me think of the ban on referral fees for personal injury cases.
Because when someone has an accident it's an emergency. But as soon as someone has an accident it's the insurance company that has the power because it gets the first call. And that's why they've been selling PI cases.
However, if every driver had access to a personal injury solicitor or a personal solicitor and it was the solicitor who got the first phone call and handled and advised the injured driver - then things would be different.
And how difficult is this?
Perhaps if every existing client of every law firm had a card, (like a donor card) that provided 24 hour legal advice line then things may change.
Thereafter, every existing client gave 10 cards to friends and family. And so on. Pretty soon every person in the country would have one of these cards. Far-fetched? I don't think so. I have an RAC card in my wallet. And a donor card. I don't expect to use them - they are there just in case.
And the solicitor is well-placed to build up a personal relationship with individuals and offer genuine legal expertise. So "don't leave home without it" should be the rallying call of solicitors everywhere so that they can be in control.
And how much does it cost to produce a colour card that slips inside someone's wallet of purse?
£100 for 10,000 cards. Not much to ensure you get the first call...
Missing Six Client Calls A Day - Read Their Story
Despite having two receptionists, this law firm were still missing SIX valuable calls per day at just ONE of their offices. They recognised the problem and found the solution. Read their story.
Tim Bishop's Story
http://www.bishopslaw.co.uk/site/library/legalnews/telephone_enquiries_missed_opportunities
Barter Your Way To Profits And Slash Your Costs
Here's a thought for you if you have business clients of personal clients that run businesses.
Barter.
Unless you are operating at 100% capacity (and if you are you should raise your prices quick) then you probably have some spare time.
So why not follow the lead of other companies and barter?
I used to barter football match tickets at Reading FC for company cars, office supplies and advertising. And why not? Tickets were empty seats with a big sell by date, (every match).
One Great Legal Marketing member slashed his accountancy costs to zero by doing the legal work of his accountants. Another did legal work for his IT services firm. And I know that IBM traded computer work with an airline and charged them for every mile their jumbos flew - rather than straight up cash. You probably know you what you spend your money on. If you don't then it'd be worth finding out.
And there may even be something you want but can't afford. Maybe you could barter for it?
Barter is an ancient tool for survival. It's always been there and I don't think it's going away.
PS And if you have never used an Expense Reduction Analyst (someone that brokers better deals on electricity/phones etc for commission only) then you might want to try one.
Forgetting To Say Thank You Is Costing You Thousands
Too often in business, (as in life) we seem to be too hard pressed to remember to say thank you. Remember when you were a kid and you had to hand write all those Thank You notes to your aunties who gave you that £1 Woolworth’s gift voucher.
Didn’t you just hate it, (despite the fact that it got a gift voucher every year without fail?)
Well that “getting your Aunt’s business every year” tells you something about thank you notes.
A personal thank you note is something that the receiver loves to receive and they’ll reciprocate the thank you by giving again and again.
When you say thank you remember these simple steps.
Handwritten notes are far more effective than typed notes.
Personalised notes are better than general (i.e. thoughtless) notes.
Don’t make it several gushing pages long. A short note has more impact.
The more genuine the note is, the better it is.
And just in case it’s been 37 years since you last wrote a Thank You note, here’s a memory jogger for you…………..
Dear Michael,
Thanks for your business. It’s been great getting to know you and your company.
I look forward to the game of golf we’ve booked up next month. As neither of us have played the course before, we’ll discover the bunkers together!
I’ll keep in close contact whilst the project goes on and once it’s complete, we’ll review it together to see what we’ll do next.
Feel free to call me anytime during the week, except Monday-Friday!
Kind regards,
Boyd Butler
Xxxxxxxxxxx Personal Mobile.
If you write something like this you won’t be repetitive.
You won’t overegg the thank you. You tell him you’ll be getting in touch again. You’ll be there the whole time. You made it personal and you made yourself accessible through your personal phone. You also gave it a sense of humour, not some dull, lifeless corporate gift. And don't think this won't work. It will.
Get your postcards for about £30 for 500 from a company like http://www.overnightprints.co.uk
Or to really impress clients send them a postcard from your holiday.
Golf Clubs, Tennis Clubs, Bowls Clubs, Big Employers Have Clients Like Yours All you have to do is make any marketing they do on your behalf win-win. Getting Clients Whilst You Sleep - Also Known As Buy Or Die There's a way to get people to buy even when you sleep or totally forget about them. All law firms should do it.
It's called an Auto-Responder and it sends emails over a period of time on subjects you've had enquiries for. I've shot a video showing how easy it is to set up.
That's here.
And you really ought to see how it works by clicking this link
http://eepurl.com/ebjXn
I've set this up to show you how easy it is to set up specific newsletters with content that just runs and runs on a "buy or die" basis.
I guarantee you'll make more money if you set up Auto-Responders for your enquiries. It's almost a set and forget marketing system.
And if you want me to set you one up I can. Just get in touch. Sign up to this Auto Responder and think what you could do with marketing that is totally automated.
http://eepurl.com/ebjXn
Welcome To Your Sales Prevention Department
Solicitors that leave wads of cash on the table because they don't have a systematic way of handling telephone prospects.
You see there may be nothing wrong with your marketing. You may be pre-persuading people about how great you are. But then when they call you they get infected by the sales prevention virus.
The following events are based on a true story. All names have been removed to prevent the solicitors firm from being identified. (But it could be yours).
Let's say someone calls you to get a pre-nup agreement. They've seen your info-rich website and picked up the phone. They call and ask "How much is it for a pre-nup." This is a big buying signal. So how do you screw it up?
"Let me just check the computer." Yes, that screws up.
"Let me just put you on hold" Yes, that screws up.
"Er...I'm not sure, can you call back, she's not in at the moment" Yes, screw up.
I agree with you it sounds unbelievable. But in most law firms this is exactly how the phone is answered.
You should have a system for handling calls that guarantees 90% conversions of callers to clients. If you don't then you are losing money big time.
What's the minimum you need for a system to handle calls?
How much it costs (without looking at the computer which is not working) How about a paper price list available to all staff? Which solicitors handles the other side i..e who you recommend and why and how much they charge. That you can set up appointment/s for the prospect with the other solicitors so they just make one call to you. Make life easy. When the prospect needs to get the pre-nup done by. Get the phone number, mobile, email and postal address of the prospect. If you don't book an appointment in there and then don't let them go off and phone the other solicitors and phone you back when they feel like it! You fix a time to call them back.
You may also want to email a sample document to the prospect so they can see what they are getting? (Immediately). Costs nothing. Send a postcard from your firm that day (first class) with your contact details and confirmed price on it. Costs 50p Two hours later give them a timescale/breakdown of what happens and offer an appointment time (that suits you). Costs nothing. The following day text them a reminder of the appointment being held for them. Costs 10p. Then put them in a weekly reminder email sequence (automate this - let me show you how) so that they either "buy or die". Costs nothing. All this is 60 pence in marketing costs. Remember it's about being resourceful, not resources! I am sure that this will help you close lots more business. And it's replicable for every type of enquiry your firm gets.
Any solicitor that did this would impress the hell out of me! If you liked this newsletter you may also like this PDF
https://secure.toolkitfiles.co.uk/clients/9590/sitedata/Misc/Do-People-Like-You.pdf
PS, if you aren't recording your calls coming in to your firm you'll never know how to improve things dramatically. I recommend you do it. And if you want to I can help you.
Two Website Warnings For Solicitors Here's warning 1 "If you put your mind to it - you might just be able to do it."
A few months ago I had a bet with someone that I could launch a law firm website and get calls within a month using only the time I would normally spend watching News at Ten.
As they say on Eurovision broadcasts...here are the results of the Jury...
99 phone calls of which 8 were unanswered confirmed work and new clients = £££'s good Google results - despite not having a Google Places listing for the site (there's a reason for not having a Places listing for this site) Warning number 2
It's not the prettiest website or best law firm website I've see but hey, I did it to show what can be done by someone, at home, from the comfort of their living room.
The website is www.SolicitorsInBournemouth.com
Because all calls are tracked (and automatically diverted to another solicitor seamlessly) it's been a great way of finding out qualitative information. By this I mean understanding who calls and why. I've discovered;
That people who call are qualified buyers...i.e. they have already made up the mind 80% of the time to use this provider if they need a solicitor. This is because they are already convinced of expert status through the content.
They want to see you today or tomorrow. They are in a hurry once they have decided to act.
That I need to increase my content to include certain search terms for which I am not ranking so that I can get even more callers
If I can do this part time in the evening, then maybe someone who is paid to do marketing at your firm could do it too?
Here are my results on Google. Bear in mind that positions 2-7 are out of my hands because I cannot have a duplicate Google Places listing for SolicitorsInBournemouth.com as it would affect the solicitor's website that these callers are diverted to. ( You knew that right? )
site=SolicitorsInBournemouth.com Google Position Pre Nuptial Bournemouth 1 Divorce Solicitors Bournemouth 5 and 8 Solicitor Bournemouth 10 Solicitors Bournemouth 9 Solicitors in Bournemouth 9 Lasting Power of Attorney Bournemouth 1 Probate Solicitors Bournemouth 3 Wills and Trusts bournemouth 1 Conveyancing Bournemouth 11
Notice they are all local searches with the word Bournemouth in them. Local clients are what I am looking for. I have focussed on specific services to get people who are ready to buy i.e. lasting power of attorney, divorce, wills and trusts.
I guess if you invested your time or even, £500, £1,000 or £5000 for someone else to do it and you get back £20,000 in year one it's worth doing. Internet enquiries are only going to grow over time.
One trick that is worth knowing is that you can get two websites showing for local searches which means two bites at the cherry. You probably have an existing website that is getting calls, so why not have another?
Look at the top five results for inheritance solicitors Bournemouth!
All callers will be calling the same firm if they click on any of these first five results.
I want you to have the confidence that you can do this. You can become the local expert. You can find many more clients. As Nike used to say..Just do it
Here's a short video I did with an example of how packaging can double the price of something. I don't have much structure to this video, it's more a "question poser" to you. http://screenr.com/Xce Maybe it will help you get valued for what you do when you help change people's lives for the better. Email Disasters I Keep On Getting Help...I've got an email disaster...
I write all this stuff and it's a disaster because only 47% of people open it and only 11% click on the links!
That means 53% of people aren't acting on my emails!
Are your emails getting treated like this? Like rubbish? Well the above "story" may or may not be true...but it's how most emails get treated...like dirt.
Most emails don't get opened ecause either the subject line is useless, the preview paragraph is terrible, or you have just no goodwill in the bank with your list of prospects and that's because you don't send valuable stuff.
If you are sending out emails and you know that people aren't opening them, the good news is you can improve your results by improving these factors.
I'd be happy to hear about what emails you are sending out to your list because I'm betting that you don't do much email marketing? Or am I wrong?
(Maybe you can put me on your list so I can see what you send).
And if you want me to write an email for you send me one you are going to send out and maybe I can improve it and we can have an email face-off. (See I'm trying for more goodwill from you ;-)
BTW - if you send out an email and 53% don't open it - send it again with a different subject line to those that didn't open...another 15% will open it.
I did a couple of videos on email marketing -
part one
http://www.screenr.com/iiB
part two
http://www.screenr.com/8wB
Testimonials Are Your Number One Marketing Tool I've seen some nice testimonials on your websites.
There are even some video testimonials ! Good work.
Do you know why it's good you put testimonials on your website?
Testimonials are social proof that you do what you say you do They are a good place to encourage other people to offer testimonials They provide fresh and quality content to your website You should have a page on your website that is named Testimonials.
You page name should be like this www.YourDomainName/Testimonials
You should link this page to your Google Places account and ask people to leave a testimonial for you. (They just need a Google account to do this). Alternatively you can ask them to review you on many of the review sites such as Qype.
At some point Google may start taking testimonials from your website and using them in the Google Places accounts.
In any case, the more testimonials you have the better. They are a great way to get people to visit your site and convert visitors to buyers. And testimonials on review sites will help boost your ranking online.
A lower ranking site with more testimonials can convert more people into clients than a higher ranking site with no testimonials.
Here's a general video I did about testimonials http://screenr.com/pjd
Can You Create The Solicitors Firm You Want? I was speaking to a solicitor who complained about his clients always asking for discounts and always questioning his value."Who let's your clients treat you like this? " He thought about it for a moment before replying... Do you accept every prospective client that comes along? Do you accept price hagglers? Do you accept people that don't take your advice? What sort of firm are you going to have if you do accept people that you don't really want?The truth is that businesses fail because they don't know how to market not because they don't know how to deliver. Maximum Profit "If you have great clients that pay you what you are worth what type of referrals are they going to send your way?" There's only so much you can take from Tesco Law, tighter regulations and increasing insurance premiums. Do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. Wouldn't it be better to be the highest price firm in town? To walk around proudly because of the value people see in you? To give your family what they want when they want it without having to make excuses? You can create any life, any firm you want.
Pay Only For The Leads You Get Not The Space You Buy
I thought you might like to see this. It is the advert designed to get calls from a local paper. Click on it for a bigger image.The paper is charging £7 per unique call which I think is really cheap. (But then I negotiated it!). I wonder if you could do a pay-per-call deal with your local paper? This is where you only pay for calls that are generated rather than for "space". If you can, then I can arrange the tracking of the calls for you, (including call recording) so that you can assess what you could do better. 90% of callers to this were women and of those 50% were getting second opinions and all mentioned the advert was the reason they called. How many times could you turn £7, £10, £20 into £97? If you have never asked your local newspaper why not ask them next time they call you? The principle will work for any media you can get your hands on. Radio, magazines, e-newsletters... Just get the price you think it is worth sorted before you make the connection with the media owner. PS There are a couple of improvements I can make to this advert - what do you think they are?
Yellow Pages or Google it?
Find the Yellow Pages, find the category, scan the adverts, choose the advert, make the call/s, put the Yellow Pages back and wait for the client pack to arrive, read it, go online, check the website, read the reviews and call.
Google it, look at the website, see the reviews, get all the information you want fast and call.
Today is not 9-5 and Yellow Pages. it's 24/7/365
People buy when they want to buy not when you want to sell.
And if you haven't got your website onto the first page of Google for hundreds of search terms then get a move on.
Either way you've got to do it because the internet is the future.
But then you already knew that didn't you? So grab the training here.
Do You Sell What Your Clients Have Bought Or Are You Letting Them Down?
When someone buys something from you do you make it absolutely clear what will happen from that moment onwards?
The reason I ask is because if someone doesn't know when they will receive your service and how it is going to be delivered, they will almost certainly have to check up with you.
This takes up your time, makes the client unhappy and doesn't make for referrals and positive reviews.
What do you do to make sure someone understands what it is you will deliver as a service?
I guess this is basic stuff, like answering the phone well and making sure everyone knows the portfolio of things you offer.
But it's often the basics that are overlooked in life because a) people assume everyone knows and b) most people are only really concerned about their own job.
The best thing you can do to improve how you operate is to record all the phone calls coming in to your firm, listen to the recordings and then ask staff to listen to them.
There'll soon be a list of things you can do to convert more enquiries into leads and service your existing clients better.
I guarantee it. Here's something about service quality you might like to read.
Looking For New Legal Services To Market To Your Clients?
Someone complained to me the other day that they "didn't have any new services to market to their clients."
I asked them if every client knew about every service they already offered?
The answer was "No".
"Then you have new services to market" I said.
Watch the video http://screenr.com/KAA
I've been hearing clients talk about their experience with solicitors.
(The beauty of call recording as research!)
Many of them have explained they are not sure if they are getting the right service and advice.
I think this is a natural response from some clients.
They may have been expecting a different service when they engaged their solicitor. Or they may not have expected it to be "so expensive". Or they may have made the wrong choice of solicitor in the first place.
Perhaps it's worth looking at making your services "checklist-able" so that clients know exactly what they will get.
(Make sure you add in everything you do and when prospects ask "Why should I choose you?" you can show them why. Think compare and contrast).
And secondly, perhaps it's worth creating a "second opinion" service on a fixed fee that reviews other solicitor's work.
Ethically, some solicitors may not be comfortable about this.
And I know there are some that specialise in going after other firms.
But I know there are probably a percentage of clients that would like a non-confrontational second opinion, (and may transfer their business over to you).
A belt and braces approach appeals to people.
So why not offer both?
Are You Using Video To Market Your Firm? You Don't Have To Be Spielberg...
People watch television and go to the movies.
Videos work because they use visual and audio elements to persuade.
And the good news is you don't have to have an expensive camera and set up to make videos.
One video I did has now 500 plus views and it didn't cost a penny to do.
Here it is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39f8XaH_sVE
And how about this as a way of telling a personal story...
http://goo.gl/JnvLX
I hope this has given you a few ideas about how to use video in different ways in marketing your law firm.
If you want more details on how I do these videos let me know.
And it only takes 4 minutes from uploading a video to getting it on to Google. Here's the proof http://screenr.com/3Bl
Google Yourself Because Everyone Else Is
Have you checked your own online "brand" recently?
After all Googling you is the first thingmany people do when they talk to someone new for the first time.
Try Googling yourself. What do you see?
If you aren't happy about it you are going to have to do something.
I did it to my name and found I'm ok with the results.
I even found an article I wrote for Estate Agent Today which has been read more than 800 times that I'd forgotten about. http://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/news_features/Boyd-Butler-Blog2
And if you have no online presence at all that's great...you can create whatever brand you want starting this week.
You can become the expert in your town/city before the summer holidays. Here's how http://goo.gl/Nys0n
Take a look at Sole Practitioner Paul Hajek's results http://goo.gl/IWlKe
Paul gets so much more business by having a good online personal brand. (He's getting so good he's now even teaching others how to do it!)
12 Questions You Must Ask Your Staff - It's better than an appraisal form 12 Questions You Must Ask Your Staff.
I'm not one for form-ticking appraisals.
But I think these questions help elicit the truth. And once you have an honest answer, you can give your honest coaching and leadership pep-talk.
I wish I'd known this when I had 60 people to manage. It would have made life much better for all of us.
Getting A Systematic Referral System In Place For Solicitors
Here's the short video on referrals.
http://screenr.com/KAA
Nothing is better than getting a pre-sold prospect to call you after being referred by one of your best clients.
So if there's nothing better why not try and increase the number of referrals?
Here are the categories of businesses you should get referrals from;
Accountant | Financial Adviser | Printer | Web Design | Banking | Mortgage Broker | Graphic Design | Computer Support | Telecoms Provider | Office Supplies | Photographer | Insurance Broker | Electrical Contractor | IT Consultant | Marketing Consultant | Florist | Builder | Security Products | Architect | Cleaning Services | Signage Company | Travel Agent | Decorator | Business Advisor | Promotional Gifts Company | Interior Design | Surveyor | Telephone Systems | Car Sales | Computer Sales | Car Sales | Internet Services | Public Relations Company | Alternative Therapists | Events Organiser | Health Insurance Broker | Plumber | Office Machinery | Office Furniture | Car Servicing | Health and Safety Consultant | Will Writer | Estate Agents Residential | Commercial Letting Agent | Caterer | Landscaper | HR Consultant | Hotel | Employment Agency | Carpet Cleaner | Utilities Broker | Couriers | Car Hire | Car Leasing | Gardening Services | Wine Importer-Merchant | Mobile Phone Retailer | Jeweller | Book-Keeping |Removals/Storage | Secretarial Services |Personal Trainer | Hypnotherapist | Dentist | Private Doctor | Private School | State School
Want a copy of the letter that gets referral partners on board for one of my property clients (not a law firm)? Just ask.
How To Position Yourself As A Legal Expert .Let me ask you, “Has your doctor ever called you at lunchtime asking if you are ok and recommending treatment for flu?” No, because Doctors don’t prospect. Which is why you must download and read my report on How to Position Yourself As a Legal Expert. You can get it right here.
Publicity is FREE, powerful and will turn you into a local expert. And your kids will love it too...
One of the best ways to get media coverage is to start sending out regular press releases to your local media.
It’s cheaper than advertising. It’s probably going to be read by more people. And it’s powerful.
But where do you start?
The key is to think of all the things that are newsworthy. You’d be surprised at what local media will pick up. You'll find a couple of examples and a list of things that can get you coverage. Click on the Solicitors Marketing Through PR Link. http://goo.gl/QTaVr
Send me your successes!
Here is something about Positive Attitude. read this. http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/solicitors_business_development_attitude Video Testimonials are a killer tool.
Just like this lawyer video testimonial my client
Time for something different.
For those that prefer to watch - here's the video Do you want to get publicity in the local paper? Do you want to make an offer that gets your phone ringing? Do you want to do it for Fr*e? You can make legal services a bit more exciting by linking them with big events. Clutton Cox did it and made quite a few bob out of it.This was the publicity they got in their local paper. http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/di/235506 If you wanted local publicity you could easily say something like... Get Your Conveyancing With Us And If England Win
How it works?
You take in the £2000 for conveyancing and insure this £2000 for £250. If England wins the Rugby World Cup the insurer gives you the full £2000 to pay back the client. Why not go out to all the Estate Agents in your area and get them to offer it? It's a bit of fun, it makes people talk about you and who knows...maybe there's 20 grand out there waiting for you to pick up? This type of offer can work for any service and any event e.g. A Brit Winning Wimbledon, Manchester United doing the treble, Arsenal winning a trophy (sorry Paul ;-) There's a list of events below you can choose from.Or choose something to do with your local professional football or rugby club.
Get Your Website Mobilised TODAY.
What does your website look like on a smart phone?
I talked a little the other day about how you want to make sure your website can be read easily on a smart phone/Ipad etc.
If it's not optimised you risk people abandoning your site (in less than a few seconds). And that means fewer calls and fewer new clients.
Here's a tool that can analyse your website to see if it's optimised already. (You never know maybe you've got a great website designer that knows this stuff).
http://ready.mobi/launch.jsp?locale=en_EN
You put in your URL and email and it sends you a report back.
(check the email report isn't in your Spam box after about 10 minutes).
If you haven't looked at your site on a smart phone or Ipad then you want to. If you want to get more clients get a mobile optimised site.
No-one (apart from smart people like us) is really looking at this but it's going to be BIG. So it makes sense to get this organised now rather than play catch up.
It's us against the rest...let's take over the mobile search space before your rivals have woken up.
Here's some more info on Mobile search...
https://secure.toolkitfiles.co.uk/clients/9590/sitedata/Misc/Mobile_Marketing_Magic.pdf
Existing clients will want to be able to see your mobile optimised site too remember - don't let them think you're stuck in 2009...
( I can help with this if your website designer can't - you see there's a secret way of getting a mobile optimised website that could work for less than £100 but I can only tell you if you get in touch.)
OH MY GOD I’VE GOT TO GIVE A PRESENTATION.
Every person in business has to present at some time or another. If you’re selling, you have to do it every day. If you’re the boss, you’re doing all the time. Many people get nervous about presenting and speaking in front of an audience. Most people would rather die than speak in public! Well, you are just going to have to get over it, because being a good presenter, and even more importantly being a good performer is an absolute must if you want to maximise your business. This is because speaking to large groups of people means large groups of potential clients. Here are 19 great tips for presenting. Read them and use this like a checklist when you have to give a presentation. Many people assume wrongly that competition brings out the best in people. And the Darwinian "survival of the fittest" is often used as a scientific justification of this type of approach. But does competition really help your law firm internally? When someone wins - someone loses. And 99% of people have been taught they if they are not winners they are losers. Prevent the... "Why should I bust a gut, I'm not a legal partner so I ain't gonna earn more out of doing this!" from happening.
READ THIS. Can Anyone Make £35,000 A Year From New Clients? Probably. But they might have to send out a hundred letters to do it including licking the stamps. Check this out It's OK To Fail I love this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45mMioJ5szc
I'm a great believer in having a positive attitude. And it's attitude that gets us our success in life. But did you ever study it at school? Were you ever taught it? Nor me. I've had to develop it over years...
I remember writing this some time ago. Thought you might like it. Comments always welcome.
http://www.greatlegalmarketing.co.uk/solicitors_business_development_attitude
Robert Cialdini wrote a great book called Influence. n it he explains why people do the things they do and how you can be aware of the psychology of persuasion. It's not hocus pocus stuff or manipulation. It's just a brilliant book that highlights six factors that influence everybody, including you and me. It's worth getting because you need to know if you are being manipulated and you need to know how to defend yourself. Here's a little summary for you. Voicemail...don't you just hate it? So let me ask you...what's is your voicemail like? Is it... "This is Boyd Butler, it's Tuesday, your call is important, I'll call you back blah blah? Or does it reflect your uniqueness, personality and ability to offer value. Does it make me think? Or promise something? Or reflect your quote of the day. Or offer a guarantee? Think about your voicemail. (And your out of office email message. Which is still not cross-selling). Everything that communicates is marketing. Use it to your advantage by giving value always. So if your voicemail stops hearts with boredom - why not change it?
Do You Work With Estate Agents? If you do maybe you can help them sell more properties? Here are some ideas that you can print off, send in a letter and mention you'd like to buy them lunch. https://secure.toolkitfiles.co.uk/clients/9590/sitedata/Misc/The-50-marketing-tips-for-.pdf {C} By Boyd Butler 
