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NOV 2019 (800)-406-7229 SpotlightBranding.com
‘I’M JUST A SOLO’ Is Your Mindset Undermining Your Company’s Future?
This summer, my team and I spent the weekend at a conference for solo and small law firms, shaking hands and dispensing marketing advice. The trip was a success, but one glaring problem stood out to me. Over and over, I met lawyers from solo and small law firms who were afraid of growth. I don’t think they were even conscious of the fear. Rather, their own mindsets trapped them into making decisions that would ruin their chances of success. script. After I asked what their specialty was and explained we did marketing for law firms, they shrunk back from investing in our services, giving a variation of the same excuse: “I’m just a solo.” When I asked what they meant, they said, “Oh, it’s just me and very small staff. We just don’t have all the marketing that big firms have.” In my mind, that’s a poor man’s attitude. While they may have limited resources, solo and small law firms actually need marketing more than the big guys. Big law firms do their When lawyers stopped by our booth, almost every conversation followed the same
marketing in-house because they have staff specifically for that, but small firms can’t afford that luxury — which is why brands like Spotlight Branding exist. Here’s the reality: If you can’t afford to do marketing, you can’t afford to have a law practice. Clients will still trickle in, but, instead of running your firm, you’ll just have an awful job. You’ll still work 12–15 hours per day just like when you were slaving away at a big firm, but instead of enjoying the perks that firm offered — like in-house office administration, marketing, and bookkeeping — now you’ll have to do it all yourself in addition to the legal work. If you want to avoid that fate, find a way to invest in marketing. I have two theories about the source of the “I’m just a solo” line. I already mentioned the first one: Those lawyers have a subconscious fear of growth. They’re afraid their lives might be worse if they grow too much, and they’re worried if they load up with more clients, they’ll have less time for their spouse and kids. They’re thinking, “I’m already stressed now because I’m a solo running my own firm. How much more stressed am I going to be if I get even busier?” Still, ask any one of them if they want to grow their practices, and they’ll probably say yes. Buried underneath that “yes” is the fear, and it’s paralyzing them. What those guys don’t realize is there’s both a right and wrong way to grow. I know dozens of solo and small firm attorneys running seven- figure practices, and, while they have to deal with staff (some associates, an office manager, a paralegal, a secretary), their lives are far better than they used to be. Those lawyers
HERE’S THE REALITY: IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO DO MARKETING, YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO HAVE A LAW PRACTICE.”
have more free time because they’ve hired people to handle large aspects of their cases. Managing people is tough, but it’s a lot less stressful than struggling to get by every month, wondering where your next retainer will come from. The bottom line is: Don’t be afraid of growth. Invest in marketing, and you’ll end up with more time, more money, and more freedom to take that family vacation. My second theory about the “I’m just a solo” attitude is that lawyers are feeling the weight of limited resources. “I’m just a solo,” they’re thinking. “I don’t have the money the big guys do.” I get that, but you can reverse your situation by investing in the right places. Be smart and savvy about where you spend your money. Do the math on how big of a return you’ll get from your investment, and you’ll never hesitate to spend on good marketing. So, next time you catch yourself thinking “I’m just a solo,” stop and examine your mindset. Are you setting yourself up for failure or success? Don’t let fear hold you back. And, if you’re ready to grow, give Spotlight Branding a call. –Marc Cerniglia
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ARE YOU FALLING FOR DECEPTIVE MARKETING? WHY YOU SHOULDN’T BE DAZZLED BY PROPOSALS
It’s time to talk about that darling of marketing pitches and boardroom presentations: the proposal. You know the one. It’s five pages long, filled with graphs, pictures, drawn-out examples, and topped off by a flashy executive summary. All too often, we watch incompetent marketing companies use pretty proposals to get law firms to invest in their services. The sad truth is, those dazzling five-pagers are just a way of putting lipstick on a pig. Here at Spotlight Branding, we’re tired of potential clients asking us for proposals. We understand why they ask, but with us it’s not necessary because there’s no pig to dress up. We don’t need to send over a few pages of fluff to convince you to hire us because you’ll see the proof of our dedication in our consultation. In our view, proposals are unnecessary for two big reasons: 1. NO TWO CLIENTS ARE THE SAME Imagine if, during a consultation, a potential client asked you for a proposal. Would you have a flyer or brochure at the ready to explain how you’d
solve their legal problems? Odds are you wouldn’t because no two cases are the same. What you really need to know is where your client is now, what they’re struggling with, and where they hope to be. Then, you can verbally communicate how you can help. It’s the same in marketing — an effective strategy is one tailored to each client. 2. SUBSTANCE IS WHAT MATTERS If you sign up with a marketing company based on a glossy price sheet and list of services, don’t be surprised if you don’t see results six months later. A sexy proposal and a sleek website are no substitutes for a well-thought-out campaign. If you don’t understand your marketing company’s strategy and why it’s good for you, then you’re making your decisions based on the wrong information. Just because our industry has created certain expectations doesn’t mean we have to stick to them— or that you have to fall for them. Next time a proposal lands on your desk, cross that company off of your list and call Spotlight Branding. We’d be happy to sit down and discuss what really matters.
Allison Tilton and Michael Bender started The Grey Legal Group, APC in Murrieta, California, in June of 2016, focusing solely on family law. Initially, they worked with a web designer who focused on SEO to drive traffic. However, Allison and Michael were unhappy and felt as though they were paying a ton of money and getting nothing in return. They turned to Spotlight Branding in 2017. Although they weren’t exactly sure what their brand was at the time, they knew what kind of firm they wanted to be. We worked closely with them to figure out their target market and refine the message they wanted to communicate. CLIENT SUCCESS STORY THE GREY LEGAL GROUP, APC (FAMILY LAW)
When The Grey Legal Group launched their website, social media, blog, and e-newsletter services, they positioned themselves as a firm focused on their clients’ happiness and worked to cultivate a relaxing environment where everyone involved could achieve more. Since then, they upgraded to our video service to further that message. However, Allison knows her message is continuing to evolve:
WANT MORE REFERRALS AND BETTER CLIENTS? Visit SpotlightBranding.com/NL to schedule a call!
“As we have grown and matured as entrepreneurs,” she said, “our ability to see our vision and objectives when it comes to our ideal clients, our ideal message, and our ideal brand has also matured. [...] We are excited to continue to work with Spotlight Branding to further cultivate our vision and brand!”
In the two-plus years they have worked with us, The Grey Legal Group has added four more employees (with plans to hire more before the year ends) and increased their revenue by nearly 700%!
More Referrals. Better Clients. Higher ROI.
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DON’T DISMISS THE EMAIL NEWSLETTER IT’S MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU THINK
When we pitch email newsletters to our clients, we’re often met with the verbal equivalent of an eye roll. You know the arguments: “Nobody wants
another email in their inbox,” “No one is going to read my email newsletter,” and “I hate getting email newsletters — when I do, I put them in the trash or mark them as spam, and my clients are going to do that, too!” That attitude is unfortunate because we know for a fact that when law firms send their clients an email each month, they inevitably generate more referrals. Why? Because none of us have enough time to personally stay in touch with everyone on our contact list. Sure, you might make space in your schedule to meet with key referral sources or colleagues, but there’s no way you can stay in touch with everyone you’ve met in the last 15 years. Now, imagine you could maintain those relationships. How is it possible they wouldn’t lead to at least a few more referrals? Email isn’t the only way to stay in touch with your contacts, but it’s the first step. Even if only 20% of the people you send to open your email, you’ll be reaching many more than you could personally.
And don’t forget — even the people who don’t open your newsletter still see it, keeping your firm’s name top of mind. We’ve had leads call us who have gotten our email newsletter for years and rarely opened it. Still, when it’s time to do business, they call. An email newsletter can also boost your networking abilities. Imagine how good it would feel to plug the emails off a fist full of business cards into your mailing list instead of tossing the cards on your desk. One of our clients took this to the extreme when he sat next to a guy on an airplane and they exchanged cards. A year later, that same guy called him up. He’d gotten our client’s newsletter for the last year and needed some legal work done — to the tune of thousands of dollars. If you want to cash in on an email newsletter today, call Spotlight Branding at 800-406-7229. We have a full-service solution that will keep your brand top of mind.
FEATURED EPISODE THE VERY BEST EPISODES OF THE LAW FIRM MARKETING MINUTE PODCAST
RESOURCE OF THE MONTH
SCHEDULING APPS BOOK YOUR CONSULTATIONS WITH EASE! If you or your receptionist schedule your consultations by manually entering all the appointment info into your calendar, there are ways to make that task more efficient. You can use several booking apps out there, and they all integrate seamlessly with your website, CRM, and personal calendar. We at Spotlight Branding use You Can Book Me. If you’ve scheduled a call with us before (or plan to do so in the future), you’ll see how the calendar looks on a web page. When someone schedules a call through the app/plugin, it is automatically added to our calendars. Along with a notification that a call was booked, we also get a reminder a few minutes before the call so we can be sure we’re prepared. In addition to You Can Book Me, some of our clients have utilized other apps like Acuity, Bookly, and Calendly. From what we’ve seen, you can’t go wrong. Just take the time to do your research, or simply ask your webmaster for their recommendation. These apps are not hard to integrate and use, and you’ll save a ton of time by streamlining this simple process.
If you’re looking for more great resources to drive your business forward, take a look at this episode from our industry-leading podcast: The Law Firm Marketing Minute. KNOW YOUR AVERAGE CASE VALUE – LFMM 282 In this episode, we explain how tracking your average case value can tell you a lot about the clients you’re bringing in. Are you attracting the right clients? Are you doing the actual legal work you enjoy doing? This simple metric can tell you a lot! Listen to this episode and find even more at LawFirmMarketingMinute.com and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Listen to these full podcasts and find even more at SpotlightBranding.com/The-Law- Firm-Marketing-Minute.
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800-406-7229 SpotlightBranding.com
THIS ISSUE INSIDE
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Don’t Be ‘Just a Solo’
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Are You Falling for Deceptive Marketing?
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Client Success Story
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The Power of Email Newsletters
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Spotlight Branding’s Industry-Leading Podcast
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Are You Making These Writing Mistakes?
CONTRACTIONS AREN’T YOUR ENEMY Speaking of personable, it’s vital that your blog posts sounds like they were written by a person, not a robot. Writers who avoid contractions like “don’t,” “can’t,” and “aren’t” end up with stilted, plodding sentences that inflate word counts and alienate readers. Obviously, formal publications like research papers and legal briefs still maintain this archaic ban onmashing words together, but when it comes tomarketing content, rules are flexible. Do not fear using these tools. You cannot go wrong with adding a splash of informality to your writing. Your readers are not going tomind. (Are you still withme?) SHOW, DON’T TELL This is a big one. So many businesses publish copy with big statements like “We love our customers!” or “Our passion is helping you!” These blanket sentiments come across as shallow. So, rather than tell potential clients you care about their needs, write content that shows them you understand their needs and can help address them. Focus on providing useful, relevant information that will both show that you sympathize with their struggle and reveal your expertise. Here at Spotlight Branding, we care deeply about your marketing campaigns and want to help them succeed! BREAK AWAY FROM BLAND How to Write Content That Pops
When it comes to winning over customers with content marketing, many lawyers seem to think, “If we publish, they will come.” That would certainly explain the flood of bland, cookie-cutter blog posts pumped out across social media every day. To win over readers and make the most of your marketing dollars, your content needs to have a personality — a voice. Of course, personalizing content comes with a few pitfalls every marketer needs to know. DON’T WRITE HOW YOU SPEAK Read a few sentences from your favorite book or newspaper. Do you think the author speaks exactly like that in real life? Probably not. Speech and writing are two different mediums with different stylistic needs, and trying to translate one to the other can prove disastrous — particularly for lawyers, who often try to jam the legalese they use in formal speech into their content, hoping to impress readers with jargon. It doesn’t work. Instead, potential clients get bored, confused, or distracted from the real message of the blog post. For best results, work on crafting a personable, straightforward voice for your prose.
More Referrals. Better Clients. Higher ROI.
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