Important Update for Total PMA Members

Total PMA — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:15:36 +0100

To our valued members,

In today’s uncertain economy, many businesses are taking stock of their strategies and priorities, including sponsorship and advertising commitments. While the Total Practice Management Association has worked diligently to obtain sponsorship and advertising support for the Association and Conference, we have been unable to secure sufficient support to pursue our goals. At this point, it is not feasible for the Total Practice Management Association to continRead More...

Your Legal Marketing Strategy Depends on Selecting the Most Effective Law Firm Marketing Techniques

Stephen Fairley — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:47:25 +0100

Part of a series - Create Your 2010 Law Firm Marketing Plan in 5 Simple Steps: Step 4.1
Previous entries detailed steps including creating a niche, conducting a SWOT analysis, and creating a Unique Competitive Advantage for your law firm. This post continues this series.

Here is where you list all of the different law firm internet marketing technRead More...

Your Unique Competitive Advantage Is Key To Your Law Firm Marketing Strategy

Stephen Fairley — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:46:31 +0100

Part of a series - Create Your 2010 Law Firm Marketing Plan in 5 Simple Steps: Step 3.5

A Unique Competitive Advantage (UCA) answers the question, “Why should I hire you?” With so many competitors and choices today, your law firm marketing strategy must clearly differentiate yourself and your law firm.

Using the information, research and analysis Read More...

Strategic Law Firm Marketing, Internet Style

Stephen Fairley — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:44:38 +0100

As the New Year begins, now is a good time to take stock of where we are, and where we want to be. Your law firm marketing plan is not exempt from this review process, and I encourage you to take a careful look at all of your legal marketing, including your internet marketing for your law firm.

To that end, I would like to call your attention to an article in the December, 2009 issue of GPSolo, published by the American Bar Association.

The article, Law Firm MarketinRead More...

Attorneys: Is a law firm marketing plan part of your New Year's Resolution?

Stephen Fairley — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:43:24 +0100

New Year’s Resolutions are a time-honored way of setting goals for the new year. They often center on personal issues – weight loss, exercise, relationships etc – but let me suggest that you add creating a solid, well-crafted law firm marketing plan to your New Year’s Resolution list this year.

Your law firm marketing plan should include all of the following components:
Referral sources – who are the people who refer business to you? Read More...

Manic Monday Post #19

Total PMA — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Well, it’s been a little over a week since most of us made our New Year’s resolutions, and I’m really wondering how everyone is doing with them. Personally, my resolution was to eat more fruit and do something active for at least ten minutes every day of the week. I’d have to give myself an A for my resolution efforts. While I’ve done something active each day, I haven’t been eating as much fruit as I’d like. I would say I’m eating more than I did before, but I’d still like to improve.

Winter-Proofing Your Resolutions

Kevin Chern — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:34:26 +0100

It is already January 6, so it might seem a bit late to talk about New Years Resolutions, but something I ran across on my Twitter feed today made a great point: Winter is the time to start making your goals, but it is not usually a good time to complete your goals. Right now, if you take a look at the gym in the basement of our office building, you would see a crowd of people eagerly trying to reach their 2010 goals, but what will happen when a snow blizzard hits that makes it difficult forRead More...

Practical Advice for Affluent Travelers

HUB International Midwest Limited — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:12:54 +0100

"The world is shrinking" has long been a catch phrase to describe how accessible the world has become; however it should also remind us of the proximity to danger. For anyone whose business and pleasure activities take them across the globe, that means leaving nothing to chance when it comes to ensuring their safety. The risks facing today's travelers include kidnapping, hijacking, terrorism, and crime. Advisers to affluent clients who travel for business or pleasure need to think through eveRead More...

Manic Monday Post #18

Total PMA — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0100

Christmas is in just a few days, which has started to make me think of all the fun traditions my family has for this time of year. Sure some of them have changed a bit since we've grown older, but they all make us feel like kids again no matter our age.

Our first two traditions always begin on Christmas Eve. We all get to open one gift, and that gift is always a set of matching pajamas. All the women in the family get the exact same pair of pajamas, and all the men get their own seRead More...

5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan, Step 1 Part C

Stephen Fairley — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:48:45 +0100

Previously, I described how to develop a targeted marketing plan and how to create and service a niche market. This post continues those thoughts.

Here are 4 examples of Ideal Target Markets:

Business Attorney for Small, Privately Held Business Owners

CEOs, Presidents, VPs, General Managers$2M—$100M in annual revenuesPrivately held companies with 20—1,000 employeesIn the hi-tech, telecommunications or software development industryAre headquartered within 20 milRead More...

5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan Step 1, Part B

Stephen Fairley — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:47:24 +0100

In our previous post, I discussed what your ideal target market and client might look like. This post continues that thought and moves into a discussion of creating a niche marketing plan.

To Niche or Not to Niche? Should you focus on a particular niche or let the niche find you-see what types of client you attract. There are different schools of thought on this topic. You may fall into the pro-niche or the no-niche camp or find that you, like me, prefer a combination approach.

5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan Step 1, Part A

Stephen Fairley — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:45:52 +0100

1. Identify Your Ideal Target Market
If the truth is told, this may be THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTION of your law firm’s marketing plan. You can have the highest quality service, the biggest offices, or the most associates, but if cannot clearly identify who your “ideal target market”—the perfect person/company for your service—you will never build a successful law practice!

It is virtually impossible to spend too much time or energy learning about who your ideRead More...

21 Ways to Bootstrap Your Way to Marketing Success (Part 7 of 7)

Stephen Fairley — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:44:18 +0100

Stop Ignoring Your Referral Sources
Why do attorneys believe they can neglect and ignore referral sources without it having a detrimental impact? Top attorneys invest their time and money courting and building relationships with referral sources and go out of their way to make a big deal when someone makes a referral to them.

On a regular basis, carve out time to meet with all of your referral sources face-to-face. Out of sight and out of mind is certainly a truism youRead More...

What's in a Name?

Kevin Chern — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:44:05 +0100

A study of several hundred British dairies published last March found that cows that have names make, in a given year, about 258 liters more milk per farm than cows with no names. Researchers hypothesize that the naming reflects humans’ attitudes toward the cows, and therefore how they behave around them. Named cows are usually treated well, and calm and happy cows produce more milk. In the same way that peoRead More...

Tempted to Cut Back on Insurance? Think Twice

HUB International Midwest Limited — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:25:04 +0100

During these trying financial times, you may be looking for ways to trim the monthly expenses of your legal practice—perhaps you’ve toyed with the idea of cutting back your insurance coverage.

Valerie DeBoer, account manager at HUB International Midwest Limited, suggests that you think twice. “An underinsured law firm maRead More...

Manic Monday Post #17

Total PMA — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0100

While trying to decide what to blog about this morning, a coworker came across this fantastic article. The article, "9 Foods That Reduce Stress" offers nine suggestions on what to eat when you're feeling the stress or pressure of what's going on around you. For some, this may include work or maybe the holiday season in general.

Take a look at the article and see what you think.

For me, it's so easy to want to eat all the treats and goodies that are being brought into the ofRead More...

What qualifies at "legal education" for the purposes of Continuing Legal Education?

Kevin Chern — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:56:03 +0100

Today, on Legal Blog Watch, they brought up an interesting discussion on CLE accreditation for legal marketing courses. Basically, some people argue that marketing courses do not count as "continuing legal education" while others argue that these courses should count because they are integral in helping lawyers succeed and understand the ethical issues surrounding marketing. Check out this overview of the debate here. What do you think?

Of course, as attorRead More...

Manic Monday Post #16

Total PMA — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0100

The first snowfall!

I absolutely love the first snowfall of the year! It always puts me right in the mood for the holidays. This morning we woke up to about an inch of snow. I was so excited to get all bundled up in my long coat and boots. This feeling probably won't last for long once the temperature drops down to -30 degrees, but for now I'll enjoy it.

I always remember in elementary school (or really any age level for that matter), that at the first snowfall the whole clRead More...

21 Ways to Bootstrap Your Way to Marketing Success (Part 6 of 7)

Stephen Fairley — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:05:55 +0100

Create Category of One
On a recent call with our Mastermind Members (This is select group of attorneys who meet with John Bisnar and me for coaching and consulting. Look here for more information.), we were discussing how to create a unique competitive advantage and position your law firm against larger competitors. One of the best ways to do this is by creating a category of one.

For example, yours is the only law firm in Orlando who handles over 1,000 personal injury cases everyRead More...

Reduced Fees Often Equals Reduced Expectations

Stephen Fairley — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:04:16 +0100

Two weeks ago I posted some thoughts on how discounting your price can be a path to slow-payment, hassle, repeated requests for reductions in fees and ultimately non-payment. Today I want to expand on those thoughts.

One of the maxims that still holds true today is “You get what you pay for.” In many areas of life, it is true. The cheap toys and tools available in the discount bins at the dollar store often do not have the service life span that higher-quality, aRead More...

Blog entries