| ext">Lawyer marketing and the | | | | closings per month (again you can set this |
| manager’s mantra go together. | | | | benchmark higher or lower depending on your |
| Never heard the manager’s mantra? The | | | | current situation). Bottom line here is whether for |
| manager’s mantra is an important | | | | PI, estate planning, family law, or real estate legal |
| variable in successful legal marketing. The | | | | marketing, you will know what level is appropriate |
| manager’s mantra is If you | | | | for your Top 20 level of lawyer marketing |
| can’t measure it, you can’t manage | | | | attention. |
| it. Well, that is nice Henry and how will that | | | | The second list is the Farm Team List. |
| help me? | | | | Here we are using a baseball metaphor of your |
| Most attorneys have some sort of referral | | | | Top 20 being the major leagues and this |
| network (if only a small one) however; attorneys | | | | second list being the farm team in training for |
| really don’t know how to manage their | | | | moving up to the big leagues of the Top 20. Your |
| lawyer marketing so that their referral network | | | | Farm Team List consists of those legal marketing |
| expands. The first step in this expansion is to | | | | referral sources who are between having at least |
| know where you are and then you can figure out | | | | tried to send you someone up to whatever you |
| how to get to where you want to go. Yes, it is | | | | have set the threshold of being a Top 20 list |
| important to understand the geographics, | | | | member. This trying to send you someone can |
| demographics and psychographics of your referral | | | | be as casual as a friend asking if his or her |
| sources/clients for sure and you need a lawyer | | | | neighbour called you after being given your card |
| marketing management system. By understanding | | | | by your friend. We all know that lawyer |
| more about how to manage your legal marketing | | | | marketing is sometimes this accidental. |
| referral sources, you can grow this referral | | | | The third list is the Who You Know List |
| network and boost your attorney marketing | | | | and is similar to any standard networking list. It |
| efforts with less work on your part. | | | | includes everyone you know, even everyone |
| What Your Expanded Lawyer Marketing Referral | | | | your spouse knows, as well as those people |
| Base Delivers To You | | | | known by your family and your staff. Take this |
| What does having this lawyer marketing | | | | one out as far as you like. The bigger it gets the |
| management system in place mean for you? If | | | | better for lawyer marketing. |
| you are working your legal marketing referral | | | | Finally, there is the lawyer marketing |
| sources well, you are building a base that will | | | | Categories List. This is a list of professions |
| make a significant impact on your bottom line, as | | | | and occupations in general that would have the |
| I am sure you know. You will be sent more | | | | capacity to refer business to you. There are no |
| business and be able to retain more quality | | | | names on this list, only general occupations |
| business that will in turn send you more quality | | | | professions. For example, a PI lawyer might list |
| business. You will have an easier time saying no to | | | | nurses, physical therapists, medical technicians, |
| mediocre or poor cases and holding out for top | | | | chiropractors, neurologist, plastic surgeons, |
| dollar cases. You can even pass on work that | | | | orthopaedists etc. while a family lawyer might list |
| simply does not appeal to you personally if you | | | | psychologists, social workers, marriage counselors, |
| know that your lawyer marketing referral base | | | | CPAs, hairdressers, real estate lawyers, etc. |
| will consistently deliver. | | | | Working a Lawyer Marketing Referral Base |
| Professional marketers know the process of | | | | Now you have measured your lawyer marketing |
| wooing a referral base involves creating know, | | | | referral network what do you do with that list? |
| like, trust, relationship, credibility, and top of mind | | | | Just to be sure I need to say every lawyer has |
| awareness (TOMA) with your legal marketing | | | | as their best referral source category other |
| referral sources. I think you see the benefits | | | | lawyers so be sure to list all other practice areas |
| clearly so lets move on to giving you the | | | | that would have a particular ability to refer to |
| management tool to make it a reality. | | | | your practice area on your categories list. Also |
| Measuring a Lawyer Marketing Referral Base | | | | every lawyer marketing system needs to list |
| Lawyer marketing is not always and exact | | | | current clients as a category and put those |
| science and that does not keep us from keeping | | | | clients on the Top 20 and Farm Team list as they |
| statistics. The game of legal marketing will | | | | move out of the Who You Know List since clients |
| be improved just like keeping statistics in baseball, | | | | should be on the Who You Know List. Also some |
| football or hockey improves performance. The | | | | of your clients are in the categories you have |
| tool we will use consists of four basic lists to | | | | listed and they need particular attention first in |
| measure your legal marketing referral base as it | | | | legal marketing. |
| exists currently and see where your attorney | | | | The way you use the list in lawyer marketing is |
| marketing time needs to be focused thus putting | | | | to pay particular attention first to building and |
| your resources into those referral sources with | | | | maintaining relationships with your Top 20 and |
| the potential for the most return. | | | | Farm Team List members. As you deepen and |
| The first list is called the Top 20 List. If | | | | develop those relationships they will send you |
| you only have a few lawyer marketing referral | | | | more clients than ever before since you are |
| sources, obviously, it may only be the Top 10 or | | | | building know, like, trust, relationship, credibility, |
| even the Top 2 List. But the first objective after | | | | and top of mind awareness (TOMA) with |
| listing your top lawyer marketing referral sources | | | | these people. Ask the Top 20 and Farm Team |
| is to increase the list to 20 if it is not there | | | | members to introduce you to other people they |
| already so that is why we call it the Top 20 list. In | | | | know in the categories that have the ability to |
| order to qualify for the Top 20 List, a referral | | | | refer to you and they will. See if any of the Who |
| source must have sent you X amount of | | | | You Know List members are in the categories |
| business in the past year and has hit that level | | | | you are seeking and cultivate those members. |
| consistently over the last three years. Depending | | | | See if the Who You Know List members can |
| on your practice area, X may be one, two, or | | | | introduce you to people on your categories list. |
| three very profitable cases. For example, if you | | | | You get the idea here. Over time you will fill your |
| are a PI lawyer you might consider X to equal the | | | | Top 20 and Farm Team lists thus only have time |
| referral of at least one case that netted the | | | | to devote to maintaining and building from them I |
| practice over $25,000 in contingency fees (or set | | | | am sure. Not sure how to do this entire legal |
| the benchmark higher or lower as you see fit). If | | | | marketing building from a communications |
| you practice residential real estate then X might | | | | perspective? |
| equal someone who sent you a minimum of 3 | | | | |