Toll-Free: 1-877-352-2021
7111 W. 151st St.
Overland Park, KS 66223
CLIENT ACQUISITION STRATEGIES
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This Houston law firm needed a custom solution to their website marketing challenge. The firm already had a website, but had purchased a template program from a directory vendor. The template design was limited, they were not allowed to have downloadable forms, and they couldn't figure out the difficult instructions to make changes or updates. Their website was languishing unused, but they were still paying for it. IMS worked within their limitations to create a usable site, then added hyperlinks to our own server for a seamless connection that allowed them to post downloadable client forms. Here is what they have to say about the result:
Dear Jennifer, I
just want to let you know what a difference in our practice our
improved website has been. April did such a fantastic job of
turning the website into something we can be proud of. I do not
hesitate now to refer clients and potential clients to the
website. It has especially helped us in scheduling initial
estate planning consultations. Before we had our estate planning
questionnaire on the website, we used to mail it to potential
clients, then either wait for them to call to schedule an
appointment or try to call them back to schedule an appointment.
It was very difficult to get them to commit to the appointment
because we missed the opportunity when they were the most
interested. Now I schedule an appointment with the potential
client on the first call and I tell them to go to the website to
download the |
CONTACT US
Toll-Free
Phone: 1-877-352-2021
Fax: 1-877-352-2021
Email: bsi@carolnet.com
Snail Mail:
Integrity
Marketing Solutions
7111 W. 151st St., Ste 216
Overland Park, KS 66223
Copyright © 2004 IMS.
The Quill & Column
Law Firm Marketing & Practice Development
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Practice Management |
A Systematic Approach to Client Acquisition
Client Acquisition -- the holy grail of marketing. Regardless how much we talk about maintenance programs, client reviews, and ongoing relationships, we know that the health of your practice depends upon your ability to successfully acquire NEW clients on a regular basis. They didn't tell you that in law school, now, did they? This is one reason that most attorneys are poorly prepared for this daunting task. The single biggest, and most common flaw that I see in practice management is the lack of a systematic approach to client acquisition.
Contact Management
Contact management is the fundamental building block of any client acquisition program.
Read that again.
Contact management is the fundamental building block of any client acquisition program.
No, it's not marketing ... not in the sense that we often equate marketing to advertising, workshops, and direct mail. If your marketing plan does not include consistent, systematic, automated contact management, then -- given enough time -- it is destined for failure.
What is contact management? Essentially, contact management is the process of building and nurturing relationships. Successful contact management relies on consistency achieved through automated systems.
Why?
Why are these attributes essential? Because relationships are built, nurtured and come to fruition only OVER TIME. The contacts you make at a workshop or seminar are usually only initial contacts. So, too, many of the contacts you make even through referrals are essentially initial contacts. If you are attempting to generate clients only from initial contacts, your client acquisition costs will be outrageous and your marketing efforts will fall short of your goals.
How many of us decided to marry our spouses after only one introduction? So it often is with client relationships as well ... consistent contact over time is required to bring these relationships to full bloom. However, unlike a dating relationship that focuses (usually) on only one person ... your client acquisition efforts are focused on many, sometimes literally hundreds of people at any given moment. A consistent, systematic, automatic contact management program will help you build these multiple contacts into profitable, mutually satisfying, long-term client relationships ... and ensure that you do so in a cost-effective manner.
Information is Power -- Get It!
If you are not currently managing these key contact relationships in a consistent, systematic manner, you are leaving money on the table every day. If you want to get control of your client acquisition process consider one of our IMS Academy courses.
IMS
Academy
The IMS Academy provides a comprehensive marketing and practice
development curricula for attorneys and law firms. Educational
opportunities include:
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coaching and consulting,
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on-site workshops and retreats, and
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guidance in the strategic planning process.
Our two most popular options are the Fundamentals of Marketing course for solo practitioners, small firms, and/or marketing directors at larger firms; and the Strategic Planning Process for small to mid-size firms. The Strategic Planning Process includes a minimum of three on-site visits, and an optional marketing retreat for partners, associates and staff.
Click here to learn about the IMS Academy
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Marketing Tips |
Repetition Works! Mail Monthly!
One of the first questions we often hear from attorneys is why we recommend a monthly mailing schedule for the Pocket Watch® newsletter. The blunt answer is that it works. But, naturally, there is more to this reasoning process.
First, we know from many independent research sources, that it takes nine to 12 impressions to bring someone to a financial decision. Whether you are working with clients, prospects or potential referral sources, the decision process is similar. By increasing the frequency of mailing, we compress the length of the sales cycle, facilitating the decision-making process to enhance practice development.
But, there is an even more fundamental concept at work behind the success of monthly mailings. It has to do with awareness. Despite what we may think about the compelling nature of our work ... the truth is that most people find the subject, well ... perhaps something less than compelling. If it takes nine to 12 impressions to bring someone to a financial decision, the next question is, "How many contacts are required to make an impression?" Consider this advice from London businessman Thomas Smith, penned in 1885 the next time you question whether you should be mailing monthly:
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The first time people look at any given ad, they don't even see it.
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The second time, they don't notice it.
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The third time, they are aware that it is there.
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The fourth time, they have a fleeting sense that they've seen it somewhere before.
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The fifth time, they actually read the ad.
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The sixth time, they thumb their nose at it.
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The seventh time, they start to get a little irritated with it.
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The eighth time they start to think, "Here's that confounded ad again."
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The ninth time, they start to wonder if they may be missing out on something.
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The tenth time, they ask their friends and neighbors if they've tried it.
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The eleventh time, they wonder how the company is paying for all these ads.
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The twelfth time, they start to think that it must be a good product.
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The thirteenth time, they start to feel the product has value.
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The fourteenth time, they start to remember wanting a product exactly like this for a long time.
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The fifteenth time, they start to yearn for it because they can't afford to buy it.
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The sixteenth time, they accept the fact that they will buy it sometime in the future.
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The seventeenth time, they make a note to buy the product.
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The eighteenth time, they curse their poverty for not allowing them to buy this terrific product.
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The nineteenth time, they count their money very carefully.
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The twentieth time prospects see the ad, they buy what it is offering.
Now What?
Now, this may be offered somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but the point is
clear. Repetitive message marketing is not a new idea! Time and research
both support the concept.
But the real questions are how to design an effective marketing program that not only builds a strong base of clients and referrals, but does so in a professional and cost-effective manner. Weaving through the maze of professional ethics regulations, while implementing effective strategies that bring qualified prospects into your office on a regular basis, is no easy task. We can accomplish this for your firm with a targeted approach:
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IMS Academy & Consulting Services: We can work with you to develop a strategic marketing plan, helping to ensure that we utilize multiple marketing strategies and tactics in tandem to achieve clearly defined objectives.
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Newsletters: Newsletters frequently serve as the "core" around which to develop a synergistic, relationship marketing program. We achieve consistency and frequency in the nature and delivery of our message.
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Internet/Website Marketing: An integrated website program repeats and reinforces your newsletter marketing message with an interactive website supported by direct mail and email marketing.
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Power Point Presentations: Each time you make a public presentation, you can reinforce your marketing message with presentation slides and materials that mirror the look and feel of your newsletter, and related marketing materials.
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Targeted Public Relations: By adding targeted public relations to your consulting services, you can reach into the public media with a powerful, and familiar message.
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Internet Marketing |
Harness the Power of the Internet
You
can begin to harness the POWER of the internet by following a basic
three-step process:
Step One: Understand The Power
Not just the technology, but the true POWER of the internet.
Step Two: Define Goals & Objectives
Define
your relevant goals and objectives for the next five years.
Step
Three: Channel the Power
Commit the resources necessary to harness the POWER of the internet.
This
month we focus on
Step One: Understand the POWER
“It used to be that dot-comming your business was trendy. Now it’s essential,” says Ed Zander of Sun Microsystems. Why? Because, as Zander says, “the real revolution lies in how the Internet is enabling companies to interact more efficiently.”
So – what is the true POWER of the internet? The most significant trend powered by the internet also may be the most ironic. The POWER of the internet is that, properly channeled, it will allow you to shift your focus away from technology and back to where it belongs – to building personal relationships.
We know there are approximately 110 million internet users in the US. More than that, however, we know important demographic and usage patterns that impact our decisions to integrate the internet into our marketing and practice development plans.
The
Power of Time
Research indicates that individuals increase their internet usage over
time. In other words, the longer someone has been using the internet,
the more comfortable they become with it, the more time they spend
online, and the more tasks they choose to perform over the internet …
to include making purchases online. Specifically, most internet
CONSUMERS (individuals who make purchases over the internet) have been
connected for at least three years. The power of the internet is not
limited to the growth of new users alone, but also with the increasing
comfort level of users who are becoming “internet mature.”
The
Power of Information:
Most Internet Users Are Looking for Information.
80% of all internet users look for government, business, health or
education information online, while only 42% (currently) shop online. A
whopping 74% of internet users report they use the internet to RESEARCH
products and services.
It is significant to note that in the more than 7-1/2 hours the typical user spends online each month, they visit only an average of 12 unique sites. With all that is offered on the internet, most people find what they need (or want) from a mere dozen sites. If we are to make an impact with internet marketing, we must break into this very small niche with valuable information that will pull people into our websites.
One bright note: while a typical print advertisement must capture attention within two seconds, the net surfer spends nearly a minute and half at a typical web page. This means we can communicate much more information on a typical web page than in a typical print advertisement.
The
Power To Reach Target Audiences
Only a few years ago, Internet usage was dominated by young, males. But
the demographics are changing. In fact, according to a report issued by
Charles Schwab & Co., 70% of Americans age 50 and over now have
internet access, up from only about 18 percent in 1995. Additionally, as
more women join the connected community, the Nielsen/Net Ratings report
the gender gap has disappeared, with an equal number of men and women
using the internet today.
Other encouraging news: overall, internet users tend to be wealthier than the general population. The average household income of internet users is nearly $75,000, compared to an average $58,000 among all US households.
The
Power of Business-to-Business Relationships
Business users account for more than half of total traffic volume on the net, with some 32 million business users worldwide. What do we know about those business users? Media Metrix reports that business users spend 65% more time on the web than home users. What are they doing? Research shows that at-work internet users browse news, financial and technology sites, as opposed to at-home users who frequent “portals” and “search engines.”
A recent Thomas Register and Visa USA online survey of 2,000 American and Canadian businesses shows that 40 percent say they used the Web at least once in the past month, primarily for QUICK RESEARCH. By meeting the needs of business users with valuable information, we can channel the power of the internet to build solid, profitable business relationships.
The
Power to Compete
Smaller firms can use the power of the internet to gain a competitive
advantage over larger firms. By moving quickly to integrate technology
– especially internet technology – smaller firms can have affordable
access to sophisticated legal resources (as well as marketing resources)
– previously available only to the large firms with their accompanying
large staffs and budgets.
The
Power of Email
94 percent of internet users also use e-mail. A recent survey released by the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that, contrary to some reports that the internet creates social isolation, users report that, in fact, their internet usage – and especially their e-mail – has strengthened their relationships and increased their contact with others. Email is an often-overlooked, but essential relationship-building tool. A personal message delivered electronically may be the single most powerful means of building personal relationships in a micro-chip world.
eNewsletters Build Client Relations
Now it's easier than ever to implement a client relations program. With e-newsletters from Integrity Marketing Solutions you can:
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Communicate monthly with all of your clients for one low, flat fee (no per-piece printing or postage charges)
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Invite clients to your website with fresh, rich content monthly, to learn more about your firm, upcoming events, or advanced planning options.
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Customize your message: Choose your "look" from one of our cost-effective design templates, utilize our custom design services, or have a newsletter created to coordinate with your existing website. Build your message from our content library, utilize our monthly service, or submit your own articles. Very specialized applications, ask about our legal writing services (see this month's client spotlight for an example).
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Service Spotlight |
Affordable Websites, Rich Content
Save
Time & Money with a Template-Based Website
Get online quickly with a powerful, proven website for only $395
We can design your website based on a standard template for trusts & estates attorneys.
Want something more personal? We also provide custom solutions and can build your unique website from the ground-up. Call for more information, including price estimates based on your needs: 1-877-352-2021.
Template
Website Pricing
Initial Set-Up Fee: $395
Monthly Licensing: $75
Discounted Licensing Fee for Pocket Watch subscribers: $60
Add a website to the IMS E-Newsletter service for only $50 per month