If your law practice is suited to going beyond your state boundaries, here are three reasons to consider expanding your horizons:
Reason #1: You have many more opportunities to attract the types of cases you want.
When you draw clients from 50 states, you have a much greater selection than when you limit your field to your home state. If every state has three really good cases, you can compete for the three in your own state — or you can compete for your share of 150 from across the U.S.
Reason #2: You have many more opportunities for highly visible media publicity.
Gaining publicity outside your state is often easier than getting attention in your own state. This is because nearly every business wants to be featured in your local newspapers. But when you pursue articles in regional and national publications, you often find yourself competing with fewer businesses and fewer lawyers.
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Most lawyers get clients from within their state, so they don’t seek media attention beyond those borders. Plus, they often assume that gaining national publicity would be much harder than achieving local attention. But, in fact, when you go beyond your state’s boundaries, you have access to hundreds of additional publications at the state, regional, and national levels, all of which could be suitable targets for your publicity effort.
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Reason #3: The “mystery of distance” helps your being perceived as the authority in your field because you’re from out of town. You’ve probably heard of this principle, but you may not have used it as part of your marketing strategy. The mystery of distance says this: The farther you go to get a product or service, the better and more valuable it is. There’s no logical reason to believe that something that comes from far away is better than something you get from down the street. Still, subconsciously, we think it is. Now, read these 17 steps and discover…
Step #1: Identify the niche you want to fill and the types of cases you want to attract. When clients hear your name, you want them to associate you with a specific type of high-level legal service. For example, Mark Warren practices in mergers and acquisitions. Amanda Thompson is a securities lawyer. Stephen White specializes in intellectual property.
Consider whether any lawyer in your niche springs to mind when you mention your area of law. If so, that lawyer owns a very strong position. If no lawyer comes to mind, then an effective marketing program will help you build the perception that you are the leading authority in that practice area. So if you want to target only certain types of cases, then invest the time to identify the niche you want to fill and the types of cases you want to attract.
Step #2: Identify the type of clients you want to serve. You must know where to aim if you expect to hit the bullseye. List the types of people or companies you want to attract that are ready, willing and able to hire your services. Identify your prospective clients by who they are and what they have. For individuals, consider things such as gender, age, marital and family status, education, occupation, income, and homeownership. For companies, consider things such as industry, sales, number of employees, level of risk or whatever makes a business attractive to you.
Step #3: Identify how you and your services differ from those of your competitors. Positive differences are your competitive advantages. Negative differences are your competitive disadvantages. Identify both, so you know when you are in the strongest position to win a new client.
Step #4: Identify ways you can add value to your services, so prospects eagerly choose you over all other lawyers. What can you add to your services to make them even more attractive than they are now — and more attractive than services offered by competitors? How could you provide services more effectively, more completely, or faster — with your client getting better results with less risk? Adding value to your services now creates greater competitive advantages for you and your firm.
Step #5: Compile a data-base of clients and referral sources. Your most important business asset is your mailing list. It’s your own personal area of influence. It should include your current clients, past clients, prospective clients, referral sources, past referral sources, and prospective referral sources. Whether your list contains 100 names or 5,000 names, these people are the core around which you build a growing, prosperous law practice. As you attract an ongoing flow of new inquiries, keep all the names and addresses on your database. One critical factor in your marketing program is your ability to continue adding names of prospective clients and prospective referral sources to your contact list.
Step #6: Make sure important people can reach you easily. Prospects, clients and referrers often grow concerned about their ability to get in touch with you. To reassure them, explain the many ways you invite contact, such as on your direct line, smartphone, email, and other methods you offer.
Next month we will reveal Steps #7-#17…
Step #7: Compile your information and advice into your own unique educational message.
Step #8: Offer your unique educational message in hard copy and by email.
Step #9: Define the geographical area from which you want to draw clients.
Step #10: Compile a database of media outlets…
Step #11: Launch an aggressive publicity…
Step #12: Contact high-profile publications and columnists…
Step #13: Compile a list of trade associations that serve the prospects you want to reach.
Step #14: Compile a list of prospective referral sources in the states or regions you serve and add them to your database.
Step #15: Market your seminars and speaking engagements nationwide.
Step #16: Send an email alert or briefing at least every month.
Step #17: Post to a blog on your website at least every month.
