Featuring advice from successful rainmakers, the article frames the advice we’ve all heard (and given) in relatable, attorney-focused language.  Key points:

• Identify Networks Strategically
• Play to Your Personal Strengths
• Sell the Team – Not Just Yourself
• Make Personal Connections
• Be A Good Resource

Which of these tips will you try?  Have any of them worked well for you in the past?

These days, “thought leadership” seems to be one of the most popular phrases in the legal marketing.  How do we promote it?  Who is doing it well?  How can we get our lawyers to understand the importance of thought leadership?   We all  want to position our lawyers and firms as thought leaders, but sometimes the path can be a little fuzzy.  On Thursday, March 28th at 1:00 pm Eastern, the fuzziness will disappear.

ON24, the AMAZING sponsor for Virginias Chapter webinars, will be offering a complimentary webinar that will help legal marketers turn the concept of thought leadership into actionable business plans for lawyers.  Speakers Marsha Redmon, CEO of Marsha Redmon Communications and Robert Algeri , co-founder of Great Jakes Marketing, will provide a step-by-step path your firm can use now to get more benefit from lawyers’ thought leadership content, using real-life examples of firms that are getting it right.

To register for “The NEW Rules of Legal Thought Leadership”, or for additional program information, click here.

We’ll be there – will you?

Professionals with fewer grammar errors in their LinkedIn profiles achieved higher positions. Those who failed to progress to a director-level position within the first 10 years of their careers made 2.5 times as many grammar mistakes as their director-level colleagues.

Fewer grammar errors correlate with more promotions. Professionals with one to four promotions over their 10-year careers made 45% more grammar errors than those with six to nine promotions in the same time frame.

Fewer grammar errors associate with frequent job changes. Those who remained at the same company for more than 10 years made 20% more grammar mistakes than those who held six jobs in the same period. This could be explained in a couple of ways: People with better grammar may be more ambitious in their search for promising career opportunities, or job-hoppers may simply recheck their résumés between jobs.

In honor of today’s holiday, why not challenge your attorneys to review their LinkedIn pages?

Further Reading
Proofreader Susan Sheppard/WordsRight
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation [Amazon]
The Elements of Style [Amazon]
LinkedIn Tops 200 Million Members:  One Simple Way Lawyers Can Use It  [Real Lawyers Have Blogs]
7 Ways for Lawyers and Law Firms to Use LinkedIn More Effectively  [Real Lawyers Have Blogs]

As legal marketers, we often coach attorneys to learn about what keeps clients up at night so that we can provide relevant, appropriate solutions and strategies. For the past nine years, Fulbright has gone straight to the in-house counsel’s mouth for this information.  For the 2013 edition, the firm surveyed 392 in-house counsel to gather data on a wide range of topics, including alternative fee arrangements, hiring, matter management, legal spend and extensive practice-specific findings.

We’ll be posting more about the survey data throughout the coming week, but check out what publications such as Law360 (including IP, Labor, Employment and Securities–specific analysis), Corporate Counsel and Law.com are saying about the survey’s findings. Fulbright’s press release and survey summary can be found here, and you can download the complete survey from Fulbright’s website.

A few initial thoughts:

We’re definitely including the Litigation Trends Report in our list of FreeSources.

The survey findings are a great resource for attorneys and legal marketers. Staying on top of legal trends is a key competency for legal marketers, and one of the best ways to show value. If you dig into the data just a little, I’ll bet you’ll find something that will affect or influence your firm’s business plan for the coming years.

What a great business development tool for Fulbright & Jaworski! The firm’s name is at the top of the call list for every legal industry publication this morning, and I’d be interested to see an analysis of the increase in traffic to the firm’s site. I’m not a client (or a lawyer) and I found myself wandering around Fulbright’s website for a few minutes after downloading the survey.

The survey of in-house counsel, which Fulbright has conducted for the past nine years, shows amazing thought leadership. Imagine that you’re an in-house attorney at a major company – when you think of a firm that “gets” what you’re looking for, why not go to the firm that literally wrote the book (report) on it?

Not only is the survey itself impressive, but the follow-up is equally impressive. Fulbright captured my information when I downloaded the survey, and immediately sent an email with links to their Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages, inviting me to join the conversation about the survey. In marketing-speak, I appreciate their multi-platform approach to leveraging their hard work…in regular person-speak, WOW.

We hope you’ll join us – and Fulbright – as we discuss the survey findings and what they mean for legal marketers. In the meantime, we’d love for you to share how you’ll use the survey findings.

As we discussed in our previous FreeSources post, keeping up with the latest industry trends, jargon and news can be a challenge. Not every firm has the resources to send their marketers to conferences or high-priced webinars, and not every legal marketer has the time to attend them. Fortunately for us, many leaders in the legal industry analysis and trend forecasting field make their information available for free. Some of our favorite resources for keeping up with legal industry trends – without a hefty pricetag – are described below.

Altman Weil
Altman Weil is a leading management consulting services firm that works exclusively with legal organizations. In addition to providing services to individual law firms, Altman Weil regularly conducts surveys on industry trends. The results of those surveys are available on their website…you guessed it, for free.

Recently, Altman Weil published the results of their 2012 Chief Legal Officer Survey, which found that in-house counsel “are re-negotiating outside counsel fees, shifting work to lower-priced law firms, increasing in-house capacity, opting for alternative service providers and using new technology — all to develop a more cost-effective legal services model.” It’s not a surprise that alternative fee arrangements and cost reduction are top-of-mind for in-house counsel, but the CLO Survey (and many others conducted by Altman Weil) provide specific details and comments from survey respondents. Still not convinced? Check out Altman Weil’s Resources page, where you can find links to blogs, past studies, whitepapers and articles.

Association of Corporate Counsel
What’s that saying about going straight to the horse’s mouth? The Association of Corporate Counsel website is the perfect example. Think of a visit to this site as the online equivalent to eavesdropping with permission! Although some sections of the website are accessible only to ACC members, a wealth of information is available to site visitors.

We recommend checking out the site’s Legal Resources section, the free articles and reference documents, and the Value Challenge section. Recently, our most-visited page on the ACC site has been the ACC’s 2013 Chief Legal Officers (CLO) Survey, which asked more than 1,400 CLOs about their top concerns “for the past 12 months, today, and into the future, and a prioritization of their business issues.”

Lawyerist
We try not to play favorites, but we can’t deny our crush on Lawyerist. Written by lawyers, former lawyers and two non-lawyers (because, as they say “lawyers don’t know everything”), Lawyerist keeps up with and stays ahead of the latest news in law practice. The site isn’t geared exclusively to lawyers or marketers, and offers readers different (but always intelligent) points of view.

We’re huge fans of their posts on marketing, insight into Alternative Fee Arrangements and the interactive LAB, a message board for readers to share ideas and ask questions.

LMA
We’ve saved the best for last! Who better understands the type of information that legal marketers need than other legal marketers? Who knows more about emerging products and tools than the leading vendors and early adopters?

LMA is an amazing resource for legal marketers, offering insight and guidance on the most pressing issues facing the industry. If you haven’t taken a spin around the website lately, check out the revamped bulletin board features, regular intelligence briefings and the great work being done by chapters throughout the U.S.

The current soundtrack to my life is the opening line of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,”  because, well…it’s not just cold, it’s FREEZING outside.  This frosty Friday, we’re highlighting our favorite ways to encourage attorneys to warm up to legal marketing.

Legal Marketing As Professional Responsibility - Lawyerist

Even Abraham Lincoln Had To Market - Lawyerist

More Provocative Questions and Bold Statements - Andy Stefanovich at TEDxNASA

Intrinsic Motivation for Lawyers: All In One Place - Leaving The Law

Marketing Is Easy – The Attorney Marketing Center

A New Way to Motivate Lawyers to do Law Firm Marketing and Sales - Larry Bodine

Staying Positive When Others Aren’t – Great Legal Marketing

What Drives You? Dan Pink on Lawyer Motivation - Lawyerist

Looking for a sure bet? Put all your chips on LMA! This year’s LMA Annual Conference will be held at the Aria Resort  in Las Vegas from April 8-10.

Unlike blackjack, the LMA Annual Conference guarantees big dividends for novices and long-term professionals alike. With courses and speakers who will address every facet of the industry, LMA has made a commitment to dynamic, relevant programs designed to facilitate personal and organizational growth.

In addition to popular offerings such as SMORs (Smart Marketing on [Limited] Resources), QuickStart program and CMO Summit, LMA has divided 2013’s breakout sessions into five categories – Business Development, Innovation, Marketing Communications/PR, Professional Development and Marketing Technologies. We’ve been poring over the event brochure, and have added quite a few sessions to our wish list. Each week, we’ll be highlighting breakout sessions from one category – starting today, with Innovation.

Be sure to visit the LMA conference page for official news and materials, and check back with us for updates, previews and information!

Course:  Featured Discussion – Response to the State of the Industry and What Lies Ahead
Date:  Wednesday, April 9, 11:00 a.m.
Speakers:  Kim Koopersmith – Managing Partner, United States, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Bruce A. James - CEO/Managing Partner – Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP; Steven R. Lowenthal – Chairman, Farella Braun + Martel, and Moderator, Professor David B. Wilkins, Harvard Law School – Lester Kissel Professor of Law, Vice-Dean for Global Initiatives on the Legal Profession and Director, Program on the Legal Profession.
Inside Track: On Wednesday morning, Professor Wilkins speak on the key challenges facing the 21^st century law firm.  At this session, he will moderate a discussion among law firm managing partners, addressing such questions as: What are the major factors driving the market for legal services? Why are these factors leading clients to seek “more for less” from even their best law firms? How are these factors shaping the market for talent at both junior and senior levels? What can firms do to respond to — and, even more importantly, to anticipate — these challenges? Professor Wilkins will expand upon the advice offered in his morning presentation, and will engage law firm leaders on concrete steps that marketing professionals can take to help their firms succeed in today’s challenging business and economic environment.

Not surprisingly, all six law firms reported that they have enhanced their business development and client development plans in 2012, while MLF also highlighted five of the firms’ improved website interactivity through their use of video, blogs and client alerts. MLF also noted the use of social media as a continued trend among law firm marketing departments, citing the firms’ unanimous emphasis on Twitter and LinkedIn, with still secondary use of Facebook, YouTube and Google+.

While various areas of marketing, such as media relations, event planning, mobile websites and branding proved to be critical components of the top law firms’ marketing strategies, their emphasis on improving client service and business development seems to have been the top priorities across the board in 2012. To that end, here are some of the innovative business development initiatives that the top law firms successfully implemented in 2012:

Coaching: Business development managers, chief marketing officers and partners are collaborating on various levels to host one-on-one and group business development workshops that help associates grow their practices through marketing and cross-selling, enhance leadership skills, build their reputations as industry thought-leaders, talk to prospective clients and improve networking skills, deliver elevator speeches, develop pitch materials, strengthen client relationships, and perhaps most importantly—better understand their clients’ needs, businesses and industries. MLF noted one department’s collaboration with their firm’s human resources department and hiring committee to formally introduce marketing and business development onboarding initiatives so associates and lateral hires are immediately positioned to maximize their business development efforts.

Research: Marketing departments have bulked up their research capabilities to assist lawyers with researching and developing comprehensive reports on business trends, clients’ present and future legal needs, corporate and executive profiles, financials, business strategies, industry news, lawsuit developments, and other client-related information. These reports are critical to preparing for client pitches, meetings, cross-selling, and growing existing business.

Direct client feedback/communication: Some of the top law firms have enlisted their chief marketing officers and firm chairmen to participate in meetings with clients to solicit candid feedback on client service and to generally strengthen client relationships. With a wide-spread push to deliver clients practical industry-focused materials and resources, engaging in more frequent direct communications with clients helps to give law firms a competitive edge.

For more information about the MLF 50, click here.

More than two weeks into 2013, I’m pleased to report that I haven’t entirely abandoned my New Year’s Resolutions – fifteen days of being cheesecake-free! In addition to dessert-related goals, I’ve made some professional resolutions: I resolve to be more strategic in my thinking, to delegate responsibilities when appropriate, and to take a business writing course. So far, so good. The ABA Legal Rebels compiled a list of “13 Resolutions for Improving Client Service” – ideas that apply equally to how lawyers deal with their clients, how legal marketers work with the attorneys at the firm, and how legal marketers can help attorneys provide great service to their existing clients. Some of our favorites from the list (and thoughts on how they can be applied to the lawyer-client, lawyer-legal marketer and legal marketer – client relationships) are below.

Resolution: I will experiment with something new this year to see if the “buzz” is warranted instead of merely dismissing the idea because it’s not the way I do things.
Lawyer – Client: Have your clients asked for information on legal project managers or management software? Information on alternative fee arrangements? Spend a few minutes looking at what clients are talking about and work with your firm’s support staff to determine whether it’s the right fit for you.
Legal Marketer – Lawyer: Buzzwords and new products fly around constantly – content marketing! Twitter! LinkedIn! SEO! Maybe your lawyers have come to you and informed you that they want a blog (because everyone else seems to have one)…Take the time to think strategically about which hot new services or tools are actually appropriate for the commitment and capabilities of your attorneys, firm and market.
Legal Marketer – Client: What’s likely to happen when a client issues an RFP that focuses on alternative fee arrangements? You’re the one who will lead the charge on the response. Before diving into a project, driven by looming deadlines and exclamation point emails, do a little digging into the needs of the client. What sort of matters do they need help with? Has their General Counsel given any interviews or presentations on what the company looks for in an outside counsel partnership? An extra hour spent learning about what a client is actually asking – and sharing that information with your attorneys – can be worth its weight in hourly fees.

Resolution: I will ask my clients to define unacceptable, acceptable and outstanding outcomes before I bill for any work on a matter.
Legal Marketer – Client and Lawyer – Client: Pretty straightforward all around, right? Many clients have instructions on how they approach billing, budgets, fees and their relationships in their outside counsel guidelines, but have your attorneys established best practices for communication, reporting and results with their key clients? If not, it’s time. (Note: Knowing what not to do is just as important…)
Legal Marketer – Lawyer: Discussions of boundaries and expectations are tough, but well worth a little squirming. What do your attorneys view as a “final” product? How involved do they want you to be in terms of sharing information about clients, legal marketing trends, team news, etc.? Establishing the norms and best practices for how you provide services is a way to ensure that you’re anticipating needs and working strategically instead of reacting to each new email that pops up on your screen.

Resolution: I will read books that help me evaluate the way I practice. I will start with Michael Eisner’s Working Together: Why Great Partnerships Succeed.
Legal Marketer: I will also look into books such as The Tipping Point and Look At More Stuff, and sign up for the Virginas Chapter Book Club.

Resolution: I will make less use of email in dealing with my clients and spend more time talking to them on the phone and visiting them personally.
Legal Marketer – Client and Lawyer – Client: We think client visits are important – and the ACC agrees. A small investment in time and travel costs allows for discussion, expression of appreciation and the opportunity to look a client in the face and ask how you’re doing. Some tips for client visits can be found here.
Legal Marketer – Lawyer: I know. Your desk chair is so comfortable, and you can keep track of your new emails and maybe check Facebook while you’re at your desk…I’m as much of a deskbody as anyone, but in the past year, I’ve realized the value of picking up the phone or going directly to a lawyer’s office to touch base. Not only do you get points for responsiveness, a personal call or visit gives you the opportunity to have a real discussion about a project or request, as opposed to a one-way conversation.

Now that they’re public, we’re stuck with our resolutions.  What are your professional New Year’s Resolutions for 2013?

In an article published by ALM’s Careerist,business development consultant K.C. Victor, principal at Victor Legal Solutions, debunks common misperceptions about what it takes to be a rainmaker.  She offers seven more reasons why some lawyers hate marketing:

It feels rude and maybe arrogant to pitch clients who already have lawyers

I hate selling

It’s too overwhelming. I don’t know where to start

I can’t call and ask for business!

I’m afraid they might tell me “no”

I am not a smooth mixer

I feel out-of-place, perhaps even sleazy, offering unsolicited business advice

More importantly,  Victor provides advice on what law firm marketers can do to redirect attorney mindsets; astutely advising, “One need not be gregarious to build or increase a book of business. No particular personality is required for rainmaking, but lawyers should first make sure that they are going into it with the right attitude.”

Her advice to overcome the various walls lawyers may throw up– such as “I’m afraid they might tell me ‘no’”, “it feels rude to pitch clients who already have lawyers”, or “I can’t call and ask for business,”—boils down to communicating with clients, not selling to them. In other words, clients are unlikely to hire you if they think you don’t care about them or worse—they have forgotten you exist.

Victor advises, “People like attention…People like to talk about themselves and conversations evolve.” She recommends that lawyers simply pick up the phone to say hello or see how their client’s business is doing. Of course, these calls are most effective when tthe lawyer has done their homework and already knows how their client’s business is doing.  This background knowledge, supplemented by the client’s insight, allows lawyers to take the ”just checking in” call a step further by creating a “need” or reason to follow up with their client. Perhaps they have read, seen or heard something interesting and they are calling to share the information with their client. Or they could call to invite or introduce their client to something or someone. Having a purpose behind the call will bridge the communication gap while also giving the client an incentive to speak with the lawyer.