December Issue of Originate Now Available Online
Try Our FREE Sept. 2008 Anniversary Issue and September 2007 Issue under "Archives."
About this Issue: Six Gold Rings...A “True Love’s” Gift from Originate!
Our contributors this month aren’t quite as obsessive as the “true love” who gives those numerate presents in the seasonal song. But in this issue they offer a more valuable set of golden gifts so you can improve your business development for next year.
Featured Articles
Lead Article: The Start of Something Big: 8 Best “End of the Year” Business Development Ideas
This season you could do the same old kind of gift giving for your clients, allies, and others. Instead, Michael Cummings proposes that you try these eight business development ideas to offer true business value, deliver an appreciated personal touch or just get a great head start on a very merry next year for yourself.
- Deliver New Year’s voicemails to your best clients.
- Send business books or magazine subscriptions to your best clients.
- Prepare an annual business case and schedule Q1 check up meetings with your top clients.
- Review your annual scorecard with your top professional allies and referral sources.
- Develop case studies on your best and most marketable matters for 2010.
- Set your personal marketing goals and objectives for 2010.
- Meet with your mentor, practice group leader and managing partner.
- Take your “team” out to celebrate the year and thank them.
Turning It Around: How Smart Marketing Can Set Your Firm on a Better Course
Lower demand and growing client insistence on value have weakened profits for lawyers over the last few years, so firms have cut costs in response. However, to succeed in this new buyer-driven market, according to Kristin Stark of Hildebrandt, Inc., as reported by Janet Ellen Raasch, lawyers must greatly improve their core marketing elements and expertise.
- Get ahead of the buyer’s market with renewed emphasis on value as the clients define it.
- Pro-actively identify client concerns and develop methods to address these concerns such as client interviewing and formal client teams.
- Make research and analysis key to your marketing to clients and positioning against the competition.
- Position yourself strategically with focused plans, high value services priced for value, and alliances.
- Advance your skills in growing strong client relationships and selling.
Zipper Up Your Client Relationships to Get New Business: 7 Practical Steps
Good relationships with clients lead to new business. Weak relationships lead to trouble. Larry Bodine, Esq. shows seven ways you can “zipper up” a relationship with an important client, from simple responsiveness to proactive involvement, and reap the rewards.
- Conduct quarterly “how’s business” meetings with key executives.
- Work two to-do lists.
- Stay responsive.
- Get to know personal interests and ambitions.
- Zipper-up relationships by peer to peer linking and by meeting executives outside the legal department.
- Maintain relationships after the work is over.
- Make introductions for clients to your network.
Best Practice Tips
Your Social Media Game Plan: 10 Most Productive “End of Year” Actions Online
Many of you are already members of social networking sites and using social media such as blogs, etc. Darryl Cross offers ten productive actions now to turn these resources into actual new business for your practice. It’s all about using the new tools in proven and effective ways.
The Holiday Card Hustle
Before it’s too late to make the same mistake this December, Andy Havens tells a story of the nightmares that typically accompany your firm’s holiday (?) mailing. He suggests three ways to avoid the usual hassles and perhaps more truly deliver a message of caring and friendship.
Make New Year’s Goals, Not Resolutions, to Build Your Career
Make business development a priority in the coming year, advises Thom Singer, by setting a small number of specific goals for yourself. So don’t continue drifting through next year, and the year after, and… Instead, start being proactive for your own career by following six goal-setting steps.
The new year is a great time to get out with the old. If you've invested time, money, or both on law firm marketing that didn't prove out in 2009, don't be afraid to cut it loose. This is especially true when it comes to the internet. Too many lawyers are spending blindly online without measuring results. Hold your web marketer accountable.