Larry Bodine Law Marketing Blog

Bob Weiss

Bob Weiss writing in Attorney at Work asks this provocative question for lawyers anticipating the holidays. Here's a snippet:

There is a significant debate in law firms about whether to produce electronic holiday cards or mail a printed card to clients. People want to know what works best so, in the absence of any definitive research, I took an online poll to find out what lawyers, themselves, like to receive.

The result? Of the 140 lawyers and law firm professionals surveyed, 62 percent said they preferred receiving printed holidays cards. That’s right, printed.

Only 10 percent said they would prefer to receive an e-card, and 28 percent reported it didn’t matter what kind of card was sent. We got responses from corporate, transactional, defense, family law and plaintiff’s attorneys who work in local, regional and national firms.

We then asked if the lawyer should personally sign it when sending a printed card. It was no surprise that 79 percent said yes. Is the impression made on the recipient also better if it is personally signed and includes a brief personal message? Yes, said 81 percent.

For six specific pointers, see Bob's A Few Holiday Card Best Practices

Bob Weiss writes law firm marketing plans, coaches lawyers and speaks regularly at retreats and legal conventions nationwide. He helps attorneys develop dockets of intellectually challenging cases at desirable rates. Considered one of the pioneers of professional services marketing, Bob founded Alyn-Weiss & Associates, Inc. in 1980 and is the author of Marketing in Brief.