Enjoy the Benefits of Your AV Rating

Today's post is part of an article written by Philip Livingston, CEO of Marketing and Business Solutions at LexisNexis.  He explains the importance of achieving an AV Preeminent® rating.  

Each year thousands of attorneys achieve an AV Preeminent® rating. If you too are among the elite, you should showcase your rating to the fullest and enjoy all the benefits of this honor.

  • Martindale-Hubbell actively promotes your rating so others readily understand your accomplishment. An exclusive agreement with ALM Media Properties, LLC will put AV Preeminent rated lawyers in front of more than 500,000 legal professionals across 30 different publications in 2013. An agreement with Fortune magazine and ALM highlights U.S. law firms with the highest percentages of AV Preeminent rated lawyers in its December "Investor's Guide."
  • We also display your ratings on martindale.com® and Lawyers.comSM . Lawyers.com alone makes your rating available to 34 million unique visitors annually. To locate the best of the best, visitors can fine-tune their search by rated lawyers only.
  • I strongly encourage you to proactively promote your AV Preeminent rating too. Display your rating in locations where clients, prospective clients and referring lawyers can find you: your website, your social media profiles (LinkedIn®, Facebook®, etc.), your business cards, at your office and elsewhere. Our associates at American Registry create elegant plaques, lapel pins, acknowledgements, ratings video and other recognition products, all designed to showcase your rating. You can find more information at http://www.mhur.com/.
  • Take the time to draw attention to your two favorite ratings' verbatim feedback by promoting it to the top of your ratings display on Lawyers.com and martindale.com. You also should take advantage of the one-time opportunity to comment on each peer feedback to give clients and prospects a better understanding of you and your practice. All of this can be easily accomplished in the Martindale-Hubbell Client Service Center.

For more than 140 years, Martindale-Hubbell has proudly facilitated the ratings process to highlight lawyers who are at the pinnacle of the legal profession. If you have questions about Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings or Martindale-Hubbell Client Review Ratings, visit www.martindale.com/ratings, email ratings@martindale.com or call 800-526-4902, option 4. 

HOW TO: Get Clients to Rate & Review Your Law Practice

Are you asking your satisfied clients — lawyers and consumers alike — for reviews or testimonials, and actively posting them on your website?

Do you ask clients to leave recommendations for your services at online legal directories and on your social media profiles like Google+TM, LinkedIn®, Facebook® and Yelp®?

If not, why not?

Consumer opinions and recommendations are the most effective forms of advertising. Everybody is showcasing some form of third-party validation these days, including lawyers. Granted, some states prohibit client testimonials on law firm websites, so you'll have to ask your provider about that first. But if it's permitted, encourage your clients to rate you.

Here's what you should do:

Proactively Ask Your Clients to Rate You

Prospective clients want to know how they're going to be treated once they hire you. They want to better understand your approach and personality. So ask your existing clients for feedback on your services and communication skills. Ask about responsiveness, the quality of service and value for the money. Was there anything about your service they found surprising? Be sure to solicit reviews in addition to getting rated.

Read what else you should do at the LexisNexis website.