Profiting With Public Relations

It Takes More Than A Loud Voice To Gain Respect

I'm what's known as a "Thatcher Baby", those of us who get the vote while Maggie Thatcher was in power in the 80s. I can't say I've always subscribed to her political views but like most strong leaders she has opinions.

Recently, while surfing on the net I came across one of her observations: that being powerful is like being a lady: If you have to tell others you are, you aren’t. Truly great leaders gain respect by the way they conduct themselves, not by the loudness of their orders or touting who they are.

Follow the Golden Rule in your treatment of others, (lawyers pay attention, not all relationships are transactional, nor is it about those who have the most followers on SN sites) treat others how you would like to be treated and you will win their undying loyalty.

Infact, another leader,  Barack Obama comes to mind, one who has  revolutionized the way future political leaders will use technology in campaigns. A popular saying of his comes to mind,  building relationships, communities and organizations  "block by block". It might take longer, but the loyalty is steadfast rather than transactional.

Create A Marketing Habit

In today’s economic climate, marketing is more critical than ever. The people who are bringing in business are the ones who are out there proactively courting it. That’s why I am happy to share with you a special opportunity.

For the next 48 hours only, my colleague Paula Black is offering a collection of FREE bonus gifts to anyone who purchases her latest book: “The Little Black Book: A Lawyer’s Guide To Creating A Marketing Habit in 21 Days.” Designed to help lawyers integrate marketing into their daily lives, this book is quick, easy and inspirational. And by purchasing it within the next 48 hours you will receive special access to information and resources from more than 30 experts. A compilation of advice from some of the most sought-after experts in the legal arena, “The Smart Lawyer’s Toolkit” gives you instant admittance to an incredible collection of tips and information. Top notch experts in the legal marketing area including Larry Bodine, Cole Silver, Bruce MacEwen, Ed Poll, Tom Kane, Gerry Riskin, Patrick Lamb, Patrick J. McKenna,  Allison Shields and Ben Glass, among others.

I've even included a 'bonus' on media relations with the package - one of the sessions from the Home Study version of "How to Grow Your Law Practice on a Shoestring Budget."
Click here for details…but do it fast!

What To Do If a Reporter Calls Unexpectedly

In the world wide web era, no one is immune from a call from the
press. Having a strong presence online with a good  newsroom is
a critical component of a proactive marketing/business development plan.
So what should lawyers do you when a reporter calls unexpectedly?

Here's a checklist:

1. Don’t ignore the call or e-mail. (Be grateful that somehow they have
found you). Return phone calls within 15 minutes, even if you don’t know
why they are calling you. Don’t wait 24 hours.

2. Find out the parameters of the story, when the story is due, what specifically
the reporter is seeking. They may be looking for a quote from you or
some sources from you. Either way, you want to be remembered as the
person who tried to help them. Not the lawyer who ignored them!

3. If you are the source and you are not prepared, ask for an hour so that
you can collect your thoughts.

4. If you don’t know the answers, or don't wish to discuss a particular case, don’t leave them hanging. Contact the reporter and let him know so that he can proceed to the next source.

5. Suggest other sources and contacts who are pertinent to the story and who
might be worth while talking to.

If you're looking for cost effective public relations for your law firm take advantage of  a free month’s subscription to SCG’s Legal PR Network. As a member you can gain exposure to both national and international legal and non-legal media through a variety of opportunities from the press.

Why Lawyers May Finally Be Seeing the Light When it Comes to Connecting With Clients

I've often thought about what an entrepreneur is, especially since I ended up being one! Are entrepreneurs a greedy capitalist lot who don't wish to play by anyone else's rules? Or, are they highly creative people who have a fundamental understanding that we are ALL connected? That life is about relationships, whether you’re connected with the cashier at Gristedes or talking to some ultra-urban sophisticate. Now, since I'm in the legal world and lawyers are a breed of people who primarily see, feel and comprehend “just the facts, ma'am,” this has been a question that has been plaguing me for a while. Well, some interesting things happened a couple of  weeks ago,  all within the space of 24 hours, which have given me great hope for lawyers.

A friend of mine, Maricar Tinio with Lateral Link, put together a phenomenal CLE at DLA Piper—“Managing Legal Costs in an Economic Downturn.” The panelists were absolutely top-notch. Although my schedule was a bit bonkers, I wanted to show support for my friend. I showed up, telling her right up front that I would only be around for about 30 minutes. To complicate things, I had my own CLE to give on “3 Ways How Public Relations Can Grow Your Law Practice” for the New York County Lawyers’ Association’s two-day conference titled Bridging the Gap for Newly Admitted Lawyers, which needed tightening on structure otherwise, I would end up on some inter galactic tangent!

Much to my amazement, three hours later I was still at DLA Piper.

Jonathan Olefson of Cognizant Technology Solutions, one of the panelists, remarked during the CLE that he wants law firms—to which his company sends millions of dollars’ worth of work—to “connect” with him, or in his terms, “talk to him.” After the session I had the opportunity to talk with him and asked him specifics of what he meant. He explained, that since Cognizant was a global company, he was working with lawyers throughout various jurisdictions in the world. The company worked with many firms, including a solo lawyer based in England to whom  Cognizant has sent lots of work. He said, the professional relationship with this lawyer is fast developing into a personal one. Jonathan gave me several other examples of other young lawyers in very small firms who have managed to get more legal work from his company because they have become partners and they use technology to the maximum.

I returned home to change the introduction of my  CLE presentation the following morning, incorporating some of my findings. 

My CLE panel went very well, the audience consisting of nearly 100 nearly minted lawyers, some thinking of starting their own practice, others  acting as  Morlocks for the time being and doing document review work in the deep, dark tunnels of big law, others working as associates. They were very receptive, although by looking at them from the podium I couldn’t tell. But judging by all my business cards disappearing and that I was still doing question-and-answer after 90 minutes of talking, I assumed all was well.

What really encouraged me was how several of them were beginning to see the light. They were beginning to grasp that what separates them from their so-called competition is how they handled their client work: everything from the client’s first call to billing, thank-you cards, connecting about kids watching the latest crap on television, and talking about the latest Prada shoes! The conversation then drifted into community and the lack of like-minded people, since they were not trained to think in this “new” way.

Of course, no CLE would be complete without some smart-ass arse young, handsome lawyer asking, “Well, with all due respect, you’re giving us and referring us to other sites and teleseminars. What about your services and how are you making money?”

For what seemed like an eternity, I blanked out, then my mother popped into my head and the word “sever.” Loosely translated, it means serving others, and that was what I was doing, as were these young lawyers who were helping their clients, and I knew the impact it was having in our world. Yes, on a practical level all 80 business cards disappeared; I have no idea what will result from that. But I do know for certain  that the service I provided to these CLE participants will boomerang to me in a positive way. In our fast-paced modern world where much of our thinking, particularly in the legal world, is “you eat what you kill,” there needs to be a shift in our thinking, and these young people gave me great hope that all is well and, more importantly, life—personal and business—is all about connecting.

ABC's of Public Relations For Lawyers

Often the missing ingredient from a successful legal marketing plan is commonly
referred to as the "expert factor". This is when your target market gets to know, like and trust you before doing business with you. Essentially, an expert is perceived as someone with authority and credibility. The expert is out in the marketplace. You see them quoted as a source in publications, giving presentations and writing bylines.

This is why public relations is such a pivotal piece in your marketing. Strategies, such as networking, speaking, writing and media relations, enhance your visibility, credibility, personal relationships and referrals. Clients can not like or get to know you if they don’t know that you exist. These tactics keep you on your prospect’s radar screen, build your position as a "thought leader", and expert in your target niche.

In the white paper, “How to Get a Reporter’s Attention Without Losing Your Shirt,” you will receive a solid foundation for working effectively with the press without going stir crazy. In a sense reporters are like your target market - they will
only quote you if you help them with their needs. To receive this report sign here and mention mention Profiting With Public Relations.  In addition you will also receive a free month membership of SCG Legal PR Network -- where legal experts are connected with journalists.

Why I Am Part of The Solo University Family

A couple of weeks ago, I made a firm decision to become  a Solo Practice University faculty member. Truth be told, many moons ago when I was graduating from University, back in the 80s I wanted to be university lecturer. Although my chance came last year, it took me a year to fully grasp how technology is changing the legal/public relations/journalism world.

Susan Cartier Liebel is forward looking innovative thinker and doer, who has put together an outstanding faculty and created a platform for young lawyers NOT to get disillusioned  with the legal profession, but take proactive measures and take charge of their vision for their life. More importantly, give them the nuts and bolts to create that vision. After all, talk is cheap
its the doing that counts.

There are several reasons why I decided to become a member:

    * Lawyers are highly intelligent and bright people, they need a bit of a
'nudge' to improve their overall public perception and start taking an
active role in changing that image.

    * Education, lawyers really need to change their mindset. They have to
learn how to do educational marketing. SPU is a perfect example of this.
Fundamentally its an educational community for all, where faculty staff and
students  learn and exchange information in a supportive manner.

    * SPU is  a community created by lawyers who have legal expertise and
understand the gaping holes lawyers have when it comes to business
development/technology and life/work concerns.

So my commitment is not just to be part of SPU but actively take a role in
helping change these perceptions.

Not only am I delighted to be part of this venture, but look forward to
getting to know the young lawyers and faculty members, and of course passing
on how lawyers can use public relations to build successful practices.

Congratulations Susan.

Stepping into a Reporter's Shoes

Given todays belt tightening climate, its no surprise many lawyers are doing or making an effort to do their own public relations. What they fail to understand is like every other discipline, public relations has its own set of rules. Its important to understand the rules, otherwise you are shut out.

Key to  public relations success is understanding a journalists needs and schedule. When this is done correctly, lawyers and  law firm marketing professionals have a much better chance of getting their firm's news some ink.

All journalists have varying needs, concerns, objectives and personal style. In this day and age of social networking, most of them are likely to follow others on Twitter,  read a dozen or so bloggers as well as going through the wires and dailies.  Knowing these things requires  some effort, but will be worth it,because it gives you a sense of what they are thinking and what is on their mind,  otherwise your media relations efforts will be inconsistent.

Are Lawyers Putting 'Relation' Back Into Their Business Plans?

Too many attorneys fail to understand how public relations work. They think an advertisement promoting their firm counts or that ONLY high-profilelitigation cases receive media attention. Nothing could be further from thetruth. Every day hundreds of small and medium-sized law firms are quoted inwidely-read publications, ranging from top tier press to local community press, raising awareness of their firm and gaining credibility as experts in the marketplace. Firms that don’t realize this and don't incorporate it as part of their business development plans  suffer from missed clients.

The truth of the matter is that a solid public relations  plan MUST be is at the heart of every good marketing plan for ALL law firms. After all, public relations is all about building 'relations' with the right groups.

Common reasons cited by lawyers for not incorporating public relations are: not having enough time, a lack of understanding of its role, or the dearth of resources to make public relations part of their business development plans.

Couple  with long held stereotypes of the press, such as reporters’ interest lying with big law firm news or reporter's only wanting the drama and not the facts, and the cynicism reporters have towards attorneys, it’s no surprise that media relations is frequently relegated to the bottom of business development activities,  particularly if the firm has already achieved some “visibility” that did not result in new clients.

The irony of course, is that both groups need each other for their work. Reporters are continually seeking sources for their stories, and attorneys need to get more than their qualifications, out in the market place in other words, they need to get known, liked and trusted in their target market.

Why Should Law Firms Care About Public Relations?

Law firms that still disregard public relations as a viable discipline  that is not applicable to their profession are missing a vital component in business development and losing out on thousands of dollars. Bottom line public relations is really quite simple: its  about building a reputation and maintaining that reputation. In other words its "getting known, liked and trusted" in your target market.

Don't believe me, just pick up any news paper and discover for your self how CEOs of banks are being  perceived these days.  They are seen as corrupt, greedy, entitled and in some cases incompetent. Not much sympathy for the former masters of the universe.

For any successful business development PR  has to be an essential component.
Here are some reasons why attorneys, especially those who are revisiting their strategic business plans, should include it in their marketing mix:
 
Paid advertising increases name recognition; media relations increases credibility. See blog post on advertising.  When people read a story, or view a new report on TV, in which,  an attorney is quoted, he or she  are automatically perceived as an expert. 

2. Media coverage helps you attract quality prospects. Because public relations increases credibility, it helps you attract clients who want the best.  When people/businesses  have heard of  firm's name or a particular attorne, it is easier to attract and hold their attention while you tell them about your services.

3. Being quoted, having articles published on a regular basis, makes you a player in your field.

4. Obtaining coverage in important publications or on TV can make your organization
look much larger than it is. Don't believe me? OK, be honest, when you see someone on TV, don't you automatically assume that the attorney is  with "big" law.

5. Public relations helps you avoid price competition.
If  the people in your target market believe that you are the best, they will understand why it is important to pay top dollar.
 
Finally, a  public relations program stretches your business development budget.
Because the media do not charge for news coverage, the relative cost of
a good  PR program is a lot less than that of paid media or a direct mail campaign. To find out how you can get media coverage for less than your ABA annual membership visit us here.

Is Big Law Walking The Talk Or Just Talking The Talk When It Comes To Diversity?

Last week I attended a function entitled, “Supporting Diversity in Government Contracting of Outside Legal Services: Challenges and Opportunities” held at the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.

Participants on the various afternoon panels included Richard Meade, Chief Legal Officer of Prudential Financial Inc., and Paul Cellupica, Chief Counsel of Securities Regulation and Corporate Services at MetLife, Inc. Other panelists included members of MWBE law firms, minority partners of majority firms and Counsel from various state entities.

All of the sessions focused on different strategies for supporting and bringing  diversity into the usage of outside legal services in the government. I sat through the afternoon session thinking that as far as diversity and law is concerned, the progress has been very slow. It was quite clear that commitment and vision has to come from the upper echelons of leadership in law firms, GCs in corporations and all levels of government. Otherwise, supporting diversity efforts was going to be yet another case of talking the talk but not walking the walk.

Interestingly enough that is the question that often comes to mind when I attend diversity networking events.  I see all of the big firms sponsoring the event but rarely do the decision makers attend.

The audience and panelists had several lively exchanges about problems, solutions and concerns, in particular when one of the panelists suggested that times may be tough but folks have to pull themselves up. A fellow panelist, Veta Richardson, Executive director of MCCA pointed out that diversity is not just about picking yourself up by the bootstraps. She stated pulling yourself up is a given but without institutional changes in the systems pulling your socks up is not enough and is really passing the buck.

What was ironic about this event was that after 3 hours of different plenary sessions discussing the need to be more inclusive of minorities and women; I was talking to an attorney and was interrupted by two attorneys from "big law,"  a person of color and his superior, a white man, who proceeded to introduce themselves to this particular attorney while completely ignoring me.  I was absolutely stunned by this occurrence. To be candid, I’m not used to being ignored and I wasn't sure whether this was bad manners or if I was 'invisible' to the big law attorneys.

In a bit of shock and not wanting to stir the pot I recounted what happened to Veta. Her response to this occurrence was that “what they did was to basically cut you out and at the very least it was thoughtless behavior. To me, the point is that we must be a lot more thoughtful and purposeful about seeking to include one another. Their actions suggest they missed the whole point of the afternoon. The Honorable David Patterson, the first man of color to govern the state of New York, did not miss the point when he initiated this effort to open opportunities for minorities to bid on the state’s legal work by introducing a little more competition into the old, established processes. That’s why these men were invited, but they brushed you, a fellow minority, aside for reasons only they can explain, but in my opinion any explanation they might offer rings hollow.”

Well reader, I'll let you be the judge.  I would love to hear your thoughts on what happened and any comments you may have.