Profiting With Public Relations

Connecting The Dots The Power of Public Relations

During my experience in legal public relations, and talking to attorneys, its clear that many don't understand what public relations is, or its role in business development. Where they really fail to connect the dots, is not only confusing public relations with advertising, but thinking they can gain press immediately. See earlier blog posting on the Art of Changing Public Relations, addresses these misconceptions.

Now, granted, getting immediate attention in the press is very possible but is dependant on a number of factors, such as timing, area of expertise, what the current news cycle is covering and availability of attorneys.

All of which involves having a public relations plan. Here are some things to consider when considering public relations:

1) What are the firm's objectives?
2) Which practice groups to hilight?
3) Who is your target audience?
4) How to you want to perceived in your target market?
5) Identify specific public relations tactics such as giving CLE's both online and inperson, getting published, seminars etc
6) How will return on investment be measured?
7) What are some of the benchmarks and milestones?
8) How long will the firm be committed to the public relations initiatives?
9) Determine which attorneys will regularly talk to the pr professionals to brainstorm ideas etc.
10) How frequently will this be conducted?
11) How comfortable are the attorneys talking with the press?
12) Do the attorneys have a basic 101 understanding of how the press works?

Once the plan is written,  revisit it after a couple of days to determine whether all key strategies and objectives are addressed.

Typically, a solid public relations plan will:
- Build awareness
- Position the firm's experts in their legal area of expertise
- Position the firm as a value added contributor for the legal industry nationally and locally
- Build goodwill among your key constituents
- Educate and persuade your target audience
- Have benchmarks in place

What is essential to the success of any plan is to understand that public relations like most marketing activities requires hard work. Distributing the odd press release by the paralegal or office manager whose wearing multiple hats will not generate calls from the press. Infact a disservice is being done you are taking the away from billable hours!

Some of the reasons why public relations initiatives fail are:

1) Lack of commitment on the part of the management of the firm.
2) Lack of understanding of what public relations is, even though EVERYBODY understands perceptions.
3) Grandiose expectations.
4) Once the pr firm has been hired assuming that law firm's work is done.
5) Lack of chemistry.

Finally, law firms have to participate wholeheartedly in the public relations campaign for it to work, otherwise, the firm is better off spending those dollars on other marketing tactics.

If your firm is considering public relations, call me at (212) 661-9137 to find out how we can get started. Or if you want to find out more visit The Sun Commnication Group.

Power of Online Pressrooms.

A good online media room/press kit allows law firms to put their best foot forward, and best of all they work 24/7.

One of the  main uses of an online press room is to be of value to reporters, this is true particularly if the law firm has a public relations campaign as part of its business development arsenal. When done correctly, online newsroom trigger story ideas for reporters, lead to calls from reporters on stories that they are currently working on and help build and solidify current relationships with reporters.

Simply put, online press kits are a compilation of important information such as, fact sheets, frequently asked questions, press releases, story ideas and press clippings. 

While the primary aim of the online newsroom is for the media. Typically, reporters will visit the firm's website for background information and use the online newsroom to check facts, spellings and other important details of the law firm.

Equally important, to bear in mind is that online newsrooms provide  prospective clients and potential strategic alliances organized, accurate information.

Next week,  a look at what to include in an online newsroom.

Tidbit: Resources for Firms Wanting to Expand Overseas

In recent years, top global law firms have been ramping up their practices in emerging markets, particularly in Dubai, China and India. For medium sized law firms, also wanting a piece of the global pie organizations such as,  International Lawyers Network, and AFLA International Globlal Network, are extremely resourceful.

Growth opportunities abroad  are not limited to large global bemoths, granted at first glance they do tend have several advantages in place: they have global networks, infrastructure in place and big budgets.

For small law firms aspiring to do business abroad, a big resource is the American Bar Association. The ABA has several divisions, the International Division and General Practice, Small Firm Division. The latter has a list serve Solosez, with well over 3000+ members and growing! While most of the members of Solosez listserv are American,  many are from United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany and Australia. Listservs and conferences at bar associations  provide ernormous opportunities to network and conduct some due diligence when considering doing business.

To find out more about Solosez, read this article by Keith B. Mclennan, partner of Miller, Turetsky Rule & McLennan.  Of course the other good starting point is becoming involved with  the foreign chambers of commerce in your neck of the woods.

How to Get Speaking Engagements

Like it or not, speaking engagements are a very important component of a public relations plan of any law firm intent on growth. Whether you fear public speaking, or your workload leaves little free time, it is important to find a way to make room for speaking.

Well-known marketeers such as Dan Kennedy and countless others agree that speaking engagements are one of the fastest ways to get new clients. Firms need to expose their areas of expertise to prospective clients.

By speaking at conferences and forums put together by professional and industry trade groups, attorneys can increase their firm’s visibility and consequently its prospects for attracting new business. What speaking does is give the speaker special status, thus making it easier for speakers to meet prospects. Attendees expect speakers to reach out to the audience, in turn they give speakers respect and credibility. According to the American Society of Association of Executives, the conferences and meeting industry is a $56 billion dollar market.

However, a word of caution. If you are expecting overnight success, think twice: public relations, like gardening, requires nurturing, pruning and weeding out. So how and where do you begin?

Tidbit: Crafting Your Speech

So now that you've got the speech. How are you going to make it: interesting, informative and of course educational. Before diving into the nuts and bolts of putting the presentation together, assess what your long and short term objectives are. Is it to build your database? increase prospects? network? increase your profile with that target group? In all honesty you probably won't achieve all your objectives but its a good idea to know them for evaluating purposes.

So consider the following, when putting your presentation together.

1) Use words that paint pictures.
2) If you've got an interest in literature, philosphy and history, use quotes. They help set the scene and paint the picture. Currently in the US Primaries, Barack Obama, is winning the listening game, he is painting a vision of hope. Regardless, of whether the country buys into his vision, he has managed to capture the country's interest.
3) Be inclusive, include the audience, talk about “us” rather than “you people.”
4) Use every day collaqualism, these help break down some of the legal jargon and help you connect with the audience.
5) A little slang goes a long way, but do be mindful it doesn't offend anyone in the group.

I will be giving a teleseminar begining on March 5th, specifically on the role of speaking in your marketing when building your law practice.

Making The Most of a Speaking Campagin

    Creating visibility and building credibility are fundamental to the success of all legal marketing campaigns. A well thought out, proactive speaking program directed at appropriately targeted audiences helps achieves this by giving attorneys the opportunity to showcase their expertise, get up close and personal with a room full of prospects, build referral relationships with the event organizers and increase visibility of  their law firms.

    Industry associations, corporations and nonprofit organizations are continually seeking a roster of good speakers.

    Whether working with external consultants or on their own, attorneys must avoid shortcuts and take the time to plan and define all their objectives before embarking on a speaking plan.

    Aside from the obvious  goal of bringing in new clients,  other objectives are equally important, such as building strategic alliances with trade organizations, increasing newsletter subscriptions,  exposing the firm to new prospects and networking with other panelists . Having well-defined objectives will minimize disappointment and frustration and provide a better gauge when measuring return on investments.

One of the biggest mistakes attorneys make after giving a successful presentation is riding off into the sunset and expecting new clients immediately. To read more on this article, initially published last year in the New Jersey Law Journal please visit The Sun Communication Group article section.

Growth Trends For Law Firms in Global Marketplace

Although there is much discussion of economic doom and gloom in the United States, particularly in the financial services sector in New York. The legal industry hasn't been immune to the changes in the economy either. According to the WSJ Legal Blog the latest latest round of lay offs in law firms, include giants such as Thatcher Proffitt and Clifford Chance.

Meanwhile on the international front, though also witnessing repurcussions of the credit crunch crisis as well as other economic woes, a recent article by Vesna Jaksic of the National Law Journal reported on growth trends for law firms in the global marketplace. The survey was conducted by Proskauer Rose LLP, “2008 Trends and Developments in International Legal Practice.”

The survey hilights the following areas for growth:

1. Increased litigation of international controversies in the United States.

2. Increased use of alternative dispute resolution techniques other than in-court litigation and international arbitration.

3. Increased risk faced by international companies of simultaneous, coordinated regulatory or enforcement proceedings in multiple countries.

4. The continued (albeit lamented) “Americanization” of non-US legal systems.

5. The ramifications of the subprime mortgage crisis and accompanying credit crunch in the context of the drafting, enforcement, and resolution of disputes over MAC clauses.

For an in depth look at the survey please visit Proskauer Rose LLP

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Tidbit: Tips for Writing Effective Press Releases.

Press releases serve several functions, including but not limited to
helping with search engine optimization, provide newsworthy information to reporters, keeping prospects updated.

When you are writing a press release the consider the following:

Be clear on who you are writing the release and why?

Make sure the information is newsworthy ESPECIALLY if the release is part of your media relations campaign. If you're uncertain whether you're actually have news, read through my earlier post on "What Constitutes News?"

If it is, make sure you answer the 5 W questions:  the who, what, where, when and how.

Start with a brief description of the news. Most reporters/editors will only read the first paragraph.

Make sure the first 10 words of your release are effective, they should not only grab the attention of the reader but inform them of something new.

Deal with only the facts. Press releases need not be long, it is more a case of quality over  quantity. Good releases may be as short as 300-450 words.

Finally, provide as much contact information as possible: contact person, telephone + mobile numbers, email and web site address. Have this information on the top and bottom of the release.

Your job is to make the life of the reporter easier.

To find out more about media relations. Sign up for our 8 week long teleseminar: "How to Grow Your Law Practice on a Shoestring Budget".

Skills Needed By Lawyers Working In A Global Market.

    As national borders disappear, the ability for global exchange of goods, services and information is creating boundless opportunities and challenges for the legal industry in the U.S.  Law firms, regardless of size continue to expand across borders, collaborate with foreign counsel and form global mergers. New technologies such as websites, blogs, social networking sites, listservs and email have made it easier to develop a global client base.

    While the opportunities to do business abroad may be increasing the traditional view held by many law firms is that only large law firms have foreign clients. A recent online survey conducted by Walker Clark, LLC, demonstrated otherwise. The results from the survey indicated that firms with LESS than 20 attorneys have foreign clients.

    In a recent two day conference on International Corporate Social Responsibility, held in New York City, Elizabeth Wall, an attorney and GC  who has worked on both sides of the Atlantic stated that in today's  24/7 fast paced global community, ALL attorneys need to develop global characteristics.

Here is a condensed version of those characteristics:

1. Take charge in a crisis.

2. Have another language in your marketing arsenal, or at a very basic learn a few practical expressions in the client's mother tongue.

3. Show an interest in current affairs domestic and international.

4. Network consistently, not just online networking, but breaking bread with important alliances of clients.

5. Political adroitness and diplomacy.

6. Cultural awareness, take a course in foreign customs and behaviour.

7. Communication, Communication, Communication at all levels.

8. Be knowledgeable of issues that may impact the client, for example corporate social responsibility.

9. Know the client's strategic vision.

10. Be unfailingly polite to EVERYONE when in client's office.

    On review, many of these traits, apply equally to attorneys who conduct business domestically. What really stuck out in Elizabeth's presentation was her point that a combination of soft and hard skill set was no longer a luxury but a necessity to survive in a global marketplace.

8 Ways to Improve your Legal Practice in an Economic Downturn.

    The last couple of months has seen increasing focus and coverage on the state of the American economy. According to economists, the economy is in a far worse state than originally anticipated; which in turn has led to the current administration working fast and furiously, putting together an economic stimulus package.

    Understandably, there is a lot of talk about doom and gloom. A popular topic of discussion in business circles is  how to keep your businesses growing in slow times.  For example, should business owners, spend more on advertising, blogging, attending trade shows etc. Or should they review current marketing plans.

    To be candid, all of these lead generation methods have their advantages, but, there are other actions attorneys can take, in their  legal practice, that are more likely to produce more bang for your buck when things are slow.

Here are some areas to review in your legal practice:

1. How frequently do you reach out to your professional networks? How well do you maintain your extended networks?

2. Harvard Business School research found that a 5% increase in customer loyalty can lead to 40% to 90% increases in the lifetime value of that customer relationship. You need to earn your customer's loyalty. What are you doing to improve your client systems?

3. Are you perceived as the expert in your niche? If not, what concrete actions steps are you taking? Do you know where to begin to start building your expert status?

4. Review your strategic plans. Slow times are a great time to review your plans and see if you are still on track.

5. Are you taking opportunities of collaborating with strategic partners and authoring articles for local papers and trade journals. If so, how  are you leveraging them?

6. Are the systems in your legal practice operating efficiently like a well oiled machinery? If not, what area needs improvement? Your marketing? Public Relations? Managing clients? Are you still searching for a systems that WORKS for you?

7. Is the press calling to quote you?  When was the last time a reporter called you?

8. Do prospects get to see and hear you up close and personal. How often and where are you speaking?

    Reviewing all these different areas of your law practice, and discovering where weaknesses lie are far more  likely to be  productive and dollar cost effective, instead of trying new marketing strategies and hoping they will work.

     Allison C. Shields of Legal Ease Consulting  and I will be giving an 8 part teleseminar  How to Grow Your Law Practice on a Shoe String Budget discussing all these areas in considerable detail. To take advantage of the early bird offer please register at: How to Grow Your Legal Practice on a Shoe String Budget.