Profiting With Public Relations

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 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.

Top 5 Reasons Why all Law Firms Should Have an Online Newsroom

1. It is 2009 standard procedure for businesses to have a website, there are no exceptions to this rule!

2. Most reporters expect businesses, including law firms, to have an online newsroom.

3. Journalists frequent company online newsrooms often. In fact, it's one of the first places they visit.    

4. Journalists don’t discriminate between ‘big’ law and small firms, they visit them both. 

5. Online newsroom is a centralized location where reporters have  24-hour access to press materials, regardless of which time zone they are operating from.

Question:  Is your online newsroom working for you?   

How Public Relations Boosts Morale In Law Firms

Lawyers and reporters are often at loggerheads with each other. Both groups  cater to their own specific audiences, the court of law and public opinion respectively. In a global, fast-paced 24/7 wired world a reporter is very likely to call an attorney looking for an expert opinion, resource or as a for a story they are working on. Unfortunately, if you are like most lawyers you may not want to bother-afraid of being unprepared or being -misquoted-as a result, will miss out on good public relations opportunities.

Next time a reporter calls consider some of the benefits of getting  good press coverage:

1. Most clients like to see the firm's lawyer quoted in the news, particularly top tier press. Psychologically, it reinforces the belief that they made the right hiring decision.

2. Exposure increases business development opportunities.  Being quoted, interviewed, featured, or published in the media helps you gain visibility in the marketplace, and it confers  that all important 'third-party credibility.'

3. Although our economy is going through some turbulent times, remember that
what’s true for consumers of legal services is also true for lawyers looking
for work; they prefer a firm that is portrayed positively.

4. In high-profile cases/issues which draw media interest, an essential part of the job must be  to make sure the media cover the story accurately and fairly. As with most people lawyers DO  get a thrill out of seeing their own name getting ink.

Finally, public relations  has a ripple effect,  boosting the morale of other employees and instilling them with pride with the firm.

Of course, all of this is just empty rhetoric, if pr plans are not audited or implemented. Call me directly at 212-661-9137 or email me pmahli@suncommunicationsgroup.com

Cutting PR Budgets During Turbulent Economic Times - Does It Work?

The economy maybe in the doldrums, and  the natural inclination for businesses is to review  areas where they can cut their budgets. For many business, regardless of which industry sector  is to slash  marketing/pr budgets.  The irony of course, is  during these turbulent economic times, business should actually be implementing their marketing/pr programmes with more gusto than ever before.
In fact, the Harvard Business Review (HBR) noted earlier this year:

“It is well documented that brands that increase (marketing) during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times.”

Before slashing pr budgets consider:

1.  PR is more cost-effective than in-house PR. The one or two person marketing department is hardly going to be able to create and manage databases, craft story pitches, pro-actively outreach to trade and industry reporters, write press releases, and of the course keep track of blogsphere universe.   

A good PR agency will do “all of the above” and will spread the work across several people, including a senior strategist who can offer experienced counsel; a couple of media relations professionals and  dedicated industry researcher.

2.  Don't overlook the fact that pr firm is constantly monitoring, listening and responding and keeping  you informed of any opportunities. And will respond in an expeditious manner to blogsphere universe.

3. Law firms have several research libraries  they use. Similarly pr agencies have access to media databases such as Cision, Profnet, etc. Costly they may be but they  are fundamental to any good successful pr campaign. In essence  these resources help ensure your firm does not miss out on those all-important industry publication opportunities.

Finally remember during economic times it is more important  to keep visible in the market place, particularly when competitors maybe disappearing since they have cut their budgets. All business is based on confidence and psychology and for people to do business they have to like, know and trust. PR is one of the best ways to get known and trusted.

To find out how we can help your firm. Please contact me directly at pmahli@suncommunicationsgroup.com

Why Law Firm Public Relations Fails?

For any law firm public relations initiatives, to be successfully implemented requires first and foremost buy-in from the decision makers of law firms.

When that doesn’t happen relationships are bound to go  south, and that frequently is chalked up to the following: 

•    The lack of serious commitment on the part of the firm, has led to missed  opportunities.
•    Unrealistic expectations of the law firm.
•    Attorneys taking the back seat. The assumption being:  we  have the ‘PR Firm’ to do the work.
•    Disrespect, not valuing the work of the public relations professionals.
•    Lack of understanding on the part of the attorneys on the basics of media.

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How To Stand Out In An Over Crowded Marketplace?

Former presidential candidate Al Gore announced plans to launch a three-year, multi-million dollar advocacy campaign calling for the U.S. to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and educating the public about global warming. Its key objectives  educate Americans, so that they will mobilize their leaders into taking proactive measures and slow down global warming.

The organization Alliance for Climate Protection's "We" campaign, plans to  combine advertising and online organizing with grassroots groups, to ensure that all key groups are reached.

As part of the media blitz Mr. Gore appeared on 60 Minutes, it was inevitable that Leslie Stahl would ask questions relating to the current democratic primaries.  However Mr. Gore stayed on message, he steered the interview back to  global warming and its implications for us.

Becoming an expert or a thought leader in your area of expertise is something that I  am continually speaking to attorneys about, particularly when they want to add public relations to their overall business development strategy. Currently I'm working on a white paper on this very  topic. To receive a copy of the white papers  email me.

Rather than abandoning marketing to a marketing department, experts become actively involved in the process. They write books, articles, speeches, and become media sources, by working with public relations professionals to keep their visibility machines rolling. By becoming experts  your law firm  stands out from an over-crowded marketplace and is heard. Lets face it far too  many law firms  look alike and sound alike. There's nothing that separate them.

So what lessons can your legal practice group/law firm learn from Mr. Gore:

1. He has become a handful of recognized global experts in this area. To date, he has a film, book  An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We can do about it, and film/presentation An Inconvenient Truth.

3. Mr. Gore is  constantly sought after to speak at various industry organizations and non-governmental organizations such as United Nations.

4. He has received many awards for his work. (Oscars and Nobel Peace Prize)

5. He is using both traditional forms of media and new forms to reach targeted groups with his message.

6. The press is continually seeking him out as source.

Finally, Mr. Gore  is committed and passionate about global warming and is  spending a lot of his  own money. Being an expert requires both generosity of time and the willingness to share resources and knowledge.

Action Items:

What action steps are you or practice group leaders taking to become known as experts? To find out more how we can help you, please contact me.

Tidbit: Does Your Press Release Contain All The Basics

If you are sending out a press release, make sure it contains the  following:

• A big, bold headline that summarizes the content of the release. Remember your headline's job is to entice the reporter to continue reading.
• A two or three sentence summary of the issue and facts.
• A short, concise quote from the attorney designated to speak to the press.
• A condensed  bio of attorneys hilighting media experience, speaking experience any books and white papers they have co-authored.
• Media Relations representative contact information at the the top and bottom of press release.
• Keep the release to one page or 400 words maximum. The shorter the better. Most reporters read the headline and the first paragraph. For more on press releases see earlier blog post.
• Make sure all links, emails and telephone numbers are accurate.