Maine Law Practice Management

Remember that scene from the ‘Wizard of Oz’, where the guard at the gates of the Emerald City is very reticent to let Dorothy and her friends in, until he realizes who they are, and changes his tune ?  Well, consider yourself the green- mustachioed guard, and your law firm clients Dorothy Gale .  The only problem is, by the time you figure out who’s at your gates, and when you’re ready to help them, they’re already long gone.   The point is that most law firms unconsciously set up barriers between themselves and their clients.  Lawyers don’t like to pick up the phone, and talk to existing clients, let alone potential clients, thereby driving a wedge between them and their business.  Clunky contact forms at law firm websites don’t always work.  Well, that’s another barrier.  Believe it or not, voicemail is a barrier.  Anything that stands between you and engagement with a potential client is a barrier.  And, more than anything else, the modern practice of law is about breaking down ba

Marketing is often more subtle than people think.  It’s usually more about creating and maintain ing subtle methods for extending brand awareness than anything else.  If you can stay ‘top of mind’, by figuring out ways to regularly disseminate information to potentially interested parties, then it becomes more likely that potential clients will find you , and existing clients and referral sources will send new clients your way.   Most businesspeople, including most lawyers , already know that this is kind of a subliminal game;  the challenge is putting yourself in a position to be recognized as an appropriate solution when a potential law firm client or referral source is seeking a legal service provider to use or recommend. Here are three ways, then, to stay top of mind:     Publish an eNewsletter.   If you produce any kind of content for your law firm, this is a great place to highlight it.  Being top of mind is more about getting your brand in front of people, than it is about

Lawyers start their own law firms for any number of reasons.  There isn’t a wrong one.     Despite that, most lawyers starting law firms tend to make the same mistakes.     So, if it’s time for you to start your own law firm, good for you.  And, these are three things you should figure out now, so you don’t get caught short resolving them later.     Create a Niche.   It’s really hard to market a law firm if you’re trying to sell ‘general practice’ legal services.  You can’t sell everything.  So focus down, create a niche, and build on it.  In a hypercompetitive environment, like small law, you need every single edge you can get ; and, the most obvious differentiation point for a law firm is to drill down to specific practice areas.  This process also has the added benefit of opening you up to referrals from law firms focused on complementary practice areas.   Decide What to Charge.   If you decide that your pricing will be ad hoc, you’re dead in the water.  In the first place, patchwo