HOW TO... Marketing4Solicitors. Use direct mail, teleseminars and. webinars to reach new and existing clients

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1 Marketing4Solicitors Toolkit / Issue M4S 11 HOW TO... Use direct mail, teleseminars and Direct mail, teleseminar & webinars webinars to reach new and existing clients Join M4S Insider s Club for one-on-one marketing advice!

2 Welcome To Your Future: The Past! It is all about education/expertise 2 Do you remember old days of solicitors marketing? Solicitors were not allowed to advertise and yet had to reach new customers. How did y do this? How could y prove ir expertise without taking out advertisements in national newspapers or in Yellow Pages? How could y build a network of or businesses and individuals who would talk about m in a positive manner when someone asked for a recommendation for a solicitor? The answer was seminars! Seminars were for individuals, such as conveyancing and wills and probate clients and seminars for business people (often talking about business start ups to accountants, accountancy clients etc.). I remember when I first started practising that solicitors regularly used to be out and about presenting seminars to both ir own clients and to clients of or local businesses. The important part of this type of marketing was that it proved expertise in a certain area of law. Also, if you joint ventured with a local business and were presenting to ir clients marketing was largely done for you. For just one hour of time you had access to a whole range of potential new clients. If you did job well, once y had heard seminar, next time y needed legal services you would be ir first port of call. So why are solicitors not out and about now all of time running seminars. I know some still take place but certainly less than used to be case. Why is this? Seminars have stopped working because people have become more conscious of ir most valuable commodity; time. In new world people will not give up an hour of ir time to go out late in afternoon or early evening to sit and listen to you talk for an hour. A quick Google search will normally allow m to find most of what y are looking for. People s habits for obtaining useful information have now largely moved online. What is surprising about this is that whilst many or businesses understand this, solicitors have largely missed this movement. They have stopped doing seminars because y could not ensure enough people would attend, and y have not provided an alternative for proving ir expertise. This is why this month s issue is all about proving expertise through use of webinars and teleseminars and how you can drive people to se events through direct mail. You should test this at least twice in next few months and see what response you receive. Nick Jervis Solicitor (non-practising)

3 Title. body Your contents. Details Page Part 1 - Why use Direct Mail/Teleseminars/Webinars? 4 Part 2 - How to use m 4 The basics of a good direct mail campaign 5 Teleseminars or webinars 7 Rules of engagement for telesminars and webinars 8 Bonus - How to prove which marketing is working for you 9 Appendix Direct mail precedent letter promoting business teleseminar/webinar LMP 38 Direct mail precedent letter promoting personal teleseminar/webinar LMP 39 / Toolkit 3

4 This Month s Big Lesson. How To Use Direct Mail And Teleseminars/Webinars To Reach New Clients Part 1 Why should you use teleseminars/ webinars? There are several key reasons why you should be using teleseminars/webinars for practice. They are as follows : 1. They set you out as an expert If you are in need of legal advice, you would like to think you are choosing best provider of advice available. If a client is researching law firms, which law firm looks better, one that has useful information on ir website and offers monthly webinars or teleseminars on ir topic of interest (with one within next week) or one with a five page brochure website? 3. Forward thinking Even if a prospect or client is not interested in attending webinar, promotion of webinar to m through direct mail, or even by simply displaying it on website once again shows that you a leading authority in this field. Even if it relates to anor area of law fact that you are more forward thinking than or law firms gives you a much better chance of being engaged by client. The client does not know wher 1 person, 100 people or 1000 people attend teleseminars or webinars, but y know that you are running m and no or firm y have come across is doing so. 2. Lead generation 4 A large percentage of prospective clients would not be ready to use services at time y stumble across firm (y might be researching before moving in a couple of month s time or before setting up a business). If all of marketing focuses on winning instant instructions you are cutting out probably 60-70% of future potential clients. Offering free teleseminars/webinars allows prospects to receive advice and to go onto database before y are at purchasing point. You can n keep in touch with m so that when y are ready to buy you are only solicitor y return to having proved expertise by providing valuable information.

5 Title. body Part 2 - How? How to use direct mail to promote teleseminar/ webinar. If you are launching a teleseminar/webinar (details furr down on software etc) you need to promote it as heavily as possible. If you are presenting teleseminar/webinar to ten people, you ought to try and present it to 100 or Direct mail (which you can substitute for to existing clients) allows you to reach both existing and new prospects. I will talk you through a direct mail campaign that I ran to drive visitors to a webinar. Now this was somewhat unique circumstances, but I tell you for two reasons. 1. To show you that as always I do practise what I preach (not a marketing consultant who is full of fluff with no experience); and 2. To show you that this can be incredibly powerful for you and to make you try it. Mailing lists There are two types of mailing lists you should use for direct mailing campaign: 1. Your own client list. 2. Purchased lists. Your own client list / Toolkit 5 The mail out in my case went to 2,700 people from a purchased direct mail list. You may not need to target 2,700 people in which case cost will drop dramatically (print and direct mail costs were main part of campaign). The campaign produced a ten percent sign up rate for webinar ( average for Direct Mail is 2% so it was a good response). The overall cost of this campaign was just under 1,000, and from 270 people who signed up 10% again went on to purchase service. This lead to income generated in excess of 20,000 per month on an ongoing basis. Obviously, on a return of investment basis this was phenomenally successful. SUMMARY Cost of campaign 1,000 Income generated 240,000 per annum Return on Investment 239,000 and rising! If you still do not have a mailing list, please do see resources page ( co.uk/marketing4solicitors/resources.html) for my recommendations and start one immediately for own clients using Aweber or Infusionsoft. Infusionsoft will allow you to print and send mail to clients as well as s so will work better for this type of campaign but Aweber is quicker and easier one to set up (and cheaper). If you do not want to use software, employ an office junior or temporary administration clerk to compile an excel spreadsheet of all clients that have passed through firm in last 3 to 6 months and use that. Alternatively, start collecting se details immediately and launch direct mail campaign in 3 months once you have enough people to promote it to. Do not let thought of preparing a database from last 12 years of client files stop you taking action. An active database of a few is far better than a being compiled database of thousands which will never be completed (and which I have seen several

6 firms try and fail to do). Remember perfection kills momentum, none more so than with client databases! Purchased mailing lists I have put a number of different options for you for purchased mailing lists on resources page ( marketing4solicitors/resources.html). If you are thinking that purchasing a mailing list is a difficult process, please stop. Wher you are promoting to business clients or individuals, I guarantee re is a mailing list available that will suit needs. If you are unsure where to start, look at existing clients. Find common areas of interest and n seek a database that matches se needs. For instance, if you are a business solicitor and discover that majority of clients are small businesses with a turnover of 100,000 to 500,000, you could obtain a mailing list to suit those requirements. If you are providing wills and probate services, where do most of best clients live? Do y live in 2 bedroom properties or 3-4 bedroom detached/ semi-detached properties? Again, you can obtain lists that target certain postcodes or values of property. The direct mail letter Remember to follow my PASTOR system for all of marketing communications: P = Pain Start with a fantastic headline which talks directly to potential teleseminar/webinar attendee. Here are some examples below : Property Do you know ten reasons why most people fail to sell ir house? Small Business Do you know ten reasons why most small businesses fail within 3 years of start up? Remember that seminar or webinar does not have to exclusively relate to legal issues. It should relate to a topic of interest to clients. You will be able to prove expertise by going into details on legal areas but this should not stop you commenting on or areas that you deal with on a regular basis. A = Agitate problem: Expand problem mentioned above and provide furr information about it. See example letters in LMP11 at LMP 38 & LMP39. 6 There are lists available for all services and all types of law. Please do not be put off by thinking that this is a difficult process. Once you have done this once, you will realise how effective and relatively straightforward it is. Solicitors often advise me that y do not believe y are allowed to use direct mail under ir promotional rules. This is not case. The Solicitor Regulations Authority allows direct mail but does not allow cold calling. S = Solution: Start to outline solution in terms of webinar you are offering. E.g. attend our webinar and find out how you can put in place systems to ensure that you are not one of many businesses that close within first three years. T = Travel Take potential solution furr. Expand on topics

7 Title. / Toolkit 7 that bodyou will cover during webinar and how you will help prospects. O = Offer Now start to drive m towards webinar date and time. Build ir interest so that y are thinking This sounds good, where can I find out more? R = Rally Now is chance to make sure y register for event. Highlight deadline (re is no offer without a deadline) for registering for webinar and explain that places are limited (scarcity drives action). Highlight fact that webinar is free to users as final call to action. If you have done job well with first part of direct mail you will ensure you achieve high attendances with this last part. Follow Up Where possible and where budget permits, send a furr letter or to same database a few days before webinar is due to take place. Everyone is busy and a second direct mail piece will usually generate as much or sometimes more of a response than first one because deadline is more imminent. Teleseminar or webinar? I have put details of providers of both services on resources page ( co.uk/marketing4solicitors/resources.html) but here are some points for you to consider as to which medium you should use. Webinars Webinars provide both audio and visual stimulation and refore can engage attendees and provide a better response. Attendees can watch presentation on ir computer and listen through ir speakers or by dialling in on telephone. Both options are available so you increase chance of attendee being able to see and hear presentation. The webinar can be recorded and replayed at a later date. This means that you can record a webinar once and if you do not refer to any newsworthy or topical issues at first broadcast, you could broadcast it at a later date without having to present it again. You might n be able to present same seminar every six months without having to do work each time. There is more to go wrong with a webinar. A power cut would prove fatal to delivery of a webinar and if broadband connection crashes you will not be able to present webinar at time. These are both unlikely to happen but y are possibilities. Teleseminars They only use one sense (i.e. hearing) which can be a disadvantage. They are easy for users to download to listen on ir ipod or or system when at gym or in car. They are less stressful for presenter as you only need to talk into a telephone and not control a mouse at same time.

8 There is less reliance on technology (less to go wrong). Choose whichever method you prefer. The presenter must be comfortable with medium so if that means using teleseminar at first, use that method. Once you have built confidence you could n try webinars. You might also find that by trying both you get a better reaction to one or or. You will only find this out by testing both. Rules of engagement of teleseminar or webinar When you are preparing content for event, you must remember that it must be all about clients and not about you. If you are using webinar format, you will mostly likely replay a PowerPoint presentation that you have prepared and technology allows attendees to see everything you show on own screen, i.e. PowerPoint presentation. As with all PowerPoint presentations do not rely heavily on many different bullet points. A few points with some pictures is much more effective than a whole script which you simply read out to m. law. Most attendees will be totally bored if you constantly recite statute and legislation to m. Do not do this but instead explain what law actually means to m or ir business in laymen s terms and you will engage m far more. They are n more likely to use services because you have shown that you can make whole process as painless as possible for m. 4. Use case studies or real life stories to expand parts of talk If you are talking about what can go wrong in any legal situation use examples where things have gone horribly wrong, and or examples where you have recovered situation for clients using expertise and saved m a lot of trouble/expense/ stress. 5. Remember basic rules of presentation: Tell m what you are going to say Say it Tell m what you have said; End with an offer/action It s all about m As with all marketing, make it highly relevant and interesting to attendees. Explain what law means to m and how it will impact upon m/ ir business. 2. Use as little legalese as possible. Talk in layman s terms to ensure audience do not get bored by legalese. 3. Provide practical information and advice. Remember it does not have to be all about Clearly whole purpose of teleseminar/ webinar is to win you new business in due course. Offer more information such as a PDF booklet about subject matter, an advanced teleseminar/ webinar or some or information or advice y can receive from you on a one on one basis by dialling a special telephone number after webinar. Make sure you limit any offers in time so that attendee takes action (no deadline = total recline). If you only move onto prospects must do later/not urgent pile you have lost game.

9 Title. / Toolkit 9 Summary body Bonus 1 Teleseminar/webinars Once you have produced should be Press an integral Releases part of and submitted marketing m mix. to They should local press, be a or strong to tributary chosen in niche profit publications, flow cast ( you should also samsonconsulting.co.uk/profitflowcast). distribute m online. People This will still help need you information to generate and traffic advice. but also People to are still obtain interested more links a to lot of subjects website. that Here revolve are some around websites law. If for you you do to not use. provide this information for current clients and new prospects, people will seek Free it Online out elsewhere. Press Release Distribution There are many hidden advantages to using teleseminars and webinars for business, such perceived expertise, forward thinking, approachability etc. If you are not already using teleseminars/webinars Paid For Online PR please Distribution: start to do so for law firm now. Final Thought Bonus 2 I appreciate that for some people thought of running a teleseminar/webinar might be a little daunting. Fine Tuning Using Your new technology Pay Per Click and speaking Campaign to 10 or 100 people might not be favourite thing to do. If you Let have me assure been testing you, it was Pay Per not Click comfortable since for last me eir issue, now first is time time I did to it. go back and do a thorough review. Below is what you should do: However, it is like anything, practice what you are fearful 1. Review of and two fear advertisements gets put back you in its have cage written where for each it belongs. ad group There and delete will be many advertisement or solicitors who with think worst about CTR doing (Click teleseminars/webinars Through Rate). Write and discount anor advertisement m to avoid similar confronting to ir best fears. You have performing already one proved but altered that you slightly. are not Even like a question ors. You mark subscribe or exclamation to this mark information can make and a you big take difference action to CTR. to promote services consistently. Please try teleseminars and webinars for me, and enjoy benefits 2. Find more for you. keywords and set up more Ad Groups focused on a very tight group of keywords (remember many smaller ad groups will perform Bonus better than larger ones with all of keywords thrown in toger). This is because you will be Solicitors able to include are often unsure keywords which in parts advertisements of ir marketing improving work. Click They Through do not know Rates if (which in turn advertisements keeps Cost y Per Click provide lower). weekly Use in keyword local paper tool provided is providing in M4S results. 6 (page Is 8). niche website y have added generating telephone calls? Do 3. For brochures more keyword y provide ideas, review to local businesses website that statistics. refer You to m should generate be able enquiries? to find Solicitors search often phrases find that it impossible people have to used find out when y answers visit to website. se questions. The beauty is that re is now Can you technology add any to of tell se you (and exactly variations this. For of m) a to small campaign monthly cost to increase you can obtain keywords? a completely unique number for each marketing campaign you undertake 4. Review and keywords software that will are track most number expensive. of telephone If se are enquiries using up generated most of by daily budget marketing. very You quickly could consider have ten dropping different m telephone or putting numbers m all going into a group to on main ir switchboard, own. They will but stop a report will or show advertisements how many from times appearing. those numbers For example, have caused if you are targeting phone to a ring keyword that week. and average Cost Per Click (CPC) is 3 on a daily budget of 10, it will soon This stop is very campaign powerful from software working. and if However, you undertake if se any keywords new forms are producing of marketing new I would instructions urge you (ask to test new it. clients You can from find out internet more on which search resources term page by y looking used for some Tracking will remember Numbers and this information. is vital What information is more, for I have you) arranged keep m a special and increase discount for you. budget When (see you 5 below). click link you will see page takes you to a page for best of. This is an offer for 5. Increase anor business daily but budget? y have If you made are seeing it available new for client my instructions Marketing4Solicitors from subscribers Pay Per Click too! campaign and you would like even more new clients n keep increasing budget. As long as leads are converting into new clients keep increasing Coming Up In budget! Next Issue... Next month I am going to share some secrets for you. What works for me in my business and how you can use this to work for you in business too! You will not want to miss this issue!

10 M4S Insider s Club For One-On-One Advice If you need more help, please join my M4S Insider s Club. M4S Insiders Club - Click Here To Find Out More Previous Issues Available To Download Lesson 1 Defining offering Lesson 2 Advertising For Results Lesson 3 Website Design For Lead Capture Lesson 4 Website Marketing Lesson 5 Cross Selling Your Services Lesson 6 Pay Per Click Advertising Lesson 7 - Generating Leads Using Free Media Coverage Lesson 8 - Use Video to Market Business Lesson 9 - Setting Up a Referral System Lesson 10 - Using Social Media to Generate New Leads 10