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When I get a referral or get introduced to a lawyer, the first conversation is filled with skepticism. I have heard phrases such as “I paid $25,000 and got nothing” and “They promised to get me on first page of Google.” There is…

Yay, baseball is back – starting Thursday. I am a huge baseball fan and enjoy watching games at every level. It does not matter if it is the New York Yankees or my son’s Little League team, count me in. With the start…

The Internet, and legal publications, have so much information and articles about the stressful lives of lawyers.  Long hours, firm culture and other stresses can cause lawyers to be unhappy in their jobs.  Likewise, the COVID-19 pandemic, social discourse and financial uncertainty have…

Doing ONLY legal marketing for 30 years, this is a simple question to answer. From my perspective, they should know they need it now, and always. That is ideal and naïve. Because what matters is when lawyers know that they need marketing help.…

We were published in Network Magazine. Our article, How do your clients view you? Ask them, discusses the importance of asking clients if they are happy with your services. It is a bad assumption that all is good with your clients. Too often,…

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we celebrated our first anniversary in business. Well, with social distancing and stay-at-home orders, we actually recognized it. Not much celebrating happening now. While we are busier than ever, we also have some time to reflect on how fortunate…

Who is tired of the phrase, The New Normal? Who is tired of watching TV and hearing the talking heads make predictions and proclamations about the new normal? We are tired of it. More importantly, in our world of legal marketing, we see…

I came across this post on New Jersey State Bar Association’s website. As the coronavirus crisis continues, and I am still under stay-at-home orders, I found the post helpful. Combined with my own experience, this blog will highlight a few interesting points of…

I am so proud of so many lawyers and law firms! I have seen more lawyers actively engaging in legal marketing activities since we have been working from home and stepped away from face-to-face marketing. The sheer number of webinars, interviews, articles, and…

We are sure you received a ton of emails from every company that has your email about how to reach them, how they care about their employees, and how they are cleaning their offices. Your clients don't need to know about that -…

Over the weekend, we saw various attempts at marketing during the coronavirus pandemic. We we saw a handful of creative, relevant marketing tactics. However, we saw more terrible, salesy, tacky tactics, causing us to really talk through the messaging that is appropriate for…

We launched ESQuisite Marketing to handle legal marketing in small law firms. Since our launch, we have seen some marketing trends among small law firms. The most glaring, from our viewpoint, is that marketing is not consistent, strategic, or a priority. Of course, this makes sense…

Cross-selling in law firms is always a hot topic of discussion.  There is a lot of talk, with little action.  Further, there is even less success.  Why does cross-selling seem like an unsolvable riddle for so many law firms? Obstacles to Cross-Selling The…

If you are on our mailing list, you know all about our social media contest.  If you are not on our mailing list, what are you doing? Click here and get on it! It's only once a month, so we won't clutter your inbox, and…

Happy New Year!  In 2020, we suggest that you consider the following marketing ideas for small law firms.  Why?  Because it is a new year and a new decade.  Start it right.  Take some time to review your marketing successes and failures.  Map…

As the holidays are approaching and most of us are too busy to sit for even five minutes, I am sure you are racking up excuses as to why you have no time for legal marketing. #protip - get off of Amazon for…

We often receive phone calls from small law firm owners that want to “do marketing.”  As the conversation progresses, we realize that these small law firm owners are not sure what they want to do.  Nor, are they sure what they need to…

Professional services marketing can be scary words. Where do you start? What is the most effective way to market? How do you budget? Slow down.  With a little planning, some focus, and a straight-forward to-do list, you can handle this. Whether you are…

As law firm marketers, we know that there are times, far too many times, when you want to get to certain projects but just do not have the time or resources.  Looking back on our years of in-house experience, we counted hundreds of…

I recently had the privilege of speaking to a group of attorneys about small law firm marketing.  The title of my presentation was Top 10 Marketing Ideas a Small Law Firm Can Implement Today.  This was particularly rewarding because it was our goal…

Are law firm websites a substitute for networking? Of course not. There will never be a substitute for traditional business development activities like networking, getting referrals through partners, and co-presenting with complementary services firms. In other words, "feet on the street" and referral…

As legal marketing consultants, we will preach that you must think strategically and have marketing plans – blah, blah, blah.  The trouble with marketing plans and firm strategic plans is that much time, energy and money go into creating them.  Then, the plans…

All successful rainmakers invest significant time and energy into marketing and business development.  They are able to create time - it is all part of the job.  For other lawyers, why is it so hard to find time for marketing and business development? …

We have helped many a lawyer build a niche legal practice. The concept of niche marketing is different than marketing a specific practice area or legal specialty. You should think of a niche practice in industry terms or as a very narrow specialty. For…

I am back from vacation - relaxed, refreshed, and thinking about websites.  They are expensive.  Very expensive.  But on my recent trip, where I relied heavily on Google to get me to the websites of restaurants, activities, and other destinations on my vacation,…

There is a war going on in the legal industry.  It is a war for talent, a war to get the right lateral attorney.  So many firms are trying to grow by recruiting established lawyers with big books of business.  Sometimes this is…

Do you see things from the client perspective or your own?  I recently worked with a successful, senior partner at a large law firm. He sought my advice on how to properly follow-up with a prospective client. The prospect was General Counsel at…

We recently met with a prospect and asked him how clients found him. He said other attorneys send him clients, and he advertises in the yellow pages.  We are so glad he contacted us! His story reminded me of an article I read…

Throughout my long career in legal marketing, I cannot count the number of times that I heard, “Joe” is such a good lawyer, how come he cannot get any clients?  These “Joes” are truly excellent at their craft.  They produce first-rate work products…

We preach and preach and preach even more that marketing for lawyers is a simple formula. It goes like this: Reputation + Relationships = Success. When dealing with clients, we always start with the Reputation portion of the equation. And, under this category,…

In helping some of our start-up clients, we really focus on integrating marketing into their administrative procedures.  Here are a few basics to consider before you open your doors.  Or when you decide to integrate a marketing plan: Logo Design Many start-ups do…

Many legal marketers will ask lawyers, “what is your ideal client?” Often, we will hear answers like “Anyone who will pay me.” Or better yet, “I don’t know.” We think it is an important question to answer if you want to have a…

For those lawyers who have the fantastic existence of measuring their lives in 6-minute increments, time is extremely valuable. Attorneys, like most people, have very busy lives. There is legal work obviously, but also non-billable client demands, administrative duties, and personal lives. The…

Graduation is coming!! As law students we know your primary concerns are finishing school, passing the bar, and finding a job. For those going into private practice, one thing that is not taught in law school is the business side of law. Therefore,…

Some law firms have formal attorney mentor programs for young attorneys. These programs usually focus on helping the young lawyer navigate in the internal workings of the firm. As such, the mentors may need to guide the newbie on issues such as billing…

We compiled a bunch of marketing terms of which every lawyer needs to be familiar. Some of the definitions are very technical. If you need clarification, please just ask. Business development = sales Sales = business development Cross-selling = making more money for…

You measure your life in 6-minute increments. How much are seminars worth? So here is the deal. Seminars are not a one-shot-deal. Seminars are door openers. Read - one seminar, two seminars, 10 seminars, do not guarantee you business. The only guarantee from…

Despite the stereotypes and silly jokes, lawyers are leaders in their communities. As such, they sit on boards, run committees, offer pro bono legal services, donate money, and volunteer precious (read: billable) time. Many lawyers do not view their charitable efforts as marketing. …

There is a trend of lawyers in their prime earning years leaving their existing firms to set up their own firms, or moving to another firm where the grass is (hopefully) greener. This is, in part, because many baby boomers are not transitioning…

We know that attorneys did not go to law school to become “sales people.” At least that is what we have been told at least 4 billion times. Okay, that is an exaggeration, but we have heard it quite often. Of course, lawyers…

Do you read blogs and social media?  Do you have a Facebook, LinkedIn, Insta, or Twitter? If you haven't and don't, then stop reading. This blog will be lost on you - but please forward it to the younger attorneys that you know,…

Why a marketing coach? We have attended educational programs that focused on attorney marketing and business development topics. While these sessions are informative, the ideas never seem to stick or get implemented. And, we are just marketing people. So, if we cannot implement…

We have built successful lawyer blogs. However, before we will start creating the blog, we question the attorney about what he or she expects from the blog. Is the blog expected to generate revenue? Do you want to position yourself as a thought…

Legal referrals are the life blood to any successful law practice. Where does your business come from? Do you know? Do you track it? If not, start immediately. A strong network of referral sources can create an endless line of new business. It…

As consumers, we are surrounded by brands every day. From the Nike swoosh, to the Chipotle pepper, to that woman-like logo at Starbucks, brand images are everywhere. These images are only the visual representation of the brand, but what really matters is the…

To ESQuisite Marketing, the answer is simple. For our clients, the media is a friend. Why do we say this? Because we know that reporters can be extremely helpful with a lawyer’s marketing activities. Most reporters are very honest. They are doing their…

Is it true that only extroverted attorneys can get clients?  Not true! The selling of legal services is often painful for lawyers. The two main reasons for the pain are a lack of sales training and a misunderstanding of business development. Obviously, business…

Lawyers and law firms love buying event tables and sponsorships. Well, maybe they do not love to buy tables but still do, nonetheless. Table sponsorships are bought for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, a table is bought to support a bar association event,…