Month: July 2012

Converting Leads to Sales! Leveraging Technology to Reach Your Peeps

Post author By Ethan Theo
Post date July 28, 2012

In order for you to convert a lead into a client, your ideal client needs to hear about you (or see you) anywhere from seven to seventeen times before they’re ready to move forward with your firm. That means, once a prospect stumbles across your law office’s website or hears you speak at a networking event, you need to find a way to communicate with him or her an additional six to sixteen times, so when they do find themselves in the need of a lawyer’s service, you are the one they hire.

Ask yourself this … unless they have an immediate need for your services and hire you on the spot, what are the odds your prospects will hear from you another six to sixteen times after your first encounter?

As you already know, most people only hire an attorney “as needed” or because they have an emergency. So, unless someone finds you on Google or meets you at a conference at the exact moment they require legal help, your chances of turning them into a client are pretty slim.

There is an easy solution: deploy an automated communication system! But before we delve into the reasons you must create one (and trust me, you do), let’s make sure you’re already taking care of the first step in communicating regularly with your prospects: using a CRM database to create a list of prospects you can develop a relationship with on an ongoing basis.

When you meet people who might be in the market for your services, you need a system of gathering their contact information.

When you have such a system in place, you are “building your list” every time you network, speak, advertise, send out direct mail or use social media. List building is the keystone of any direct marketing strategy, and though there’s a bit more science to it than simply collecting email addresses, you DO need to first make sure you’re keeping track of the people you meet, and collecting their contact information so you can reach out to them regularly, inviting them to get to know you and your business, before they ever even need to hire a lawyer.

So, what CRM (customer relationship management) System for lawyers and law firms are you using to build your list?

Okay, maybe you already have a list. Now what?

About 3% of your potential market will have an immediate need when they hear about you, but the other 97% need reminders about who you are and what you can do for them, should they need you at some point in the future. So, even though this potential client may not be in the market for an attorney right now, you want to be sure you’re the first person on his/her mind when he/she is ready. And that’s why you need an Automated Communication Campaign.

Automated: Because it has to be, otherwise it won’t get done.
Communication: The basis of every strong relationship.
Campaign: This means consistent, so you are communicating at least every other week and preferably weekly.

Your communication campaign should be designed to make your prospects feel like they know you. Your ideal client wants to hire an attorney with whom they have a relationship. People hire people who they know, like and trust. Staying in regular contact with your prospects allows you to create a rapport and a familiarity to forge bonds before you ever work together.

Trying to stay in touch with your list regularly takes too much time and energy to do it all on your own—you must automate! You’ll either make yourself nuts trying to get it all done, or give up on communicating all together. The solution? There are many online software systems and outsource services that can help you create a “set it and forget it” series of emails, so that you know you’re keeping up with your list without having to do all the extra work. (More on those systems and services soon.)

One more tip: make sure that when you reach out to your list, your hand is not always palm up!

Of course, you want to make periodic offers to your list for discounted items or services, or to announce new products or special services. Let your communication invite your ideal clients to get to know you – the personal, real you. Tell your personal story through your marketing materials, share with them and show you’re a real person who wants to serve. Let people know that you are just like them, not some scary lawyer who’s going to try to take advantage of them!

Make the effort to build a solid relationship with your prospects so that when they finally do need legal services, it’s you they’ll turn to – not just the first time, but every time.

So, are you regularly communicating with your prospects? If so, how? And how is it working for you? We’d love to hear. Leave a comment below to share about your process for communicating with prospects or what’s stopping you.

About the Author:

Alexis Neely started her own law practice in 2003 after only three years in practice at the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson. Despite knowing nothing about business, she built that law practice into a million dollar a year revenue generator by creating a new law business model that her clients (and her family) absolutely loved. Alexis wrote the bestselling book on legal planning for parents and has appeared on all the top television shows – from the Today Show to Good Morning America – teaching the American public about proactive family and business legal planning and new paradigm conflict resolution. Today, Alexis is a Law Business Mentor and guides lawyers to reclaim their role as trusted advisors for their clients while building sustainable, fulfilling, money-making practices so you can love being a lawyer again. For more information about Alexis, visit www.lawbusinessmentors.com

Operations

5 Essential FreeTools for Managing a Virtual Office

Post author By Ethan Theo
Post date July 25, 2012
1 Comment on 5 Essential FreeTools for Managing a Virtual Office

Virtual offices are becoming more and more popular as technology grows and allows them to become functional. Having employees and co-workers who live on completely different sides of the world is a common occurrence these days. This type of collaborative virtual office not only saves you from having to rent office space and equipment for your team, it also cuts commuting costs and provides a level of comfort for everyone involved by allowing employees to work from home or wherever they feel most inspired to work.

Here are five free tools that are essential to allowing virtual office’s to function and prosper by providing your employees or co-workers with the ability to communicate, collaborate and support each other even when they are thousands of miles away.

Google Apps

If there is one tool that is most important for running a virtual office, then it would have to be Google Apps. Google has set the standard for quality free services being offered to businesses. Gmail is one of the best and most trusted email clients, Google Calendar works as a great planner for all of your workers, and Google Docs gives your employees a full Office suite along with tons of storage space. All in all, Google Apps makes collaboration and coordination a breeze and is a must for any virtual office.

Skype

If you are looking for an instant messaging program to use when talking with your employees, Skype is probably the best option. You can chat via text with your co-workers and employees, but you can also talk to them and even do video conferencing. Skype also enables group chats for including everyone that can also be handled via text, audio or video. Skype is free and takes care of all your live communication needs.

CrossLoop

CrossLoop is a great tool that can help you fix problems without having to outsource even further. For example, if one of your copywriters has a problem with their computer that one of your web developers might be able to solve, this remote desktop sharing solution enables you to let the expert in your team take control of whatever machine is having problems and fix the issue remotely.

Dropbox

Online file storage is very important for virtual collaboration and Dropbox has a proven track record as being one of the best free services in the business. Having a central location for storing files that several people within the virtual office might need at various times is very important. Dropbox gives you 2 GB of free storage per user and is very reliable.

TeamViewer

This is one of the best free screen sharing applications available. It allows you to connect up to 25 team members at once and have them all share their screens. They can also work together on the same file, track all changes that have been made and transfer files between each other. It is an essential tool for virtual collaboration, and it is especially good to use for tutorial or training sessions.

With these five free tools, you will be well on your way to establishing a well-oiled and productive virtual office that will be able your workers to function efficiently and effectively despite never being in the same place at the same time.

About the Author:

Janice Blythe is a longtime contributor at Cometdocs. Her interests as a blogger include new media, technology and education, among other things.

Business Ideas

Results! Is Your Business Built on a Solid Foundation or Are You on Shaky Ground? 3 Ways to Tell

Post author By
Post date July 25, 2012

January 2005 was a turning point in my business. It was the month I incorporated my business.

Before then, I had operated as a sole proprietor. I started my business in 1998 as a freelance copywriter.

However, in 2003 I started getting that restless feeling. I knew I was destined for bigger and better things. I started researching how to take my freelance copywriting business to the next level. And part of that research included me looking into how my business was structured.

Even though my local CPA thought it was a waste of time and money for me to incorporate, the rest of my research told me otherwise, so I went ahead with it.

That was the year I finally broke 6 figures. Once I did that I never looked back.

Now, I’m not going to say that was the sole reason why I broke 6 figures nor am I going to claim all you need to do is incorporate and it will happen to you. But what I WILL tell you is when I incorporated, it caused a huge mental shift around how I viewed my business. Suddenly I was a serious business owner, not just a freelancer. And as such I started making decisions from a different place, a place that would ultimately cause my income to significantly jump.

(Also, there is a school of thought that your business will only grow as far as your foundation will take it. In other words, if your business only has the legal, financial, tax and insurance structure for a $50,000 year business, that’s all you’ll end up with. If your business can handle 7-figures and beyond, that’s what you’ll end up with.)

So what about you? If you’re anything like me, you started your business because you were “good” at something and/or you had a big message or dream to change the world. You didn’t start a business because you were in love with owning your own business. You may have been drawn to certain aspects of owning your own business, like being your own boss, calling the shots, working when and where you wanted, etc. But you weren’t driven by the “business” part of it.

The problem with that is it only takes you so far. You may be making money but you probably aren’t doing it very smartly. You don’t know how to plan or map out your finances so you tend to live in a very stressed out money place. You may be paying WAY too much in taxes with how you’re structured (I certainly was). And you may not have protected yourself or your business adequately so there’s always the chance you could lose everything you worked so hard for.

So what do you do? Well, it’s time to take a good hard look at your business and make a decision once and for all how serious you want to be about it. Here are 3 questions to get you started:

1. What are your goals for your business? Both long- and short-term?

2. Is your business currently set up to support your goals? And when I mean set up, I mean more than just your business structure. What about insurance, finances, taxes? Also are you taken care of legally (i.e. you have contracts where you need them)?

3. If the answer is no or you’re not sure, then take a deep breath and see this as an opportunity. Look, unless you ARE a lawyer or CPA, you probably find this as enjoyable as marketing your business. (Hey, I get it. Not everyone is a marketing geek like me.) But you have a chance here to put a solid foundation under your business so it can be supported as you build it.

Take this opportunity to do your own research on what you need. Interview business advisors to see if the ones you’re currently relying on are still the right ones for you or if you need new ones. Put together a plan and then execute that plan. You may be pleasantly surprised on how your business responds.

Tags business success strategy, Business success tips, financial, Incorporate, Legal, online marketing strategies, small business marketing strategy, strategic internet marketing, taxes

Online Business

10 Reasons Websites Need to Focus More on Customer Service

Post author By Ethan Theo
Post date July 23, 2012

Article Contributed by Longhorn Leads

Customer service is a major factor in a customer’s overall satisfaction with a company. Consumers want to be assured that the company will back its product or service and be there to assist them when they have a problem or question. Since so much business is being conducted online nowadays, there’s an even greater need to know that the companies we do business with won’t be giving us the cold shoulder when we call with a problem. Here are ten reasons why websites need to focus more on customer service:

1. Competition – In e-commerce, and in all business, there is often little that sets one company apart from the competition. Pricing and product quality being essentially equal, consumer choice will come down to customer service.

2. Consumer Confidence – When a consumer makes an online purchase, he surrenders the convenience of having a local merchant to deal with. He needs to know that there will be someone there for him when he has a problem since he won’t typically have anyone nearby to handle it.

3. Social Networking – Word gets around fast these days, and that includes bad reviews about a company’s service. Nothing can shut down an otherwise successful venture like a bad reputation; and on the internet, a reputation can be established, and taken away, literally overnight.

4. Volume – The amount of commerce conducted online is at an all-time high and continues to grow. The more transactions that a website handles, the more likely there will be mishaps – incorrect billing, wrong items delivered, product defects, lost orders, etc. The need for a strong customer support team increases with the volume of business a company does.

5. High Expectations – Because of the wide open market that the internet provides, competition is stiff in virtually every service or business. Consequently, consumer expectations are high. There is zero tolerance in today’s business market for poor customer service.

6. Low Perceptions – Conversely, with so many businesses outsourcing their customer service resources overseas, public perception of the average customer service rep is at an all-time low. Being a company known for great customer service can be the defining factor for why consumers choose you over everyone else.

7. Availability – Customers now have so many avenues by which to contact a business – email, phone, online chat, Skype, and even social media – there’s no excuse for inaction or delay on the part of customer service personnel.

8. Cost-Savings – Forward-thinking businesses learned early on that by providing online tech support via FAQ’s, downloads, operator manuals and help forums, not only did their customer satisfaction index improve, so did their bottom line.

9. Customer Loyalty – Repeat business is essential to the success of a company. There are only so many people that you can sell to one time. What brings people back, what sets a company apart more than anything else, is customer service.

10. Representation – As click-and-mortar entities replace the brick-and-mortar legacy businesses, the face of the company becomes those individuals with whom the customer interacts. In most cases, that’s the customer service rep. The customer service representative is just that – a representative of who you are as a company. That’s no place to skimp if you want to succeed.