Category: Marketing

Never discount your price!

“If your only entry point is price, you don’t get their loyalty,” Zhang said. “And if price breaks is your only selling point, there is always someone who can undersell you.” These are the prophetic words of an attorney currently competing for business in China. (more…)


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Demonstrating how we improve our clients’ lives: The goal for 2006

The Chief Marketing Officer for Intel said in the current issue (January 9, 2006) of Business Week, “I tell people they’re not just about making silicon. They’re helping people’s lives improve, and we need to let the world know that,” says Eric Kim.

The question then, is: What are you going to do in 2006 to change how you are perceived by your clients and your prospective clients? How are you going to communicate to your clients how you help improve their lives?


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Averages don’t control

The question was asked: What percentage of revenue is normally spent on marketing? While some studies apppear to provide an answer to this question, I’m not enamored with studies that show averages of costs of operation in a law firm. I think they must be taken with a grain, a large grain, of salt. (more…)


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Press Release

December 12, 2005
Venice, CA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ed Poll Appointed to Law Journal Newsletter Editorial Board

The publication becomes the first of the Law Journal Newsletters to go to 12 pages from its standard 8 pages.

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Is client service unprofessional?

My recent experience with the Bar is covered in the current issue of the ABA’s Law Practice Today.

The Bar tells us that we should not be concerned about marketing; marketing is broadly defined as communication with clients and prospects. And then lawyers are disciplined for failing to communicate with clients!

Something is wrong with this picture! The Bar needs wake up. The Bar, and particularly the larger firms that control the organized Bar, needs to put their fear of advertising (already permitted by Court order!) on the shelf and not confuse real marketing with education about communications with clients, a skill law schools and the Bar fail to provide.


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Testimonials – A contrarian view

Question: Can I use clients’ names for testimonials?

Answer: I will register a contrarian perspective that has been developed by 25 years of practicing law. It is contrary to the perspective of all sales people I’ve ever met. (more…)


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MCLE & Marketing – A bit of irony

In reading the October/November issue of Law Practice, the publication of the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association, I was suddenly struck with a bit of irony.

The answer: YES!

The Court said that lawyers have the right to advertise their services. Advertising, by the way, is one aspect of marketing … Despite this prohibition of restriction, State Bars across the country continue to say that marketing (the broader version of advertising) is excluded from MCLE legitimacy … credit for programs on marketing are denied.

Now, what is wrong with the principle of helping lawyers identify those who can best use their services and how then to help them develop close relationships with them?

This is not a question of perpetrating a fraud on prospects, it is a question of how to identify what prospects want and then determining whether you, the lawyer, are competent to handle the matter.

How incredibly sad that the Bar discriminates against the small firm lawyer in this process … how incredibly arrogant of the Bar to refuse to help its members where they need the help most, with clients!

Frankly, I think a lawsuit on constitutional grounds against the Bar would succeed, as did Bates v. O’Steen. But, lawyers seem able to address these issues in other ways, subverting the Bar’s prohibition anyway. I prefer, however, to be straight rather than devious.

But then, this is only my opinion.


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