WE DON’T TRULY “VACATE,” BUT WHY WE REALLY SHOULD
For some reason this article was the hardest to write, but also the one I felt needed to be written the most. It applies to so many different areas of our marketing and our practices/management and our lives. And most of all, it is the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts. But here goes!
WE DON’T VACATE! I dare say that 90% of you all (myself included – other than my honeymoon last November!) have not taken a vacation in the past 3-5 years where you actually did not take your laptop, your cell phone or call you office for one entire week while you were gone. Part of it is our need to be in control. Part of it is the thought that the office will fall apart if we’re not there. Part of it is the thought, “the cat’s away, so all the mice are doing is playing.” There are a million excuses. I have heard them all and I have made them all.
WHAT’S NEW CORNER | LINKEDIN®
This is our ongoing series designed to help readers keep up with changes (some new, some not as new) in technology and social media. We hope you find this information helpful!
LinkedIn is a business-focused social media tool used by professionals around the world. Last month, LinkedIn became the second largest social networking tool in the U.S. with almost 34 million visitors. This places them second only to Facebook.
Many individuals are represented within LinkedIn, as are “special interest” groups [corporate or university alumni groups, job interest groups, etc.]. Many people use LinkedIn as an online resume, representing their work history and achievements. A database of businesses is also available within the tool, allowing individuals to search on and learn more about these companies. Most large corporations have already added their information to the site, and many HR departments use the site to post open positions or to do passive searches for suitable candidates to fill openings—searching on keywords found in individual’s profiles. More active users can participate in Group discussions and, over time, become known as experts.
If your firm isn’t represented on LinkedIn, you should check it out. Here’s a free whitepaper that was created by LMA partner vitalink on Using LinkedIn to Highlight Your Company & Staff. We hope to see you there!
ARE YOU LISTENING?
I was speaking with a client not too long ago and he mentioned that even though his marketing was driving leads to the firm, a large percentage of the cases were either shopping or were rejected during the intake process. Because this had been going on for some time, I suggested he might want to review the intake process. We do know that easy access and an increased flow of information has made it much easier to shop for attorneys, but if you see consistently low conversion numbers, it’s time to dig a bit further.
Based on our experience, here are a couple of thoughts:
1. Have you “shopped” your firm recently?
2. For cases that are rejected, look back several months at the reasons for the rejection.
3. If a caller is shopping and just has some basic questions, your staff may be able to ask a few pertinent questions that will encourage the client to take the next step.
4. Are your intake specialists really listening and not just note takers?
THE VALUE OF A GOOD PRESS RELEASE
It is simple today to post information to the internet. Whether you are adding a new page to your website, Tweeting, updating a status on your Facebook page or posting to your blog, getting your message out there is fairly simple. But who is seeing your message?
Legitimate press outlets are treated by the search engines as high value news sources. Getting them to pick up your story can provide additional benefits. Obviously, not everything is press worthy. But we recommend that you do issue press releases for things that would be of general interest. This can include a verdict in a controversial case, the promotion of an associate to partner, or a community service project that your staff is supporting. Need more information? Contact us today.