Targeted Communication Strategies for Lawyers, Part II
Continuing from Part I of Staying Top-of-Mind, here are a few more ideas that represent communications best practices for lawyers who want to stay top-of-mind with their clients, contacts, and referral sources.
Referral Tool
Make it easy for your referral sources to refer you. Develop a one page PDF they can send to their contacts that includes:
- A summary of your practice
- Representative experience (see below)
- Client testimonials
- Contact information
- Social media links (which remain live in a PDF)
- Your firm’s branding and logo (pay a designer to create the template for you)
Representative Experience
One of the most compelling communications you can write, representative experience will be used on your website biography, in proposals, on LinkedIn, on the referral tool above. Set a goal of creating five to ten pieces. Use this template:
- Client Type: A generic summary of the client
- Client Issue: Summarize why the client hired you
- Approach: Your approach to meeting their needs – just the high points
- Result: What you accomplished on behalf of your client
The Article
As you tackle your print and electronic reading, watch for articles or blog posts that may be of interest to someone you know. Copy or forward the article with a nice note letting them know you thought they would find the piece interesting. Busy lawyers don’t generally do this, so it will make an impression.
Personal Notes
Vincent Van Gogh said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
Writing short personal notes is one of those small things that will differentiate you. I don’t know about you but I keep almost all of the personal notes I receive. They make an impact on me. Invest in some firm-branded blank cards and use them regularly. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Thank someone for having coffee or lunch with you
- Congratulate someone on an award, promotion, or being featured in the press
- Use a personal note to forward an article you thought your contact would be interested in
- Let someone you met at an event know how much you enjoyed meeting them
Still one of the easiest and most personal ways to connect with someone is to call them. Leave them a voicemail so they can hear the warmth in your voice. Let them know you were thinking about them and wanted to check in to see how they are doing.
As you look into 2016, make targeted communications a priority. When you stay top-of-mind with your best contacts, you will be the lawyer who gets asked to write, speak, partner with, have lunch, participate, volunteer, and in other ways retain and grow the relationships most important to you.