Do you have a top-notch public relations strategy as part of your marketing plan? If not, you are missing a big piece of income possibilities. Having coached attorneys for the past 15 years, I have found that few know the advantages or even the true purpose of public relations.
Let’s first look at exactly what public relations is and what it is not. It includes the word “public”—that means people, not robots. And it includes “relations,” which means contact with people.
Google Oxford Dictionary defines it as “The professional maintenance of a favorable public image by a company or other organization or a famous person.” Wikipedia expands the definition: “Public relation is the practice of managing and dissemination information from an individual or an organization . . . to the public in order to influence their perception.” As I will show you, lawyers, as owners of a solo or small firm or even as employees, can develop and use public relations to increase revenue.
To begin, you must work at designing a statement that tells people what you do. You would be surprised how many attorneys just assume that if they name a legal category, the public will know what they are doing every day. Most lay people have an image of a lawyer who often goes to court. Even after almost 40 years of being a lawyer, I couldn’t tell you what merger and acquisitions attorneys do on a day-to-day basis, let alone what kind of clients they might be looking for. I have a vague notion that they put people out of work, but I’m probably wrong. The public is also exposed to social media, television, and movies that portray certain kinds of attorneys who don’t resemble the real thing. It has been my experience that there is very little time to have three or four affairs going on at work. (Time for bathroom breaks is even nonexistent.)
The best way to formulate a solid, relatable statement is to create both a personal and a business mission statement. This should be short and honest. For example, in my book Be a Better Lawyer: A Short Guide to a Long Career (2014), I give these two examples:
As you can see from these simple but carefully worded statements, much of your marketing plan can be developed. Think website, stationery, business cards, advertising, and on and on. This is especially true of public relations. Any written or oral communication can be based on these principles.
Next, you have to identify the public that you want to connect with. This means those people whom you will take the time and effort to educate as to what you do and all your good qualities. Then, you must devise a plan to keep yourself on their radar. Remember, this is a venue where the audience is going to find out that your image is one of competency, honesty, and value. Most of all, that same audience is going to remember what you do when they or a friend’s need arises.
How do you do that? Looking at a list of possible connection choices can be helpful: present and old clients, networking events, bar associations committees, articles in law journals and local newspapers, LinkedIn, speaking engagements, and so forth. Also considered local groups such as the Rotary Club or clubs focused on particular activities. How about coaching Little League and working as a volunteer for numerous good causes in your community?
Now you have your list of places to show off your well-earned superiority as a professional. That being said, be careful not to compare yourself as superior to other individuals. This is not a time to boast but a time to allow the public to get to know you. No bragging, just nice words about your work, slipping in as much as you can the language of your mission statement.
The same cautions apply to writing. Positive conversations and stories are better than discussions about what’s wrong with the world. This doesn’t mean that you hold back on your views, especially in your writings, but make sure that your audience has a clear picture of your values and how helpful you can be.
Now comes the question of how to keep yourself on the public’s radar. We also call this touching. It involves making sure that the public remembers you when they need you. This is where the increased revenue comes into play. You need to set up a system that operates to keep everyone in touch. Your system can include:
Once the system is in place, your staff can handle a lot of it.
The reason to set up this as a system is not to ask the audience directly to refer work to you but to let the public know you as someone who has the capabilities to understand the needs of the community and who would be willing to respond if asked.
Marketing involves spending a significant amount of money to be effective. Public relations involves spending a significant amount of time both in contact and free assistance. In other words, as an example, you would devote time to answering simple inquiries over the phone without a request for payment.
As you might have guessed by now, the biggest disadvantage is that public relations efforts take a considerable amount of time to produce revenue. It is a “Johnny Appleseed” approach. For those of you unfamiliar with Johnny, he was a 19th-century American missionary and iterant agriculturalist who was obsessed with planting apple seeds in several Eastern and Midwestern states. Of course, they did not produce apples right away, but his orchards became folklore. Communities today even have special Johnny Appleseed events. His name became synonymous with “planting and tending” patiently until fruit grows and can be harvested. The rewards went on for many years without much more attention than a little fertilizer. So can yours!
Requiring that time be properly managed can also be a disadvantage. Clever planning can help overcome this. Volunteer coaching can mean more time with your kids. Getting your staff involved with your system and its uniqueness can be a bonding experience that allows staff to become more involved with the business aspect of the firm.
Updating and reprioritizing your time management plan is a good action to be taken anytime. Your best buddy is your master calendar (containing all your appointments, appearances, and deadlines), followed by your personal calendar.
You can also employ a public relations firm at several thousand dollars a year. They will set you up with a plan that you need to participate in. They can get your picture in the journals and local papers—but so can you! Sometimes, public relations firms are hired to help a client overcome some bad event or image that will taint the firm or the person. If you already have your system in place, you have a whole army of people who can be contacted to counter any false or fake gossip. One of the main places my clients have found this useful is when a bad review comes out on Yelp or other social media sites. Discreet calls to two or three contacts can create reviews that refute the original false information and do so without breaking any privacy rules.
Bill, with whom you coach a soccer team that includes your son and his grandson, makes an appointment. He is obviously upset as he shares the situation of his daughter, who is in an abusive marriage. He ends his story by asking if you can help. He also wants to find out what you do exactly.
The traditional answer is “family law, including divorce, custody issues, support, and related problems.”
The enlightened answer is, “I treat each client on an individual basis, listening carefully to his or her situation. I go through the process step-by-step, explaining the pros and cons as I emphasize what I think is the ethical and best way to handle the situation. I explain the area of law involved as simply as I can. I ask if the client has questions. It sounds as though I could help your daughter, although I would very much like to meet with her and discuss what can and cannot be done before either of us makes a commitment.”
I hope I have convinced you to think about upgrading your marketing plan to include public relations. It will be an interesting journey, and you might discover new and exciting avenues that your career can take.
