1. SPEAK UP!

• Develop a focused message and get in front of a qualified audience of prospective clients. Find industry seminars and conferences where you can deliver speeches on trends or upcoming industry changes. Join a speakers bureau. Don't expect to be paid for these speeches and be prepared to pick up your own travel expenses. Speaking is one of the best investments you can make.

2. GET PUBLISHED

• Get published! It’s a great way to get noticed and increase your visibility. Turn speeches into articles or white papers. Post articles on your website, include them in your newsletter and hand them out freely to clients and prospects.

3. PUT YOUR NAME IN THE NEWS

• Establish yourself as an expert available to take calls from reporters. Develop relationships with local and industry reporters. Journalists frequently turn to expert databases maintained by leading wire services. It's easy to list your legal specialization in these databases; just contact your in-house or local PR professional.

4. CREATE TOPICAL LEGAL SEMINARS

• Demonstrate your subject knowledge by teaching a specialized seminar to a small, targeted audience. Consider going on-site to a prospect's location, scheduling a small lunch or breakfast gathering, or partnering with a legal or industry association. Paid sponsorships can also be a good investment because you get face-to-face with high quality prospects for legal services.

5. BUILD YOUR LEGAL REFERRAL NETWORK

• Create a list of 5-10 non-competitive lead sources who are well connected in your industry and market. Attorneys, bankers, accountants, consultants and other suppliers to the legal market can create important personal introductions that turn into new clients. Make it a point to have lunch or breakfast with each lead source at least once a quarter. When a lead source dries up, drop them from your list and add a new one. This is a two-way street, of course, so remember to find leads you can share.

• Professional mailings are a great way to stay in touch with clients and prospects. If you are a lawyer, be sure to check your state bar guidelines on direct mail, especially to prospects. Deliver something of value when you write to your list, like an important article or white paper. Personalize each mailing, use first class postage and keep to a schedule (like every quarter). Including a "call to action" will maximize your return.

7. SET YOURSELF APART IN BROCHURES

• Present a professional image with well designed brochures, flyers and other collateral. Communicate your specialized expertise clearly with copy that distinguishes you from the competition. Don't be just a "me too" provider of legal or litigation support services.

8. DEMONSTRATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN NEWSLETTERS

• Deliver value to your audience with a substantive print or electronic newsletter. There are even services you can use - like PDI Global - to get the benefit of a professional newsletter without the higher cost of creating your own.

9. INVEST IN PRINT AND ONLINE ADVERTISING

• Place your print ad in targeted journals and legal publications. Get listed in leading directories. Depending on your practice area, many lawyers and law firms rely on Yellow Pages advertising. Check into cost-effective "pay per click" online ads on Google or Yahoo!, which allow you to present your contact information exactly when a prospect is searching for your services. Because advertising can be expensive, start with a marketing plan to maximize your investment.

10. GO ONLINE WITH INTERNET MARKETING

• Lawyers, law firms, expert witnesses and purchasers of legal services turn to the Internet millions of times every day to make new contacts. Use measurable Internet marketing techniques to drive traffic to your website, then Impress your website visitors with easy-to-read web pages that help you close the sale. Maximize your Internet visibility with inside tips that get you noticed online, like keyword density and metatags.

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Need Help with Your Legal Marketing and Business Development?

Margaret Grisdela, Author of Courting Your Clients and Founder of Legal Expert Connections, is available to talk to you about your legal marketing challenges. Call her toll-free number at 866-417-7025 to get some immediate ideas that will help you generate new clients.

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