how to get customers as a lawyer

by Prof. Elliot Turner DVM 9 min read

4 Methods for Lawyers to Get Corporate & Business Clients

  • Online Advertising. Like in consumer-facing areas of law, advertising and social media can still be effective tools and...
  • Social Media. Facebook is going to be the best social media platform to use for the lowest end in terms of revenue and...
  • SEO & Content Marketing. SEO and content marketing are popular for...

In summary, lawyers get new clients by two major methods–referrals and reviews. By utilizing networking skills and events, you can get your name out there and let people know that you are a reliable, trustworthy source of legal representation.Feb 22, 2022

Full Answer

How can a lawyer get clients?

One of the best solutions for how a lawyer can get clients is to stay connected with people you worked with early in your career. This includes your peers in college, law school, and your employers. Make sure you treat everyone you come into contact with as if he could be a future client. See You Need to Be Connected With Others at Work. C.

How do I find a good lawyer?

Most communities have referral services to help people find lawyers. You might be able to find them under “Lawyer Referral Service” or something similar in your yellow pages. These services usually recommend a lawyer in the area to evaluate a situation.

Do you need a lot of business to be a lawyer?

See The Seven Most Important Choices Every Attorney without a Lot of Business Makes for more information. More important than your success as an attorney will be your security as an attorney. Having a lot of business is essential to having security as an attorney because you will always have work to do.

Do lawyers think about marketing?

While many lawyers don’t think about marketing, the partners, principals and managers of firms responsible for generating new business do. In this article, we’re going to look at how business and corporate lawyers and practices can generate sustainable sources of new leads and clients for their firms.

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How do lawyers attract businesses?

How Google Ads or Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Help Attorneys Get New ClientsFamily and friend referrals.Online search.Referrals from other lawyers.Legal directory.

How do lawyers get noticed?

Tips to Get Noticed in Your Legal CareerBe visible. Recognize that there are many ways to raise your profile within the organization in addition to being diligent at your work. ... Refine interpersonal skills. ... Do more than your job description. ... Be client-focused. ... Develop your business skills. ... Find a mentor.

What is the best way to market to lawyers?

10 steps for marketing your law firmCreate a marketing budget. ... Build a well-designed law firm website. ... Ensure your site is search engine optimized. ... Claim your free online profiles. ... Make sure your law firm has a social media presence. ... Manage your law firm's online reviews effectively. ... Try your hand at content marketing.More items...•

How can I get clients?

10 Ways to Get New CustomersAsk for referrals. ... Network. ... Offer discounts and incentives for new customers only. ... Re-contact old customers. ... Improve your website. ... Partner with complementary businesses. ... Promote your expertise. ... Use online reviews to your advantage.More items...•

How do lawyers get more cases?

Table of Contents hide1.1) 1. Friends, Family & Relatives.1.2) 2. Join the Bar Association of your Court.1.3) 3. Public Speaking, Events, Conferences and Meet-ups.1.4) 4. Social Media: A Powerful tool.1.5) 5. Online Marketplaces and Platforms.1.6) 6. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)1.7) 7. ... 1.8) 8.More items...•

How do law firms win clients?

They have to put together fully costed proposals, sometimes deliver presentations and then the client picks. Sometimes the law firms sit through the presentations delivered by the other firms they're up against, and sometimes it's all done behind closed doors/ using documents only.

How do I market myself as a lawyer?

Work out what they need from you, especially in terms of their problems or 'pain points'. Research and then define your target audience through a variety of measures, including demographics, attitudinal, geographical and other factors, and then stand in their shoes and look at yourself through their eyes.

How do lawyers promote themselves?

Attending events and giving guest lectures Most importantly, it shows your activeness to gain and contribute in terms of knowledge in your field. To conclude, Marketing yourself as a lawyer involves building trust and credibility in the eyes of the potential client. Visibility is only one aspect of it.

How do I make my law firm stand out?

Yet, many lawyers are unable to articulate a reason clients should choose them over the firm across the street....Provide transparency and collaboration in pricing. ... Recruit great people. ... Listen to your clients. ... Improve your workflow. ... Offer a great client experience.

What are 4 ways to attract customers?

Here are 10 tried-and-true tips to help you attract more customers.Offer new customers discounts and promotions. ... Ask for referrals. ... Recontact old customers. ... Network. ... Update your website. ... Partner with complementary businesses. ... Promote your expertise. ... Take advantage of online ratings and review sites.More items...•

How do I find my first client?

8 Ways to Find Your First CustomersMake a list. ... Look for referrals. ... Work your network. ... Show it off. ... Attend industry events. ... Team up with other business owners. ... Build an online presence. ... Spread the word on social.

How do I get clients in 2021?

In the following paragraphs, we shall explore some simple ways for finding new clients.Find Your Niche. ... Know What Your Clients Want. ... Leverage Social Proof. ... Leverage Your Network. ... Use Guest Posting To Your Advantage. ... Ask for Testimonials. ... Improve Your Cold Emails. ... Build a Compelling Website.More items...•

How do lawyers get clients?

One of the best solutions for how a lawyer can get clients is to stay connected with people you worked with early in your career. This includes your peers in college, law school, and your employers. Make sure you treat everyone you come into contact with as if he could be a future client.

What do clients want from an attorney?

Clients want attorneys who are likely to do the best work possible and make clear decisions. When you examine most organizations that are very successful and have been around for a long time, it is easy to see that they tend to look for “steady” people who are not particularly mercurial and seem quite competent.

What are some mistakes lawyers make?

One of the biggest mistakes attorneys (and even law students!) make, proving they do not know how to get new clients for a law firm, is ignoring that every single person they ever meet is someone who could be a client or will someday be in a position to be their client. Many attorneys believe that they are often being “smart” sizing up people they meet and trying to assess whether they could potentially be their clients. They may assume, for example, that the janitor in their building could never be their client. They may assume that the person who sells them auto insurance could never be their client. They may assume that someone who was once their biggest enemy could never be their client.

Why is it important to have a lot of business as an attorney?

Having a lot of business is essential to having security as an attorney because you will always have work to do. Having work to do will provide you the platform to hire others to work for you, to build your organization, and to further your career.

What does it mean to be familiar with an attorney?

This means phone calls on people’s birthdays. This means frequent letter updates. This means forwarding articles of interest.

What are the most important things to do in law school?

When people are in law school and even during their first few years out of law school, they tend to believe that the most important components of a successful law firm career involve (1) billing a lot of hours (meaning working hard) and (2) doing quality work. Very rapidly, however, young lawyers come to understand that just as important as doing ...

Who is your dry cleaner?

Your dry cleaner, the person who mows your lawn, the mechanic who fixes your car —whomever you can imagine is a potential source of business for you. Stay in touch with them and remember to always be nice.

Create A Website

Once you have your marketing plan ready to go, you will need to develop a website for your law firm.

Use A Lead Magnet

Another important thing that you will need to do when marketing your law firm is to make sure that you have a lead magnet.

Social Media Marketing

Once you have your marketing plan ready to go, you will need to develop a social media marketing strategy that will help you get more clients for your law firm.

Email Marketing

Another thing that you will need to do in order to get more clients for your law firm is to start using email marketing.

Run Local Ads

Another way that you can get more clients for your law firm is to run local ads.

Business Meetups

Another thing that you can do in order to get more clients for your law firm is to start going to business meetups.

Use Direct Mail

Another way that you can get more clients for your law firm is to use direct mail.

Why is online marketing important for lawyers?

The reason for this is that more than ever before, people are turning to the internet to seek legal help and find a lawyer.

How to build trust with clients?

The key to a good relationship with your clients starts with trust, and the best way to build trust is to establish your credibility in your community. Share your experiences and knowledge with a local university. Volunteer to talk at your law school about your field.

How to increase referrals?

Another good way to increase your referrals is to focus on a niche legal field and become known as the specialist. There are plenty of lawyers who do civil litigation or PI, and vying for referrals in those areas of practice is basically a popularity contest.

Is it easy to start a law practice from scratch?

Building a law practice from scratch is no easy task. By focusing on the strategies above you can get your law practice on the right track and land your first clients. The key is to just jump in and get started!

What to write about when looking for a lawyer?

When considering what to write about, there’s no better place to find topics than in a search engine . This works especially well for commercial attorneys and firms seeking to attract smaller clients. Keep in mind that you want to focus on topics that are most likely to be searched in your state or jurisdiction. Focus on content geared towards smaller companies and individuals seeking legal information for their business.

What is the first thing to understand about law firms?

The first thing to understand is that your law firm needs to think about its role in legal services and offerings. Understanding this is key, as it directly translates into how to think about your marketing and client acquisition strategy. Many areas of law are consumer-facing.

How to get new clients?

Arguably one of the best methods for generating new clients is through referrals. This is a large part of the overall objective of what is known as business development. For lawyers, there are two main channels for referrals: 1 Other attorneys 2 Your current and past clients

How to generate new clients?

Arguably one of the best methods for generating new clients is through referrals. This is a large part of the overall objective of what is known as business development. For lawyers, there are two main channels for referrals:

Do lawyers need to think about B2B marketing?

Corporate and business lawyers, therefore, need to think about their marketing in terms of B2B advertising and marketing. There’s always a lot at stake when it comes to any form of legal issue. However, with business and corporate lawyers, like with many B2B companies, several things tend to ring true:

Is social media a good source of leads?

Like in consumer-facing areas of law, advertising and social media can still be effective tools and sources for leads. It will depend on several factors, such as what type of clients you’re going after.

Is LinkedIn a good social media channel?

Therefore, by targeting individuals that administer Facebook business pages, you’re off to a solid start defining your target audience on Facebook. LinkedIn can be another great social media channel.

How to build a strong lawyer-client relationship?

Here are a few tips for creating a strong lawyer-client relationship: 1. Be diligent. First and foremost, you have an obligation to be diligent on behalf of your clients. Rule 1.3 in the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct states, “ [a] lawyer shall act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client.”.

Why is it bad to have late meetings with a lawyer?

Even when a client’s interests are not affected in substance, unreasonable delay can cause a client needless anxiety and undermine confidence in the lawyer’s trustworthiness. You can lose the client.

How to avoid disappointment in a client?

Manage expectations. On top of communicating clearly, you’ve got to ensure your client understands exactly what you can do for them. Managing expectations is key for avoiding disappointment down the road. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, as this can erode your clients’ trust.

Can lawyers face personal risk?

That’s an extreme example, but lawyers can face personal risk to themselves or their property as a result of being diligent to their clients. Whether it’s managing your day-to-day commitments or meeting a larger, more timely obligation, having a strong daily routine will help you keep track of your obligations.

Conduct a SWOT Analysis

First of all, make sure you know where you stand. Determine the strengths and weaknesses of your law firm (or the one you work for), look for opportunities and identify potential threats, such as the growing competition. Simply put, you need to conduct a SWOT analysis. This acronym stands for Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

Narrow Down Your Focus

In today's competitive market, lawyers need to think outside the box and find ways to differentiate themselves. One way to do that is to choose a niche. This would allow you to narrow down your target audience and offer specialized services.

Put Yourself out There

The demand for legal services is expected to grow 4 percent by 2029, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As more and more students are graduating from law school, the competition will increase, too. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to put yourself out there and focus on building your reputation.

Set up a Business Website

Most law firms have a business website that offers information about their services. However, this doesn't mean you shouldn't set up a website for yourself. Think of it as a way to gain visibility, establish your reputation and make it easier for potential clients to find your services online.

What does legal insurance cover?

These plans vary. Many cover most, if not all, of the cost of legal consultations, document preparation, and court representation in routine legal matters. Other programs cover only advice and consultation with a lawyer.

Do legal aid offices have their own lawyers?

Some legal aid offices have their own staff lawyers, and others operate with volunteer lawyers. Note that people do not have a right to a free lawyer in civil legal matters. I have been accused of a crime, and I cannot afford a lawyer.

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Networking

  • “Sigh.” I know, my thoughts exactly. We all know how exhausting legal networkingcan be. But for a lawyer starting their own firm (or frankly any professional entering a new field) this is one of the most important things you can do. A common mistake lawyers make is to network only with fellow attorneys. While fellow attorneys can be a great source of referrals, it’s also important to …
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Referrals

  • For most experienced attorneys, referrals are what keep them in business. Most young attorneys want to get to this level of sustainability quickly, but they may not know the necessary things they must do to get there. Cultivating quality relationships with both clients and lawyers is the key to building your law practice through referrals. That means you need to go above and beyond the b…
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Public Appearances

  • Public speaking is not always the first thing that comes to mind when lawyers brainstorm on how to generate new business, but it can be very effective nonetheless. The key to a good relationship with your clients starts with trust, and the best way to build trust is to establish your credibility in your community. Share your experiences and knowled...
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Online Marketing

  • Online marketing for lawyers has become a hot topic and a highly competitive space over the past decade. The reason for this is that more than ever before, people are turning to the internet to seek legal help and find a lawyer. If you want to have any chance of succeeding in today’s legal world, you’ve got to have a presence online, and you’ve got to use technology to help grow your l…
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Conclusion

  • Building a law practice from scratch is no easy task. By focusing on the strategies above you can get your law practice on the right track and land your first clients. The key is to just jump in and get started! Pick a strategy and run with it. It isn’t going to happen overnight. But, given enough time, and with a consistent effort, you will surely find success. We published this blog post in Jul…
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