2011 marks the second year in which the newspaper polled its 3,000+ readers to identify the top providers of products and services to the legal community, and the second year in which Jamie Mulholland was identified among the very best. 

Mulholland has handled marketing and public relations exclusively for law firms for a dozen years, half of which was spent in-house as the first Director of Marketing for Atlantic City’s Cooper Levenson, and the last six on a freelance basis for small firms in Philadelphia and New Jersey.

She is a founding board member, Past President and current Electronic Marketing Chair of the Metropolitan Philadelphia Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association; she is a member of the Marketing Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation; and she writes and speaks frequently on marketing-related topics for both public audiences and at private law firm retreats.

The program will be hosted by the Legal Marketing Association Metropolitan Philadelphia Chapter on Thursday, January 20, 2011 at the Radison Plaza Warwick Hotel, 220 South 17th St., Philadelphia, PA.

Registration and doors open at 12:00. Program begins promptly at 12:15 and will continue until 1:30.

The program’s esteemed panelists include:  Stacy Clark, President, Stacy Clark Marketing; Ritchenya Dodd, Business Development & Marketing Director, Hill Wallack LLP; Joel Feldman, Managing Partner, Anapol Schwartz; Julie Hayes, Marketing Manager, Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox; Stacey Kracher, Marketing Director, Zarwin Baum; Jessica Sharp, Principal, Maven Communications; and Mary Zove, Executive Director, Fineman Krekstein & Harris.

Update:  Click the link below to download a recap of the program, authored by Nancy L. Gimbol, Director of Marketing, Flaster/Greenberg for The Legal Intelligencer’s February 15th, 2011 edition.

LMA Philadelphia Small Firm Marketing Recap – Legal Intelligencer, 02-15-11

 The list, which was the result of a poll of the newspaper’s 3,000 readers, identified the top providers of products and services to the legal community. 

Jamie has handled marketing and public relations for law firms for over a decade, initially as the first in-house Director of Marketing for Atlantic City-based Cooper Levenson, and for the past five years exclusively on a freelance basis for small firms in Philadelphia and New Jersey.

She is a founding board member and Past President of the Metropolitan Philadelphia Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association, is a frequent public speaker on marketing-related topics and has written articles on business development for publications worldwide.

Big Tips for Small Firms

By:  Jamie Mulholland

I began working in legal marketing ten years ago for a mid-size New Jersey firm, one with a global practice but solidly set in the shadow of larger practices in Philadelphia and New York.  Noticing the marketing efforts (or lack thereof) of even smaller firms than mine actually moved me to go the freelance route four years ago.  Since then, I’ve noticed some common areas where such firms can harness more business development power of their own and avoid wasting time and money.

“The one that got away…”

This may be a no-brainer, but small firms often miss countless opportunities for free press, not realizing their many newsworthy happenings:

• New attorneys, or appointments to management or department chair positions
• Attorney involvement with a board/committee/event for a school, nonprofit, bank/utility, professional organization, or government task force/authority
• Speaking engagements
• Involvement on the editorial board of a publication
• Participation/sponsorship of seminars/events
• Awards of any type (but not “Super”-type listings – there is not enough ink in the world for your local newspaper to highlight every attorney in their market with such honors)

I worked with a firm who initially thought such efforts a waste, since they didn’t “directly bring in business,” but came to appreciate the power of regular media mentions (and the ability to recycle that news into other vehicles – a newsletter, the website…).  Like advertising, seeing a firm’s name repetitively in the news will have readers equating you as a leader in your market.

“Date Night”

You know how when a couple wants to put that “za za zoom” back into the relationship they plan a second honeymoon or “date night” to a special place?  A date with the mate is great, but it doesn’t a good marriage make.

When a firm wants that “za za zoom” back into business development but can’t afford one-on-one training and brings in a speaker to talk to attorneys (or sends them offsite to one or more sessions), chances are, like “date night,” you may not end up with someone falling in love with business development all over again but rather, a big bill and some dead flowers.

Training and education DO work for attorneys IF the lessons are carried beyond the classroom.  After the session(s), do one-on-one follow up with participants.  Have them submit a “what I learned” report that is developed into a short list of major, yearlong goals, and work them into weekly or monthly initiatives.  And follow up to see if those goals were achieved.

“Brother-in-Law-Research”

I once worked for someone who, if you cited a personal opinion (or one of a coworker or friend) on a marketing initiative, would chide, “NO brother-in-law research,” meaning, ‘go outside your comfort zone to get input to help you produce the best product possible.’

Because you know or are related to a graphic designer doesn’t mean they should be the firm’s graphic designer.  This should be common sense, but unfortunately, it’s not.  Worse, it’s detrimental to a firm’s marketing efforts.

I met with a firm who shared a marketing plan they were considering submitted by a local agency with no law firm experience.  Reading it, I was shocked:  first at the sticker price, then at suggestions that had no business in a firm’s marketing efforts and would do nothing to grow business.  Asking how the proposal came to be solicited, I discovered the agency owner’s daughter babysat for the managing partner.  Another firm showed me their “website in development” at our first meeting which was, ironically, done by the managing partner’s babysitter.

In creating such a tool for your firm – a website, brochure, logo – it is good to have a level of trust and familiarity with the vendor, but too great a level will blind you to developing a strong vehicle with an objective mind.  Even if the vendor you know may be the best possible choice, if you do not explore several alternatives from a creative and financial perspective, you risk of being left with someone who does not understand your industry, someone you will be afraid to say “no” to, or – worse – a tool that does not achieve its purpose.

“A Watched Pot Never Boils”/“Out of Sight, Out of Mind”

After making an investment in such tools, it is important to revisit them periodically to reevaluate their effectiveness, but also important to give them a period of time to see how they work.  I’ll offer two converse examples to this effect.

I worked with one firm to create a website that afforded them the ability to change content on certain pages and, in the process, worked with leadership to develop copy for the site.  The website made its debut with great fanfare and everyone was pleased.  Until the following week, when a senior partner had the secretary with the site password change copy on a couple of the pages (she was afraid to refuse him).  A week later, another partner did the same thing.  When a third partner printed out the entire website, marked up all of the pages and delivered them to the secretary, she called me in a panic, “What do I do?”

Certainly, the excitement at this fantastic new branding medium and the ability to easily tailor content was commendable, but not to the end that you do not give the medium a chance to succeed in its original, unanimously-planned format (not to mention the importance of keeping continuity in messaging between the firm’s site and printed materials).

On the other hand, once you’ve completed such a project, you can certainly take it off your priority list, but don’t remove it completely from memory.  When I began work with another firm, I reached out to their present vendors  – printers, designers, etc. – as the new go-between, as I always do.  I very much enjoy such relationships, as the vendors are delighted to work with someone who understands their work, and I expand my network for the benefit of other firms.  This instance, however, was different.

This firm’s “webmaster,” a small company who had designed the site several years prior (and who was billing the firm monthly as part of their design/hosting/maintenance contract, which included “submitting terms monthly to search engines”) initially refused to speak with me, citing “confidentiality.”  After the managing partner assured them I was legit, I asked for the specific terms they were submitting to those search engines.  They replied they would “check their files” for the information.  After two weeks and three follow up calls they told the firm, “We cannot work with this person.  It’s her or us.”  Turns out, the contract had expired two years prior to my call and the firm had been paying an inflated bill for, among other things, “optimization” that was not happening.  We then moved quickly to establish in-house hosting for the firm at a fraction of what they were paying.

The moral of the story

The point of these examples is certainly not to dissuade small firms from undertaking such efforts, only to show where they might have worked better with a different approach.  The bottom line is if you are undertaking any marketing effort at ALL, you are doing a good thing.  Investing in the future of your practice, no matter what vendor, product, or method, is a step in the right direction, one that can lead you to success.

Jamie Mulholland assists small firms with PR and marketing efforts as part of her consulting practice, Jamie Mulholland Marketing.  She is the 2009 President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association.

Mulholland joins Jenn Smuts of Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz LLP, Bob Warkulwiz of Warkulwiz Design and Paul Webb of Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP to discuss how law firms can create and support strong marketing efforts whether they are working with a dedicated staffer or primarily rely on external sources. 

Jamie Mulholland works with a number of law firms in the Philadelphia region whose sizes do not justify the addition of an in-house Marketing Director, but whose goals require the advocacy of an experienced marketing professional. 

The event will be held on March 3, 2009 at 12:00 noon at the offices of Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE.  

For more information, visit www.firststateala.org.

The LMA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs and maintaining the professional standards of over 3,200 men and women involved in marketing within the legal profession.  Benefits for those members include access to industry intelligence such as white papers and surveys, networking events, and a multitude of educational options held each month locally, nationally and electronically.

The Metropolitan Philadelphia Chapter hosts such programs for legal marketers and related professionals working in Philadelphia, Southern and Central New Jersey, Western Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Jamie Mulholland was hired in 2000 as the first in-house Director of Marketing for Atlantic City-based Cooper Levenson and left the firm after six years to establish her consulting practice, “Jamie Mulholland Marketing.”  She now works with a number of firms in New Jersey and Pennsylvania whose sizes do not justify the addition of an in-house Marketing Director, but whose goals require the advocacy of an experienced marketing professional.  She served as a charter Board Member for LMA Philly’s inaugural year in 2004.  

For more information on LMA Philadelphia, visit www.legalmarketing.org/metrophilly.  For more information on Jamie Mulholland, visit www.mulhollandmarketing.com.

Marketing tools so sharp, you’ll shoot yer eye out, kid.

By:  Jamie Mulholland

When it comes to knowing exactly what would make life complete, not everyone is as fortunate as little Ralphie from “A Christmas Story” who, when asked what would cement his holiday happiness, easily, automatically, robotically and lisp-ly spouted, “AgenuineRedRydercarbineaction200shotrangemodelBBgunwithacompassinthestock.”

As marketers approach 2009 wondering what would make our lives happier and jobs easier, we need only to turn to colleagues for ideas and tips on toys – er – tools in business development.  While some come at no cost to the firm and others, a greater investment, all have made a difference in the lives of those who spend their days helping attorneys make rain.

Janet Levine, Director of Marketing & Business Development at Flaster/Greenberg cites the free HARO (“Help a Reporter Out”) service from PR pro Peter Shankman as a valuable service.  With HARO alerts, subscribers receive three daily e-mail reports of dozens of queries on a variety of topics from journalists across the country.  “Certain queries are ones our attorneys may want to respond to, others their clients may be interested in,” says Levine, who always receives positive feedback on the e-mails, even if the tip is never acted upon.  “Both attorneys and clients appreciate the simple act of having shared the information and the opportunity.”

Levine also uses Google Alerts and RSS feeds to gather information on clients, attorneys, and “especially hot or current topics, say, if we are preparing for a seminar.  This way, we can include up-to-date information relative to the presentation.”

Staying on top of current issues is also important to Caren Schiffman, Business Development Manager for Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. While she regularly visits a number of websites for free articles, like legalmarketing.org or law.com, she sees subscriptions – to newspapers, business journals and professional/bar association publications – as an important and valuable investment.

“Nothing keeps you more in tune to what is hot and happening,” says Schiffman.  “Industry trends, client information, things I pass on to attorneys…just recently there was an article on a company I knew a certain attorney was pitching for work.  I sent it to him, and he sent it on to his contact with a personal note.  It was a great way to establish a connection and for me to have that interaction with the attorney.”

Interaction, indeed, is a valuable one, both in a general sense and in CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software used by firms (LexisNexis’ InterAction being one option).

“Every single day we use our database in some way shape or form,” reports Business Development Manager Donna Kearney of WolfBlock. “We use it to develop lists for mailings, for research purposes to see who knows who, to track relationships – if somebody is meeting with or pitching somebody, we use it to mine who may know that contact or someone else at their company.”

Kearney, who works primarily with WolfBlock’s Labor and Employment Group, one of the firm’s busiest with respect to marketing activities, has seen CRM use go beyond simple research and into a number of other initiatives.  “We’re using it for several large programs with new legislation that’s coming out,” she reports.  “As a result, our seminars are growing so large we actually have to wait list people.”

As valuable a product as it has turned out to be, it is only so because of a commitment from all sides to build it into the tool it is today, getting attorneys, secretaries, and even accounting on board.  And while the investment may be significant in terms of time and personnel (the firm has two data stewards and a data manager on staff), the payoff can be great in the form of new and better honed connections and new clients.

Rhonda Ulrich, Business Development Manager for Duane Morris, also counts CRM among the tools in her arsenal, but also believes that one of core elements of her own success comes from an organized workplan.

“I keep a very simple spreadsheet with anything I’ve invested time in to help partners –a pitch, event, project – any business development activity,” says Ulrich.  “It tells me things like the attorneys involved, prospects involved, leads developed – it really keeps you organized.  I have three tabs:  pending, active and completed projects with fields like ‘name of partner,’ ‘practice group,’ ‘description of project,’ ‘key activities,’ and [for the active projects], the next action I need to take.  For the completed tab, I added a field for date completed, and a description of the overall work.”

This very simple act on Ulrich’s part has turned out to be a powerful, multifaceted tool:  a ‘to do’ list, an attorney activity tracking sheet, an idea-generation resource to identify links or opportunities between attorneys in both past and current projects, and, best of all, an ROI scorecard for Ulrich’s overall contributions to the firm.

Joe Goldshear, Marketing/Business Development Specialist at Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin advocates a number of tools for business development but stresses what he sees as the single important underlying theme of each.  “There are so many ways to do research, all of which are truly important – but when you interview the most successful people in your firm – you’ll find that they really have a relationship with their clients and it’s a personal one.  It goes deeper than business.”

Citing that some relationships are often cemented in an attorney’s early years in practice, Goldshear says the firm has started implementing a learning component into existing training with the firm’s 3-5 year associates.  “It’s nothing very complex or sophisticated,” stresses Goldshear. “Just very short pumps to remind them to continually be thinking along those lines.”

So important is this concept to him that Goldshear has made it a primary goal to ensure that the concept of relationship development and personal interaction remains a constant discourse in the firm – in associate training, in his own interaction with attorneys and in “continued positive reinforcement from senior shareholders to continue that dialogue and keep it on the agenda.”

“What I see happen all too often,” laments Goldshear, “is a great idea like this gets run up the flagpole, gets everyone excited and then falls off due to a lack of time commitment.  So taking these concepts and making them a permanent part of the firm’s dialogue will make all your initiatives client and relationship focused – and open the door for clients to come to you and tell you what their needs are, not the other way around.”

Indeed.  So, whether it’s something that helps you stay in touch with attorneys on media opportunities or current issues, in helping them establish new connections of their own, or in assisting them in developing new initiatives for the firm, like every great holiday tale, the moral of this story is that there will always be great stuff and a host of fun toys to work with, but in the long run, it’s all about relationships.

God bless us, everyone.

Jamie Mulholland loves legal marketing so much that she can’t work for just one firm.  After spending a bunch of years in-house, she began working with several firms in the region whose sizes do not justify the addition of a full time Marketing Director, but whose business development goals require the advocacy and creativity of an experienced marketing professional.  She serves as President of the LMA Metropolitan Philadelphia Chapter in 2009.

Ooh!  Ooh!  Pick Me!  Pick Me!
Maximizing Visibility, Opportunity and ROI at Trade Shows

By Jamie K. Mulholland

When you’re challenged with coordinating your firm’s involvement in a trade show, it can be daunting.  After all, the show is there, and you’ve plenty to do here. The show is months away, and there’s other work here now.

Often what happens is one of two things:  it gets pushed aside until just before the electrical deadline when you slap together some pens and brochures and dig out the display, or, with the best of intentions, you spend some serious cash on a giveaway which draws tons of people and excitement.  People you will never hear from again, except for those who visit your booth next year, asking, ‘Hey, did you bring those combination flashlight-sticky note dispensers again this year?’

The logistics of trade shows can be cumbersome.  However, with careful thought into a few important issues early on, your participation can make the firm shine to the right people, and make you stand out as a master executor.

BEFORE THE SHOW

Pick ONE goal.

Determine the one thing you want.  Why are you attending?  Is anyone a target, or are you there to be visible before existing clients?  Do you want to walk away with a mailing list of 15,000 or 2 hot prospects?  Depending on the show and the practice area(s) you’re trying to market, it may be either.  Determine who you want noticing your presence and plan every aspect of your involvement around that target.

Plan your work, then work your plan

Once I have an event like a trade show to plan, I immediately type up a timeline – backwards.  I start with the date of the show and enter everything I need to do, no matter how insignificant, backing up to day I am typing.  Everything, from move-in, to cutoff dates for such things as furniture orders or warehouse shipping, and travel details goes into this list.  Keep it as a running document, so you can add things as they pop into your mind, and keep completed items in there as strikeout text so you can use it as next year’s timeline, too.

Maximize visibility…

…in the booth

A 10×10 booth is perfectly adequate.  Even better than size is location.  All shows have a floor map you can review beforehand.  Tour the site early on, so you can see things the map won’t tell you, like how certain spaces are lit, ceiling heights, and general traffic patterns.  Also, find out where already-committed exhibitors are placed.  If you’re looking to draw traffic, position yourself near someone who consistently draws a crowd.  Now, think back to your primary goal when designing elements inside the booth.  Are you displaying printed materials, or hosting a putting contest?  Will you need a table and chairs for people to hold meetings?  Tie every element back to your goal.

…in the giveaways

Law firms often purchase one giveaway for everyone.  Here’s another area where analyzing what you’re trying to do (and why) may be more cost-effective and have a greater impact.  Some shows are filled with non-decision makers strolling around because they’ve been excused from work to attend and are on a mission to collect as many clickie pens as possible.  Consider “tiered” handouts:

1. Something for everyone: Candy is inexpensive, you can print the firm logo on the wrapper, and you can buy enough to last the whole show and spend much less than you would on pens or highlighters.  You can also select one substantive piece to bring in bulk, such as a practice area newsletter or firm profile for anyone and everyone to take if they wish.
2. Something for prospects: Assemble a customized supply of firm brochures or department profiles.  Include newsletters, team member biographies and business cards.  This is for anyone with enough interest to actually stop and talk or ask a question.  If they don’t want to schlep it around the trade show, offer to mail it to them.  And, with the money you saved on buying candy, offer them something from the nicer stash you brought- a higher-end pen or a note cube.  Your interaction with this prospect is of a greater quality than any passer-by, and your handouts should reflect it.
3. Something for VIPs: Bring a “premier” selection of even nicer items (tee shirt, golf shirt, etc.) for clients or referral sources attending the show.

…in sponsorships

Nothing guarantees visibility like a good sponsorship.  When you do your booth prospect visit, bring the show’s sales representative to tour the site with you.  They’ll provide feedback on good areas for traffic or visibility and brainstorm on ideal locations or materials for including the firm logo.  Sometimes, out of these meetings, sponsorships are created that don’t exist in the sales packages distributed to other potential sponsors.

…on the show floor

Encourage the attorneys who are planning to attend to use the floor map to plan visits to both present and potential clients.

• Good approach – do a little legwork. Find out exactly who they would ask for when they visit.  “Is Joe Schmoe, your Vice President of HR, here at the booth today?”
• Even better approach – have them make contact beforehand. “[Ring, ring]  Hello, Joe!  Are you attending the expo next week?  I have some ideas with respect to employee training in light of that recent decision…”
• Better still – “…and I’d also like you to meet a client, Jack Flack, of Flack Enterprises.  I think you two can do business with each other.”

DURING THE SHOW

Manning the booth

The booth is the face of your firm.  Assign one to two people to work the booth (any more and prospects are intimidated or outnumbered, or worse, the group spends more time talking to each other than attendees) that can tell the difference between a prospect and a non prospect and answer questions intelligently.   Don’t sit.  If you have to, rent a counter stool so you stay at eye level with visitors.  Don’t eat.  And you’ll be amazed at what an icebreaker a combination smile and a “Good morning/afternoon!” can be.

Plan next year

Remember your checklist?  Bring it with you and add notes as to things you forgot to pack, ideas from other booths, things you wish you’d done differently, and ideal booth/banner locations.  Use the momentum at the show to plan and improve the future.

AFTER THE SHOW

Say thank you

If someone has helped you achieve your goal – the sales rep who sold you the sponsorship or a lighting tech during setup – and you say thank you afterward (something as simple as a thank you note, or as generous as a gift card or sporting event tickets from the firm’s stash) you will not only make their day, but trust me, they will remember you next year.

Follow up

Follow up with absolutely everyone you made personal contact with (even the tire kickers – you never know where your next piece of business will come from).  If it’s someone in your immediate area, arrange a personal meeting.  If you promised to mail something, do it.  If you obtained a mailing list, formulate a plan to use it.  Make the most of the time and money that you invested in the show.

Jamie Mulholland is a freelance writer and law firm marketing consultant based in Sea Isle City, New Jersey.  She has worked in marketing for over fifteen years, six of which were spent as Director of Marketing for an Atlantic City-based firm of six offices and over 65 attorneys, which she left in 2006 to open her consulting practice.

To the group, a class studying Freshman Composition, Mulholland covered such topics as:

• How, when and where writing is used in getting clients.
• The many diverse areas of your professional career touched by writing, and
• The hallmarks of strong writing.

Mulholland stressed that writing  - in every document, every invoice, every e-mail and every communication, not just “hard core” writing (such as for proposals, articles or presentations) - represents ‘who you are’ to employers, clients, and colleagues alike and can go a long way towards those audiences developing a positive perception of you and, in effect, promoting your business as much as you yourself do.

She was Cooper Levenson’s first in-house Director of Marketing, overseeing the day-to-day marketing activites of all of the firm’s practice groups (over 60 attorneys and 7 offices), including the international business development initiatives of the firm’s casino law department. 

Additionally, she was instrumental in the management of internal and external logistical and promotional elements of the firm’s 2003 name change prior to the surprise announcement to staff, clients and public, efforts that were recognized with a law firm branding award in the “Marketing the Law Firm” newsletter.

Her services include working with partners and practice groups to establish and implement strategic marketing plans and programs; creating and coordinating firm identity packages, communications, advertising, websites, press releases and public relations efforts; managing client activities and special events; and working with firms to establish and maintain a working database. 

For more information on her services and to contact Jamie Mulholland, visit www.mulhollandmarketing.com.