Looking at most of the marketing done by law firms large and small makes me wonder if someone simply didn’t get the memo about the interaction between marketing and the actual practice of law.

Take a look at the websites many lawyers are launching and you’ll see the same story told over and over again: the bland and positive are highlighted, the true personality of the firm is eradicated.  Go visit the office, however, and you’re in a different world.

Knick-knacks on the credenza, funny ties, and pictures of vacations to fun places abound.  Somehow, this doesn’t square up with client expectations.

That’s a problem, for you as well as for your clients. [Read more...]

Remember when being a consumer bankruptcy lawyer was easy? Not too much competition, more clients, and better fees?

Those days are over.

When the recession hit, everyone got into the bankruptcy field. Not only newly-minted attorneys but also those who practiced in other areas that were suffering from the economic meltdown.

And for awhile, it was alright. There were enough filings to go around, and not enough lawyers to take on the work.

Then filings started circling the drain. In fact, we’re on track to see at least 25% fewer filings in 2012 than there were in 2011. Even places like Florida, Arizona and California – places where filings remained high even as the rest of the nation declined in 2011 – are feeling the pinch.

There’s good news, though. Most bankruptcy lawyers still haven’t gotten their arms around this whole marketing thing. So here are 5 ideas you can use (plus an extra one at the end). [Read more...]

How many times does a kid get into trouble because of what his friend does, only to be asked this question?  

When I was young, I heard it regularly.  Maybe you did too, or you’ve said it to your little ones.  Funny how we don’t take out own advice.

Over the past few years I made it a habit to follow every lawyer and law firm I could find on Twitter.  There was so much I could learn from others, I reasoned.  Clearly they’d be sharing nuggets of wisdom that I could catch. [Read more...]

Forbes, in an article on April 1, 2012, noted that BlackBerry is struggling to stay afloat.  Five years ago it was the king of the smartphone; now people are hoping someone steps up to buy the ailing device maker.

Five years ago people were comparing it to the Palm Treo, another device long gone.

Five years isn’t that long, is it?

Five years ago, my colleagues were dealing with the aftermath of the change in the consumer bankruptcy laws. From the end of 2005 until 2007, many of the lawyers I knew were folding up shop; others relying on lines of credit until clients came knocking at the door again.

We were waiting. [Read more...]

Is there ever a time when it’s too soon to start marketing your practice?

When I first went out on my own, I thought it was a good idea to hit the ground running with my marketing.

But I soon realized that I was wrong.

In short order, my marketing began to attract potential clients.  People with real problems who needed real solutions.  And though I’d been dedicated denizen of the bar association’s law library for six full months prior to open my office, I was over my head.

In technical terms, I was screwed. [Read more...]