To get new clients, many lawyers still turn to media like the Yellow Pages, TV, radio and newspapers. Eventually, most discover these options are expensive, ineffective and frustrating. Some lawyers are experimenting with Google AdWords for better leads, finding it can be a cost-effective way to generate inquiries from quality prospects in a short time. And its return on investment can be significantly higher than traditional advertising avenues. Here’s how to create a smart Google AdWords campaign. ... READ THE REST

The marketing director of a New York law firm told me about a meeting with the general counsel of a Fortune 50 company. His department had produced an advance briefing document for the lawyers, with details about the company and the people who would be involved. The marketing director participated in the interview and told me of his embarrassment when the first question asked by one of the partners was, “So, what were your revenues last year?”

If you're using one of the Ribbon versions of Microsoft Outlook, you've probably overlooked one feature right on the Home tab: Quick Steps. Quick Steps are like macros — they string together several actions and make them all accessible with one click. The pre-installed Quick Steps only hint at the feature's time-saving potential. Here are five ways to deploy Quick Steps today to manage your email better. READ THE REST

The joke goes that some lawyers lack both competence and confidence; call them newbies. Some lawyers have competence, but lack confidence. Some lawyers are competent and have the confidence to let others know about it. A fourth group can project confidence on any subject a potential client asks about regardless of their level of expertise — they’re called senior partners. Building a successful practice depends on both competence and confidence.

In "Getting Things Done," productivity guru David Allen says dictation is one way to get what's in your head out, and make it useable. I agree. Dictation can help get more stuff done with less effort. Especially when it's not just “documents” that you dictate. If you can intelligently formulate a request and speak it, you can delegate it — and get it off your to-do list. You can speak much faster than you can write or type. Besides, even if you type fast (with more than four fingers), do you want to be the only person involved in creating all the documents, spreadsheets, reports, letters, stipulations and other documents required to run your practice every day? ... READ THE REST

I did a speaking tour this spring that I called "The Undeniable Tour." It involved a two-week road trip from San Diego to Seattle with five speaking engagements along the way at law schools and bar associations. The tour also provided the opportunity for one-on-one networking. I was able to keep my speaking fee low by obtaining four amazing sponsors to offset the costs. And I kept my expenses low by staying in hostels instead of hotels most nights. Attorney at Work (one of my tour sponsors) asked me to recap my adventure and share some of the lessons I learned. ... READ THE REST

When setting up your office and your office procedures, you need to focus on creating a good experience for your clients. You create that good experience by showing your competence and respect for them, and by making the process as predictable and unsurprising for them as possible. This holds true for all of your clients — including your clients with special needs. Now, when you see the words “special needs,” your mind probably goes directly to people with physical or mental disabilities. That view’s too narrow when you’re thinking about your practice. Clients have special needs if they have a particular characteristic you must address to provide competent legal services, or something you can address to make their experience with you superior to that provided by any other lawyer. ... READ THE REST

Go rob a bank. No, wait, that’s too easy. Plus, you may run into ethical issues with the local bar association. Seriously, folks, getting what we call “earned (free) media” is a little tougher to get. It also takes patience. But with the right kind of article, you can get yourself and your firm the public presence you seek. The key to getting good media coverage is to have a "real story" to tell and share with the press. Let me repeat: You have to have a real story to tell and share. The greater the news value of your story, the better the chances of picking up significant media coverage. The coverage will most likely be newspaper publicity, but it's also possible you can increase coverage of your firm on television, websites, and blogs, and in magazines and social media. So here are five "real story" topics that can get you and your firm's name into the public eye. ... READ THE REST

In the attorney discipline business, privilege waiver is a central issue. When a client files a state bar complaint against his attorney, privilege is waived, subject to nuances. (Of course, isn’t everything in law subject to nuances?) What this amounts to is that you have a right to defend yourself from allegations by a former client. A Brief Statement of Nuances. Waiver is not necessarily wholesale. If a client has made an issue to the third-party regulator of an attorney’s conduct in his representation of the client, then the client has impliedly waived privilege as to issues related to the conduct he has called into question. That does not mean the client has waived privilege as to every communication he's ever had with his lawyer. ... READ THE REST

Once a month the Legal Marketing Association drops by to apply the wizardry of their more experienced members to your questions. Today Tina Emerson and Nathalie Daum take on three questions: Should I advertise? Why CRM software? What about brand names for law firms? ... READ THE REST