Ryan Sullivan | Tips to prevent or (if need be) alleviate a client's anger over a not-so-happy ending.

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about the importance of showing up — how regular contact with people and building relationships keeps you top of mind so potential clients will call you when they need legal services. In that post, I introduced you to my friend Jeremy, who works for a locally owned automotive repair and tire shop. Jeremy goes to all the mixers and networking events and staffs the booth at all the community fairs and business expos. Easy for Him to Say! A reader pointed out that Jeremy is his company’s director of business development, which essentially means he’s a professional hand-shaker and baby-kisser. His whole job is networking, unlike most solo and small firm lawyers who are working 40 to 80 hours a week on their clients’ legal matters. ... READ MORE

"Content marketing" is no doubt the legal marketing buzz-phrase of the year. The Content Marketing Institute defines it as a "technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience." So what does this have to do with you? The Bar Association of San Francisco's Sayre Happich has insights from the Legal Marketing Technology Conference/West.

Mae West once claimed, “I speak two languages, Body and English.” Double entendre aside, she had a point. Fluency in both speaking and understanding body language can take you far — both in your law practice and your life (although maybe not quite as far as it took Mae). In fact, says body language expert Traci Brown, lawyers especially need a refresher on reading body signals because they often get so caught up in the technicality of their words that they tend not to pay attention to what’s across from them. “Attorneys really need to look at the bigger picture,” says Brown ... READ MORE

We always look forward to tips from Legal Marketing Technology Conference/West, the hot-ticket event presented by the Legal Marketing Association's Bay Area Chapter and the Bar Association of San Francisco. For this Friday Five, the BASF's Kerstin Firmin is sharing her notes from the 2013 conference, held this week in San Francisco. (Watch for some terrific content marketing tips from the BASF's Sayre Happich next week, too.) Technical and social skills don’t always go hand-in-hand. But in today’s marketplace, it is crucial to master (or hire) both. According to John Ray, Google's Industry Head - Legal, there are over 375 million legal-related online searches per month in the United States. Ray, who spoke Tuesday at the 2013 Legal Marketing Technology Conference/West, said you can be a brilliant attorney, but if potential clients can’t find you, you are losing out on business. At the same time, opportunities to interact socially are increasing. In addition to optimizing your firm's online presence, though, remember that your online and offline social skills are crucial to building trust. Here are a few tips from the conference. ... READ MORE

The most successful salespeople strongly believe that sales is a numbers game. In other words, you don't have to be an ace or a homerun king to be successful at business development. You just have to keep pitching and swinging in the general direction of the clients. The more at-bats, the more runs (clients) you are likely to earn (win). When putting together the networking portion of your marketing plan, it helps to have a “numbers game” mentality. Let’s say you compile a list of 10 prospective clients or referral sources to meet for coffee or lunch. After that, you contact these people to try to set up something. What’s a good “hit” rate? ... READ MORE

Who are these “enterprising lawyers”? Actually, they are easy to spot. Look for the happier, more engaged lawyers. Deeply invested in the power of the work they do for their clients, they have ample interests beyond the practice of law as well. And they seem to have more energy for getting things done than anyone in the crowd. You probably know an enterprising lawyer — you may even be one! Today we're talking with Andy Greene ... READ MORE

In "Your Law Firm's DMS: Put the Past Behind You," Brian Ruthruff and Dodie Edelstein identified new features lawyers can expect in today's document management systems (DMS). In this follow-up, they have advice for making the successful leap to a new DMS.  Upgrading your existing document management system, or designing an entirely new law firm DMS, does not have to be a huge drain on time and resources. Be aware of common pitfalls and use a systematized approach, and the process can be relatively quick and painless. ... READ MORE

It’s no secret that links help your rankings on search engines. It’s also no secret that likes, follows and +1’s are signs of popularity and working their way into search engine ranking factors as well.

The Internet is many things to many people. For some, it’s an educational resource. For others, it’s a place to socialize or attract customers. Unfortunately, still others view the Internet as their personal battlefield. Blogs, social media communities and online review sites have become platforms for anyone with an axe to grind, or for taking swipes at competitors. It may be hard to imagine yourself or your law practice as the subject of an online hit job. After all, if you provide your clients with the best legal representation possible, what do you have to worry about? A lot, unfortunately. Clients can fire off an impulsive unfavorable review, while a misinformed blog post can mix up names or trial outcomes and saddle you with a permanent and inaccurate online record. Even a photo of a college night out can be the first thing a prospective client sees when searching your firm if you don’t keep close tabs on your online reputation. ... READ MORE