FIND the CLIENT » Sales Skills

How to disable call waiting on your iPhone

Brian Farrell — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:20:32 +0000

Remember these?

If you’re like me, you use your iPhone as your only phone, and that includes work. But how often have you been on a conference call or talking with a client, only to be interrupted by a friend or family member? Both parties hear the call waiting sound, and unfortunately, know if you’re on the other line (or not).

On POTS lines, all you had to do was dial *70 before your call to temporarily disable call waiting. But this only worked when you dialed first.

On the iPhone, it’s even easier:

Go to Settings. This icon is usually on the first page of your iPhone. Tap it.
Tap on “Phone”.
Right below your displayed phone number is a box that says “Calls”. Tap the “Call Waiting” and just slide the function on or off.

Don’t forget to enable call-waiting again after your call. Just follow the same three steps above.

I hope this helps!

Photo credit by LeoSynapse.

Are you wasting space?

Brian Farrell — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:42:52 +0000

Think about the last time a friend, colleague or client gave you a business card. You probably looked at it, turned it over, and filed it away. I’d venture to guess in nearly all cases, the back of the business card was blank. But smart business owners, lawyers and other service professionals are using the backs of their cards to convey key marketing messages.

What to print differs by profession, but here are a few examples:

A criminal lawyer could list the 5 things to do (or not to do) if stopped at a DWI checkpoint
A financial planner could print a “referred by” form for use by existing clients when making referrals
A doctor might print a checklist of flu symptoms
A real estate agent could list all of the local charities they support

Just about everyone reading this piece is wasting space — on the back of their business card! Use your card to make your business and profession more memorable.

Photo credit by vivekchugh.

What’s better than a client referral?

Brian Farrell — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:38:46 +0000

Professional service providers win when their efforts provide immense value, and thrive when their clients refer other like-minded people who have similar needs. So what could be better than a client referral?

A client testimonial!

An Econsultancy article from July 2009 refers to a Nielsen survey showing that 90% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know and 70% trust opinions of unknown users. The client referral pays you once (maybe twice), but the client testimonial earns it keep every time it’s used.

Here is a sample template you could use (where permitted and based on your profession) to solicit better testimonials:

Why did you retain (business name) for your (service provided) needs?
Please list three things you like most about our services. Why do you like them?
What, in your opinion, is the strongest feature of our services? Why?
Is there anything about our services you would like to see changed?
May we use your comments for promotional purposes?

Once you get these back, have them signed and dated for everyone’s benefit. Then use them on your website and in other promotional materials.

The Guiding Principle of Marketing

Brian Farrell — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:48:14 +0000

There is no secret formula for successful inbound (or outbound, if you dare) marketing, but there is one main, guiding principle – stay focused on your core competencies. Of course, expand as you see fit, but never forget the business reason why your clients came to you in the first place. Consider some law firms who will retain anyone, vs. those specializing in one specific area of practice, like bankruptcy. If the bankruptcy attorney started doing personal injury, and then wills and estates, they’d eventually lose clients because their overall service would decline.

So restrain yourself from trying every new marketing idea under the sun. Don’t jump from a website this month to dropping flyers the next. Take your time when considering the various approaches. Stick with one medium, preferably inbound marketing, and only change once it becomes a predictable, reliable source of business.

For those of you just starting out, particularly all the young lawyers, and newly unemployed, ex-large law attorneys, concentrate on one core practice area. For example, it’s far easier to make a name for yourself and build referrals if you’re known for being the “auto accident attorney”. You’ll also build up precious knowledge faster, which ultimately becomes more and more valuable down the road. If you’re having trouble figuring out what your core practice area is, ask yourself these three questions:

What is it I’m really selling?
Don’t define this as legal services, declare it in terms of a solution for your clients. For example, life insurance professionals don’t sell policies, they sell peace of mind. If you can’t figure out what you’re really selling, how are you going to focus and attract those who really want it?
Who are you really selling to?
Demographic targeting aside, the answer you’re looking for are the kinds of problems they have (that you solve). This is what your clients really want, and will pay to get.
Why should they hire me?
Do you have what it takes to solve their problem, and give them what it is they really want? Speak with conviction and authority when meeting with prospects. Don’t tell them what you can do – show proof (where allowed) with testimonials. The easiest way to win trust from your clients is to sell something you personally believe in.

Inbound marketing is a long-term project or investment, so treat it that way. Be patient, stay focused and you’ll get great results.

Photo credit by a_kartha.

What Lawyers Really Want From Consultants

Brian Farrell — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:53:58 +0000

At our recent sales meeting in Orlando, a panel of four attorneys described the various reasons why they chose us over other vendors. Although they all had answers specific to their unique situation, common themes surfaced. Most mentioned listening skills, such as “the consultant really listened to me.” Several acknowledged their consultant as offering custom solutions to specific business objectives. And all suggested that if we acted more like a real person, instead of a sales person, it’s a guaranteed way to build trust. It’s hard to explain what this really means, but if you sound like you’re selling discount used cars, instead of helping solve problems and achieve goals, you’re not acting like a real person.

Keys to Success
Good consultants solve problems. But great consultants understand their clients. They help them think things through vs. diving into their pitch bag and layering the attorney’s desk with brochures. They’re in it for the long haul, and don’t get discouraged or disappointed when clients don’t buy (translation: you just haven’t shown enough value yet!).

Each attorney said the key to breaking through their busy schedule is persistence. If you have a solution or idea they need to hear, schedule a 10 or 15 minute appointment. And be prepared to wait. Just don’t wait too long — this could be perceived as a hard sales pitch. Instead, reschedule. Lastly, don’t just drop off free gifts. If you have something important, which will help their business, they’ll want to hear about it, so make the appointment.

One lawyer on the panel made it very clear what he wanted from his consultant — lunch. Since we all eat lunch, at least a few times per week, who’d say no? Especially if you have something of value to bring to the table, besides picking up the check!

Photo credit by somnyus.

Use Public Speaking to Boost Your Business

Brian Farrell — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:15:04 +0000

Afraid of public speaking? My unscientific research shows the fear of public speaking more common than the fears of spiders, heights, darkness and flying. Learning to speak well is a surefire way to boost your business. But first, you’ll have to promote yourself as an expert in the field. I started out speaking and presenting to small, city- and county-based Bar associations, in front of as few as 4 lawyers. My pay was prestige, and I used these early events as currency for larger, more regional opportunities, such as Beasley Allen’s Legal Strategies, where I presented just before Thanksgiving to more than 1,000 attorneys. In your market, there are countless organizations welcoming new presenters and speakers. Volunteer whenever you can. Most won’t or don’t have a significant budget for professional speakers, and you’ll get valuable experience (not to mention making great business contacts).

Once you get to speak in public, make sure you know your material. During one seminar, the person manning my laptop not only disconnected my slideshow mid-stream, but then skipped over my most important slide! But since only I knew it was missing, I kept going, shaken, but not completely off track. If it wasn’t for my preparation, and for rehearsing over and over again, I would have been sunk.

Here are a few more tips to get better at public speaking. We all know smiling and eye contact are important, but if you want to make the best connection with your audience, show your passion and enthusiasm for the material. Move around purposely on stage, instead of pacing nervously back and forth. And if you make a mistake, only you know it happened, so keep your cool.

There are so many benefits to better public speaking — recognition from your peers and potential clients being a few. Public speaking even helps you conduct better sales and client meetings!

If you want to see me in person, I’ll be speaking later this month on “Inbound Marketing for Lawyers” in Oklahoma City and presenting a brief search engine marketing slideshow at a networking event in San Antonio. Send me an email () or DM on Twitter (@findtheclient) and I’ll be sure to recognize you in public!

Photo credit by neosiam.

Down with the Masses

Brian Farrell — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:42:10 +0000

Most business owners view America as a 309+ million person mass market. But if we’ve learned anything from the recent economic mess we’re in, there are no mass answers. Whether you’re talking about gender, income or even regions, just remember everyone in those groups is an individual. So stop looking for mass solutions with your marketing. Don’t be afraid to focus on small markets, especially since your competitors probably cater to the masses. You could easily corner the market in a small niche and make more sales from fewer clients. For example, look at how this hydroplaning law firm is focused purely on one type of vehicular accident. They OWN this market in Texas.

Follow this Template
Build your database, or “house file,” on every client you have, with fields indicating what makes them unique. Fill out more details by surveying them, asking questions relevant to your business. Obviously, the more information you keep about your clients, the more personalized your marketing. Since most people, clients included, are reluctant to answer surveys, send along a crisp $1 bill. This creates a sense of reciprocity. To make it look less like a bribe, include a note saying they could give the dollar to a child or someone in need. But keep your survey short – four or five questions is plenty.

Getting clients to buy once is nice, but when they buy again and again, your business really takes off. Now that you have a database, stay in regular contact with your clients through a self-published newsletter or via email. Connect with them on LinkedIn and Twitter. Post interesting articles, news, and announcements of relevant events they’d be interested in. Even offline postcard marketing works, and depending on your business, may be the best $0.44 you spend. The key to staying in touch is technology — using the right system can put most of your follow-up marketing on autopilot, with you just needing to create the message. Keeping existing clients is much more lucrative than finding new ones.

Practice Asking Why
When you do lose a client, perform an “exit interview,” like most large employers do, and find out the reasons why they left. Your goal isn’t to win them back, it’s to change the perception future clients will have of your business. You can always send “lost” clients a reactivation letter or series of offerings down the road, even announcing the solution to the problem that caused them to leave. Here’s a trick most consultants won’t know (or won’t tell you): be your own client. Shop where they shop, observing how they, as clients, are treated, looking at what they spend money on, and at what kinds of services seem important.

The more you know about your clients and future prospects (since future prospects will look much like your existing clients), the easier they are to target and market. You’ll find it easier to then expand geographically, rather than demographically (all lawyers in PA vs. lawyers in Philadelphia). Your reputation of serving lawyers is easier to expand than it is to start over with accountants.

Instead of mass marketing, hone your efforts on keeping clients. It’s much easier to sell to someone who’s already bought from you.

What’s the Most Expensive Way to Grow Your Business?

Brian Farrell — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:30:27 +0000

If you think about your business or practice, there are really only a handful of ways to grow – get more leads, sell more services, increase your average client value, add new services, and although not growth oriented, cutting costs. Lead generation is the most expensive of the group, but it doesn’t have to be. Make 2010 the year you refine your message and stop targeting the masses. Do this, and you’ll attract better quality inbound leads. Then, focus on improving lead conversion with a systematic method of contact, presentation, follow-up and service. You’ll likely sell more, even if lead count remains the same!