Atticus Rainmaker® Marketing Assets and Habits Scoresheet

The top twenty refers to referral sources who send you the best files and most frequently. A focus on this twenty will yield faster results, and is an important list to refer to when planning high-impact marketing activities. To qualify, your list must have at least twenty good referral sources to be a complete asset.

This is software specifically designed to capture personal and professional information about a firm’s clients and referral sources, and is often linked to e-mail, calendars and document generation software. For purposes of Rainmaker®, you must have the software installed, your referrals in the database, and use it daily.

The Marketing Assistant assists the attorney in achieving their marketing goals. Their duties include meeting regularly (usually weekly) with the attorney to plan marketing activities; tracking incoming referrals and planning “thank you” notes and gifts; scheduling lunches and other activities with referral sources; buying tickets and gift certificates to support firm marketing efforts, setting up speaking engagements, preparing PowerPoint presentations, getting articles placed in local newspapers, etc. To qualify as an marketing asset, an individual on your team must designated as a marketing assistant and have time dedicated to the role each week.

These are brief, but powerful introductory statements that educate the listener as to the type of clients the attorney works with; the kind of problems the attorney solves; and the approach the attorney takes to solving those problems. In addition, the listener is told how the attorney is uniquely suited to his or her field. In order to count, the Laser Talk must be used regularly.

Rainmaker® considers Marketing Stories the stealth bomber of marketing. Stories allow the attorney to relay a great deal of information about themselves and their practice ... without bragging. The stories can be long and involved or short and humorous -- as long as they communicate useful information about the attorney and/or their firm For the purposes of Rainmaker®, you will need at least three Marketing Stories in your portfolio to complete this asset.

More and more clients are turning to the Internet for information about professionals that they intend to hire. To claim as an asset, the firm’s website should be brochure level, meaning informative, professional in appearance, consistent with the rest of the firm’s marketing materials and easy to navigate.

Also known as “PR”, this is the process of raising an attorney’s or firm’s profile through print, radio and televised media. Generally, this involves writing articles for placement in targeted publications such as newspapers and trade journals; being quoted in articles generated by other authors, journalists and reporters; and/ or appearing as part of a televised or radio broadcast. To claim this asset an attorney will need to have at least six media placements in a calendar year.

For attorneys that want to build rapport with their referral sources, the Interview process is unmatched. Considered one of the key strategic conversations in a word-of-mouth marketing program, it is the process of asking referral sources questions and for feedback on the level of service they receive from the law firm. In order to count this asset, you must have an interview script and have completed at least 10 interviews.

This refers to a person who holds an attorney accountable for the marketing actions they have agreed to carry out. This person can be another attorney inside or outside the firm, a Practice Advisor trained in marketing techniques, an Atticus Marketing Resource Assistant, or another professional in the community trusted by the attorney.

Regardless of the size of the firm, an annual retreat in which marketing objectives are discussed and established helps a firm to focus on its most important strategies for growing the firm. The retreat is a time to assess the client mix, firm image, new opportunities for business and who will carry out each of the responsibilities.

For enhanced effectiveness when marketing, it is smart to create a structure of short - term goals that serve as stepping stones to larger annual goals. To claim as an asset, one must have specific marketing goals for each month which breaks down the often-overwhelming task of developing new clients into smaller, more achievable steps.

To claim this asset, the firm must have an annual event to gather referral sources and friends of the firm together. Often themed around holidays, this group event can also serve to announce a new office, introduce a new partner, celebrate a win, or support a charity.

In order to screen new clients and their legal needs prior to converting them to paying clients it is important to evaluate prospective client- based criteria such as: their ability to pay, their personality, the referral source who sent them, the type of work they bring and other factors which shift according to practice area. Using a Client Intake Matrix serves the purpose of screening out “C” and “D” clients.

To use a Referral Map an attorney identifies the different categories of referral sources who exist in the community and who intersect with the attorney’s potential clients. Identifying the different types of professionals who can influence a potential client to use legal services is an important first step in targeting new sources of business.

Many law firms fail to stay in touch with clients once they handle their primary issues and miss the opportunity to serve their client’s legal needs in the future. An aftercare program can be a service or product, fee based or free, that is provided after the primary service has been completed and adds value to the clients life.

TOMA stands for “Top Of Mind Awareness”. If a client or referral source has a potential referral, they will often send it to the attorney or firm they most remember, or the one which is on the top of their mind. Quarterly newsletters, articles, and e-mail are among the many tools used for having a law firm be “Top of Mind” with clients. To claim as an asset, one must have a regular, at least quarterly, communication channel to their client.

This is an automated or manual process by which new clients are asked who referred them to the law office. This information is then tracked so that the referral source is thanked appropriately for their actions. The tracking system can also track the percentage of clients who come in for an initial consultation, and the percentage that convert to become paying clients after the consultation.

An office space that is designed to meet the needs of clients will convey a sense of professionalism and competence, but will also be friendly and welcoming in its appearance. It is important that the reception area and meeting spaces be clean, uncluttered and able to accommodate the number of meetings the firm has on a regular basis. To claim this asset attorneys will want to create a “From the Clients Eyes” checklist.

Your image is made up of several components: your personal grooming, your wardrobe, and the manner in which you speak and interact with others – and it will be different for everyone. Attention to your grooming and wardrobe is important – but the way you communicate with other people is often the deciding factor in how you will be perceived. It is important to be well groomed, but comfortable with yourself, authentic in your presentation and at the same time, put your best foot forward.

Blocking out time for marketing actions such as breakfast, lunches, dinners or events (golfing, tennis, parties, etc.) is vital to ensuring that your plan is implemented. To claim this asset, the Marketing Time Template, which is a picture of your weekly calendar, where the attorneys have blocked out periods of time for marketing activities, must be place.

Acknowledging referral sources for their efforts is an important part of the rainmaking process. A “Thank You” System would include having an inventory of cards and/or gifts at your disposal to send out to referral sources.

In order for a contact to be considered substantial it must be long enough (20 minutes to 1 hour) to allow you to connect with your referral source and develop further rapport. Generally, lunches, dinners, longer phone calls, and face-to-face meetings fall into this category.

It is important to regularly let clients and referrals know, either at the conclusion of a case, or somewhere in the middle, that your practice thrives on referrals from people like them. At a minimum, asking for one referral per day would constitute a habit.

Reading a marketing book, article, or attending a workshop once per quarter can keep you on top. Staying current with the latest marketing ideas by reading a marketing book once per quarter can help to keep you in action and motivated to promote your firm.

Thanking your referral sources every time they send a referral will reinforce your referral base. Even if you don’t end up working with the referred client, thanking your referral sources is vital to maintaining your referral relationship. Depending on the situation, this can be done through cards, letters, phone calls, gifts, lunches, dinners, gift certificates or site visits.

Adding new names to your contact management list will give you a great base to grow your practice. Add at least five new contacts each month to your list and you can claim this habit.