Five by Five Redux - Yvonne DiVita
We're hitting the home stretch here in Week One of the Five by Five. Up next for your consideration are the suggestions of Yvonne DiVita, a business and technology writer, president of Windsor Media Enterprises, LLC, and author of “Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women Online." Yvonne also writes the Lip-Sticking weblog.
Yvonne's responses:
The 5 Worst Mistakes a lawyer can make when marketing to potential female clients:1. Assuming a condescending attitude. We know you went to law school, we accept that you know more about the law than we do---that's why we're there--but don't pat us on the hand with, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything," blather or write your sales copy as if you're God.
2. Passing out flyers that have only men's pictures on them or heavily promote the executives in your firm--who all happen to be male! Or, looking around us for the 'man' in our lives.
3. Going overboard with pink. Guess what: Pink used to be the dominant color for boys. It was considered a watered down red and too ferocious for girls. Girls were dressed in blue. This is pretty much a 'christian' concept, notice that the Virgin Mary is always in blue. Today, women have adopted pink wholeheartedly, but that does not mean you should have a pink flowery background on your website or throughout your offices. Trying too hard to appeal to us using the color pink will backfire every time. We know frivolity when we see it!
4. Immediately calling us by our first name. Not many women openly admit this, but we are selective about getting personal with people. Getting to a first name basis is our choice, not yours. It's Ms. or Mrs. or Miss, and only Jane, Jill, or Sally if we offer that option. Business etiquette dictates a formal introduction. If you rush right into using our first name, we may not show it, but we're bristling inside.
5. Talking over us. Two ways this can happen: on your website or in your sales literature, using too much legalese...find a way to simplify your information without making us feel stupid. (hire a writer, if need be.) If we're visiting you in your office for the first time, don't interrupt before we're finished explaining why we're there. You may instinctively know what we mean after only a sentence or two, but let us finish anyway.
6. Oops...you only asked for 5. Okay...never mind.
Now, the 5 best things a lawyer can do to secure a female's business:
1. Make eye contact. In your literature, put women's faces in prominent places and use women's names---either clients who have given you permission to use their names, or made-up clients that represent smart, savvy women...yet, ones who may be overlooking critical needs you can provide.
2. Offer free consulting. I'm not saying you should "give away the store" but if you want our business, show us how knowledgable you are about what we need (there's that listening thing from #5 above), and that you not only can meet our needs but that you want to partner with us to solve whatever issue it is we came to you with.
3. Follow the lead of banks and offer specific programs aimed at women. Develop workshops for women entrepreneurs, for widows, for women entering into business partnerships, for single Moms, etc.
4. Expand your marketing focus to women in all walks of life. Approach women executives differently than you would approach stay at home Moms...do this by having separate marketing materials that speak to the individual's needs. Notice how financial firms have separate marketing materials for each service they offer, and they portray men and women together and separately.
5. ASK questions...and expect answers. Once in awhile, bring the stay at home Moms together with the business executives and entrepreneurs and listen to what they talk about. Build a community of women networking to solve family and business issues; they will ultimately see you as one of them and bring you more business.
6. Market 'couple' seminars or workshops to women not men. Show women and men together. Real life consists of real people, both male and female.Use the word partner...partnerships exist between couples, married, engaged, or merely cohabitating, and partnerships also exist between you and the clients you serve, making this word a powerful introduction to a long-term relationship.
7. Oops...there I go again...overkill.
Five by Five Redux - Anita Campbell
Our third distinguished participant is Anita Campbell, the founder, president, and chief consultant of Anita Campbell Associates Ltd., a business consulting firm specializing in helping businesses in the technology, retail and varied services sectors grow. Anita is also the co-author of the Small Business Trends weblog, most noted for its "Power Blog Reviews."
Anita's contributions to this week's Five by Five:
When entertaining, choose an entertainment that is not a sporting event, unless you know for sure the woman is a sports fan. One law firm I know invited half a dozen clients to a hands-on crafts class in making metal lanterns at the local museum. Intended to build creativity and encourage easy bonding, it was one of the most memorable client entertainments I have ever experienced. I can't recall a thing about any of the baseball, basketball, or (yawn) football games I've been invited to over the years. But ten years later, I still have the lantern and vivid memories of the experience.Show visible commitment to women's business in general. For example, volunteer to serve on a Powerlink (an organization dedicated to advancing women's business) advisory panel. Speak at local meetings of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners). And, make sure you have a user-friendly bio in your marketing materials detailing this kind of commitment.
Nominate the woman whose business you are trying to get for a business or community award. Ask her to serve on a charitable board with. Do something such as this to demonstrate that you hold her in high professional regard. Women like to be around lawyers who make them feel intelligent and worthy.
In a professional services business, your best bet for getting business from women, or from anyone for that matter, is referrals. Ask other professionals in adjacent but different fields for referrals. Create referral circles, for instance, with an accountant, a financial advisor, a marketing consultant, and a management consultant. Make sure that you seek out women professionals in creating these circles.
This is something you should always do, but be especially sure you do it when you are entertaining a woman. Be respectful with female support staff at all times. Same goes for female wait staff in restaurants. If you want to get business from women, you need to show sensitivity to women's issue. That's tough to do when you're belittling female support staff or berating a female server in a restaurant.
Five by Five Redux - Michele Miller
Up next is Michele Miller, author of the great WonderBranding: Marketing to Women weblog. She is now a partner in the Wizard of Ads, Inc. marketing firm, serving clients across North America. Michele is also the author of "The Natural Advantages of Women" (Wizard Academy Press), the audiobook that has been hailed for its concepts, principles, and new scientific information that explains how the female brain is "hardwired" for personal greatness. To watch a video of Michele, click here.
Michele's five ideas on the topic of the day:
R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
When marketing to a woman, never forget that her greatest strength lies in her individuality. You are not expected to treat a woman as being someone “special;” you are only expected to acknowledge and deal with her as an equal. Always assume that your potential client is smart and saavy. If you address a woman from that perspective, it will shine through your presentation and open many doors that are normally closed tight against the “typical” lawyer.Give her the 4-1-1.
With four times as many connections between the left and right sides of the brain, women process information at very high rates of speed. They are not only masters of multi-tasking, they are expert gatherers of information and thrive on the word “share.” Approach your marketing from the “educational” angle and you will have clients for life – blogs, newsletters, free seminars, etc. are all excellent tools for positioning yourself as the lawyer who “cares and shares.”Make it memorable.
Have something in your marketing toolbox that might not normally be associated with an attorney – something that shows you’ve connected with your potential client. Listening is key – what if you followed up an initial consult with a note or small gift that is related to a topic she discussed? It could be anything from the stock market to knitting. You have to go the extra mile here, but it creates clients for life.How is the world inside your door?
Too often, business people forget that marketing is everything you do each day. Consistency of message is not just restricted to your marketing materials, website, ads, etc., but must extend to your office, and staff. Is your office conveniently located – is the parking lot safe? How is your office decorated – does it have a built-in comfort factor, or is it sterile and uninviting? What kind of magazines do you have in your waiting area…. is there reading material for both genders? How is the phone answered? The personal experience factor of a potential client is one of the biggest factors in your marketing campaign – the better the experience, the better you are at branding!Who rates first?
As Howard Schulz, CEO of Starbucks says, “The customer comes second… employees come first.” He knows that if you focus on the happiness and stability of your employees, it naturally rubs off on to customers and clients. Are your employees given a “psychological contract” to try, succeed, and even sometimes fail if it’s for the betterment of your business? If they have your trust and training, they provide a confidence that often resonates more clearly to potential clients than anything you can do on your own.
Five by Five Redux: Kirsten Osolind
First up in the Five by Five this week is Kirsten Osolind, the CEO and "Kinda Cool Chick" of re:invention, inc. re:invention offers marketing services for women-led businesses. Kirsten writes the re:invention blog, "a fun, flippant BLOG with points of interest about women & small business."
Now, for Kirsten's amazing answers to my first Five by Five questions:
What are the five worst mistakes a lawyer can make when marketing to a potential female client?
1. During your first encounter, suggest your inspiration and role model is Arnie on ”L.A. Law” or Reese Witherspooon in “Legally Blonde.”
2. Don’t bother sharing the possible adverse consequences if her case is lost.
3. Be “time stingy” and only allocate 5 minutes for her initial consultation (time IS afterall, money).
4. Forget to market to her in her world (i.e., don’t attend women’s events or write columns for women’s publications). Avoid all “gals only” networking events and media because they make you squeamish. Eeew!
5. Be openly inflexible about your billing or refuse to return any unused portion of her retainer (i.e., Be like Daffy Duck. “It’s mine! Mine! All mine!”)
Alternatively, what are the five best things a lawyer can do to secure a female's LONG-TERM business?
1. Identify a problem, suggest a solution, and show her examples of how it will work.
2. Promise to work hard for her, even if you can’t promise or guarantee you will win.
3. Make her feel comfortable during her first appointment and reserve plenty of time to discuss the details of her case.
4. Be a good teacher and take the time to educate her about the legal environment of her business. She’ll know you have her best interests at heart.
5. Explain your fee arrangements (no hidden fees) and give her a “freebie” every now and then. Heck yes I said a freebie. A freebie every now and again will keep her coming back for more.
Five by Five Redux
Just over a year ago, I asked five seriously cool women bloggers for their five thoughts on the following question(s):
What are the five worst mistakes a lawyer can make when marketing to a female potential client?Alternatively, what are the five best things a lawyer can do to secure a female's business?
As I head to the Blogher conference, and after reading the posts again, I’m still amazed at how spot-on these women were. Ignore their advice at your peril.
It's all about the grades.
Freakin’ great advice. Don’t major in something that interests you. Don’t challenge yourself. Don’t worry about learning anything important. (Thanks to Buffalo Wings and Vodka for the tip.)
Whew!
1718 posts in two days. I’m beat. I will have some pretty cool news to share with you on Monday, but until then, I’m doing “real work” for the next few days, then heading for Blogher on Friday. In honor of this wonderful event, I’m going to repost my first Five by Five from just over a year ago where five amazing women answered this question: What are the five worst mistakes a lawyer can make when marketing to a female potential client?
See ya next week!
Tip Tips
Lawyers, like waiters and waitresses, are in the service business. For several research-proven ways servers can increase tips, download and read this great booklet (pdf) from Dr. Michael Lynn, a Cornell School of Hotel Administration Professor. It is really a fascinating read, and even if you aren’t going to take any of the ideas and apply them to your practice, make sure you print out the booklet and give it to every waiter and waitress you know. They’ll thank you for it.
A few things I wish I'd known sooner.
Via Lifehacker comes a pointer to Tricks of the Trade, a blog containing “Professional secrets from those in the know.” Some of my favorites that are applicable to other professions (well, at least some of them are):
Police Officer: Here's an easy way to know if people are lying: they touch their faces. Even if they know not to, most people when under pressure and telling a lie will tug on their ears or scratch their noses.
Residential Developer: Here are some ways to make even the smallest condo seem spacious. Remove all interior doors -- no one notices, and hallways and rooms immediately feel bigger and more open. Use custom-built furniture scaled down for the space. Glass and lucite tables 'disappear,' and large framed mirrors magnify space. Lastly, print take-away floor plans on huge sheets of quality paper -- even a 450 square-foot studio suite looks exciting and big on an attractive 11x17 sheet.
Professor: If you have to give a poor grade to a student you know is going to object, put a lesser grade beside it on the paper and then scribble it out (but not so much that the student can't make it out). It will make them think that you originally gave them the lesser grade but then raised it after some thought. 99.9% percent of the time this will prevent them harassing you.
Bellboy: When you let guests into their rooms, ask to use their phone, pretend to dial the front desk, and say, "I'm in room 204 with Mr. and Mrs. X, and I just want to make sure that the problems we've had with the loud guests in room 304 have been resolved. Because otherwise I'm going to move these people to 233. They checked out today? Excellent, thank you." Hang up, smile modestly, and get ready for a large tip.
Adult Music Teacher: Life is too short to spend with uninterested students who rarely practice and never make progress. To "fire" these students, just say, "I know you're very busy and don't have much time for practicing right now. Tell you what: why don't you call me when you feel prepared and we'll schedule a lesson." Nine times out of ten you'll never hear from them again.
Painter: Before resealing a can of paint, blow one deep breath into the can and close it quickly. You'll fill it with carbon dioxide, which will keep the paint from oxidizing prevent it from developing the "skin" that paint gets when it sits a while.
Put your clients on the honor system?
Rick Klau reminds us about:
a donut vendor in NYC who put his customers on the honor system, and in the process doubled his customers per minute (as compared to other, similar donut vendors).
What if you clients were on the honor system? What would they pay you? Next time you send out your bills, leave the total blank. Let your customers determine the worth of your services. What they pay may be more instructive than what they’d say.
Just a quick idea for all you legal software companies.
Every time a telephone call comes in to a law firm, start a timer that shows how much time has elapsed from the time the call came in and from when it was first “seen” by the lawyer to which it was directed. After a certain time period elapses (say 24 hours) the senior partner — or the Client Service Officer — gets notified of all the unreturned calls in the office. The calls are returned by the firm, even if to say, “Sorry we haven’t gotten back to you sooner. We are waiting on XYZ and will touch base with you on a __________.” The lawyers who don’t return calls are required to explain why, and the call-returned ratio is one of the factors used to determine compensation.
Googlevangelism and the Power of Creating the First "Wow!"
Is Microsoft’s new Virtual Earth better than Google Maps? Does it matter? If you’ve used both, think about the first time you used each. I’ll wager your first reaction to Google’s service was an unrestrained “Wow!” If, like me, you tried Virtual Earth this week, I’ll bet your reaction was much more restrained. Not exactly a “been there, done that” reaction, but the “wow” was missing. At least mine was.
In the past 24 hours, I’ve done three map searches. Used Google Maps each time. As I write this, I’m not sure why I didn’t think about Virtual Earth. I think it has something to do with the “Wow” I first got from Google that I didn’t get from Microsoft. That synaptic connection between “wow” and “maps” forged in my brain means MS won’t get much of my mapping business — at least not until Microsoft can trump Google’s “wow” with their own. And Google is so good at what they do, I’d be surprised if anyone can make an order of magnitude improvement in online mapping again.
So what’s left? Microsoft and Google will continue to make incremental improvements in their mapping services. Each incremental improvement will benefit the users of each service, but won’t draw anyone but the most fickle users from one service to the other. If you use Google Maps today, you will probably be using it six months from now. Same goes for Virtual Earth.
So what’s the lesson? Be first with your “wow.” Even if you know someone else is capable of building a better “wow,” if you get there first you’ve won the most significant battle.
Lawyers, if you fear adopting value billing because you think your competitors in town will just copy your business model while undercutting you on price, don’t fear. Be the first. Be different. Deliver your “Wow” first. Even if the other lawyers in town start doing what you are doing (even doing it better), they won’t be remembered as the first. You created the first “wow,” and will continue to profit from it.
… at least until someone blows you out of the water with an order of magnitude improvement. Just ask Mapquest.
Don't be a Binary Thinker
From Management By Baseball:
Binary thinking is where the decisionmaker views things as having two opposite possibilities, and no others. Nuance tends to be winnowed out for the binary thinker. What channel shall I distribute through...direct or indirect? Is Jacques Chirac good or evil? Should I plant soybeans or sorghum? Should I expand our markets or look for a buyer? Shall I consumer 950 calories a day or not bother to diet at all?
Binary thinkers are mentally and usually physically uncomfortable in the grey areas (and almost all the best possible decisions are grey areas).
As lawyers, we often think we are masters of the “grey areas,” but I don’t think we are. We spend much of our time advising our clients to stay out of those grey areas and are often afraid to inhabit them ourselves.
Here’s a quick exercise: Take a three pieces of paper, and label one each BLACK, WHITE, and GREY. Take a problem you are facing and write it on the top of each page. On the WHITE page, write all of the “safe” solutions to your problem. On the BLACK page, write all of the dangerous solutions — the ones that would never work and that you’d be absolutely crazy (or criminal) to try. Finally, on the GREY page write some solutions that fall somewhere in between. Try to get at least 7 solutions on each page. Once you are done, spend a bit of time (and if it’s a client problem, go ahead and bill them for it) concentrating on the grey area. You will likely find your best solution there.
Teach Creativity Everywhere
Michelle Golden hits the nail on the head:
Partners continue to complain that associates (managers, supervisors, seniors, etc) don't know how to develop business and don't know how to even spot additional service opportunities whilst serving clients. Senior partners frequently complain about the same problem with some of their younger partners.
They even know it is largely their own fault. But they don't know exactly why or how to fix it.
These partners haven't realized that their firms have so strongly squelched the characteristics of creativity and problem-solving, not to mention listening, IN the office that their people don't know how to do an about-face to suddenly exhibit these characteristics OUTSIDE the office?
One cannot successfully breed a problem-solving mentality in people without allowing them to practice constantly. Instead, firms are training an assembly-line mentality. And instead of role-modeling open-minded, creative behavior, they are employing a 'do as we say, not as we do' approach to client relationship management, sales, mentoring, and firm management. So, why is there so much surprise at the present result?
Partners, you cannot have it both ways.
In her post, Michelle adds a link to DumbassReviewNotes, a site from CPA Robin Jerauld that contains some great (and funny) bits showing that accountants’ prevailing business model is just as broken as attorneys’.
Do a Life Dinner
Brad Feld shares his tips for improving work/life balance. The one tip I’m putting into practice right away:
Life Dinner: We have a standing date on the first day of every month that we call life dinner. Occasionally we’ll invite friends; often we have dinner alone. We have a ritual where we give each other a gift ranging in value from nominal / silly (a fart machine) to expensive / romantic (jewelry). We spend the evening talking about the previous month and about the month to come, grounding ourselves in our current reality.
This would be a good practice for a small business as well. Have a “Business Dinner” each month for the folks in the office and their spouses. Invite a few key clients too. Spend the dinner talking about the past, the future, and ways to make your business better.
Flat Fee Pricing for Decorators
An interior decorator describes the benefits of flat-fee pricing in this Inc.com article:
“To be honest, I did it for my own convenience. The paperwork you have to do when you’re working on commission is miserable. You have to hire people to handle the billing, the collections, the problems with customers wanting to do exchanges or turning things back in. You have to keep track of all the bills. Do I leave a few dollars on the table? Probably. But it doesn’t matter because I can take more jobs, and I’m just working on the parts of the business I love.”
Read the entire article for her client’s perspective as well.
Buy more advice.
I don’t often link to Seth Godin. Oh, I’m like the rest of the blogosphere and think he’s brilliant and all, but I figure that if you read my blog, you are probably also reading his. However, something he said in a post today struck me, and I wanted to throw it in a post to make sure I could find it again. It’s this:
I think most organizations don't buy nearly enough advice. They go 97% of the way, do 97% of the work, make all the investments... but then they get too tired and too stuck to actually do the high leverage stuff that works. So yes, buy advice. Buy a lot of it. But most important, understand why the advice is good advice, really understand the dynamic behind it--then you won't have any trouble selling the idea, because it's not the advice giver that matters... it's the advice.
Hire more female lawyers
From Autoblog comes a pointer to this article in the U.K.’s News.Telegraph about ways automobile manufacturers and dealers are making their showrooms more “female friendly.” The obvious solution? Employ more women:
"We are now actively trying to recruit more female staff," said [Honda]spokesman Paul Ormond. "It is important to treat women with the respect they deserve and not to make stupid remarks, patronise them or talk down to them. . . . Mr Ormond said female sales staff tended to be seen as more honest, more inclined to be realistic and less flamboyant than male counterparts.
According to the article, Ford has a women’s product panel that “mystery shops” for cars in the company’s showrooms.
"When we first started, our initial findings were disastrous," said Angela Savage, the chairman of the panel. "But things have moved on. In the early 1990s, I don't think anyone realised quite how much influence females had in the purchase of the family car, or the spending power that the independent women had. Car dealerships are much better nowadays."
Are lawyers’ offices?
Grace at Two and a Half
Whenever I run into someone who reads my blog, their first comment is almost always, “You’ve got to post more pictures of your daughter.” Well, here you go. The first is from a few weeks ago in Santa Barbara. The second is at Legoland on the Fourth of July.
MINI Musical Marketing Magic
Cheskin’s Terri Ducay just bought a MINI:
I knew this car was different the minute I entered the showroom. The environment was hip, stylish and informative. What was emphasized was not so much the car, but me and how I'd experience driving the car. For example, there was a "Test Drive Accessory" display that offered a variety of music CD’s to play during the drive. The music ranged from Soul, Blues, Rock, etc. How brilliant I thought, music is critical to my experience while driving but I don't carry my CDs with me when looking for a car. I picked The Rolling Stones ‘Hot Stuff’ and was on my way.
Though a MINI is not on my shopping list (can’t get the golf clubs in the back, don’t ya know) I absolutely LOVE the music idea. Why not keep a selection of CD’s in your waiting room and if your clients must wait, let them listen to their choice of music.