Dear Snap-D: I’m not sure exactly how a marketing plan will help me. I’ve done some in the past and they end up collecting dust. Any suggestions regarding how to make this plan work for me?
A: I’m glad to hear you’ve tried this in the past and recognized the attempts failed. It’s very easy to let plans collect dust. To make that plan shine and work for you, it has to be realistic and obtainable. Forget about setting goals so lofty that you become overwhelmed and accomplish nothing. Ask yourself the upside and downside of your plan, costs and return on investment.
Also ask yourself what you hope and anticipate the initiatives to deliver. Make sure you include a good mix of internet marketing, face-to-face meetings, speaking engagements, publications and networking meetings. Work with someone to keep you accountable and hold your feet to the fire if steps are not taken toward the achievement of your goals.
Happy New Year, and please don’t let that shiny new plan collect dust.
Q: I admit it — every opportunity that comes across my desk or computer screen looks good. Last year, I said “yes” a lot, but didn’t see a large payoff. Thoughts?
A: Please don’t be that “yes” person. I get at least 10 e-mails a week from various clients asking me whether the opportunity they received is worth pursuing. Nine out of 10 times, the answer is no. (Seems like you’re the “yes” person and I’m the “no” person!)
Don’t get me wrong — there are good opportunities out there, but unless it comes to you directly from a client or a good referral source or another contact in your field, these are sales traps that can lead you to a dead end.
If you can bounce the opportunity off someone who is intimately involved in your practice, that is ideal. If not, take some time to think about the opportunity, the cost and results of your participation.
If you come up with a result that is less than satisfying, it’s perfectly OK to say no. Often times my clients feel that if they say no, they will fall behind their competitors or get dinged in some way. It’s simply not the case. Take the time to do your due diligence and be deliberate in your approach.
Q: We are a 50-lawyer firm and debating between getting a strategic plan or simply a marketing plan. Do most firms of our size have strategic plans and if so, do you recommend a strategic plan over a marketing plan?
A: About three-quarters of large firms have strategic plans. And around the 50-lawyer mark, about half of firms your size have strategic plans. It would be harder to find firms with less than 10 attorneys that have them.
The firm size and culture matters. There are different approaches to strategic and marketing planning for different sized firms because the challenges and issues are different.
Whether you’re developing a strategic or marketing plan, the questions are the same. What do we look like today? What are our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats? Where do we want to be in 12 months and in five years?
The plans are visited and coddled throughout the year, making sure everybody stays on message. In my opinion, one doesn’t cancel out the other. Marketing will be incorporated into the strategic plan, and the strategic plan will touch on all aspects of the business of the firm. Don’t attempt this on your own. Hire a professional.