By: Sharon Berman, Published: Rain Today Does the term “multilevel marketing” conjure up images of people signing up their friends and relatives to sell cosmetics, jewelry, vitamins and household gear, with all the money flowing toward the top of a pyramid? If so, you will probably cringe if I suggest you become a multilevel marketer. Continue Reading...

By: Sharon Berman, Published: The Recorder As time and money are never plentiful, getting a good return on your marketing investment is always a challenge, regardless of economic conditions. Given today’s plethora of ways to market, including vehicles that didn’t exist several years ago, it’s even trickier to allocate your marketing dollars wisely. One thing Continue Reading...

By: Sharon Berman, Published: The Bottom Line – Publication of the State Bar of California Law Practice Management & Technology Section It is a basic tenet of professional services marketing: the first step toward generating new business is establishing a qualified lead−a prospective client who fits within the parameters of the services you provide. While Continue Reading...

By: Sharon Berman, Published: Rain Today When people require the professional services of an accountant, attorney or other type of professional services provider, they are really looking for a knowledgeable, approachable individual they can talk to, not just a firm. Even if your website articulately communicates your expertise and experience, you remain just another faceless Continue Reading...

By: Sharon Berman, Published: Rain Today Demonstrating expertise and industry knowledge by speaking at conferences and trade shows has long been an effective marketing tactic for professionals. Now, savvy professional services firms are recognizing that exhibiting at these events—with or without a speaking engagement—can be a worthwhile marketing tactic in and of itself. However, to Continue Reading...

By: Sharon Berman, Published: Rain Today You’ve done your research, you’ve provided your credit card number, and now you’re committed to your first experience exhibiting at a conference or trade show. What’s next? One of the first things you’ll need is camera-ready artwork of your logo and a brief description of what your firm does Continue Reading...

By: Sharon Berman, Published: Rain Today In the past, the most pervasive and perplexing challenge in professional service marketing was motivating young associates to become rainmakers. As times got tougher, that challenge expanded to include the principals and partners who never had to market before. Suddenly, the large cadre of seasoned professionals who used to Continue Reading...

By: Sharon Berman, Published: The Daily Journal A common thread running through surveys of corporate counsel is that managing legal risk is high on their list of concerns. Effectively communicating your understanding of risk’s components and demonstrating how you can help corporate counsel manage that risk is essential in attracting the attention of a potential Continue Reading...

By: Sharon Berman, Published: Rain Today Is my marketing working? That is one of the fundamental questions professional services marketers ask themselves—and is asked even more often by their management. The only way to know is to measure your marketing results, and that has proven notoriously difficult in the field of professional services. One reason Continue Reading...

By: Sharon Berman, Published: Rain Today Until recently, professional services firms of different sizes marketed on an uneven playing field. Larger firms held the high ground and had the advantage. Fortunately, the web has lowered the barriers to entry so that smaller firms can now promote their services as successfully as large brand-name firms. For Continue Reading...