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 be successful, "exhibiting" has to mean more than just putting out firm brochures on a table....

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 for the print/online conference program. Because the descriptions are short, people tend to give them short shrift and are then surprised when they don't like what they see in print or on the conference website. Take time to succinctly describe your firm in a compelling manner....

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 be the "minders" and "grinders" of the work others brought in are in the spotlight and under pressure to become business developers....

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 new corporate counsel client, or reinforcing your relationship with an existing one. It’s also a key way to demonstrate that you understand the legal components as well as the business implications of that risk....

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....

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 a relatively low investment, smaller firms can expand their presence and reach desirable clients as effectively as those that have larger wallets. Seizing turf is as simple as taking advantage of the tools the web has to offer, but it does take a willingness to learn the tools and apply them....

By: Sharon Berman
Published: The Daily Journal

At a time when Web 2.0 and social media marketing are on everyone’s lips, a surprisingly large group of professionals are still far behind the times with the web’s first incarnation. They haven’t touched their website in years – or worse, they don’t have one at all. An outdated website is easily spotted because the most recent piece of “news” was posted in 2008 or much earlier....

By: Sharon Berman
Published:The Los Angeles Daily Journal

If you’re like many of your peers, you know someone who already has a profile on LinkedIn, the social networking site geared toward professionals.  You may even have a LinkedIn profile but are wondering how to use LinkedIn as a rainmaking tool.

The purpose of social professional networking sites, such as LinkedIn, is no different than any other kind of professional networking:  It’s to build long lasting relationships....

By: Sharon Berman
Published: The Daily Journal

With only six months left in 2009, is it too late to maximize your business development results for this year? Not if you leverage the remaining months by becoming organized and systematic in your marketing methodology. Not only will it make a difference this year, but your efforts today will put you on track for 2010. Is there really an alternative? Continue your haphazard marketing and you’re likely to miss out on a lot of potential business....

By: Sharon Berman
Published: The Daily Journal

In today’s law firm lexicon, the terms “marketing,” “business development” and, to a certain extent, “sales” are entrenched.  However, an aversion to the use of “lead” and “lead generation” regarding a law firm’s business development still exists because of the perception that such terms are the calling card of a salesperson, or harken back to the days when attorney advertising was prohibited.

Nevertheless, if you’re going to generate new legal business, the first step is to establish a qualified lead – a prospective client who fits within the parameters of the services you provide....