We had a great time last week at the Heckerling Institute in Orlando. But now we are all back in the frigid Midwest, and the weather contrast is ... well ... thought-provoking. Being "back home," for me means being back on the farm, working with the horses, wearing a Carhartt jacket, a bomber hat, paddock boots and mittens. It's a far cry from sunny Florida!
And yet, I can't help but think back to our law firm marketing discussions on Tuesday morning with the AAA-CPA members. We talked about how to influence more of the people who visit your website to actually call your office and eventually become new clients. It's called "website conversion," and it's really the bottom-line of marketing -- it's where the rubber meets the road and dollars either flow into your practice ... or not.
Working with the horses, I realize that everything I needed to know about marketing, I learned from my horses.
- First rule of horsemanship -- there is no such thing as a "free" horse.
Amen, sista!
A horse does not know how much you paid for him -- whether $75,000 or $750 -- he still eats, he still needs tack that fits him, he still needs his feet trimmed and new shoes every six weeks, he still needs vaccinations, de worming, and a safe place to live.
Without these things, the horse (even the cheap horse) will break down, fail to perform, and eventually die.
No matter what you paid for your website design and optimization -- whether $10,000 or $100 -- you still must pay for the maintenance and upkeep. If you don't keep up with the ongoing maintenance, your website will break down, fail to perform, and eventually die -- or worse yet, become an embarrassment!
- Second rule of horsemanship -- "Cheap" horses are even more expensive than free ones!
Horse traders have a reputation borne of more than a little truth. There are 1,000 ways to cover up a horse's faults, and more than a 1,000 possible ways for a horse to fail. From fundamental lameness to bad attitude, to lazy, clumsy or bucking bronco. And, whether you are looking for a kid-safe horse for your daughter, or an A-circuit hunter, if the horse is fit and suitable for the job-at-hand, his owner knows it. And the horse will be priced accordingly.
The difference between an $800 horse and an $8,000 horse may likely be your medical bills from the E.R., his medical bills at the nearest Equine Hospital, and/or your lost career winnings.
Most of the time, you get what you pay for. If someone is offering to design your law firm website for $500, host it for a nickel, and charge you $1.25 per month for updates -- run, don't walk, away! This website is going to cost you plenty -- in lost revenue and damaged professional image.
- Success in horsemanship is about consistently doing the right things right .
Horses love routine and consistency. They like to know what is expected of them, and if the rules are clear, they are usually more than happy to oblige. They tend to misbehave and get into trouble when:
- The rules change, especially if they change frequently.
- Their routine changes, especially if it changes abruptly.
- Their handlers are not strong leaders, especially if they lack confidence and are unclear in their requests.
- Their handlers lack even basic understanding of their needs, hold unrealistic expectations, and ask far too much of them far too quickly.
These are all danger points for your law firm as well. Your practice can get into trouble when:
- The rules change -- Congress keeps changing the tax laws. The new two-year Band-Aid is nothing if not a challenge!
- The routine changes -- Is your marketing bouncing around like a ball in a pinball machine? Are you marketing by knee-jerk reaction -- trying one strategy for a short time, then switching to another to see if it will "work"? This approach will ruin a good marketing plan as quickly as it will ruin a good horse!
- Are you a good leader? Do your staff members, your referral sources, and your prospective clients turn to you for clear, strong leadership? Or do you convey a lack of confidence, a fear of the unknown? If you find yourself complaining, whining, or worrying too much, you may have lost your "Alpha position." In which case, your practice may run away from you like a loose horse.
- Do you know what you can reasonably expect from your practice -- given your resources, your market, your stage of practice development, and your marketing commitment? If you are consistently disappointed with your practice performance, it might be because you have unrealistic expectations. You may need to invest more resources -- whether in terms of time, expertise or money -- in order to help your practice perform to its top potential.
- Perfect practice makes perfect.
Whether you are jumping a complex course or completing a dressage pattern in a ring, it is true that perfect practice makes perfect. Lousy practice only teaches your horse bad habits. This is why most serious riders hire trainers -- so an objective third-party can critique the practice, and help perfect it. A rider whose circles are consistently lop-sided while schooling, will only achieve lop-sided circles while showing. It is only if the practice circles are perfectly round that the show circles can be round as well!
Whatever you are doing to market your practice, if it's not working ... doing more of it will not transform it into success! If you are serious about growing your practice, you should hire a coach / trainer and follow their professional advice. Horses take critique much better than attorneys. Horses do not usually get their ego bruised when someone asks them to bend a little more to the left. So, they actually learn much faster than most attorneys. Set your ego aside, learn to respond to honest critique, it's in your own best interest. Your wallet will thank you!
Join us March 23-25 in Kansas City for our Spring Practice Deveopment Workshop: Relationships, Referrals and Revenue. Get some coaching and some "perfect practice" to help grow your practice in 2011!