By: Catherine Crosby
My dad has always been motivated to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
A few short years into his law practice he helped his first personal injury client. She was a young girl who was struck by a vehicle while riding her bicycle and suffered from traumatic brain injury as a result.
His job was to get her a settlement that would ensure her quality of life forever, and that’s what he did.
Helping this young client was so gratifying that he decided to focus exclusively on personal injury law from that point on. That was about 30 years ago.
About two years ago, my dad became leader of the PC Party of Newfoundland and Labrador (this is a province on the east coast of Canada).
Although his job has changed, his motivation is the same: to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
He wants to revitalize the PC Party, restore confidence in government, and rebuild the economy so that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have a better quality of life and young people see a future for themselves in the province.
But it’s hard work. While the current government is terribly unpopular, they were voted in as a majority.
Not to mention, my dad became leader after the party incurred a lot of debt. He has to be creative and resourceful in order to get things done.
So you might be surprised that a marketing priority for him is starting a party newsletter. He’s even managed to secure sponsorship for the first issue.
You see, the leadership candidates signed up a lot of new members before the election. A fun-to-read newsletter will help retain those members, keep the grass-roots engaged, and even grow the party membership.
It’s all about creating a community of supporters, followers, and fans that will work together to defeat the current government.
Keep in mind this is not your ordinary newsletter, though.
While most newsletters, political or otherwise, are dry and one-sided, my dad knows how to do newsletters so that people actually want to open and read them. I’m talking about sharing personality, under-the-radar community news, and even recipes – the kind of content people respond to.
He learned how effective newsletters can be after implementing one for his old law firm. He routinely received feedback from people about how much they loved it. Over the years, he’s met people for the first time who say they’ve tried every recipe he ever published.
You can bet that if these people ever needed a personal injury lawyer, or if someone they know needed legal help, they’d be calling or recommending Ches Crosbie first.
But there’s no need to do guesswork.
The newsletter was our top call source from the moment we started tracking the marketing at Ches Crosbie Barristers. You’d be surprised to discover our top three call sources.
Anyway…
If you’re interested in building a community of engaged fans and followers who come to you when they need legal help and refer their family and friends, I highly recommend you start a consistent newsletter.
A monthly printed and mailed newsletter, in conjunction with an e-newsletter, is the gold standard.
However, what’s most important is that you start a newsletter, period. A bi-monthly e-newsletter is better than nothing.
About the Author
Catherine Crosbie is a practice-building specialist. She used to be the in-house marketing director for a small law firm. During those three years, she increased target intake by 94%, enabling her employer to sell the practice. After that, she started offering marketing training, consulting, and implementation services to help lawyers, including newsletters, and other professionals build their dream practices. Call 902-453-1903 or email Hello@CatherineCrosbie.com to schedule a free initial consultation, or visit www.ProvenMarketingForProfessionals.com.
Attorneys – Check it Out!! LET STEVEN HEISLER, “THE INJURY LAWYER”, AND THE LAW OFFICES OF STEVEN H. HEISLER BE YOUR GO TO INJURY ATTORNEYS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. If you have a client who has been in an accident, job injury, or any other type of injury in Maryland, don’t hesitate to call or email Steve personally to discuss. Steve has received referrals from numerous attorneys throughout the United States and will gladly provide references. sheisler@injurylawyermd.com410-625-4878 (HURT)877-228-4878 (HURT)www.theinjurylawyermd.comCell- 443-854-2471
Quick TipBy: Shep Hyken
| Be Different |
| If you compete head-to-head with your competition, you may win or lose. If you compete by being different, you stand out. And, that’s a win.Over the years I’ve talked with many clients who are looking for ways to disrupt a competitor and/or win more business from existing customers. When we dig deep, I’ve found many clients are trying to compare themselves directly with their competitors. They want to make sure they offer at least what their competition is offering. It’s not that they’re trying to keep up. It’s that they are trying to not be outdone by their competition.While I’m not excited about saying, “I want to be as good as them,” I’m willing to accept that this can at least be a starting point. The next step is to improve on whatever the competition is doing. I have written about this in the past. You can benchmark with your competition, but just use that as the starting point. And, more than just being better, can you offer something that the customer can’t get from the competitor. In other words, can you offer something that is different and makes you stand out?Growing up we learned that different can be difficult. Different isn’t good. You’re taught that you want to fit in. But, in business, you want to be different – as long as what makes you different is something the customer wants and appreciates. You want to be known for something.There are some great brands that are best known for one trait – that one trait that makes them different.Volvo is known for safety. They are not known for high-speed performance cars, nor do they choose to compete in that world.Huntington Bank differentiated themselves by extending the hours of operation. The recognized traditional hours were not convenient for the typical banking customer, so they extended their hours, staying open later during the week and being open on Saturdays.Ace Hardware stores are not nearly as big as their big-box competitors. They separated themselves by promoting that they are smaller, which makes it easier for their customers to get in and get out. They also pride themselves on a different brand of customer service they refer to as “helpful service.”Southwest Airlines is known for low fares, not charging for checked bags and no change fees. They are not known for having cushy first-class seats and meal service.Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is a typical sandwich shop that delivers, but what makes them different – and what they advertise – is how fast they deliver. In their words, they are Freaky Fast.So, what makes you different? Is it obvious? Do your customers know about this big difference? Do they care about the difference? Answer those questions and you will be competing on another level – a different level!Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author. For information, contact 314-692-2200 or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken |
That’s it for this week. I’ll have a brand new issue for you this time next week. Also, if you have any questions or comments about the content in this newsletter please email me at sheisler@injurylawyermd.com ~SHH
