Disrupting CRM
I spoke with Todd Miller, the CEO of TRĒ, an AI-powered customer relationship management platform. We discussed what lawyers should know about CRM, how TRĒ differs from traditional CRM, and how CRM is evolving.
Effectively Applying Technology to Different Areas of the Business of Law
I spoke with Daniel Steinberg, the Founder and CEO of lawbrokr, a pre-qualification platform that helps lawyers humanize the way clients interact with their law firm. We discussed the importance of workflows and templates in an efficiency-centric law firm, how to overcome resistance to applying technology to different areas of the business of law, and where legal professionals are focusing on technology in 2023.
Success and Succession Planning for Solo Practitioners and Small Law Firms
I spoke with Aaron Street, the co-founder and CEO of Lawyerist.com, one of the largest online communities of small firm lawyers. He is a co-host of the weekly Lawyerist Podcast and is the co-author of The Small Firm Roadmap. We discussed the growth of Lawyerist, the challenges that solo practitioners and small firm lawyers faced from the pandemic, solutions for that community, and Lawyerist’s strategic investment in The Law Practice Exchange.
Reinventing Marketing for Immigration Lawyers
I spoke with Roman Zelichenko, an attorney and the founder of both GMI Rocket, a marketing firm for immigration lawyers, and LaborLess, a cloud-based software platform for H-1B visa compliance. We discussed the genesis of both companies, the value of digitizing traditionally paper-based processes, the unique nature of marketing for immigration lawyers, how the pandemic has impacted the way lawyers market, ways that marketing will change in 2021.
Reinventing Marketing With a Rocket
I spoke with Larry Port, the founder and CEO of Rocketmatter, a cloud-based legal practice management and time and billing software product, about Rocket X1, the company’s new Internet marketing agency and hosting platform.We discussed the company’s mission to combine public relations, website design, search engine optimization, and marketing. Port noted that by building accountability in marketing, leveraging analytics, and structuring a creative message, users will realize unprecedented results.
The Transformation of Professional Communication
I spoke with Mike Maslanka, an employment law partner and head of the Dallas office for Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP. We discussed his new role as the creator of Mike Maslanka @ Your Desk for the Texas Bar, the organization’s new YouTube channel designed to educate lawyers and members of the general public on key legal issues. He noted that the programming reflects a new trend in the way that professionals communicate.
Listen to our interview and watch his episode about The Difference Between “Right to Work” and “At Will” Employment below:
New Press Leads Service Focused on ‘Women’s Interests’ May Impact Your Reinvention
When I was in Australia for the ALPMA conference, a colleague told me about SourceBottle, a popular press leads service based in Australia that has been operating in the region for a few years. I discussed the value of such services in Reinventing Professional Services, and SourceBottle founder Rebecca Derrington explains in this blog post why she has launched the free sourcing tool to support women’s interests in the US and Canada:
In North America, existing PR connection tools cover any industry, from technology to healthcare to financial services and education. But when you consider that 85 percent of consumer purchases in the US are made by women, awareness of the ‘sheconomy’ means more products and services are being developed that cater for female consumers, more marketers are focusing on reaching specific female demographics, and more bloggers and journalists are covering topics related to women’s interests.
That’s why I felt there was a need for a journalist-to-source tool that was exclusively focused on topics around women’s interests, including beauty & fashion, business, home & lifestyle, health, parenting and relationships. And that’s what SourceBottle for North America does. It doesn’t duplicate what already exists. Instead, it’s tailored specifically and only for journalists and bloggers who need sources for their stories on women’s interests, and for PR pros who represent expert sources (male or female) who can provide insight on these topics.
Try it out and let me know what you think. Watch the video below for further insight:
Reinvention Through Storytelling
I read this story on the home page of a Chicago law firm and thought it was a great introduction to the culture of the organization:
In 1944, during World War II, Chicagoan Arthur Goldberg was deployed on a mission to North Africa for the Office of Strategic Services, a predecessor to the CIA. He knew that his old friend, Carl Devoe, was stationed in Cairo also doing intelligence work. Goldberg contacted Devoe, and the two men agreed to meet in Casablanca during Goldberg’s layover there. Soon after they met, there was a blackout in the city. Undeterred, Devoe and Goldberg went to the roof of a nearby building, sat down near the edge of a parapet and stared out into the darkness. They began to talk about their future-if they managed to live through the war. Before the night was over, the two men had agreed to start a law firm.
Storytelling really engages the reader and encourages you to learn more. I had the honor of interviewing famed author, Seth Godin, a few years ago for an article on this topic. Among other points of great advice, he noted:
The best way to be remarkable is to do something worth talking about, not to do something because you are panicked or to show off, but do something unique, insightful, helpful and over-the-top brave. The beauty of the legal profession is everyone is an entrepreneur … All of the successful ones didn’t get there by following instructions. They got there by doing stuff they believed in and doing it in a way that people talked about.
Listen to our 4-minute interview below:
Blogging Best Practices in Professional Services
Back in the late 1990s, I started freelancing soon after I began practicing law. I had the opportunity to co-author a column for the Journal of Commerce with a remarkable lawyer, but as the Internet started becoming more popular, I began pitching ideas related to the convergence of technology and the law. One of the earliest outlets I contacted was a website known as Prairielaw.com (acquired by Lawyers.com) and it was kind to publish this piece.
In 2003, its founder, Kevin O’Keefe, went on to create LexBlog, which has become one of the largest and most successful platforms for blogging and social media in the legal industry, boasting 6,000 lawyer authors. I had the chance to interview Kevin at Avvo‘s recent Avvocating conference in Seattle and we discussed the evolution of how professionals are raising their profiles, techniques for leveraging technology to build a reputation, and proven methods for enhancing relationships. Among many other great points, he noted that “Content is not the most important thing; listening is the most important thing.”
Watch our interview below:
Reinventing Digital Marketing in Australia
I had the chance to participate in the Law Firm Marketing Masters series and on a recent visit to New York City, I met with its creator, Dan Toombs, the founder of Grow Your Firm, an Australian web marketing company that assists professional services firms with enhancing their digital presence. We discussed the state of the Australian market and the benefits of leveraging Vizibility, among other topics. Watch our interview below: