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The Book of Shakti
Your Guide to Success,
Happiness, Abundance,
Tenacity and Inspiration
SMART Marketing
for Solicitors and Law
Firms
How to Attract More of the
Clients You Want
Richard Fallon, The Marketing Engineer

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Contents
2
Introduction 3
SMART Marketing for Law Firms 4
SMART Marketing for Fee Earners 5
1. Client Define 6
2. Client’s Needs and Wants 8
3. Cost 9
4. Competition 10
5. Communication 11
6. Confidence 12
7. Content 13
8. Copywriting 14
9. Convenience 15
10. Channels 16
11. Clear Measures 17
12. Your Creative Campaign Calendar 18
Next Steps 19
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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Introduction
Welcome to SMART Marketing for Solicitors and Law Firms.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to read my e-­
book.
SMART marketing is a process that has been developed to help solicitors
and their practices to reach their turnover and profitability targets.
It is a simple process that can be applied by anybody regardless of their
background or marketing education and it will help grow your practice.
This is an introductory guide which gives you the basics you need to
develop your own SMART marketing plan for your law firm and attract more
of the clients you want.
It is called SMART
marketing because it
starts with a SMART
goal (Specific,
Measureable, Achievable,
Realistic and Timely).
You’ll be asked on the
next page to set two
SMART goals for your
company.
SMART Marketing for Solicitors
Everything in your plan should then be geared towards achieving these
goals by attracting more of the profitable, ideal clients you want. They
could be new clients, repeat business from existing ones or referrals.

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SMART Marketing for Law Firms
2. Have your fee earners produce their
own SMART marketing strategy and plan
taking a lead from the firm’s strategy. Your
fee earners should have their own turnover
and profit targets and a plan to achieve them.
Your first step is to determine what you want your firm’s turnover and profit
to be in 12 months time. This can be an increase of 10%, 20%, 30% or
even 40% on top of your current turnover or if you are relatively new the
amount you realistically determine.
Legal firms invest about 3.4% of their targeted fee earner income on their
marketing (Law Practice Advisor). Some law firms invest less as they get
business through networking and you should count fee earner time spent on
this (and other marketing activities) as part of your investment. Remember
to include the salaries of your marketing people in this total as well.
This figure gives you a good idea of what you should invest in your
marketing to achieve the results you want.
SMART Marketing for Solicitors
If you are the principal or a senior partner in a law firm with fee earners
then this is the section for you. The best approach is to:
1. Produce a SMART marketing strategy and plan for your firm. This is
usually developed with and implemented by your marketing team and/or an
external marketing agency. This looks at everything from defining your ideal
clients and what they need through crafting your core values and key
messages to creating your off-­line and on-­line marketing.

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SMART Marketing for Fee Earners
Once you have gone through this entire process for your law firm, your fee
earners might then want to create their own marketing plan. They should
take the lead from the overall marketing strategy plan for your practice.
They then follow the same process outlined here but focus on their ideal
clients and what this smaller group need and want. Their ideal clients
would be a sub-­set of your firm’s target market.
WhyDoFeeEarnersNeedto
MarketThemselves?
People and companies buy from
people they know, like and trust.
They need to know, like and trust the
person who is doing the work for them.
Your fee earners know best how they
can help clients and can produce great
content (i.e. articles offering advice).
Your fee earners should start by setting how much business they want
to win from their marketing activities over the next 12 months. They
obviously get business from the work your marketing team and others bring
in. Many of the things they do as part of their plan will give your marketing
team more of the ammunition they need to win the clients you want.
So it is not the amount of work they do. However, it is useful if they have an
idea of how much they would like to attract through their networking, e-­
newsletters, articles etc. before working through this process.
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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1. Client- Define
This is the most important step in the
process. You need to decide what your
ideal client looks like and then focus your
marketing on them. The more your
marketing is tailored to a tightly
defined ideal client, the more
successful it will be. Remember:
1. There is no such thing as a
solicitor or legal practice that has
universal appeal.
2. No law firm wants to have anyone
and everyone as clients.
You need to define your client in 3
ways:
ü Demographic
ü Geographic
ü Psychographic (see next page)
Geographic segmentation is where you
group your clients by location, e.g.
determine where your ideal client lives
and where their business is based.
You must profile both the companies you
want to work with and the key decision
maker (usually the MD) as well as private
individuals.
Demographic
This includes profiling companies
which includes:
Ø Industry (or industries)
Ø Annual turnover
Ø Number of employees
Ø Years in business
You also need to profile the
decision maker (be it a company
director or private individual). This
includes:
Ø Age range
Ø Gender
Ø Income
Ø Education
Ø Occupation and career path
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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Psychographics is
the study of
personality,
values, opinions,
attitudes, interests,
and lifestyles.
This is where you group
your target market by
these factors. This is a
very powerful technique
as it helps uncover what
motivates your target
market to buy from you.
It also gives you better
ways to approach your
target market.
Psychographic Profiling
Questions
Psychographics can be very in-­depth (the
more in-­depth, the better). Here are 5 key
questions to get you started. Regardless
of your target market ask:
1. What are their top 3 frustrations that
our services can help solve?
2. Who are they influenced by? Who do
they already trust?
3. Where do they look for information
on the services we offer?
4. Which marketing channels do they
trust? Which do they distrust?
5. What clubs and associations do they
belong to?
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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2. Client’s Wants
People (and businesses) buy your
service for what it does for them rather
than for its features.
You must translate the features of your
service into advantages and finally into
benefits to your clients.
For example, writing a Will:
Feature-­ A correctly completed Will.
Advantage-­ A Will completed for you by
an experienced professional who
understands all the rules and regulations.
Benefit-­ Your wishes are properly
documented and you have minimised your
inheritance tax liability.
However, the biggest buying motivator is
emotional benefits.
Emotional benefit-­ Being able to sleep
easy in the confidence that your wishes
will be respected and those you love will
be looked after.
Few solicitors focus on benefits and
emotional benefits but these are the
route to marketing success.
This rule applies equally to individuals and
business owners, directors etc.
What People Want
Research indicates that there
are 8 key primary drivers which
we all share. The relevant ones
to solicitors are:
1. Survival, enjoyment of life
2. Freedom from fear, pain,
and danger
3. Care and protection of
loved ones
4. Comfortable living conditions
5. To be seen as winning,
keeping up with the Joneses
The less effective secondary
drivers include:
Ø Economy and profits
Ø Efficiency
Ø Convenience
Ø Dependability and quality
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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3. Cost
It is important that you get your price
right. Your price is the thing which
determines your profit and your
practice’s viability.
You might be surprised by how much we
have increased a firm's profitability
just by applying some key pricing
strategies.
Different strategies apply to different
companies, their positioning in the
market place and, most importantly, their
target market. However, there is a key
pricing strategy that applies universally.
We call it a pricing optimisation
checklist (see opposite).
Every business has a number of factors
which dictate what it can charge.
Generally, it is difficult for a company to
charge more than the lowest of these
factors indicates. However, by raising
that one factor to align with the rest then
prices can be raised easily
Note: Price is important in establishing
prospect confidence. Too low or too
high a price can damage your credibility.
Don’t be a low-­cost provider-­ offer a
better service to your target market.
Pricing Optimisation
Checklist
You should align all of the below
with your price:
ü Quality of the final product (e.g.
a contract.)
ü Results achieved for the client
through using your service
(includes problems avoided)
ü Quality of client care
ü Appearance of your frontline
staff, fee earners and directors
ü Look and quality of your
marketing
ü Speed of response
ü Business address (city centre
vs. out of town)
ü Office layout and appearance
ü Number of staff
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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4. Competition
Your direct competition are those businesses who offer a similar quality
product or service for a similar price to your carefully defined target
market. You may also have indirect competitors who are competing for the
same pot of money as you. The rise of ABS firms and the Big Four (KPMG,
EY, PwC and Deloitte) expanding their legal services has already affected a
number of law firms. Fee earners also need to position themselves against
the growing trend of D.I.Y. law.
Competitive intelligence theory states that you should have five main
competitors. Remember your competitors should be similar to you in terms
of expertise, price and size. For example, a law firm with 4 partners does
not compete with Linklaters. It competes with other similar size
practices in the area who target the same clients.
Identify your 5 main
competitors and look at their:
Ø Marketing strategy
Ø Offerings
Ø Price
Ø Key messages and USP
Ø Core Values
Ø Position in the marketplace
This review will give you an idea of how you can compete effectively
and distinguish yourself from your competitors. You should complete
the rest of your SMART marketing plan with these findings in mind. They
are particularly important for the next step.
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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5. Communication
You should work out the main
messages that you want to
communicate bearing in mind the
findings on your competition.
These messages include your:
Ø Unique Selling Proposition
Ø Your Value Proposition
Ø Your Core Values
Ø Client’s Benefits and emotional
benefits
It can take some time to develop these
messages but it is time well spent.
Your core values are very important
and form the heart of your brand.
I want to briefly touch on the Unique
Selling Proposition (USP). This is
probably the most mis-­understood
term in marketing.
The concept of the USP (see right) was
first outlined by marketing pioneer
Rosser Reeves. While you don’t want
to move the mass millions (point 3),
you do want it to have sufficient appeal
to attract your target market.
Unique Selling
Proposition
As outlined in Reality in Advertising
by Rosser Reeves in 1961:
1.Each advertisement must make a
proposition to the consumer. Not
just words, not just product puffery,
not just show-­window advertising.
Each advertisement must say to
each reader: "Buy this product or
service and you will get this
specific benefit."
2. The proposition must be one
that the competition either
cannot, or does not, offer. It must
be unique—either a uniqueness of
the brand or a claim not otherwise
made in that particular field of
advertising.
3.The proposition must be so strong
that it can move the mass millions,
i.e. attract new clients.SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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6. Confidence
Now, you have worked out your key
messages and benefits, how are you
going to make your prospects believe
that you can achieve the results they
are hoping for? This is the biggest
marketing barrier that solicitors
face.
I could spend a week with 6 different
solicitors and at the end of 6 weeks I
still could not tell you who was the best.
I am not qualified to judge. However, I
would retain the one I had the most
confidence in.
So it is vital that you inspire
confidence in your prospects. They
must have confidence in:
Ø You and your practice
Ø Your marketing messages and
Ø The results you can achieve for
them before they will deal with you.
If someone knows you for long enough
and hears about the results you have
achieved, they will gain confidence in
you naturally. However, you don’t have
the years this natural process takes so
you must accelerate it.
Confidence Creators
There are about 30 confidence
creators which can rapidly help
build confidence. They include:
Appearing to be Everywhere
Your Prospect Looks
The more times someone sees you
(e.g. at a networking event, an
exhibition, a seminar, in a
magazine, in the local press, on
social media etc.), the more
confidence they have in you.
Testimonials
These are vital and work well
provided they are specific.
Case Studies
Case studies about companies,
individuals who are like your target
market. These can go into detail
and help build confidence rapidly.
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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Content includes:
ü Articles
ü Books and e-­books
ü Whitepapers
ü Photos and Videos
ü Presentations
ü CD’s/ MP3s
ü Infographics
Work out a production
timetable so that you are
regularly producing new
content to fuel your
marketing and add it to
your campaign calendar.
7. Content
Content is where you give your target
market useful or interesting information.
You are not marketing or selling to them in the
conventional terms. You are simply educating
them.
Good content increases confidence,
demonstrates credibility and gets your
prospect wanting more. It also highlights
your expertise and knowledge.
This is important as sometimes propsects don’t
appreciate the expertise and knowledge you
have developed or what difference your service
can make to them.
By giving your prospects content, they start
to better appreciate your value.
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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8. Copywriting
Copy is about influencing people. It
is about getting them to take action. It
is selling in print.
John E Kennedy changed the face of
advertising in 1905 when he declared
that “advertising is salesmanship in
print”.
This is very true. Copywriting though is
no longer just for direct mail, brochures
and printed adverts. It is also for e-­mail
and web sites;; video and MP3 scripts;;
elevator pitches and sales
presentations.
It is a large subject which is not well-­
known, even among some copywriters.
I was asked to compile a list of 7 key
copywriting principles. The first is
define your client. I have given you 3
more key principles opposite.
Note for (1): There are only 3 types of
headlines that work. In order of
effectiveness, they are:
1. Self-­interest (e.g. How to …)
2. News (e.g. Announcing …)
3. Curiosity – this usually only works
well when combined with (1) or (2).
Key Copywriting Rules
1. The Headline is the Most
Important Part
Your headline is the most
important part of your copy. In
an e-­mail this is the subject line, for
a video, presentation or web page it
is the title.
2. Long copy outsells short
copy…provided it is of
interest to your prospects
You should write for the potential
buyer rather than the casual reader
which often requires more than one
side of A4.
3. You Must Offer Something
You must offer a product or
service for people to buy-­ but
only one. The more choice you
give people, the lower the response
you will get.
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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Engagement
You must make it easy for
prospects to engage with you
without them feeling pressured.
This could be done through:
ü Connecting on LinkedIn
ü Reading your blog
ü Watching your videos
ü Signing up for your e-­book
or e-­newsletter
ü Talking to you at networking
events
ü Attending your free talks
ü Following you on Twitter
9. Convenience
Convenience is a key factor in today's society.
The easier you make it for your target market
to:
1. Find you
2. Engage with you
3. Contact you directly (to enquire, to meet or
to buy)
The more likely you are to succeed.
You need to be where your target market is
either likely to look for or be open to your
services. This could be off-­line, e.g. prominent
signage, conferences, networking events,
appearing in magazines etc., or on-­line, e.g.
social media, high visibility on Google etc.
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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Choosing Channels
No marketing channel is
inherently good or bad. The
effectiveness of a channel (when
used properly) depends solely on
your target market as profiled
earlier.
For example, we have found that
fax works very well for schools
and traditional industries (such
as manufacturing).
As a general rule:
Ø Offline channels inspire more
confidence than on-­line ones
Ø Traditional approaches work
better for older people.
Ø Direct mail is still effective.
Ø Social media is great for
boosting your profile and
driving traffic.
Ø A web site is about the only
“must have” channel.
Ø The more options people can
use to contact you the better.
10. Channels
Choosing the right marketing channels for
your business is often the biggest
marketing challenge. The majority of
businesses select which marketing
channels they invest their time and money
in by whim, fashion, personal preference or
advice (good or bad).
It is vital that you choose the right
channels for your business. Otherwise,
you are wasting your marketing budget and
time.
The only way to select your marketing
channels is to do some research and
identify those ones that your ideal clients
positively respond to. These are the
channels that they have recently responded
to or bought from either through you or a
competitor.
Once you have identified these channels
then:
1. Find out the expected success rate for
each channel.
2. Find out how to use each channel
properly
3. Commit to using each channel for at
least 6 months.
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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Clear Measures
Ø Turnover
Ø Profit
Ø Number of new clients
Ø Number of meetings with
potential clients
Ø Number of responses to
each marketing piece
Ø Number of letters and e-­
mails sent to prospects
Ø Number of downloads from
your web site and/ or sign
up to your newsletter
Ø Number of clicks onto
campaign specific landing
pages
Ø Number of hits on your web
site
Ø Number of Twitter followers
and connections on
LinkedIn
Ø Number of views of your
YouTube videos
11. Clear Measures
It is vital that you know where your
new business is coming from. It is
also important to know which
marketing channels and promotional
pieces are working and which aren't.
Many law firms can cut their
marketing spend and still win
more of the clients they want
simply by abandoning unsuccessful
channels/ promotional pieces and
putting some of the money and time
saved into the successful ones.
This section is very straightforward,
especially with so many on-­line
channels having measures in place.
For other channels, you should give a
specific response for each piece and
measure that, for example in sales
letters you can give a phone number,
e-­mail address and landing page
which is unique to those letters.
You need to have sub-­measures as
well as key ones. Sub-­measures
help bring about the key ones. You
can find an example breakdown
opposite.
SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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12. Your Creative
Campaign Calendar
This is the part where you get to
unleash your creativity. You and your
graphic designer need to determine
your visual strategy and the look for
each of your marketing channels such
as signage, brochures, web site etc.
You should have an overall on-­going
general marketing campaign and
separate campaigns for specific
promotions such as events, seminars,
new services etc.
Most campaigns consist of a mix of:
• One-­off activites (such as
producing a brochure, web site, the
addition of landing pages, writing a
an e-­book, publishing a book,
producing a YouTube video etc.)
• Regular continuing activities (e.g.
direct mail, newsletters, e-­mail, blog
articles, social media updates,
attending networking events etc.)
You should look to put the key pieces
into place (web site, brochure etc.)
before doing the regular activities.
Managing Your
Campaign
The easiest way to manage your
marketing campaign is to create a
calendar in Excel with days across
the top row and then down the first
column list the regular channels you
are using. Put under each day the
amount you will do that day, e.g.
send 10 marketing letters, spend an
hour on LinkedIn, write a blog
article or newsletter etc.
Remember to include a campaign
for existing clients. These are the
easiest people to win more
business from. You need to send
them legal updates, newsletters,
invites to events…, anything that
will remind them that you exist and
give them some idea of how they
might need to use you again.
This is the last step in the
process.SMART Marketing for Solicitors

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Next Steps The Marketing
Engineer
You can rest assured that we will guide
you and your company through the
complete SMART marketing process and
get the best results for your business.
Contact :
Richard Fallon
The Marketing Engineer
35 St Paul’s Square,
Birmingham
B3 1ZQ
Mobile: 0778 9952251
Office: 0121 294 0994
E: richard@themarketingengineer.co.uk
Web: www.themarketingengineer.co.uk
The first thing to do now is go back
through each step in the process
and spend some time working
through it. The hardest steps are
the first few.
Once you have nailed down your
target market, done your research
and found out what your ideal
clients’ need, want and desire and
decided your position in the
marketplace, it starts to get easier.
I suggest you spend 4-­6 mornings
developing your plan.
Good luck!
P.S. If you would like some
support then drop us a line. In
addition to producing your plan
we can deliver or coordinate its
implementation.
.SMART Marketing for Solicitors