Smallfirmville

How many calls or emails do you receive every week from so-called “lawyer marketing gurus” who tell you that your Web site is a masterpiece but isn’t showing up on the first page of Google? How many of your techie friends say, “tsk-tsk” when you inform them you aren’t using Twitter or LinkedIn?

I laugh quietly at the panic-stricken herd of lawyers following each other off the proverbial social media cliff. I don’t have to be on the first page of Google or the fifteenth, for that matter. Don’t get me wrong, I occasionally “tweet” and I write a pretty hefty check to Reach Local each month, but my all-time most effective marketing technique doesn’t involve either. (No, it’s not blogging.)

My most successful marketing technique is to lecture.

I can see the hands going up already. Okay, one at a time now.

“Don’t I have to be famous to lecture?”

You are famous. Yes, you are! You are famous with your clients.

“But my wife and kids don’t even listen to me, so where am I going to find an audience?”

You’d be surprised. I’ve lectured for professional organizations, for networking groups and even at churches. Adult education programs and the local Chamber of Commerce are other options. People love free legal information. All you have to do is ask around.

“But isn’t soliciting business a violation of the newly-adopted Rules of Professional Conduct?”

Nope. A lawyer may speak publicly or write for a publication on legal topics so long as the lawyer does not undertake to give individual advice. 22 NYCRR 1200.50(r)

“I’m not a scholar, though. So what in the world would I lecture about?”

Let me be clear, I’m not talking about continuing legal education. I don’t lecture for lawyers. Whenever I’m scheduled to lecture, I think about actual cases I’ve handled and how my clients could simply have avoided getting into legal trouble in the first place. For example, I recently lectured for young entrepreneurs on contract-basics. I told the story of one of my clients who ended up travelling across the country to go to court because his very own contract lacked a simple forum selection clause. This little anecdote drew oohs and ahs from the audience. I swear it.

Are you a personal injury lawyer? Explain to your audience what to do in case of an automobile accident. Point out that an injured person only has 30 days to file for no-fault benefits and that having a lawyer prepare the paperwork is vital. Do you handle Social Security Disability? Tell your audience not to be discouraged by the initial rejection letter and explain that they may still be entitled to benefits. Are you a criminal defense attorney? Explain why it’s important after an arrest to refuse to speak to the police until after you’ve spoken to your attorney.

“Okay, I did my thing. Now how do I convert lecturing into cash?”T

There are few ways. First, you will be astounded at how many people ask for your business card once you step down from the pulpit. I have now lectured at half a dozen events and have been asked to handle a case on all but one occasion. In fact, I landed (and ultimately settled) a six-figure wrongful death case after my very first lecture.

Even if I walk away without a case, I make sure to add my lectures to my resume and to my Web site so that I am perceived as an authority by potential future clients.

Believe it or not, scoring clients isn’t even on my mind when I speak publicly. When I’m behind the lectern, the greatest prize is the feeling I get after I’ve successfully answered the audience members’ questions. The round of applause I get after my 15 minutes of fame is the icing on the cake. And, if nothing else, there’s always a free meal.