HOW TO MARKET MORE EFFECTIVELY ON YOUR WEBSITE

Jan C. Gabrielson

The purpose of your site

Your site will serve two main purposes. It will make it easy for people to find you, and it will give people who are considering hiring you a way to check you out. In the old days, that research was done by dragging those back-breaking volumes of the Martindale Hubbell directory off the library shelf. The usefulness of those volumes was limited, because potential clients did not own them. Now, a client who is referred to you will almost reflexively search you on Google. The search should lead to your website.

Content

Your prospect, on examining your site, should quickly find the information that will turn that prospect into a client. What information should you include?

- Your contact information (Caution: email addresses might be harvested by spammers)
- Your photo
- Your basic biography - undergraduate education, law school, honors, special skills
- A complete but concise summary of your experience in your field of practice
- Your publications, including the name of the publication and the date
- Associations in which you are active, especially offices you have held

What should you not include?

- Memberships and nothing more, eg ABA, your local bar association. These dilute the effect of the organizations in which you are active and to a sophisticated viewer might look like you are desperate for something to include.
- Political organizations - unless you are targeting others of your party
- Religious organizations - unless you are targeting others of your religion

Some believe that a website should give some value, such as legal information, to the casual visitor. Others think the risks outweigh the benefits. It might be safer to include some reliable links, such as to courts, your legislature, Congress, law schools -- with the usual disclaimers, of course.

If your site includes press releases for your firm, put them in a separate category. Press releases about the firm are inherently self-congratulatory and can lessen the impressiveness of other items in a list, such as publications. In other words, do not post a list entitled "Publications and Press Releases."

Consider whether anything on your site will have to be changed as it goes out of date. Take into account the money and labor it will take to maintain the site. If you put post time-sensitive material on your site, you must keep the site up to date. Do not, for example, post on your site a flyer for a seminar your firm is giving and leave it on the site for weeks after the event is over. If you don't want to have to update your site, include only information that is less likely to change over time.

Don't bog down trying to design the ultimate site. Designers sometimes try too hard. Too much back and forth over a nuance of design wastes time and money and delays getting your site up and running. Web designers, like all other graphics people, might overestimate your need or desire for elaborate graphics. A basic, well-designed site that is not too flamboyant is your goal.

Internal obstacles to updating your firm's site

Once the site is operating, the people in charge in some firms are tired of dealing with it and don't like to revisit features and information that may have to be changed. But when new people are hired, or you are elected president of something important, or publish a new article, that information should go on the site as soon as possible. If going through channels is not getting the job done, ask the name of the person who physically maintains the site. Ask if you may contact that person directly to make the changes you need to your page. If the answer is no or is equivocal, you're a lawyer; it's time to cross-examine. Who in the firm is authorized to contact our web service? Who does that person report to? Or talk to your marketing director if you have one.

MARKETING OUTSIDE THE SKINNER BOX

Jan C. Gabrielson

Remember your Introduction to Psychology class in college? That's where we learned about operant conditioning. B. F. Skinner invented a device that is now known as the Skinner Box. The box is equipped with a bar (not that kind of bar). When the bar is pressed, a piece of food falls down a chute into the box. A rat in a Skinner Box quickly learns that if it presses a bar, food appears in the chute. Each time it presses the bar and food appears, researchers say the behavior of pressing the bar is reinforced. If researchers tweak the mechanism so that the food stops falling when the bar is pressed, the learned behavior is extinguished and the rat stops pressing the bar. What does this mean for marketing?

The things we do to market a law practice may pay off right away, but more often we don't see results for months or even years. If we were rats, the absence of immediate reinforcement would cause us to discontinue our marketing activities if a day or two went by without landing a new client as a direct result of our marketing efforts.

But we aren't rats; we're human. We are able to look ahead and appreciate that the contacts we make now, the relationships we build over time pay off over time. Like rats, we like it better if we make a call, go to a meeting, do a mailing and new clients come in immediately as a result. And we can get discouraged if they don't. But we have to operate on a higher level than rats in a Skinner Box. If two years of building our relationship with a promising prospect finally pays off, that success must reinforce our past and future marketing efforts.

Bottom line: enjoy your successes, keep up your marketing even when you don't see an immediate payoff. Meeting people and earning their trust takes time. Your efforts will pay off eventually.

LAW-FIRM DELEGATION

Larry Kohn

A key to effective delegation is to avoid surprising the client. Make sure clients know in advance what work will be delegated and who will do it. Introduce the delegatees to the client as early as possible in the relationship. Promote the concept of team lawyering before the client hires you. Make sure the right person is assigned to the appropriate tasks. Then, delegate each new matter immediately. Unexpected delegation can frighten a client and ruin a relationship.

RESPOND RATHER THAN REACT

Melissa Udell, Ph.D.

Disagreement and conflict are normal parts of communication. Often when a person says something that we do not like, we tend to react defensively. The immediate retort is rarely thoughtful and is likely an emotion-based reaction that has not cleared the rational filter of our brains. This reaction can lead us to say something we regret. So instead of reacting, respond. Responding allows for thought and reason to help us reply to a provocative remark in a more constructive way. We are more likely to respond when we put some space between what the other person says and what we say in return. Some space could mean taking a deep breath or walking away to formulate and jot down some thoughts. Whatever your style, it will make for more productive communication to respond rather than react.

BAD ADVICE

Larry Kohn

Not all advice is good.

For example, one client was going to go for the close and press his prospect for a "yes or no." But asking that question puts the client on the spot. And if the answer is "no," the door is closed, at least for the time being. I prefer to keep the door open. If the prospect won't close, it's the seller's job to continue communicating superior value until the prospect understands the message.

Another example is the advice to read up on sports, regardless of whether you have any interest in sports. Bad advice. First, you will be found out if you are not really a fan. Second, it also reinforces the stereotype of sales as manipulative.

Listen carefully to the advice you receive, and always exercise your own judgment.

A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

Harriett R. Greenbaum

In December, create a file and be sure to keep holiday cards you receive from potential referral sources or prospective clients. In January, call these contacts to thank them for thinking of you. You now have the opportunity to take the next step in pursuing the relationship. Perhaps it's appropriate to set up a meeting or schedule a lunch to talk about how you can work together in the New Year. Be sure to know what you want this next step to be before placing the call.

January is also an excellent month for doing a marketing self-assessment. Look at the past year. Determine what went well in your marketing. What didn't go well? What are your plans for the coming year? What will you continue doing and most importantly what will you do differently?

You have this marketing window of opportunity that only comes once a year. Take full advantage of it.

REMIND THE CLIENT OF THE VALUE YOU BRING

Jeffrey Miiller

For many, the end of the year brings a time of reflection. Most likely your clients are evaluating their annual expenditures in relation to the services they have received. This cost-benefit analysis affects your client's perception of the value, and helps them decide whether or not to continue using you. Unfortunately, some clients will focus only on the fees and end results while minimizing, or being unaware of, other significant benefits that you bring to the relationship, both tangible and intangible.

Instead of assuming that your client appreciates the value of your service, consider taking a proactive role in managing your client's perception of the value you bring. Review the most recent bills and statements with your client. It is an opportunity to answer questions about the bills and remind the client of the reasons for services rendered. Reviewing all the benefits, including added value services for which they were not charged, will lessen the likelihood that the client will feel overcharged. Depending on the amount of work you do for them and the frequency of your invoices, consider reviewing the bills with the client on a quarterly basis or every six months.

This type of interaction will also help you gauge client satisfaction, address concerns, and plan ahead for the coming year. Enhancing your ability to manage your client's expectations about your bills and reminding them of all the benefits that you bring can improve your client's perception of the value and strengthen loyalty.

Give Durable Gifts

Larry Kohn

For holidays gifts, consider durable gifts rather than the usual basket of consumables. Everybody appreciates big baskets of goodies wrapped in colored cellophone. But once they are eaten, they are soon forgotten. Instead, give something useful and durable, such as a compass or a Swiss Army knife. Years later your client or prospect will think of you every time the gift appears.

Mailed cards or E-cards?

Jan C. Gabrielson

I tend to take a traditional view of traditional activities. Probably for most people snailmail is best. That said, for people who prefer to conduct business electronically, emailing the card might make a good impression. Try emailing to certain ones and ask some later for their reaction. Another possibility is to email and snailmail. It's two contacts so your chances of being noticed and remembered will increase. But some might find it odd that you send two cards. We are in a time of transition as to the etiquette of such things, so I advocate trying new things after careful consideration and then asking people what they thought. Making your card stand out from all the others is an important criterion.

Robert Kohn

I don't know which is better. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. One advantage of an internet card is cost. There is no postage. Another advantage is versatility. I have seen some beautiful cards sent to me electronically. You can do much more on-line than you can with a card. For example, someone sent me a memorable card of snow falling. A disadvantage is that you don't have a physical card. Some people save their cards. I throw mine out so for me this is not meaningful. Another disadvantage is that emails can get ignored. You get so many emails. Then again, cards can get ignored too. I don't know which is better. One possible solution is to do both.

Larry Kohn

Many people collect the actual cards they receive and put them around their offices. So your card adds to their collection, which makes them feel proud. Electronic cards are usually not kept. Actual cards demonstrate much more of a personal investment--especially if you write a quick note. Electronic cards may be blocked so they never arrive. On the other hand, electronic cards can have fun and interesting graphics which make them more memorable. Younger clients may prefer a high-tech greeting. That said, if you have the time and the budget, I still vote for the traditional card.

Jeffrey Miiller

To me, there is something a bit tacky about sending e-cards to important business contacts. I am not a big fan of mailed holiday cards either, unless you take the time to write a personal note in the card.

Harriett R. Greenbaum

I'm not a big fan of emails or electronic holiday cards. I believe they are too easy to ignore or delete.

Consider Some Self-Discovery
Jill Kohn, Ph. D.

Attorneys are great at discovery. For 2007, plan some self-discovery and become better acquainted with your feelings. The importance of understanding one's feeling states is often devalued in the workplace. This is because people often interpret "self-awareness" as permission to inappropriately burden others with unnecessary sharing of feeling states or use articulation of feelings as a tool for manipulating others. The key to effective self-awareness lies in understanding (not necessarily sharing) one's complex feeling experience. Another reason people minimize the usefulness of self-awareness is because feelings are often uncomfortable and people like to avoid being aware of feeling uncomfortable. By avoiding unpleasant feelings, we often fail to address the reasons that cause them. So, we are powerless to create lasting change within ourselves and within our relationships with others.

Becoming more conscious of one's feelings is the doorway to a better work product, happier clients, better relationships with colleagues and greater self-confidence. Understanding what we feel opens the pathway to underlying beliefs and motivations that drive behavior. Through a one, two process we can understand motivations that lie outside our consciousness. We ask ourselves first, "What am I feeling?" Then, second, "What belief is driving me to feel this way?" For example, understanding feelings of impatience may reveal unjustified negative self-assessment, unrealistic expectations of others, responding to imagined pressure or unrealistic feelings of entitlement. This self-examination process empowers us to change behavior previously "out of our control" and leads to a more effective and fulfilling work experience.


Write An Article
Maureen Legg

Articles are important marketing tools. They support your personal brand. But too many would-be authors fail to write because they can't think of a topic. They assume they must be the first to write on a subject or that no one would be interested in what they have to say. The fact is that every matter you touch has the kernels of an interesting article. When you solve a problem for a client, chances are there are others who are interested in that topic. And editors actually are looking for people just like you who are willing to take the time to document your thoughts. So write down the issues you are working on today and see if you can't explain them in writing, so others can benefit from your expertise.


Improve Your Rainmaking Skills
Robert Kohn

The New Year is always a good time to assess the marketing skills you would like to improve. Improving your marketing skills can lead to greater efficiency, effectiveness, and comfort in your marketing effort. Here are three examples of skills you may want to focus on in 2007:

Contact management: A lot of marketing opportunities are lost because of a lack of follow-through. Contact-management skills will help you prioritize your best targets and then develop comfortable strategies and for staying in touch.

Public Speaking: If you are not comfortable with speaking, it may be time to overcome your discomfort by taking classes, joining Toastmasters, and practicing your speaking in non-threatening environments. If you already do a lot of public speaking, perhaps you want to become more inspirational or be more effective in converting your speeches into new business.

Marketing Management: Perhaps you have colleagues who are not living up to their marketing potential. You may want to become more effective in motivating your colleagues to tap into their resources and earn their fair share.

Take a look at the The Elements of Selling on our website to see additional skills you may want to improve in the New Year.


Build Your Future by Contemplating Your Past
Jan C. Gabrielson

One great source of potential clients and referral sources is your college and law-school classmates. Over the years, many have matured into positions of responsibility in business. Even if you didn't stay in touch, you have access to them through activities, newsletters and rosters. Your common experience of having attended the same school makes it easier to approach classmates--even those you don't know. And, it is easy to stay connected. Take a few moments and compile a list of school contacts from memory or from your yearbook. Find out about events and reserve the dates in your calendar. You may even decide to participate in fundraising activities, which will give you a reason to contact old friends who could become new business allies.


Survey Your Clients
Jeff Miiller

A great New Year's resolution is to survey your clients to make sure they are satisfied with your work. Now, as clients are thinking about the New Year, you want them thinking about you as a part of their plans. One effective technique is to implement a satisfaction survey. Offer to talk with your client in person or over the phone. Review your relationship over the past year. It will remind them of the value they receive from you. Ask for candid feedback and confirm satisfaction. Candid feedback gives you the ability to improve service. A satisfaction survey is also an opportunity to ask your client what their goals are for the upcoming year. Talking about their goals sets the stage for you to appropriately and comfortably discuss how you can help. Perhaps there are other services you can provide. An in-person or telephone survey is emotionally bonding and keeps the relationship fresh.


Meet New Contacts
Harriett Greenbaum

The New Year is a time for resolutions. Maybe one of yours is to meet new contacts. One of the best ways is through organizations.Now is a good time to take a good look at the organizations in which you are currently involved. Do they still meet your current business objectives? Is the membership roster still filled with people who you want to meet? If so, maybe you should get more involved. If not, perhaps its time to look for other organizations that offer more opportunities. If you're not sure how to find new organizations, ask your current clients and referral sources about the organizations they recommend.


Notice Your Knee-Jerk, Negative Thoughts
Melissa Udell, Ph. D.

We all have thoughts that pop into our minds so quickly that we do not even recognize they are there. These automatic thoughts can get in the way of a successful marketing effort if we are not aware of them. For example, when attending a work-related cocktail party the thought "I'm terrible at networking" might automatically enter a person's mind and impair their attitude and behavior during the event. Because it happens so fast, we need to stop and take a moment to become aware of the thoughts. When we become aware we then have a choice regarding what to do with them. Continuing with the previous example, the individual can replace the negative thought with a more positive one such as "I have the opportunity to learn something new about someone."


Block Out Time For Making Rain
Lawrence Kohn

Rainmaking requires time. Natural rainmakers prioritize marketing tasks and easily blend them into their busy day. People who don't like marketing or who don't see it as a priority always find other activities that get their attention. We regularly hear our clients complain that they have no time to market because they are so busy serving current clients. One way to help build rainmaking into a busy day is to block out time in your calendar. Block out an hour to work on an article. Block out time for some marketing breakfasts or lunches. Then, respect those blocks of time - even if you have work to do for clients. Although you may never get over anxiety about taking time away from serving clients, remember that clients regularly leave. And, the process of blocking out time will help you acquire replacements.

If you would like more information about our marketing and management support services, please visit our web site at http://www.kohncommunications.com/ or call Larry Kohn at 323.461.6253. Thanks.

Get Recognized
Wendy Brickman

Gaining recognition by winning awards can be a very effective public relations strategy. Usually, people just wait to receive awards. However, the smart marketing strategy is to seek them out. There are probably many awards that you are eligible to win. Your first task is to identify them. Monitor the business briefs in your daily newspaper and trade publications. Ask your colleagues. Your local and state Chambers of Commerce will have annual awards. There are often community awards. Next, you must apply. You may need to find someone to sponsor you. Once you win an award, be sure to send a press release to your local and trade media, alumni magazines, and professional association newsletters. Mention the award in your organization's newsletter, website, and in other publicity materials you use for your firm. If there is a symbol or logo associated with the award, obtain it and use it whenever you list your award.


Remind Them You Are There
Jan C. Gabrielson

By the time you are into your career and developing a clientele, most of you have met many people who are potential referral sources. How many of those people know where you are now and what you do? While you are busy meeting people and developing new referral sources, don’t forget to stay in touch with the people you already know. Create a mailing list. Go through professional directories, alumni lists, club rosters—everything that will remind you of people who will recognize your name. Mail something brief, meaty, and useful. If you are a bankruptcy lawyer, summarize the new bankruptcy law, emphasizing matters of general interest. If you are a tax lawyer, send a punchy list of tax-saving tips, trying not to rehash obvious or obscure ideas. Someday, one of the people you mail to will have a referral to make in your area of expertise. Be sure they think of you.


Follow Up After Seminars
Harriett Greenbaum

Seminars are great marketing tools, however, without follow-up, their value is greatly reduced. The key to follow-up is having the names and contact information of your attendees. This is easy if you have invited the guests. It is more difficult if the seminar is produced by a third party. In that case, negotiate access to the list of attendees as a part of your agreement - rather than asking for the list after the event. A great way to insure follow-up is to make an offer to provide some added value to those attendees who request it: a reprint of an article; a checklist; an invitation to another event, etc. Immediately after the event, make sure you reach out to all the attendees. Be prepared with a plan for your communication. Ask for feedback. Ask for topics for future programs. Ask to have a follow-up meeting. Ask for an introduction to the decision maker. The more dialogue you have, the more bonded your prospects will become and the greater the likelihood of their willingness to hire you.


Tell The Truth
Clint Hodges

A major obstacle to marketing is the fear of having to embellish the truth. You may have this belief because so many abusive marketers are guilty of just that. Notwithstanding the existence of frauds, a key to your marketing success is based on your ability to be accurate. Your goal is to communicate that you offer a superior alternative to the competition. Your task is to be good at telling the whole truth - and nothing but the truth. Of course, you can't tell the truth if you don't know it. So, part of your job as a marketer is to identify all of the benefits you bring to the table. The more detailed your understanding of the benefits, the greater the confidence in the value you offer; and, subsequently, the more eloquent you are in painting an accurate picture of your services. When that happens, the fear of fraud is replaced with the pleasure of precision.


Learn Why Your Clients Leave
Jeff Miiller

When clients leave, they do so for a reason. However, too often people don't really know what that reason is. Not knowing is dangerous because it could lead to further client loss. There may be a weakness in your service that you are not aware of. Maybe the action of a colleague or support staff soured the relationship. Implementing an Exit Survey will give you valuable insights. It gives you an opportunity to identify trends in your performance, and fix problems. If you're uncomfortable implementing the survey yourself, delegate it. Keep in mind the goal is to get their comments, not to woo them back as clients. Past clients can be a valuable source of feedback. An Exit Survey gives you the ability to strengthen your service and limit any further dilution.


Write For Busy People: Summarize at the Top
Patricia Alexander

Most of your business writing goes to busy people - clients, colleagues or referral sources. Whether a memo, letter or a newsletter, use headlines to identify a paragraph’s subject and point. This allows your reader to skim first (which they’ll do anyway) and return for content details. Whenever possible, let people know that you would appreciate it if they used the same approach so it will be easier for you to prioritize and accelerate your reading their material.


Market Yourself Within Your Firm
Melissa Udell, Ph.D.

If you're a partner in a law firm, your best marketing targets may be your partners. Take some time and identify those who have clients that may need your services and reach out to them just as if they were an external prospect. Visit with them and review their client list. Point out how you could be of service to each client. Then, follow up with the partner the same way you would follow up with any prospect. It takes time to build trust.

If you're an associate, you should also market yourself within the firm. Too often, associates simply wait for partners to assign work. But you can take control of your career by verbalizing your areas of interest. Identify the partners you would like to assist. Ask about the possibility of being of service. Then, follow up. If you do, you will be more likely to get the work you want.

Cure Your Client-Servicing Addiction
Lawrence Kohn

We see lots of clients who are so addicted to serving their current clients, they can't set aside the time required to bring in new clients. The addiction makes sense since servicing clients has probably been the key to their success. And, there is the emotional rush of solving a problem. It's exciting. It feels good to be helpful - and to feel needed. But the business model of serving clients to the exclusion of finding new ones is flawed. Client attrition is common and the sales cycle is long. One way to ease the addiction is by changing the way you sell. Notify prospects at inception that someone else will be handling the day-to-day client contact. If you don't have qualified staff or you aren't skilled at delegation, you'll have to deal with those issues first. When you do, you can offer the services of your team, meet the needs of your client and keep your time free for bringing in more business.

For more marketing and management tips, visit the Articles Section of our web site. Thanks.

10 Tips from the Consultants at Kohn Communications

1. Take Control Of Your Marketing Self Image
Clint Hodges, Esq.

One of the obstacles to change is what I like to call, "life sentences" - deeply-engrained, self-images of ourselves that guide our behavior. For example, I was born seven minutes after my twin brother and, as a result, my entire family constantly said, "Clint runs 7 minutes late." That comment formed a self image that gave me permission to run seven minutes late for most of my career. It didn't change until a coach helped me see it. We find the same is true for many of our clients regarding their marketing self image. They can't see themselves as marketers. If you don't see yourself as a marketer, consider that every time you help your client you are marketing your ideas or promoting a position. Marketing to bring in new clients uses the same skills - but you can't see it. Maybe it's time commute your life sentence as a non-marketer and use your existing skills to bring in some new clients.

2. Reduce Your Stress
Melissa Udell, Ph. D.

Recognizing negative emotional self-states throughout the workday can reduce mistakes and improve efficiency. Feeling stressed and overwhelmed is often a regular part of a busy day. The pace is quick and details are important. When feeling frustrated, rushed, and overloaded it is easy to make mistakes. However, in the midst of the daily frenzy, these errors (particularly avoidable mechanical errors) require precious time to be corrected. This just compounds the time pressure and can lead to self-criticism and self-doubt. To avoid this vicious cycle it is important to check-in with yourself from time to time. Start to recognize your own red flags (e.g. "The last time I felt impatient like this I turned in that document that came back with a lot of red ink"). When you are aware of yourself you have a choice as to how you proceed. Take a break. Take a few deep breaths. Stretch your legs or do whatever it is you need to do to reset and refresh your mind so that you can work most efficiently.

3. Control the Follow-Up After Your Speech
Robert Kohn

Public Speaking can be a wonderful marketing opportunity. It positions you as an authority and gives you the ability to potentially meet a lot of quality targets. However, a lot of speakers miss out on the greatest marketing value that public speaking offers, namely the ability to stay in touch with qualified targets after the speech. If you want to stay in touch, you need to get the cards of the attendees. The best way to get the cards is to make an offer of something of value such as an article or an invitation to other events. You can then fulfill your offer and make a follow-up call to make sure it has been received and discuss your next interaction.

4. Pick The Best Organization For Marketing
Wendy Brickman

Not-for-profit organization involvement can be an essential public relations strategy. And while it certainly may be appropriate to be active purely for charitable reasons, adding a personal public relations component is both ethical and effective. The most important public relations issue is targeting. Obviously, a primary benefit of not-for -profit involvement is interacting with the other organization members - especially by participating in a leadership role. So, the more appropriate the target pool within the organization you select, the better the public relations opportunity. The best organization is one that meets both your targeting standards and promotes a communityservice that you truly believe is meaningful. Finally, remember to follow through on what you promise to do within the organization. People judge your volunteer work and follow-through as an indication of how you'd handle their own business if they were to hire you.

5. Increase Creative Marketing
Scott Symington, Ph. D.

We ask our clients to spend five minutes each morning reviewing their marketing file. They review coaching notes, marketing ideas, and potential quality targets. Why has this simple step proven to be one of the most effective tools in marketing? Cognitive psychologists have discovered an important phenomenon referred to as the incubation effect. Research has found that after briefly exposing yourself to a given problem or task, there is great benefit in taking your mind completely off the problem. The break allows the brain to leave old ways of thinking and come up with new and creative ways of approaching tasks. After implementing the five minutes of marketing management in the morning, our clients report spontaneous marketing ideas and opportunities throughout the week.

6. Plan For Every Interaction With Your Prospects
Harriett Greenbaum

Before interacting with a prospect, be sure that you have your goal in mind. We regularly see people who have meetings with prospects which are pleasant experiences but fail to move the relationship forward in a strategic manner. Perhaps your goal is as simple as arranging to send your prospect additional information. Perhaps the next step is to provide some value in advance. In all situations you need to remember to negotiate buy-in from your prospect that you will be communicating in the future. Clear goals before a meeting and negotiated follow-up will dramatically increase your ability to stay connected and expedite the sales cycle.

7. Maintain Relationships With Colleagues
Jill Kohn, Ph. D.

Whenever something goes wrong with a coworker, we are likely to erroneously blame it on character features of the individual rather than contextual or situational features. This is known as the FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTION ERROR. It goes something like this: You and a colleague are working together get an important assignment completed. Something goes wrong with your colleague's part of the task. You are much more likely to think the reason for the problem is due to a flaw in colleague's character (i.e. his or her competence, motivation, ability to follow-through, etc.) rather than to conclude the error had something to do with a situational factor such as a misunderstanding of roles, goals and procedures on the project. Whenever something does not go as you had planned, remember to slow down and investigate thoroughly. Ask your colleague about situational factors such as his or her understanding of roles and procedures. This can help you avoid making an erroneous conclusion that could damage your relationship.

8. Tie Your PR To The News
Diane Rumbaugh

Timing is everything, especially if you're seeking media exposure. Pegging your message to a breaking news event, or a specific time of the year or holiday will catch an editor's eye. Come up with a unique angle or provide the right credentials to compel the media to want to talk with you (instead of going with another story or talking with a competitor). If you want to comment on a breaking news event, the time to pitch your availability to the media is on the day it happens. Waiting a day or two to react is usually too late.

9. Maximize Referrals From Your Clients Using Satisfaction Surveys
Jeff Miiler

A client satisfaction survey is more than a tool to measure approval. It is an opportunity to cultivate more business. Keeping this in mind, survey clients you assume to be your most satisfied. With those clients who provide the highest positive feedback, follow up by letting them know how pleased you are with their comments. Then, tell them that your firm is looking to expand and ask if they would provide a testimonial. A testimonial helps your client craft the dialogue that they can use when talking to their contacts about your firm. Furthermore, a testimonial sets the stage for you to comfortably broach the topic of referrals. Let your client know that you would be happy to talk to any of their contacts who might have a need for your services.

10. Offer A Second Opinion
Lawrence Kohn

When your targets have a strong relationship with a competitor, they do not perceive the need for your services. They may also make the erroneous assumption that their advisor has all the answers. One of the most effective ways of demonstrating your value is to offer your availability for a second opinion. Accepting a second opinion is a safe way for your targets to experience your expertise before hiring you. Of course, we regularly see that this approach reveals your unique talent and builds the trust that is needed for your target to make a change.

For more valuable tips, please visit our articles section.
Best of luck in your marketing and management.