Marketing for Attorneys, Law Firms & Financial Professionals
Steven Spewak is Smart
After spending all of my career as an attorney in large law firms, I decided to take the leap and start my own practice. I wanted to give my clients the kind of custom service and personal attention that would make a difference in their own lives, as well as those of their family members. It was an exhilarating, as well as a frightening, decision, because all my experience and training was as an attorney, not as an entrepreneur or business owner. And a law firm is definitely a business.
My first, and most daunting, challenge was marketing. How would I get clients? This had never been a factor in my career. Clients arrived at my desk, and I performed the legal services they needed.
Knowing I needed to do something, I hired a local "PR" consultant, who created some attractive ads for me to run in the newspaper. They looked fine, but did not bring any prospects to my door. I was also aggressively pursuing the "rainbroker" strategy — seeking to create relationships with other financial professionals who could refer clients to me.
After eight months, the pipeline was producing a trickle, but not much more. Then, at a collegium of the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys, I met Mark Merenda of Smart Marketing. I had already heard his firm mentioned by several of the attorneys present who were Smart Marketing clients. I arranged for a private meeting with Mark. He asked me questions no one had ever asked me before, and told me some simple truths that made me slap my forehead.
In short, I became a client. Six months later, I have been in front of approximately 220 qualified (net worth $1.5 million and up) prospects, of whom some 40 buying units have come to my office for consultations. I'm not yet ready to retire, or even rolling in cash, but I have created a pipeline that is producing a steady flow of qualified prospects. I have also created new "rainbroker" relationships, and benefited from Mark Merenda's coaching on such matters as sales and closing techniques, image and packaging, marketing in my office, presentation skills, and more.
Hiring a good marketing firm is not a "magic bullet." You have to work hard to learn skills that aren't taught in law school. And it involves making an investment that can make you swallow hard. But, as the saying goes, if you always do what you always did then you'll always get what you always got. If you want to go to the next level, Smart Marketing can take you there.
One more thing. I can't finish this testimonial without mentioning Smart Marketing's superb and dedicated staff. Their abilities and client service are outstanding, and they don't wait for you to call them. They have made me feel as if they are my own staff. You can't ask for anything more than that.
Steven B. Spewak
Estate Plan Strategies, LLC
St. Louis, Missouri
(314) 862-3535
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