Find Out How to Grow Your Business in the New Year!

As Rod Serling would (sometimes) say, this episode calls for a different kind of introduction...well this newsletter calls for a different lead-in. Here are 250 things you can do to move your firm forward next year. You can do all of them (probably not ideal) or some of them. You could carve out 5-15 minutes a weekday to go down the list. The options are endless.

Or there are only 250 options... depending upon your perspective.

And yes, originally, I promised 365, but two things:

1) that was harder than I thought, even with breaking it down like this

2) I don't want you working every day, so this would be every weekday for 50 weeks a year

Here's the list

1.Create your firm vision (I like starting with this)

2.Schedule the time each week to accomplish the rocks for the next quarter of your VTO, and then DO IT

3.Block off time each quarter to review the results

4.Block off time each quarter to plan for the next quarter

5.Block off time each quarter to review changes to your time management to accomplish what is needed

6.Create 3-5 personal goals for you

7.Work backward to create the habits you need to achieve the goals and schedule them.

8.Schedule time each week to accomplish the tasks to get to your goals

9.Review your financials from 2022 broken down by $$$ per case type (if you don't have this data, you might want to hire someone who will do it for you, let me know, I have a team who is AWESOME)

10.Review your 2022 financials to see which of your recurring expenses are out of whack - fix it

11.Create core values for your firm

12.Confirm your current staff follows your core values

13.Schedule time every three months to discuss staff expectations to your core values

14.Add core value reviews to your hiring process.

15.Schedule time every year to review the core value

16.Create social media posts about your core values

17.Tie those posts to client reviews and testimonials

18.Identify what the pain points of your IDEAL client are

19.Figure out what problem you ACTUALLY solve with your work

20.List out reasons why you are the BEST fit for your ideal client.

21.What OTHER problems does your IDEAL client know they have? 

22.How can you fix those issues too? Add practice area, hire a new person? Create a co-counsel relationship?

23.What other problems do they NOT know they have? 

24.How can you let them know about those?

25.How can you fix those issues too? Add a practice area, hire a new person or create a co-counsel relationship?

26.Refresh your Ideal Client Avatar 

27.Review what % of current clients match ideal clients

28.Review your 2022 data by referral source and see how that compared to the # of leads you expected from each source.

29.Update your referral goals for the year

30.Refresh your referral source list 

31.Schedule time to connect with referral sources

32.Ask your best referral sources for feedback on what you're doing to stay top of mind.

33.Join our Facebook group and ask other group members what they do to get more referrals.

34.Think about the people you think of the most when referrals come up - what did they do to hold that place in your brain?

35.Identify your referral weaknesses - where is the most potential to get and give great referrals?

36.Review your CRM data to make sure you are tracking the stuff you need to make better marketing decisions

37.Schedule time every quarter to track expectations against results and make changes.

38.Review your 2022 budget and see where you were on pace and where you were not

39.Schedule time to make needed updates to your budget

40.Search for other lawyers in your area and look at the maps pack for info on their GMB

41.Update your GMB page

42.Search for local competitors on Facebook and review their profiles and pages

43.Update your Facebook business page

44.Update your personal Facebook page

45.Search for local competitors on LinkedIn and review their profiles and pages

46.Update your firm's LinkedIn page

47.Update your personal LinkedIn page

48.Search for local competitors on Yelp and review their profiles and pages

49.Update your firm's Yelp page

50.Search for local competitors on Youtube and review their profiles and pages.

51.Update your firm's Youtube Channel

52.Search for local competitors on Twitter and review their profiles and pages

53.Update your Twitter profile(s)

54.Search for local competitors on Instagram and review their profiles and pages

55.Update your firm's Instagram

56.Update your personal Instagram

57.Search for local competitors on TikTok and review their profiles and pages

58.Update your TikTok Page

59.Create a content calendar for your firm.

60.Update your firm's brand guidelines. 

61.Update your Avvo profile

62.Update your FindLaw Page

63.Update your Justia Page

64.Update your Lawyer.com page

65.Don't forget lawyerS.com

66.Check HG.org

67.Google your firm name - what other sites come up that you can update?

68.Google your name - what other sites come up that you update?

69.Google your practice area - what other sites come up that you can update?

70.Figure out how you consume content the most impactfully: audio, video, blog, newsletter, podcast, website, etc

71.Find 3-5 different consistent informational sources to learn the newest things about marketing/your area of law/running a business.

72.Schedule time to consume that content

73.Schedule time to implement the recommendations (that make sense) into your firm.

74.Review other attorney sites that rank well for the keywords you want.

75.Buy an account with Ahrefs or Semrush and dive into this data more.

76.Go to answerthepublic.com and look up the most common searches for what you do.

77.Write a blog post for each of those topics.

78.Create a video for each of those topics

79.Interview someone about each of those topics

80.Schedule these to your social media and your website

81.Schedule time to keep doing this

82.Research your staff's social media - does that conform to your firm's internet brand?

83.Make sure you have the right tracking in place to see where your cases come from. 

84.Search for local organizations that work with your clients or have them as members.

85.Reach out to them about joining and coming in to speak.

86.Search for local organizations that work with your referral sources or have them as members.

87.Reach out to them about joining and coming in to speak.

88.Call a referral source.

89.Text a referral source.

90.Set up a lunch with a referral source.

91.Set up coffee with a referral source.

92.Set up a happy hour with a referral source.

93.Take a referral source to a local sporting event.

94.Play golf with a referral source.

95.Take a referral source to a painting class.

96.Do a double date with a referral source and their SO.

97.Go for a walk with a referral source.

98.Join a referral source for their favorite hobby

99.Send a referral source a thoughtful card.

100.Email a referral source an article you think they would like

101.Mail them a book on a topic they told you they are struggling with

102.Create collaborative social media content with a referral source

103.Write a blog post for each other's website.

104.Do a duet or video response to each other's videos when you practice areas overlap.

105.Interview each other for social media

106.Pull the transcript from the interview for future blog posts.

107.Connect two of your referral sources so they can get to know each other

108.Connect your lawyer referral sources with some free resources to help them grow their firm (WINK WINK, NUDGE NUDGE)

109.Reach out to 3 local organizations about volunteering

110.Google attorneys who do what you do in other states and reach out to some of them

111.Post in a Facebook group asking for other lawyers across the country that do what you do

112.Attend a networking event

113.Be a guest at a BNI.

114.Attend a meeting of your local chamber of commerce

115.Find a mentor

116.Ask someone for advice on a topic you're struggling with

117.Post about your biggest firm struggle in an online group.

118.That person who you met at an event recently - reach out to them.

119.Ask a client what they liked about working with you.

120.Ask a client what you could have done better.

121.Ask a client what you DIDN'T do that you could have done.

122.Implement this advice when you hear similar things come up multiple times

123.Figure out what other legal needs a large portion of your clients have and do that area of law too/bring on an of-counsel/build a GREAT referral relationship

124.Also, consider the reverse, cutting some stuff you do that isn't as profitable and instead building a referral relationship for it.

125.Ask a referral source who they know that you should meet.

126.Ask a referral source who YOU know that THEY should meet.

127.Set up a 4-person lunch/bowling/golf/happy hour/dinner and make the intros.

128.Host a dinner party, bring one couple, and have them bring another couple

129.Ask your referral sources who is the most connected person in town, and try to get to know that person.

130.Take a referral source to an event hosted by a local organization.

131.Come up with a new way to reach out to someone.

132.Send someone a thank you card.

133.Take a potential referral source to a new restaurant you've wanted to try.

134.Send a client a gift for being "client of the month."

135.Host a client appreciation event.

136.Record a virtual office tour for clients.

137.Send a survey to clients for new feedback.

138.Make one last attempt to get that one lead to hire you.

139.Schedule time every week to call clients and check in on them.

140.Review your intake process.

141.Create one more email touch point for pncs with your three best reviews.

142.Create one more email touch point for pncs with why they should hire a lawyer.

143.Create one more email touch point for pncs about why you're the best fit.

144.Create one more email touch point for pncs with common questions and their answers.

145.Create one more email touchpoint for pncs with a video testimonial.

146.Create one more email touch point for pncs with why they need a lawyer on their case ASAP.

147.Create one more email touch point for pncs with stories of similar cases and how you've helped.

148.Create one more email touch point for pncs that asks, "are you still interested in help with your (insert legal matter you do)?"

149.Create three segments of clients and make sure they get different emails (car accident/slip and fall/other injuries, probate/estate planning/elder law, wives without kids, husbands without kids, parents, etc.)

150.Outline a long-term nurture campaign for every segment, base it on why they didn't hire.

151.Create an email newsletter for clients.

152.Create an email newsletter for referral sources.

153.Create an email segment of potential clients to follow up with them at the scale.

154.Identify your top 3 referral sources and ask them what they are saying and doing to get the best referrals over to you.

155.Pass that info along to your other referral sources

156.Pull up all the cases you refer out and see which of those people hasn't referred a ton over and have a conversation with them about it.

157.Update your referral out procedures to make sure you're getting feedback from both sides to give better referrals.

158.Call your office to see how the phone is answered and give feedback.

159.Pretend to be a client and have your office go through the sign-up process and give feedback.

160.Listen to your voicemail message (or any other automated message), and make sure they convey the right tone.

161.What about the weekend and after-hours calls - how are those handled? Do those convey the right tone?

162.Pick your best clients and ask them for feedback on your recent changes.

163.Set up automation to get feedback from pncs who DIDN'T hire you on why they chose someone else.

164.Review your contract and ensure it has the info you need and conveys the right tone.

165.Review the texts your PNCs get and make sure they are correct

166.Give a presentation to your staff on sales training.

167.Discuss with your staff the best sales tactics they use

168.Watch a webinar on sales training.

169.Hire a sales trainer.

170.Roleplay your sales process with you pretending to be the client going through it.

171.Hire a secret shopper to do the same

172.Review or create a shock-and-awe package for new clients

173.Ask clients what they thought of the package and what else could be there.

174.Ask other attorneys for feedback on your marketing/sales/intake.

175.Post in a Facebook group of lawyers to get people's top tips

176.Review your client onboarding process

177.Automate what you need from every client during onboarding

178.What other info would it be beneficial to give or get from clients?

179.Make sure clients get introduced to the people working on their team before those doing the work.

180.Make sure your CRM makes it so clients don't have to repeat their case story repeatedly and they move through the process.

181.Add Google Tag Manager to your site.

182.Add Google Analytics code to Google Tag Manager.

183.Create or update your Google Analytics account and goals. 

184.Create and verify your Google Search Console account.

185.Set up an account on Bing Webmaster Tools.

186.Set up or update your account on Bing Locations.

187.Add Facebook Pixel to Google Tag Manager.

188.Add LinkedIn Pixel to Google Tag Manager.

189.Create an account in Google Ads.

190.Connect your Google Ads account with Google Analytics.

191.Prepare a newsletter template for each segmented audience.

192.Create a sheet for tracking UTM codes.

193.Set up your brand profile in Canva for quick graphics.

194.Set up an account on CallRail for your firm.

195.Make a list of local and industry-specific publications.

196.Prepare an introduction letter to send to publications for PR purposes.

197.Send the letter.

198.Follow up if you don't hear back.

199.Find five accounts on Facebook helpful to follow to learn the platform.

200.Find five accounts on Facebook that you can engage with to see many clients in one place.

201.Find five accounts on Facebook that you can engage with to see many referral sources in one place.

202.Find five accounts on Facebook that you wish were referral sources and follow them.

203.Find five accounts on Facebook that are current referral sources and engage with them.

204.Find five groups on Facebook of potential referral sources.

205.Find five groups of Facebook potential clients.

206.Repeat these steps for Instagram

207.Repeat these steps for LinkedIn

208.Repeat these steps for TikTok

209.Repeat these steps for Twitter

210.Repeat these steps for any other platforms you are on

211.Create a list of 50 common replies to posts that you can use for engaging when all else fails

212.Schedule time every week to engage with these people

213.Take 5 minutes to learn the trending hashtags/videos/trends on your platform of choice.

214.Write a post.

215.Make a video.

216.Interview someone.

217.Cut the interview up into shorter posts.

218.Transcribe it for articles.

219.Post the transcription to your website.

220.Write a blog post.

221.Cut it up into individual posts and tweets.

222.Review your engagement data to see which mediums make the most impact.

223.Review your engagement data to see which topics make the most impact.

224.Start a podcast.

225.Start a live show.

226.Cut the live show into shorter clips.

227.Transcribe it for blog posts.

228.Post the transcription with the show to your website.

229.When clients refer you a case, ask what you did to turn them into a referral source.

230.Do that for more clients.

231.Open another office location.

232.Book a team retreat.

233.Hire a facilitator for your next planning session.

234.Get an MBA.

235.Take a course.

236.Attend a conference.

237.Create a presentation to clients/referral sources.

238.Speak at your local bar.

239.Speak at your state bar.

240.Have your staff take a course to learn a new skill.

241.Get certified in something helpful for your firm.

242.Have a team member do a presentation on what they are best at in the firm.

243.Write out your marketing plans where you can see them every day.

244.Create a challenge with a prize for the team member who gets the most reviews in 30 days.

245.Automate your review requests.

246.Create a system for personalizing the request.

247.Create a system for what you do with the reviews.

248.Send a card to all of your clients, just because.

249.Figure out which of these things you DON'T want to do (or don't make sense to do).

250.Give yourself a pat on the back and take a break. You've earned it!!!!

And there you go! Whew...we reached the end of the list.

Until then, may you successfully raid the Empire's payroll vault on behalf of the rebellion! Have a wonderful week, and next week I will be talking about what I do at the end of the year to make sure next year is EVEN better!

Until Next Friday,

Jordan Ostroff

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