Cold Calling Works

Larry Bodine is stirring the pot, again.  Although he personally loathes the practice, he claims that cold calling can work to establish and grow your law firm.

Quoting Mike Schultz, Andrea Meacham Rosal and Jone Doerr and their manual, What's Working In Lead Generation, in his blog:

"Cold Calling is second only to referrals as the number one lead generation tactic. While there is much debate over the topic of cold calling – if it works, if it is worth it, how to do it “right” – the data here is clear: cold calling does work for a number of firms."

In fact, I would go further and say that the purpose of cold calling is to obtain referrals.

Larry Bodine points out that there is so much controversy over cold calling because people use the concept incorrectly.  It is intended to set up a meet and greed and not to pitch your services.  I tend to agree.  As in the title of the manual, it is "lead generation".

My thought is that Larry Bodine is speaking primarily to law firms soliciting business from large corporations, financial institutions, and in-house legal firms and risk managers.  I am here to tell you that it works exceedingly well for retail based law firms seeking referrals of consumer based clients.

Texas is clear that you CANNOT solicit people in person that you know are in need of legal services.  You cannot, and should not, follow the ambulance to the accident site.  You cannot knock on the door of the homeowner about to be foreclosed.  You had better not be hanging out in the local emergency room signing up clients as in the movie Rainmaker.  As well, you had better not get some third party to do it for you either. That would be wrong and you could very well lose your license to practice in most states.

But, here is what you can do.  You can make yourself known to those people that are frequently asked to refer potential clients in need of the legal services you are offering.  (As long as you do not pay them or reward them for doing so, or get them to actively solicit business for you).

If you practice probate there should be nothing wrong in getting to know the funeral home directors in your area, the grief counselors at the hospitals, as well as the preachers, priests and rabbis in your area.  If you practice consumer bankruptcy you need to know the CPAs, the accountants, the bookkeepers, the tax preparers, and the human resource people at various businesses.  If you practice in the area of real estate you need to meet the Realtors, bankers, mortgage brokers, and other professionals in your geographic area.  Sure you can meet them at trade meetings, but they need to remember you.

Most attorneys simply forget the best source of cold calling -- OTHER ATTORNEYS.  Lawyers that practice in your field are nice and you should get to know your colleagues on a more intimate basis.   However, I am talking about  cold calling lawyers that practice close to but not in your niche.  I represent debtors whose rights gained in filing bankruptcy have been violated.  Most all of my referrals come from bankruptcy lawyers.  I need to know these lawyers, and they need to know me.  If you practice consumer law, do you not need to know the bankruptcy attorneys as well?  If you are a bankruptcy lawyer, your best sources are going to be with other attorneys that represent consumers such as family lawyers, personal injury lawyers, comp lawyers, probate lawyers, and the like.  Ask these professionals how many other attorneys call on them (and their staffs), making themselves know and their services known.  I bet they will say few or none.  These attorneys will not go out and solicit cases for you.  They typically do not want money from you or to share fees.  They simply have existing clients and potential clients that inquire of your services from them. These attorneys and their staffs would rather refer them to someone than to send them out the door empty handed.  Attorneys and law firms want to be helpful.  You can be that helping hand for them, if you will just make yourself known.

Maybe you need to start cold calling.

Comments

[A.J.Erkendiep]

I found this article while looking for some advise on coldcalling. Looks good, to the point and positive! What would you advise me how to interest lawyers and fiscalists in my area (The Hague - NL) for Know-How projects? I know I have a lot to offer in that area, but how to convince / contact new clients in your job arena?