Introducing The Law Practice Management School: Online Law Practice Management Instruction in marketing, technology, finance and management

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Chicago) November 15, 2010

For further information contact: Nick Augustine (312) 854-7149 / nick@alrpra.com

Online Law Practice Management Instruction in marketing, technology, finance and management

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Webinar-based law practice management course material will be taught by The Law Practice Management School beginning January 5, 2011.  One hour classes meet online each Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm Central Time.  Course materials are designed to offer lawyers pragmatic law practice management tools.

Course subjects are split by week each month in the following order: marketing, technology, finance and management.  Periodic guest lecturers will share professional experience and advice on core topics.  Courses are offered in traditional academic quarters.

The online webinar platform makes attendance and participation easy.  Weekly lectures are recorded and available for later use and review.  Quarterly tuition is competitively priced to make The Law Practice Management School affordable to lawyers in need of practice management education.

The Law Practice Management School is a private organization funded solely through course tuition.  Instruction and administration are provided by ALR/PRA, Inc., a national law practice management agency headquartered in Chicago.

ALR/PRA President and founder of The Law Practice Management School, Nick Augustine, earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Communications and Rhetorical Studies from Marquette University and a Juris Doctor degree from The John Marshall Law School.  Augustine is active in the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association and also writes a weekly column for “Attorneys In Transition” a career resource published by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company.

The Law Practice Management School is currently taking applications for classes beginning January, 2011.  Interested applicants should send their inquiries through the contact portal on http://www.alrpra.com/.

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For interviews regarding The Law Practice Management School, and for information and applications, contact Nick Augustine at (312) 894-7149 or mailto:nick@alrpra.com

© 2010 ALR/PRA, Inc.

Legal Marketing: Where is Your Number Listed and Who Answers Your Phone?

By J. Nick Augustine J.D.

Lawyers:  Read the following short article and think about what a client might experience when they have an unanticipated legal problem.  From the person who answers your phone to the professional who is mindful of the patient/client’s valuable time, here is

Today while at a luncheon on law firm financials (exciting stuff) I realized that I lost a filing on my front tooth when attempting to take a bite of a sandwich with bread you could use as a weapon.  I just wish I could remember the name of the catering company so I never use them.  Sitting there I realized that I hadn’t been to a dentist in several years and had no idea who to call or what to do.  I certainly had to do something quickly because clients don’t like their marketing and PR guy to have a chipped front tooth!

Being a savvy consumer I first went to the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce website to find a dentist in my neighborhood on the north side of Chicago.  I searched their membership list for “Dentist” and the search revealed a few names, one of which I recognized, Robert S. Wier D.D.S..  When I called Dr. Wier’s receptionist was very friendly and asked relevant questions to identify the type of service I needed to fix my tooth.  I told Dr. Wier’s staff that I really needed immediate attention because I have several events this week and cannot meet people with my bad tooth.  They were very kind to fit me in at 4:00 (2 hours after my original phone call).

Not being sure what the cost of treatment would be I made a couple more calls and was surprised by the other dental offices.  One of the offices said the first time they could see me was two days from now – not good enough.  Another office told me they couldn’t even tell me the price of an exam and the doctor would have to see me before I even knew what their treatment options were – again, unacceptable.

At 3:00 I left the office, hopped a Brown Line train and headed home to see Dr. Weir for my 4:00 appointment.  When I arrived I noticed a Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce decal prominently placed in the front window.  The office and staff were friendly and I was barely done filling out the new patient documents when the hygienist called my name and I was off to the races.  After a quick X-ray I was taken into a waiting room where Dr. Weir met me, sized up the damage and repaired my tooth with a filing and then shaped the tooth to look as good as new.

I was out the door by 4:30 and the bill was a fraction of what I expected to pay!  I told the staff and Dr. Weir how I came to find them by searching for a listing on the chamber web site and recognized Dr. Wier’s name from living in Lincoln Square.  As I was walking home from Dr. Wier’s office I thought about how pleasant the experience was when otherwise I was very stressed by the unexpected dental emergency.

As a satisfied consumer I am now writing about my experience and sharing my positive thoughts on the Chamber Facebook page and on Yelp to encourage referrals and let local residents know about Dr. Weir.  Even though many legal services are more complex than a filling repair, the experience of the consumer can be just as satisfying.  Take a look at your own office and consider where you are listed and who answers the phone.

Shifts in consumer trends: how consumers shop for both retail and commercial law firms

It wasn’t long ago that we had a local attorney or law firm who handled legal affairs for our families and small businesses.  For some, this remains, but for many it is a new and different day.  The attorneys who are going to grow and prosper are those who embrace consumer expectations.

Our marketing consultant, John Augustine, forwarded a recent e-mail regarding sales of high-end boats, which have fallen off during recent years.  What on Earth you ask, do high-end boat sales have to do with hiring attorneys?  Everything!  The boat dealers understand that potential buyers are turned off by pitches sounding of immediacy.  Buyers are acting on their own time frame and comfort level, only after the facts and data were made available for consumer review.

Commercial law firm shoppers rely on value and a proven track record.  The consumer is going to use branding to differentiate only among those with a tradition of performance.  To the extent your brand building is performance-based, you need to earn that reputation by visibly demonstrating your worth.

Similarly, retail law practices who expect to earn the best clients will do so by providing examples of cases in which they achieved the results their clients expected.  Good intention and skill alone do not cut it for many law firm shoppers.

You should be able to identify your track record and demonstrate professional accomplishments that would matter to a potential retail or commercial client.

Calvin Jansen, Staff Writer

ALR/PRA, Inc. 77 W. Washington St., Ste. 705, Chicgao, IL 60603; (312) 505-2604

What does it mean to be on the map?

When new products are released we see them advertised and we hear from people who chime in with their opinions.  Earlier this year, several new smart phones were advertised as being better than Apple’s iPhone.  American consumers rely not only on consumer reports, but also on the touch and feel factors before making a purchase.  These new Google phones were all over the internet so we could get check them out online before deciding to head to the local cell phone provider.

Law firm marketing trends today look much like the trends of the smart phone marketing teams.  The constant variable is that the consumer has an expectation that information and popular opinion be transparent so the consumer can “test” the product.

Obviously, interviewing and selecting legal counsel is a bigger decision than which phone to buy; however, the end user has growing expectations that attorneys referred by their friends have online presence so they can check them out.

Last week a client was searching for an opposing counsel and couldn’t find him at anywhere online – she tried Google searching his name and office location and came up dry.  If that had been a potential client, you might that they would take a pass – who would hire a lawyer you couldn’t even find by searching for their name?  The reality is that in 2010 consumers expect their professionals to have a significant online presence.  So even if the attorney isn’t concerned with attracting clients through search engine results, the attorney must be aware of their online presence.

Don’t like Twitter?  Think Facebook is for the other guy?  Don’t understand how or why you could use YouTube?  Online commerce is changing the way we all do business and search for products and services.  Law firms are closing their doors nationwide due to an arrogant failure to adapt.  Where will the referral client find you?

Get on the map!

J. Nick Augustine, J.D.

ALR/PRA, Inc.

How Internet Marketing Works – Independent Proprietary Research

In the sea of SEM and SEO there is a reasonable blend of advertising and direct outreach methods to support the flow of business.  One thing is certain – there are so many currently unanswered questions.  The problem is that many questions are unanswered or otherwise kept in the black box.  The research goal is to first answer three questions to determine a value for dollars approach to more efficient online and offline marketing for service industry professionals.

Research topic 1:  Vendors sell banner advertisements that receive 20,000 impressions monthly and sell same for $500/mo.  What is an impression, really, and what is it worth?  What about pay per click advertising?  How are market prices determined?  Hypothesis:  Nobody knows what any of this is worth and we’re just throwing money at a wall.  Is there calculable value?

Research topic 2:  Potential customers hate being sold to when they don’t invite the pitch.  Do people still think that sponsored ad space is filled by tricks and cheats?  Do more people trust organic search results?  What type of branding activities are most appropriate on social media?  Hypothesis: most people are wasting their time and upsetting their customers by using social media ineffectively.  Is social media a complete waste of time?

Research topic 3:  Search engine scrubbers’ mystery is only exceeded by their power.  We are told that multiple channels of social media increases organic search results – we can see it but why is that happening?  Vendors in one breath say they are “in good” with Google, and then they “disappear!”  What is really going on behind the black curtain?  Hypothesis: plenty of people are making money hand over fist on basic hunches and mystery.  Can service industry professionals better navigate internet marketing?

J. Nick Augustine, J.D.

ALRPRA, INC.