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Who is your competition, and how do you compare? Considering that most cases requiring an expert witness involve at least two experts and our society shows no signs of becoming less litigious, competition should not be your primary concern in building an expert practice.

When your expertise is publicized in articles and books, it does not look like advertising, it does not feel like advertising, but, delightfully, it works like advertising. Publicity is, in fact, the best promotional avenue after networking. Even better - it is usually free.

In response to one of our recent emails to Expert News readers, we received an email saying, “I thought experts are not supposed to advertise, even through websites.”

We all set goals, whether formally or subconsciously, especially at the start of a new year, when we feel we can wipe the slate clean and start anew.

Registering with a referral service is a valid marketing avenue for the expert just starting a litigation support practice. This is also a good choice for an experienced expert who has a narrow, or esoteric, field. An attorney is more likely to use a referral service for an unusual specialty than he is for a more common one.

A couple of years back I was invited to author a brief, highly pragmatic and regular 250-word snippet for the ABA’s Law Practice Magazine addressing the strategic issues that law firms face on a continuing basis.

Drawen from surveys, discussions and interviews with managing partners, here are six 'thought starters' to reflect upon with respect to your leadership style and approach.

A marketing plan should be one of the first items a new lawyer develops to support his or her career. But what makes up such a plan? What components need to be in place to ensure success? In this article, we will examine the five key components of cost, immediacy, audience, mix and testing.

On December 20, 2007, the Supreme Court of Florida ruled on The Florida Bar’s Motion for Reconsideration on the attorney advertising rules (Case No. SC05-2194). The court denied the Motion, but modified its order. The amendments to subchapter 4-7 of the Rules regulating The Florida Bar become effective on February 1, 2008 and apply to all lawyers who practice law in Florida, including out-of-state attorneys who advertise for business in the state.

Real estate, government, intellectual property, international, privacy, immigration, trusts & estates, environment, employment and health care are projected to be the top 10 law firm practice areas of interest to the news media in 2008, projects law firm marketing consultant Margaret Grisdela. Plan accordingly!

What is the difference between a lawyer referral network and an attorney's contact database? It's a good question, and one I was just asked the other day.

Daily Business Review Editor David Lyons said today that journalists are turning into "mobile journalists." Speaking at a legal media panel luncheon co-hosted today by the Legal Marketing Association South Florida City Group and the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators, "MoJo" reporters are becoming multimedia and videography experts as print newspapers turn increasingly to electronic communications.

Ever wonder how much attorneys are paying for their text ads on Google?

The holiday season is upon us, which means lots of opportunities for social networking. Think of this as the perfect time to skillfully launch your 2008 personal marketing efforts. You don’t have to be the life of the party to attract serious business development opportunities on the social circuit; you just need to have a plan. Here is a simple five-step program you can easily implement.

While the costs of foreign-language translation in smaller and mid-sized cities are significantly below the national average, some services could still be a big blow to your budget if your company isn't prepared to pay them. So to the bilingual executive, doing it yourself may seem like the quick, easy solution. But is it the right one? Maybe, but then again, maybe not. Here are some helpful points to help you and your company strike the balance between quality and cost.

What is the difference between a referral network and a contact database? It's a good question, and one I was just asked the other day. A referral network is a group of 5-10 professionals who have the ability to send you high quality business leads, while your contact database is a list of all your prospects and clients.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. This old joke works because of its wisdom. Now that you have an audience, advance planning is essential to the success of your presentation.

You know the conferences where the movers and shakers in your industry meet to stay abreast of current events in the legal industry. Getting a seat on the podium will strengthen your position as a leading attorney in your field. It is never too early to start your quest for speaking engagements. Major annual events book their speakers a minimum of 6 to 12 months in advance. The sooner you get named as a speaker, the more publicity you will generate through advance promotion.

Inevitably any law firm with at least a handful of attorneys and more than one area of emphasis is faced with a critical business development question - does it market the firm in general or does it promote the successes and qualifications of individual attorneys. To do the former alone offers the tantalizing possibilities that come with branding. The latter promises the kind of word-of-mouth “buzz” that brings in clients for very specific reasons.

By temperament and by habit, attorneys tend to be a detailed, meticulous lot. Most understand that “proof,” data, substantiation etc. is not only required when building a case for a client, but for any business related decision as well. Thus, the inability to measure the inexact science of marketing has traditionally been a source of frustration for many attorneys and their firms.

How to shape the identity of your law firm into a branding powerhouse.

A decade or two ago, strategic and business planners commonly worked with a five year planning horizon. Technology adoption and implementation time-frames, market share change rates, and consumer behavior patterns could be relied upon to span several years.

This article, originally published in Baby Shop Magazine, was written to help the independent retailer get the most out of limited resources.

Without a doubt, clients can be your best source of referrals. Yet in my 18 years of marketing work with lawyers, I have met few who actually ask clients for referrals. For all of those lawyers, I say, it is time to change your ways!

I received a letter from a company recently that had this as the subject line: People are Hired for Their Skills and Fired for Their Behaviors. That is so true. We look for candidates to fill positions who have the needed skill sets and then assume they can do the job quite well.

Are you offering cookie-cutter legal services to your clients? Think about it for a minute. If you are, chances are that your client can easily go to a competitor who promises lower rates and/or higher service levels.

Acquiring new clients can cost five times more than retaining current clients, and the average company loses a staggering 10 percent of its customer base each year, according to the American Marketing Association.