Leadership Close Up

Leadership, Relationships, Photography

A Unique Point of View is HUGE for Building Online Reach and Social Spread

By Kevin McKeown on Posted in Business Development, Leadership, Management, Organizational Development, Social Networking, Strategy

Standing at the Precipice is an example of a unique point of view:

For over 100 years, the legal profession has existed virtually unchanged. Weighed down by decades of precedent and immune to innovation. Those days are over. The time for change has come for the business of law. This is our story:

I’d say that the swords are drawn with this 3-minute video from RethinkLaw.org.

So, who’s behind this Standing at the Precipice video?

Short answer: an innovative marketing director and a powerful company culture that embraces a blue ocean strategy.

Let me unpack for you:

1) The Culture 

New York-based Axiom Global Inc. created RethinkLaw. This is an enterprise that employs 900 lawyers. Axiom is part law firm and part technology company. The company “aims to disrupt the way legal services are delivered to the country’s largest companies.”

This is not your typical law firm. The company has raised $65 million from investors like Benchmark Capital, JP Morgan Partners, Greenhill Capital Partners and Carrick Capital Partners. Thirteen years after launching, Axiom represents nearly half of the Fortune 100.

Mark Harris is Axiom’s CEO and Founder and he’s known for cutting-edge commentary about legal issues. Here’s an excerpt of his email to clients and his broader external network regarding RethinkLaw and the video’s release:

“The truth: law firm lawyers…[are]…languishing in a business model that was built for another era… As an industry, we can do better… We created [the video] in connection with the launch of Rethinklaw.org, a partnered effort with a select group of the world’s most influential General Counsel to work out the way forward.”

From the RethinkLaw site:

Even though Axiom states otherwise, the company is definitely pushing an agenda and trying to shape the dialogue through the auspices of RethinkLaw and that’s okay. Drive that agenda, Mark. The objective of RethinkLaw is to curate innovative thinking and discussion — to be that ignition source and a catalyst.

Last March, the National Law Journal named Mark one of The 100 Most Influential Lawyers. He’s not the kind of guy to get trapped by 100 years of dogma.

The sooner more law firm “leaders” embrace the notion that the business of law requires strong leadership, management and organizational development the better clients will be served.

That’s the culture that Mark created at Axiom and the “why we are doing what we do”  informs and inspires the rest of this story.

2) The Blue Ocean Strategy

In essence, Axiom offers clients a leap in value while streamlining the cost of services to the client. The company is pursuing differentiation and low cost. This is a blue ocean strategy.

The logic behind this is counterintuitive: the aim isn’t to out-perform the competition in the existing industry, but to create new market space or a blue ocean, effectively making the competition irrelevant.

Companies have long engaged in head-to-head competition in search of sustained, profitable growth. They have fought for competitive advantage, battled over market share, and struggled for differentiation. Yet in today’s overcrowded industries, competing head-on results in nothing but bloody “red oceans” of rivals fighting over a shrinking profit pool.

For more information on blue ocean strategy, see HBR’s summary and Blue Ocean Strategy website.

3) The Innovative Marketing Director

For the last 6+ years, Liana Guzmán has served as Axiom’s Marketing Director. She’s the creative spark and executor behind the RethinkLaw video.

Liana’s novel approach and unique point-of-view builds solid online reach and social spread for Axiom.

Adam Smith Esq. initially released Liana’s video. Then Above The Law picked up the video. That’s when the video went viral on Twitter. I came across the video in Tara Magee Weintritt‘s twitter stream when she retweeted Nat Slavin:

I called Liana last week to develop a deeper sense for her approach. I asked her about the creative spark for this video. Liana’s response:

I am innately interested in innovative companies and, in particular, those that are disrupting their respective industries. And though I never anticipated landing in a legal services firm – primarily because the industry as a whole tends to be fairly insular and ‘play it safe’ – I was attracted to Axiom because of the firm’s unique position in transforming an industry that hasn’t meaningfully changed in over a century.

My career here has been really fulfilling: I subscribe to a “Blue Ocean” philosophy and Axiom has embraced that unique perspective. As a result, I’ve not been confined by the normal constraints of the buttoned–up white shoe legal industry. Luckily its seems others have embraced it as well, because it feels like the more we’ve pushed the envelope, the more those in our industry have responded.

Liana, did you create this video with social media distribution top of mind?

There’s been a lot of coverage of the state of the legal industry post-economic meltdown but there weren’t many (if any) pieces that looked at the story holistically (rather than as a series of independent issues facing one industry) so we wanted to create something that did. Stylistically, we were inspired by similar motion graphics videos created for other industries. And though distribution is always a consideration, we chose this format because it is the perfect vehicle for disseminating a complex and nuanced narrative in an easily digestible (and visually appealing) way.

Liana and her crew deserve a hat tip for creating compelling content. And, making that content easy to share (like this 3-minute video) means that folks are more likely to syndicate Axiom’s novel message across their social networks. That creates reach among weaker social ties. We can all learn from Liana, Mark and the Axiom team.

That’s leadership close up.

How have you used visuals (like video) to disseminate complex and nuanced narratives to extend your social reach?

A parting thought:

The Bottom Line Benefits of Blogging

By Kevin McKeown on Posted in Business Development, Relationships, Social Networking, Strategy

If you’re a decision-maker inside a professional services firm concerned about growing your profits then this matters:

  • Firms getting 40-60% of their leads online grow 4x faster than those generating no online leads.
  • The greater the proportion of leads generated online, the greater the firm’s profitability.
  • The #1 technique among the fastest growing and most profitable firms was blogging.

The call to action?

To gain a competitive advantage make sure your professionals are visible online.

Today’s guest post is by Lee Frederiksen, Ph.D (photo below). I invited Lee to post to because his “professional service firms” research is excellent.  His post also illustrates how professional blogging translates into new business.  

Here’s Lee’s post:

We are in the middle of a revolution. Online marketing is reshaping how professional services are bought and sold. Consider these facts:

In a survey of 500 professional services firms that formed the foundation for our new book,
Online Marketing for Professional Services, we found that almost half (46%) of the firms had redone
their website within the past year. An amazing 66% planned to increase their online marketing budget.
The average increase was 56%. Clearly, something major is happening.

Online Marketing Defined

Online marketing is simply the use of web-enabled technologies in service of marketing and business
development activities. It includes techniques such as search engine optimization, social media, e-
newsletters, website analytics, webinars and, of course, blogging.

That’s what it is, but why is it causing such a stir? Let’s start with the money.

The Online Bottom Line

One of the first priorities of our research was to determine if adopting an online marketing program
impacted a firm’s financial performance. We found that, by embracing online marketing, you will see
two financial impacts.

1. Your Firm Will Grow Faster. Our research shows that professional services firms that generate new
business leads online grow faster than those that do not. Figure 1 shows this relationship.

In fact, firms that get 40-60% of their leads online grow 4 times faster than those that generate no
online leads.

2. Your Firm Will Be More Profitable. Faster growth not enough for you? How about trying on some
increased profitability. Here again the data are compelling. Figure 2 shows that the greater the
proportion of leads generated online, the greater the firm’s profitability.

Why Does It Work So Well?

There are probably a lot of reasons that contribute to the success of online marketing.
But one important clue comes from a recent study of professional services clients.

We asked them how they would go about looking for a new firm, the second most frequent response
was to search online. If you aren’t found, you won’t be considered. If you are easily found, you gain a
competitive advantage.

But also consider the most popular response, which was “ask a friend or colleague.” An online approach is also an effective way to increase your visibility and convey your reputation. By sharing valuable educational content online, you can effectively establish your expertise.

In short, online marketing allows you to be more easily found when it comes time to retain a new firm.
Whether the client turns to friends or a search engine, there you are.

What About Blogging?

So what does blogging have to do with online marketing? Quite a bit, as it turns out.

You may recall that we referred to a study of online marketing in professional services firms. In that
same study, we evaluated the level of usage and perceived impact of 15 commonly used online
marketing techniques.

We found that number one technique among the fastest growing and most profitable firms was
blogging. It was also rated as second highest in terms of overall impact. No other form of content was
even close.

So, here is my conclusion based on the research and modeled on the practices of the highest
performing firms: if you want to grow you practice faster and to be more profitable you must blog.

About the Author

Lee Frederiksen, Ph.D. is Managing Partner of Hinge, a leading branding and marketing firm that
specializes in professional services (www.hingemarketing.com). He’s started and run three high-
growth companies, including an $80-million runaway success. Lee has worked with many global brands, including American Express, TimeLife, CapitalOne, monster.com and Yahoo!  He can be reached at lfrederiksen@hingemarketing.com.

Last summer, Lee and I co-hosted a webinar entitled, Blogging for Clients: How Online Relationships Lead to Real-World Clients.  That webinar is recapped  in Lee’s blog and my blog.  Lindsay Griffiths of the International Lawyers Network also wrote a 3-part recap on her blog. Part 1 explores the economic case for online marketing, Part 2 focuses on developing strategy first and tools second.  Part 3 captures the Q&A at the end of our webinar.

Image Credit: The graphs are Lee’s and the Blogging Cartoon is by Hugh MacLeod (my add).  

Take a Dog’s Lead and Take a Pause

By Kevin McKeown on Posted in Photography, Relationships, Satire or Humor

As I was putting the final touches on that last blog post, I noticed my dog leaning against my backpack penetrating me with this dreamy look.  That “look” that says,

“I’m exactly where I want to be — right here with you.”

Kiai (key-eye) walks, smells and marks with me to work almost everyday.  That roundtrip from home to office is just shy of three miles.

He never objects even though he’s pushing 11 years old. That’s good for a Leonberger. That’s not so good for someone I consider one of my closet friends — especially since he has a weird habit of aging faster than me.

This dog doesn’t take life too seriously. Kiai defines regal. He’s benevolent. If he chose the wild over me I’m sure he’d be the pack leader. He trained both my cats to “come” and “bark” like dogs.

I’m grateful for a dog by my side that causes me to pause and work a little less hard.  I’m also thankful for an iPhone camera that lets me share this “snapshot” moment with you.

May you have your own dose of “chill” delivered effortlessly each and every day like I do.

I used a Canon 5D over a decade ago to capture the photograph of Kiai as an 8-week old puppy.

For higher quality images of Kiai, please visit the portfolio I’m building at SmugMug. You can also see some shots by clicking on my blog’s Photo tab.

Why do I have a backpack in my Pioneer Square office? Earthquake readiness — assuming we don’t get squished by the bricks of this old building. We have enough dog food for three days.

Breathe deep and often friends.  Life is precious and, in my case — hairy.

Professionals: Blend Offline Reputation With Online Visibility To Drive Business Development

By Kevin McKeown on Posted in Business Development, Relationships, Social Networking, Strategy

Blending your offline reputation with visibility online helps you drive your business development across your weaker social ties.

Once you have built up a strong following, you should begin to see the networking opportunities expand, allowing you to help grow your business. –Erik Qualman

For a professional, visibility online is about cultivating a presence that drives your niche narrative.

I now have three clients directly attributable to the LexBlog blogpost (coaching) generating in excess of $7k a month. Now, there’s ROI. –John Grimley (international business development)

Niche is about focus. Your narrative needs to be about a niche if you want to develop traction that rises above the “noise” online.

What are you about? What do you stand for? Be open with your agenda and objectives.

Want to Have More Fun and Be More Successful? Find Your Purpose. –Cordell Parvin

My niche narrative is about the collision of social networking, leadership and the business of relationships.

Here’s a great example of a tight niche: Real Lawyers Have Blogs –Kevin O’Keefe

I chose my niche after some healthy introspection.  These questions guided me:

  • What am I passionate about?
  • What is my professional experience?
  • What’s the theme of my skills?
  • Am I willing to focus?
  • Am I comfortable sharing my perspective in a public forum?
  • What do I want to be known for?
  • How can I be of service to others?

My niche continues to ferment. I’m “free diving” and adjusting as I go. It’s okay struggle with how to drive your narrative. Experiment. This isn’t about 100% or 80% — 60% is okay.

It is worth noting that the eyes can listen, too. The gifted business developers, communicators and leaders have learned the listening potential of careful observation. –Eric Fletcher

These six points are discussed in different ways throughout this blog and in my Tweet stream @kevinmckeown. Here’s a recap:

  1. Develop an awareness through observation to inform your strategy and execution.
  2. Building a strong online persona happens slowly (like a good offline reputation).
  3. Learn to engage in meaningful ways about what matters to people. Tie that back into your unique ability to help that person.
  4. Over time, engaging authentically increases your visibility and accelerates relationships and word-of-mouth.
  5. That sets up the right conditions or social proof necessary for business development to happen.
  6. Taking shortcuts doesn’t work because the depth of connection necessary for a business relationship must start from an authentic place.

Finally, remember the seven big picture points:

  1. Listen before you talk
  2. Strategy first, tools second
  3. Your authentic content matters most
  4. Leverage and repurpose your work
  5. Converse and connect with the right audience
  6. Make your content easily sharable
  7. Seed, distribute and syndicate your content in appropriate ways

How are you building “expert status” online? How did you decide on your niche?

Image credit: “Right Needle in the Digital Haystack” from Connect4Advice 

Leaders: Turn Negatives Into Positives

By Kevin McKeown on Posted in Leadership, Management, Organizational Development

My leadership coach and I shared time and breakfast today. His name is Bob Burgess. As we left the restaurant, with a twinkle in his eye, Bob offered to send me a missive.

A few minutes later, I found this passage from John O’Donohue’s Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom in my inbox:

“If you try to avoid or remove the awkward quality, it will pursue you. The only effective way to still its unease is to transfigure it, to let it become something creative and positive that contributes to who you are. Nietzsche said that one of the best days in his life was the day when he re-baptized all his negative qualities as his best qualities. Rather than banishing what is at first glimpse unwelcome, you bring it home to unity with your life…One of your sacred duties is to exercise kindness toward them. In a sense, you are called to be a loving parent to your delinquent qualities.”

Sometimes our greatest strength is bundled up as our biggest weakness. Leading well is about self-awareness. Staying on that path is the surest way to turn any negative quality into your best quality.

Be easy on yourself. Apply your energy wisely.

A leader’s job is to create and change the culture of an organization. Your job is to care deeply about your people. Your job is to teach your people well. That’s different than the process of management.

These are the things that Bob and I connected over today (thank you, Bob).

I hope that Bob’s way of influencing me, helps you–so in the spirit of Anam Cara (Gaelic for soul friend), I share.

To learn more about this Celtic spiritual tradition, click here.

 

Blogging: Most Definitive Medium For Demonstrating Expertise On The Web

By Kevin McKeown on Posted in Business Development, Relationships, Social Networking, Strategy

Do you think for a living? Do you rely on your education and experience to problem-solve? Do you face issues requiring “convergent, divergent and creative thinking?”

Is your capital your knowledge, ideas and access to information?

Are you a lawyer, engineer, architect, doctor, scientist, financial analyst, software engineer, teacher or technical writer?

If so, then you’ll appreciate Dorie Clark’s “rich and thoughtful” perspective in her HBR blog post entitled, If You’re Serious about Ideas, Get Serious About Blogging.

Dorie believes, like I do, that “…for organizations and individuals that want to be known for their ideas, the clearest — yet most underrated — path is through blogging.”

Indeed, if you want to shape public opinion, you need to be the one creating the narrative. –Dorie Clark

Why would a busy professional ever consider blogging?

Awareness and visibility.

Blogging is one of the best ways to demonstrate expertise and become a trusted authority.  Building expert status online helps drive your business development especially among your weaker social ties. This is all about proving that you’re worth knowing.

According to Dorie:

  • A small number of top-notch bloggers sets the “conversational tenor” in the blogging niches (just like with Twitter).  That’s opportunity for those with staying power.
  • Blog posts are syndicated worldwide and live “forever on the web.” That’s ongoing content leverage. Think ROI.
  • Today, the ability of a blogger “to impact mainstream discourse has never been greater.” Authoring “high-quality content” lets bloggers be “measured by the quality of information” — not a brand name.
Writing is still the clearest and most definitive medium for demonstrating expertise on the web. –Dorie Clark

Do you think that there’s too much blogging noise to get noticed? Don’t fret. Dorie believes “…that serious competition in the blogging world is likely to wane in the future.” If Dorie’s prediction holds true then a blogger’s power to influence will only rise. Dorie’s rationale:

  1. “In an information-hungry world, there will always be a need for expert content.” Compelling, thoughtful content enables a blogger to build up a strong reputation.
  2. The decline of paid news media means fewer professional reporters are “providing good content.” Knowledge bloggers will continue to fill that void.
  3. “High-quality, idea-focused” blogging is hard work. That’s why blogging is retreating among teens and young adults. Tweeting is easier. Sharing a picture is fast.

Being the creator of high quality content positions you to make the strongest online impact. Readers and “retweeters” will always outnumber committed bloggers. That’s exactly what you want. Like Dorie says, “You might as well be the one setting the agenda by blogging your ideas.”

I’m absolutely setting the agenda by sharing Dorie’s views.  My business is simple: empower professionals to network through the Internet. Dorie’s HBR post underscores the importance of LexBlog’s vision and the value we endeavor to provide to professionals.

Do you agree that a blog is the most definitive medium for demonstrating expertise on the web?

Breaking, unrelated news: the Seahawks beat the Redskins 24-14 on the road and snap a 29-year losing streak. Talk about making an impact. Congratulations, Seattle! Watch out, Falcons. Here come the brash blue and green upstarts. How about that for a humble-brag? I didn’t watch the game because I wanted to write this post. I’m thanking my lucky stars for those highlights.

The Strength of Weak Ties in Social Networking: Seek to be Worth Knowing

By Kevin McKeown on Posted in Business Development, Relationships, Social Networking, Strategy

According to The Pew Research Center, most Americans “networks contain a range of social ties that consist of friends, family, coworkers, and other acquaintances. This includes a handful of very close social ties and a much larger number of weaker ties.”

In fact, the average Internet user has 669 social ties.

That’s important research for generating word-of-mouth referrals.

So how does my personal network operate? Maybe not like you think.

Whether I’m online or offline, I don’t quibble about whether I’m rewarded for sharing my knowledge, experience and passion. I learn a great deal by engaging with different people, disciplines and cultures. I assume that the people I encounter know more than me and can teach me something. Even the friction of reconciling conflicting perspectives and opinions is invigorating.

Having a reciprocal listening style creates connection and social currency and from that comes greater visibility online. That’s how I cultivate a relevant and robust network. My mindset assumes abundance not scarcity.

Worry not that no one knows you, seek to be worth knowing. –Confucius

In many cases, I see more value in my weaker social ties than I do my stronger ties. Why?

In sociology. the “strength of weak ties” is a well-established principle that helps us understand how information flows through a social network. Think of interpersonal ties as information-carrying connections between people like you and I. The quality of our “tie” is either strong, weak or absent. Gaining a deeper understanding for how personal network operates enables you to more strategically deploy that network to generate online word-of-mouth referrals.

“Indeed, it might not be who or what you know that creates advantage, but rather more simply, who you become by dint of how you hang out—the disadvantaged hang out with folks just like themselves, while the advantaged engage folks of diverse opinion and practice.”

That’s a Ronald S. Burt quote. He’s the author of Neighbor Networks: Competitive Advantage Local and Personal and a Professor of Sociology and Strategy at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Social Media in many ways simplifies and accelerates our ability to leverage our weaker social ties. But as Don Pepper notes,

…Most of us aren’t very strategic when it comes to the best way to take advantage of the enormous potential of our own social networks.

Tapping into weaker ties is strategic and needs to be part of any serious business development plan. The best way to understand how to leverage these weak ties is by example:

  1. Job hunting. In a 1973 landmark study called, The Strength of Weak Ties, Mark Granovetter of John Hopkins University, found that the best leads for job opportunities are more likely to come from your more distant acquaintances (weak ties) rather than your close friends (strong ties). Why? As explained by Cornell professors, David Easley and Jon Kleinberg in Networks, Crowds, and Markets, “The closely-knit groups that you belong to, though they are filled with people eager to help, are also filled with people who know roughly the same things that you do.” The point: our distant acquaintances have the ability to expose you to job openings that you and your friends just can’t know about.
  2. Deal flow. Venture capital firms that share details about investment strategy secure access to more opportunities that they would otherwise. The research published in the Harvard Business Review shows that these VCs “more than make up for whatever competitive edge they lose by giving outsiders a peek at what they’re up to.” The point: top-performing VCs are using social media to discuss the “very information they once held close to the vest” in order to leverage weak ties to improve deal flow.
  3. B2B professional services. Think about generating new business in the B2B space or expensive purchases. In The Unexpected Way To Use Your Social Network Strategically, Don Pepper counsels that “if you use a straight-ahead business-development plan, you’ll develop a laundry list of leads and opportunities to be followed up. While this can be useful, the truth is that a great deal of such business comes in via the referral of others. And how can you increase your access to such referrals? You guessed it–by concentrating on your weak ties, rather than on your strong ties. By developing your own network of industry colleagues and blog or Twitter followers, for instance, you get access to their connections with others.” The idea is to arm your weak-tie prospects “with the tools necessary to appeal to their own networks.”
  4. Brown-nosing. Stop the brown-nosing. As Pepper points out, “it’s long been thought that the best way to get ahead is to hitch your wagon to a senior star” but Professor Burt’s book, Neighbor Networks, debunks this myth. Burt suggests that there’s “no advantage at all to having well-connected friends.” According to Burk and Pepper you’re better off developing and maintaining a diverse range of relationships to ensure healthy, stimulating “exposure to diverse ideas and behaviors.”

Remember,

Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them. –A.A. Milne (Winnie-the-Pooh)

So, find a way to be visible online. Listen to your weaker social ties and follow them. Share your knowledge and expertise to demonstrate that you are “worth knowing.” Seek out diversity. Be open to new concepts, ideas and people.

Like Pepper says, the whole point is to arm your “weak-tie prospects with the tools necessary to appeal to their own networks.”

How you are strategically using your personal network to grow your business? I love to hear your thoughts and perspectives.

Weak-Strong-Absent image courtesy of Wikipedia

The Power of Online Word-of-Mouth in the Social Networking Era (Ignore at Your Peril)

By Kevin McKeown on Posted in Business Development, Relationships, Social Networking, Strategy

I realize that the concept of word-of-mouth happening online in a digital 24×7 world may feel messy and confusing especially for professionals. Still, the immense commercial value of billions of people connecting, engaging and sharing across massive, fluid networks can’t be overlooked.

Cartoon courtesy of xkcd

Online word-of-mouth via a Blog, Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, email, list services, chat rooms or instant messages may not feel like that face-to-face word-of-mouth you’re used to but the ability to influence buying decisions is the same.

So, accepting that “word-of-mouth” does happen ONLINE is key for making your business development and marketing strategy hum in the social networking era.

You either have visibility online or you don’t.

In fact, even when conversations start face-to-face, the ubiquity of Internet-enabled devices and social media platforms ensures that those conversations originating offline get finished online.

Frankly, even if you talk with me offline and suggest an interesting new strategy or idea for a service that might benefit me the first thing I would do is then use Google to conduct additional research.  –Brafton (survey response)

Judge from your own experience. Word-of-mouth is the single most powerful force for helping you obtain information and make decisions on what services or products to buy. Consider:

  • Family and friend recommendations trump everything for influencing purchasing.  –Ad Age
  • 90% of online consumers trust recommendations from people they know.  –Econsultancy
  • 83 percent of B2B buyers go online channels to research B2B brands.  –Mischa Stephens
  • 91% of B2B buyers confirm that “word-of-mouth” is the most important influencing factor in the buying process.  –Greentarget
  • Entrepreneurs say blogs are the second-leading influencer on their purchase decisions (following only personal recommendations).  –Ivy Worldwide
With billions of people using social media literally every minute of every day, the only real question that remains is whether your marketing efforts are part of their interactions.  –Jake Hird 
In my next post, I’ll talk about how my personal network operates in the context of online word-of-mouth. It may not be what you think.

When the Customer Experience and Marketing Intersect

By Kevin McKeown on Posted in Leadership, Organizational Development, Relationships, Strategy

Sometimes the fewest words make the strongest point.  For instance,

No amount of marketing genius will correct a bad customer experience. Large or small, virtual or face-to-face, what your market experiences in connection with your product or service IS your marketing. –Eric Fletcher

Powerful, right? From that post, Eric goes on to say:

“For every business, customer experience and marketing inevitably intersect. More often than not, they merge; and the experience you deliver morphs into the most important marketing you will ever do. 

The receptionist, the accounts payable call, the usability of a web site, the first impression of an invoice, the message delivered in the face of a problem — just a few moments in the experience of a customer that communicate with disproportionate impact.”

His blog, Marketing Brain Fodder, is a healthy, insightful preoccupation with “…the multi-faceted discussion of marketing and business development.” I consider Eric to be one of my key influencers.  I’m also proud to say that Eric is my client. You can find his blog featured in LXBN from time-to-time.

Thanks for your leadership, Eric. I also tip my hat to Alicia Arenas. Her tweet tonight exposed me to Eric’s post.

Eric is Chief Marketing Officer for McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC, a national business law firm, with ten offices across the U.S. He has spent the past dozen years as a marketing executive in the legal industry. He is a frequent speaker, writer and blogger, and a regular contributor to Social Media Marketing Magazine and The Social CMO.

 

Your Future Clients Are Looking For You Online: Are You Visible?

By Kevin McKeown on Posted in Business Development, Relationships, Social Networking, Strategy

Why should I care that 52% of the world’s population is under the age of 30 or that Gen Y outnumbered baby boomers back in July of 2010?

I care because these people are my future clients and if you’re a professional (lawyer, accountant, consultant) these young folks are also your future clients.

Here’s what not to do:

Don’t be that fuddy-duddy who unconsciously references your experiences, values and habits to make sense of the new Social Era. These future clients started interacting with technology at an early age. You didn’t. Get over it. If you want to earn their trust and their business you need to understand their world not yours. You need to be where they are.

Consider:

  • Their world is driven by social media and online networking. Source: Kevin McKeown’s Powers of Observation
  • 96% of Generation Y have used social media tools. Source: Trendspotting
  • 1/3 of adults under 30 get their news from social media tools. Source: Pew
  • They view “communication” differently–not in-person, over-the-phone or email but exchanging messages online all the time via text or Twitter. Source: Kara McKenna and Jenna Tomko

Who the heck are Kara and Jenna? They’re part of that 52% in their late 20s. Talk to them. Visit their blog. They will verify my bullets and so will Erik Qualman.

What’s Kara perspective?

Today, I could follow [a] person on Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin and start to learn the things that they care about – get a sense for who they are…Getting to know someone with the tools online can be the equivalent of a handful of F2F coffee or lunch meetings.

And, Jenna?

I google people all the time before I meet with them, and I’m sure they do the same to me. It is so important for every professional to have a handle on their Internet identity.

My point? You need to be visible online. Don’t fight the numbers. Don’t ignore the trends. Be where you future clients are. Period. You need to cultivate trust and connections via the Internet these days.

BTW, don’t look at the Internet as just another marketing channel for securing new Gen Y clients. According to an analysis of 4,200 companies by the McKinsey Global Institute, social technologies stand to unlock from $900 billion to $1.3 trillion in value. How so?

MGI estimates suggest “that by fully implementing social technologies, companies have an opportunity to raise the productivity of interaction workers—high-skill knowledge workers, including managers and professionals—by 20 to 25 percent.”

If you’re involved in B2B professional services and you want to make money, you ought to thumb through that report.

 Photo: Kara & Jenna