After being in the legal field for a few years, you may get a little bored. You’re tired of handling small cases that don’t bring in all that much revenue for your firm. You want to start bringing in bigger-name clients, specifically corporate clients.
Lawyers can get corporate clients at networking events like summits and conferences, with 100% of people believing face-to-face interactions help with long-term business relationships. LinkedIn, strategic online marketing, and referrals can also help you to get corporate clients.
The chances of you accidentally running into a corporate bigwig while on a stroll in the park is slim to none. You’re going to have to work hard to get these clients to work with your firm. So, let’s talk about where lawyers can get corporate clients.
There are a few things you need to keep in mind when it comes to finding corporate clients.
First off, don’t shoot for the stars just yet. If your law firm currently only has three lawyers and only works on small-sum settlements, then reaching out to massive corporations like Amazon or Walmart that face million-dollar lawsuits probably won’t get you a corporate client.
Most importantly, you need to actually get in contact with some of the more powerful people at major corporations. So somehow meeting a part-time receptionist for a Fortune 500 company at a dinner party likely won’t help much either.
Though technology is clearly changing the way we communicate as humans, there’s something to be said for face-to-face interactions. In fact, the research shows that just about 100% of people depend on face-to-face meetings to build long-term relationships in the business world.
A networking event like a summit or a professional conference may attract hundreds or even thousands of business professionals from near and far. What’s even better is that those who attend networking events typically take their career and business quite seriously.
You may end up befriending a future CEO.
Yet, just attending one of these events and handing out a few business cards won’t guarantee corporate clients, let alone leads for your firm. Here are some tips for maximizing your time spent at networking events:
To find these networking events near you, it’s best to check your local Chamber of Commerce first. They often host business summits that attract local business owners as well as some corporate representation. Databases like 10Times may also have events in your area.
Nervous about meeting new people or being in large crowds? Here’s a video reviewing some tips to make the most out of your networking events!
You probably remember creating a profile on LinkedIn while you were in law school or applying for positions at local law firms. What you may not know is that LinkedIn currently has nearly 700 million users and that 92% of Fortune 500 companies are currently on the site.
If you can secure a few connections, you may just lock down your first corporate client. It’s how you represent yourself on LinkedIn that’ll make a world of difference. Here’s how you can use LinkedIn to get corporate clients as a lawyer:
You can bet that corporate bigshots are fielding random LinkedIn requests and messages left and right. So instead of outright asking corporate leaders to hire your firm, it’s best to let the relationships flourish naturally.
In all honesty, most large businesses already have a team of lawyers on speed dial when legal issues arise. That means you won’t have a CEO of a Fortune 500 company searching for “corporate lawyers in California” for legal advice.
Whether your ideal corporate client is a massive business on the West Coast or one that’s still growing in your hometown, you need to be sure that they know who you are. This can be done through marketing tactics.
Luckily, marketing can be either direct or indirect. Here are some tips for how you can market your law firm to get corporate clients:
If you know a little bit about marketing, you know about the “Rule of 7.” Your ideal future client may have to see your name or your content at least seven times before deciding to contact you. That means it’s important to stay consistent with your marketing and play the long-game.
Hiring a lawyer and working a lawsuit through the court system might cost a businessman millions of dollars. Corporate clients would much rather hire a lawyer with a great reputation that can guarantee a “win” in the courts.
A great way to do that is via referrals.
Referrals will come from past clients that were satisfied working one-on-one with your firm. When a corporate client hears about your performance from somebody they trust, they’ll be more likely to hire you. Here’s what you need to know about getting referrals:
Most who hire a lawyer will turn to family, friends, or other laws to get advice on who to hire. The best way to lockdown referrals and guarantee corporate clients now or in the future is by giving all of your clients experiences worth writing home about.
There are plenty of ways to get corporate clients, all of which takes hard work and a good amount of time. So, here are a few additional tips for getting corporate clients for your law firm:
No matter which method you choose, be sure to stick to it. This is the best way to ensure success for your firm.
In many cases, it’s rare for a corporation or large business to select a smaller law firm to represent them in the courtroom. That means you need to put in the effort to prove that these corporate clients can trust you with their business’ future. Therefore, it’s a good idea to start working with smaller local businesses first and then working your way up the ladder.
