A long time ago I worked for a guy who talked a great game. He talked about a workplace with great culture…about transparency and trust…about being the kind of place the best and brightest wanted to work. That’s what he said. But he rarely delivered. Once every couple of weeks he would make the rounds, … Continue Reading
It was, to paraphrase, not the best of times. But it served to remind me that, when it comes to marketing, talk is cheap; and the experience delivered is as eloquent a marketing message as there is. We were moving, and Dave was selling the services of a moving company. His pitch struck all the right chords. … Continue Reading
When marketing first inched its way into the legal industry, the mere announcement of capabilities seemed to serve a firm’s needs. As competition increased, the function evolved to include advertising, public relations, the new media, and the support and tools associated with a business development capability. As we deal with what seems to be constant, … Continue Reading
Few things have the marketing impact of an unsolicited referral. Fewer still, the long term consequences of an unwavering commitment to excellence. Possibly because it is so rare. We were a party of four waiting for lunch in a Nashville restaurant that had come highly recommended by a friend. The company was good and conversation lively; … Continue Reading
The reception counter was large enough for three or four greeters to stand behind it in wait. There was only one. And she was scowling. I was with two friends as we approached the Greeter at the neighborhood location of a rapidly expanding restaurant franchise. Maybe the mere size of the desk, staged as an … Continue Reading
Marshall McLuhan — a godfather of 20th-century communication theory — characterized one of the challenges inherent in connecting when he coined the phrase “the medium is the message.” Seth Godin hit on it from a different angle in his timely post today, Get Over Yourself. Given the timing — the 1960’s, in North America — … Continue Reading
No one likes to lose. Whether a single game, or a season’s campaign…a friendly wager, or betting the farm…a skirmish, or a war…even a conversation or a debate — winning has become a definitive measure of success. We want to win. A winning attitude is an asset to be prized in colleagues, and cultivated in … Continue Reading
Marketing communication promises the world. Client-centered, value driven, deep experience and state-of-the-industry expertise. Even a cursory glance at web sites will turn up scores of variations on a client-centered theme. But let’s be honest; at times the experience doesn’t square with the marketing message. Here’s a story of one time when the experience and the … Continue Reading
Today’s marketing professional has an impressive tool kit at the ready. In addition to the staples of the past half-century or so, technology has created a whole new set that seductively promises to change the arithmetic and shrink things to manageable size. Where the world used to be an accessible oyster for those with the … Continue Reading
A friend of mine who is fond of tweaking me at every opportunity used to frequently chirp, “I’m sorry Eric. What you do speaks so loud, I can’t hear what you say.” The older I become, the more I believe that this strikes at the heart of one of the half-dozen greatest challenges we face. … Continue Reading
Perhaps it stems from the slightest possibility that an enormous “bang” gave shape to a vast universe. Or, maybe more likely, it is the byproduct of witnessing seemingly single events turn history on its ear in the nick of time. Regardless of the origin, law firm marketing plans often seem deeply rooted in the belief … Continue Reading
