Chapter 7 and 13 Bankruptcy Blog

Marketing needs to be integrated into your day-to-day business functions; not done as something you dread, like accounting and taking out the trash.  The following are a few tips to help you establish ongoing marketing structures for the growth of your business or law firm.  Once they become a part of your structure, it will become easier for you to implement.

** Check business-related emails daily (preferably several times a day) and respond to inquiries immediately.

** Be sure to answer all emails with a professional tone or potential clients will not place any faith in your experience and knowledge.

** Never post PERSONAL information on Facebook and Twitter if you do not want your clients to see what you post.  Instead, post comments or announcements pertaining to your business at least 2 or 3 times per week on Facebook and Twitter for additional exposure.

** Always have links to your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts on every page of your website so that people can quickly follow you. Subscribing to ezines is quickly become obsolete because they were mostly filled with high pressure sales.  Instead, they are being replaced by social networking which is virtually the free way to market in 2010.

** Continually build your LinkedIn business group list.  Set a goal of 500 or more followers who are specifically within your specific target market.

** When you receive emails from people within your target market, add them as a connection to your LinkedIn list by copying and pasting their email address into the INVITE screen of LinkedIn.

** Set up Google alerts to be notified if anyone mentions your company (or you) on the internet.  Take time to research information about other virtual assistants with the ideas of either networking together or learning from them so you can improve upon your own services as well as your website. To set up a free Google alert, visit http://www.google.com/alerts

** Enroll in online internet marketing classes as often as you can.  This helps you to keep up to date with new trends and the internet marketing world; while improving your marketing skills.  One of the best is at:  http://www.websitemagazine.com/marketmotive/

** Join MeetUp groups in your area for small business and entrepreneurs and attend them.  Also, if there are any paralegal MeetUp groups or organizations you can join within your field, do that also.  But do not just join and read a newsletter or two.  Take an active role by attending meetings and networking with group members.  Check out http://www.meetup.com ** Write about your experiences that are related to your specific business or law firm on a weekly basis.  Post this information to your blog, which should have a separate website of its own.  We recommend you install WordPress software with the domain so it will be easy for you to update frequently or set up one online free at http://wordpress.com/ These are just a few tips to get you started.  However, implementing ongoing marketing techniques into your day to day business or law firm will certainly make a large difference in your profits and the growth of your enterprise.

For marketing assistance and other ideas, you may want to schedule a telephone conference with the author of this article: Victoria Ring.  Rates are currently $125 per hour and you can reach her by email at victoriaring1958@gmail.com or by calling 719-659-0743

Remember the old saying: A picture is worth a thousand words? Well, a video is worth 10 million words. Videos are essential not only as learning tools but in establishing customer trust which is a big plus in marketing.

Personally I use videos not only for marketing but also in the development of training videos for My Bankruptcy School. Videos have been the top marketing tool that has established my brand and the information below will help you to do the same.

CAMERA OR SCREEN CAPTURE SOFTWARE

If you are making a video where you are talking to the audience The Flip camera is my favorite but your camcorder may also do just fine. The Flip camera is simple to use and does not have all the bells and whistles that you do not need for making simple online videos. Check out:

http://www.theflip.com/en-us/

If you are going to produce a video where you are providing online computer demonstrations the best screen capturing software on the market is Camtasia by Tech Smith but Microsoft also has a free version. Check out:

Camtasia Free Trial http://www.techsmith.com/

Microsoft Free Screen Recorder http://snipurl.com/screenrecorder

MICROPHONE

If you are making a video with your camcorder or The Flip camera, the audio is normally very poor for videos. Your camera needs to have an external microphone where you can plug in a lavalier microphone which can be purchased at any Radio Shack for $20 or so.

If you are making a video with screen capturing software, I prefer the Snowball microphone but a good headset mic with a solid USB connection (not wireless) will do a great job also.  Check out:

The Snowball http://www.bluemic.com/snowball/

Logitech ClearChat™ Comfort USB http://www.logitech.com/en-us/webcam-communications/internet-headsets-phones/devices/3621

EDITING SOFTWARE

Once you have produced your video you will need to edit it and produce it into a format for viewing on the web. If you purchase Camtasia, the editing software is already built into the program, but there are many free choices as well as software you can purchase. Check out:

Windows Live Movie Maker Software http://explore.live.com/windows-live-movie-maker

Video Pad Software http://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/

Sony Vegas (used by professionals) http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegassoftware

MARKETING YOUR VIDEO

For marketing, your video should not be longer than 10 minutes, preferably 5 or 6 minutes tops. Below are the links to to the most popular video sites to upload your videos free to share with the world. Just create a free account, login and upload your videos. Step by step instructions are provided all the way:

http://www.youtube.com http://www.vimeo.com http://www.myspace.com/videos http://video.yahoo.com/ http://www.dailymotion.com/us

EXAMPLES TO GET YOU STARTED

Now that you are familiar with all the tools you need to produce your video, you still need some sample videos to view to get some ideas. Below are some that I think will help:

Bankruptcy Attorney Law Firm http://youtu.be/hJxjh6IQQMs

Paralegal Services http://youtu.be/wVfWj2sDx1Q

Virtual Assistants http://youtu.be/ryDs-Nankt8

Screen Captured Training Videos http://www.youtube.com/user/msvictoriaring

ADVANCE YOUR SKILLS

When I first started producing my own videos I enrolled in the Web Video University and cannot recommend it highly enough. Check it out at:

http://webvideouniversity.com/

Below is a link to a video produced by Web Video University that shows you the simplicity of how to make video galleries on your blog. This will give you a better idea of the excellent training provided:

http://webvideouniversity.com/podcast/video/2011/03/11/how-to-quickly-add-video-galleries-to-wordpress-blogs/

HAVE FUN! VIDEO WILL DEFINITELY HELP YOU SELL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND PLACE YOU ABOVE YOUR COMPETITION.

My staff and I just opened a new training office in Pueblo, Colorado.  Please update your records to the following:

Pueblo, Colorado 81001 Office: 719-696-8014

This office provides advanced training for attorneys (and those working for attorneys) in the bankruptcy field to advance their skills and knowledge in all areas to best benefit the law firm.

For example: Our next training session is scheduled for March 2-3 with an attorney who is flying in from Sacramento. I will spend 2 days setting up her law firm and training her in a wide variety of different techniques to streamline her operations.

When the attorney returns to her office she will be ready to accept clients because all her office procedures and marketing will be in place. Then, I can assist her remotely for any length of time, assisting her with actual cases and walking her through the entire process with her first client.

The cost for personalized, advanced training is a very affordable $850 per day. Most attorneys only need 2 days of training but 3 days is available if needed. Although most attorneys fly into Denver where we pick them up and take them to the training location, there are other law firms who will fly us to their location so that the attorney, as well as the entire staff can be trained at one time.

If you would like to discuss these options for your law firm please visit: http://www.victoria-ring.com or call me personally at 719-696-8014.

Remember: There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.

Victoria Ring Certified Paralegal and Business Coach

It does not matter if you are trying to market your services as an attorney or market your services as a virtual assistant; the marketing approach is still the same. However, many beginners consistently make the same mistake and hopefully this article will help you to change your marketing approach.

The one major mistake that people make with marketing is telling their potential customer how great and wonderful they are. Instead, a good marketer NEVER talks about their company or their background (unless a resume is posted on the website) but instead focuses solely on the needs of the potential customer.

We recently had a student come to Colorado for personalized training in marketing and growing their business. One of the first marketing lessons I taught him was taking him to a restaurant.  I said: How would you feel if the waitress walked up to our table and instead of asking us what we wanted to order, she told us about her background, how long she had been a waitress, how many classes she had taken and how much she loved being a waitress?

The student said he did not care about the background and experience of the waitress; he only wanted a cup of coffee and a donut.  The same truth applies to announcements, articles, advertisements, press releases, or anything else pertaining to our businesses. ALWAYS put the customer FIRST, FOREMOST and IN FRONT if you want to build a successful business. If you spend time talking about yourself, your business will fail; plain and simple.

Here is another example to help you:

AN EXAMPLE OF BAD MARKETING

I would like to offer my services to you. I have over three years working as independent legal professional for a U.S. attorney who is practicing, among others, Bankruptcy Law in Virginia and Maryland USA. I have extensive experience in completing Bankruptcy on EZ filing software. I believe you are aware of the benefits of outsourcing, not the least of which is the financial benefits to you.

For $3/hour, I assure you of my competence in preparing Bankruptcy documents with due diligence using EZ filing software. If you feel there is a mutual interest, I would welcome the opportunity to showcase my competence with you.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

ANALYSIS

1.  Due to the spelling and grammar mistakes, this indicates that this person does not provide accuracy.

2.  The person spends too much time talking about their background, not how the customer can benefit.

3.  The person states they will work for $3 per hour when the industry standard is currently $75 to $125; therefore, this person would never be taken seriously.

4.  This person assumes her customer knows everything instead of providing information.  For example, in the sentence: I believe you are aware of the benefits of outsourcing. (Why not tell us about the benefits instead of talking about yourself? This is insulting to the clients.)

5.  This person is limited to EZ Filing software. If a potential customer uses Bankruptcy 2011 software, they would never contact this person.

AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD MARKETING

Increase your bankruptcy law firm profits by 400% or more by utilizing My Company for your Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 paralegal needs. For find out more about the benefits your law firm can receive and to get started now, visit: www.mycompany.com

SUMMARY

I strongly urge people who are marketing but not achieving success to begin their initial training by reading the advertisements, brochures and other marketing materials of successful companies (not unsuccessful ones.) Then, take a few hours and watch QVC on television.  These are free and simple ways to learn how to present benefit after benefit after benefit of your services to the potential customer.

Bottom line: Take your eyes off yourself and your needs and focus on the needs of YOUR CUSTOMER 100% of the time.  I wish you the best of marketing success.

http://www.victoria-ring.com

Hi Everyone

Today is January 1, 2011 and I thought I would write a personal note to all my readers and subscribers instead of simply sending a greeting. However, I want to wish you a happy holiday season and I hope you and your family had many blessings.

I also have had many blessings.  In fact, my whole world changed in the past 30 days and I thought I would share the experience with you so you may receive a blessing also.

In late November I accidently fell in my home twice.  Both times, I was unable to get up because I had no feeling in my knees.  This experience scared me and I immediately called my doctor.  After an examination I learned that the pain in my hips and knees was caused from inactivity and I needed to begin some type of therapy or I would be in a wheelchair.

Due to the fact that I have no health insurance and cannot afford to pay a hospital for daily therapy, I decided to look for a diabetic therapist who needed a roommate.  This way I could reduce my expenses and receive the benefit of daily therapy.

Note:  I know this sounds like it would be hard to locate a person with this criteria, but it requires the same skill level as targeting your customers when building a business.  You define exactly the type of person you want to find and you do not stop until you find that person or customer group.

Within just a few days of searching on Roommates.Com and Craigs List, I found several prospects in my age group.  I contacted them and chose a good Christian lady named Dee who has a kind heart.  But there was one possible problem; she lived on a 10 acre ranch with horses and virgin forests in the most beautiful area of Colorado.  Why is this a problem?  I was born and raised a city girl.  When I moved to Colorado Springs I thought it was living in a small town; but I soon discovered that nothing could compare to living in the country.

However, after visiting beautiful Custer County I fell in love with it.  In fact, I loved it so much that I decided to make any adjustments necessary to move in and become Dee’s roommate.  But let me tell you, there has been some big adjustments.  For example, I wanted to go to my bank to make a deposit.  The closest branch location for my bank was in Pueblo.  The sign on the highway said that Pueblo was 56 miles away; however, when you are driving on 2 lane mountain roads with sharp turns and no guard rails, the fastest you can drive is 15 miles per hour.  This means that to travel 56 miles takes almost 2 hours, not 1 hour.

Next, it is taking me a lot of time adjusting from man-made lights to God-made lights (stars and moon.)  Although I must say that the God-made lights are much more beautiful, it still takes some getting used to.  At this point I am not able to drive in the dark; which means that when I leave the house, I have to make sure I have enough time to do what I have to do and get back before dark.

Oh well … I am sure that everything will work out fine and I will learn a new way of life in 2011.  I cannot wait to start horseback riding and begin exercising every day.  My roommate runs a horse rescue and after restoring the horses back to health, she provides them to ranches where children with cerebral palsy and other health problems ride and take care of them for therapy also.  It is a wonderful thing that Dee does and it does my soul good to be a part of it.

So you see …  what started out as a big problem (loss of my hips and legs) has turned into a life changing event where I am richly blessed.  As a Christian I thank Jesus Christ for His blessings. Others who do not worship Jesus Christ will look at my experience differently.  However, if you take anything away from this article, take away this one lesson:

Looking at the positive instead of the negative will cause positive things to happen.

PHOTOS

If you are interested in viewing some photos of the area surrounding my new home, visit: http://www.mywestcliffe.com/videos/custer_county_1/westcliffe3.html In 2011, I am going to offer personalized training options so that people can bring their families here for vacation if they want, or come alone and stay in one of the beautiful bed and breakfast inns close to my home.  I provide transportation and all your meals while you are trained in any areas you need.  This includes setting up a new practice, operations and procedures, marketing, as well as petition preparation and advanced levels of pleading work.  If this is a service you would be interested in, please email victoriaring1958@gmail.com or call 719-783-3797.

Happy New Year 2011

CONFESSION: I am guilty of using LinkedIn and Facebook strictly for marketing.  Boy, was I wrong.  My mistake was caused from the fact that I had prior knowledge from the old school of how to prepare a press release so that it is presented as a news item rather than an advertisement.  Therefore, I applied this same mindset to social networking on LinkedIn and Facebook.  Big mistake!!  And by writing this short article I hope to prevent you from making the same mistake I did.

First of all, posting news-type items in groups with a lead back to your website is still an effective way to market.  This form of marketing is called the two-step method.  Step 1: You hook the reader with an interesting headline and story; Step 2: they visit your website for more information.  While they are at your website they notice other products or services you offer and they become a customer or client.

The two-step method is highly effective for service businesses because a service business is much more personable compared to the retail world.  And, the two-step method is also essential in pre-qualifying customers.  Only people interested in what you offer will visit your website in the first place and only people who are really, really, really interested in your offer will place an order with you.  That level of pre-qualifying potential customers is often not achieved as easily using other methods of marketing.

However, after almost a year of heavy duty marketing on LinkedIn and Facebook (which means that I marketed 4-5 hours every day for almost a year) I had mediocre results.  I certainly wanted to know the reason why and correct the error, but where would I begin my research?

One day I was posting to my groups on Facebook and a warning message came up.  It said that I may be spamming and I needed to stop.  I did not understand what the message meant so I continued posting to each one of my groups.  Suddenly a new message popped up from Facebook telling me that I would be banned from posting to my groups for at least 3 days.  I did not understand what I was doing wrong. Facebook does not tell you that.  Even when I did a search in the help files of Facebook I could not find anything relating to my problem.  I left the Facebook website bewildered, addled and unaware of what just happened.

With LinkedIn I never received a warning message; so I continued to post to my groups and followers there instead.  One day I was reading messages that people posted from groups that I belong to.  I found a question posted by an attorney that I knew the answer to.  I replied and told her the source I used to solve her problem.  The attorney was very grateful and my answer became the Pick of the Week. It moved to the front of the group page and I received a 78% increase in the amount of traffic to my website compared to when I posted a discussion versus replying to a post.

This is how I discovered the secret to marketing on LinkedIn, Facebook and any other social networking service.  You must treat your groups in the same way you would attend a business meeting.  You enter the room (join the group), socialize with others (read and respond to posts) and exchange business cards (post a link to your website.)

Start utilizing this marketing technique and you will see the difference.  I wish you and your business the best of success.

Contact the Author

Victoria Ring is a Certified Paralegal and Bankruptcy Specialist. She is the developer of the virtual bankruptcy assistant field and the founder of MyBankruptcySchool.Com which provides training and support for attorneys and legal professionals working in the Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 debtor bankruptcy arena.  For more information visit http://www.victoria-ring.com

Just like Sears would never ask JC Penny how to price their products, I cannot tell you what prices you should charge for your services.  The best advice I can give is to play with prices until you find the right price that works for you and earns your law firm or service business a profit.  Your overhead expenses and profit margins are different from mine and everyone else.  That is why YOU need to set your own prices and not rely on others to do it for you.  And also remember:  NEVER alter your prices just to make a sale.  Some attorneys and virtual assistants who are only interested in prices (not quality) will only be focused on price and paying the cheapest amount they can find.  These are normally not people you want to do business with or build your company with anyway.

Let me give you an example: I received an email inquiry from a law firm asking me to provide them with a price for preparing their bankruptcy petitions.

The first thing I did was to call the attorney on the phone and find out exactly what they needed. I was not able to speak to the attorney but I spoke to his wife, who works for him in his office. The attorney’s wife explained that their main petition preparer was going to be on maternity leave for a few weeks. They wanted someone who was skilled in preparing bankruptcy petitions to step in while she was gone.

From this information, experience told me there would be problems with the pricing. Most law firms are use to paying an employee $10 or $12 an hour; so quoting an attorney a flat fee of $500 or more was going to blow their mind. However, I was in the mood to present my sales approach to see what would happen.

First of all I explained the benefits of using my virtual bankruptcy assistant services. Not only would the petition be compiled, my services also included an online asset search, lien search, criminal search, client intake interview as well as amendments that needed prepared throughout the life of the case. After building up all the benefits and expanding on how my services were different compared to an in-house employee, I told the attorney’s wife the price would fluctuate depending on the assets and liabilities of the debtor. But as a ball park figure, the fee would be no more than 25 percent of the attorney fee.

Immediately the attorney’s wife said she would talk to her husband. I knew right then and there that she was not happy with the price. How did I know? Because if she would have been interested in my services she would have asked me questions and sought out details of how my work would be performed. Instead, as soon as she learned my price she dropped the ball and found an excuse to get off the phone. These are things you need to look for when marketing your service business.

Now, some beginners at this point would have felt bad. They would have felt compelled to lower their prices just to get the sale. One virtual assistant I met did just that. In fact, she lowered her fee down to $100 and the bankruptcy attorney took advantage of her. While the attorney made $2,500 for every petition, he paid her only $100 and she did all her work as well as the attorney’s work. This is modern day slave labor and an attorney who is dirty enough to do this is not an attorney I would want to be working for.

Did I feel bad when the attorney’s wife turned me down and never returned my call? Of course not. In fact, just to prove my theory I waited a week and sent the attorney’s wife the following email: “We spoke last week regarding your paralegal that is going on maternity leave soon. I wanted to follow up and see if you were still interested in my services of preparing your bankruptcy petitions while she is away.”

Her response was almost immediate and it was harsh; “We found someone much cheaper than you!”

This type of response told me that my first assumption was correct. I certainly would not want to work with someone with these major personality issues.  A remark like this told me the attorney’s wife was angry inside and wanted to inflict as much pain as she could on someone else in order to relieve that anger. But instead of inflicting pain, her response only revealed her true character. It was clearly evident the attorney’s wife was NOT a professional. Even if she was not happy with my prices, she would have thanked me for the follow up and politely told me they had decided to pursue another solution.  Or, if she was still interested in my services but thought the prices were too high, she would have called and attempted to negotiate a different price with me. This would have been professional behavior.

In fact, I had another attorney do the same thing to me. He said he could not afford my prices but asked me how much I would charge if I did not do any online searches or client intake interviews. This lowered his per petition cost significantly and we worked out a price that was fair and reasonable to accommodate him.  These types of negotiations are common in business and if someone does not try to implement them, it shows you immediately they are not business savvy people.

WORD OF ADVICE FOR ATTORNEYS

Even though I am a virtual assistant and I have written this article with a virtual assistant slant, attorneys can learn from this information also.  When hiring an employee to work in your office or a contract virtual bankruptcy assistant, never base your decision to hire them on price alone.  In a service business, when the main focus is providing service to clients, you need to find people who are personable, caring and eager to help others.  This will help your law firm to grow and prosper much better than hiring someone who will work cheap.

In addition, all attorneys need to price their services according to the complexity of the case.  Naturally a debtor with no assets, no mortgage, little debts and no lawsuits filed against them will be a much easier bankruptcy petition to prepare compared to one where a debtor owns 11 homes and all of them are in foreclosure.  Because attorneys price their services according to the complexity of the case, virtual assistants preparing bankruptcy petitions for attorneys should also price their services according to the complexity of the case.

MORAL OF THE STORY

Do a search in any lawyer directory and you will find there are hundreds if not thousands of bankruptcy attorneys in almost every city and town within the United States. As a trained, professional virtual bankruptcy assistant, you save attorneys a great deal of money and you have GREAT WORTH. You help to eliminate paperwork and deficiency notices. You assist the federal bankruptcy court in eliminating time and increasing their efficiency. Your skills are not to be discounted to a low grade level. As I said before, if an attorney chastises you for the prices you charge, this is not an attorney you want to work with. There are plenty of attorneys who will recognize the fact of how you will benefit his or her law firm and appreciate you for the professional you are.

Remember: Providing good services to good people is how you build a long-lasting career in any service business.

REFERENCE LINKS

Attorney Marketing Links Add Your Website to Our Directory Enroll in MyBankruptcySchool and Enjoy a Marketing Course Built Into the Curriculum

I receive many phone calls and emails from attorneys who ask:

1.  Who can I get to design my web site?

2.  How can I market my website?

Most attorneys still believe they need to pay a web designer thousands of dollars to design their website or spend thousands of hours doing the job themselves.   This scenario naturally would have any attorney afraid to believe they can actually design and control their own website; so they relinquish control to other companies who claim to do the job for them; often resulting in very poor responses from potential clients.

But there is a solution to this dilemma.  Within the past year, WordPress (originally intended to be blogging software) has become a very popular software to build a web site.  And building a website in blogging software also enhances and greatly improves your search engine traffic, resulting in more awareness from your clients than the national law firm directory websites can normally offer.

DO BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEYS NEED TO MARKET THEIR WEBSITE?

If your law firm serves primarily consumers seeking to file Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy, you may be wasting advertising dollars if you think you can find clients by solely marketing your website.  Many attorneys have invested thousands of dollars into designing a website, hoping it will bring them a lot of business, only to be extremely disappointed.

Another disappointment is for attorneys who pay web designers to design overly corporate-looking websites with moving Flash elements, convinced by the web designer that this would be the best way to attract new clients.  But unless the web designer has experience working in Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy law, they know nothing about who your client is and what attracts them.  So, how can the web designer build you an effective website specifically for your audience?  They cannot.

HOW CAN ATTORNEYS ATTRACT CLIENTS?

First of all, attorneys need to identify with a very important fact they already know:  Attorneys do not need national advertising of their websites.  Instead, a law firm serves the local residents of the state; therefore, your potential clients exist all around you.  There are actually a billion ways for an attorney like you to attract clients in your state and local area; but this article will not focus on this broad issue.  Right now we need to focus on developing a bankruptcy law firm website and marketing it.

Secondly, potential clients do not need to visit a website filled with a lot of bells and whistles and moving animations.  All Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy clients need to know are:

1.  Where your office is located. 2.  Your contact information plus a photo to know who you are. 3.  A list of the documents they need to bring with them to your office. 4.  Some basic information about filing bankruptcy. 5.  How much you charge for filing their bankruptcy petition.

This means that a bankruptcy attorney seeking to find clients in their state or immediate area, normally only needs a five page (or less) website.  A five page website like the one detailed above should not take longer than three or four hours using WordPress.  In fact, if designing websites is not your thing, your daughter, son or other relative may be thrilled to design one for you and save you the time.

Don’t believe you can have a professional website designed in a few hours by a non-professional?  Watch this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8355qaOKXC8

But before you get started, below are a few bankruptcy attorney websites you may want to research for ideas:

Cox Law Group, Lynchburg VA http://www.coxlawgroup.com/tutorials/index.html This law firm shows how effective video marketing is.  You can do the same; just sit in front of your computer with a web cam and start talking about your law firm.  Even a two or three minute video is sufficient and it will add a nice personal touch for your clients.  They will feel like they know you before they meet you.  This is an example of excellent PR and you have not spent a penny.

Don’t have time to produce videos right now?  No problem, the US Courts website has done the job for you.  In fact, some attorneys copy these videos onto DVD and use them to educate their clients while they are completing the Client Intake Forms.  Simply visit the link below and embed the video into your website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU5UDYBAFSQ See a sample of how these videos are used on the front page of this bankruptcy attorneys website: http://www.lloydcohen.com/

Joseph C McDaniel, Phoenix AZ http://www.josephmcdaniel.com/ This bankruptcy attorney has a very nice website designed for consumers.  The movement you see on the front page is the result of Flash programming, which can be expensive if you do not know how to do it for yourself.

Walter Metzen, Detroit MI http://www.detroitbankruptcylawyer.com/ This attorney has a simple looking website with only a few pages; however, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page there is a link for Law Info.  If you click on this link you are taken to the website of Law Info.  Search engines like this normally charge a very high price to design a website and host it for attorneys.  Many of them claim that by hosting on their server the attorney will get more traffic.  Again, an attorney only needs traffic from clients in the state they are licensed in, not the entire United States; which is what most internet marketers base their advertising on.

Carrie Sue Genisio, Kansas City KS http://www.lawinkc.com/serivcesBankruptcy.htm This is a very simple web page.  Notice the link titled:  Getting Ready for Your First Appointment.  Unfortunately the link to:  FORMS, does not work’ which is one reason it is important to always test your website so that you do not lose potential clients.

Marshall Cohen, Columbus OH http://www.columbusbankruptcylaw.com/ This is a website filled with content directed toward the client.  Notice how the attorney never mentions fees on the internet.  Instead, he asks clients to come in so that he can assess their situation.  All attorneys need a low fee and a high fee, depending on the complexity of the bankruptcy case.

Find More Bankruptcy Related Websites: http://chapter7and13bankruptcyblog.com/business-directory Click on the DEBTOR BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY category

MORE TOOLS TO HELP YOU

New Video:  A preview of How to Design Your Website with WordPress http://chapter7and13bankruptcyblog.com/archives/411 For only $35, you can watch this 1 hour and 16 minute training video online.  Buy it for your spouse, son, daughter, relative for yourself to design you own web site quickly and easily at NO COST.

Free and Low Cost Marketing Links for Attorneys http://www.bankruptcylinks.info/about/marketing-links

Other Free Bankruptcy Training Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/MsVictoriaRing

CONVERT MORE CLIENTS

I have been talking to several attorneys this week in regard to tools they need to help them be more productive in their law practice.  One of the major problems I kept finding was that attorneys are having difficulty converting client interviews to paying clients.  Several attorneys told me: I do 5 to 6 interviews a week but the clients never come back and retain me to do their petitions.

This is a very common problem for many attorneys; even though it sounds strange in a world where bankruptcy is the major booming field within the legal system.  So, why are some bankruptcy attorneys swamped with work and other bankruptcy attorneys are barely getting 1 or 2 clients per month?  The answer lies in the benefits you can provide to your potential clients based upon their unique circumstances.  Once you are able to evaluate their needs in an efficient manner, you will be able to know what these unique circumstances are and use this knowledge to your advantage when discussing price options with your clients.

And because every bankruptcy petition is unique and different, every client will have a unique set of circumstances they need help with.  This is why I developed the Initial Intake Form Package which is aimed at putting more money in your pocket and less time providing free consultations.  To find out more or to order, visit:

http://www.coloradobankruptcytraining.com/products_intakeform.html

UPCOMING CALIFORNIA WORKSHOP

As you may already know, I am scheduled to speak at the Bankruptcy and Marketing Seminar to be held in Atlanta, Georgia on April 23 and 24, 2010.  After I return, Michael Misenheimer and I are planning a two-day training workshop for attorneys and their personnel in Los Angeles.

Topics will include marketing, law office operations as well as training on strip downs and cram downs, which is a very popular topic in California.  In addition, I plan to present materials that will help attorneys market their law firms online.  As I told one attorney, just submitting your website to a search engine or two, is nothing.  That is why I developed the marketing links for attorneys to help them get started.  This list is free and available at:

http://coloradobankruptcytraining.com/links_marketing.html

Do you know of a meeting room we could use for the workshop?

We are currently looking for a meeting room to hold the training workshop; however, Los Angeles is so expensive.  If you have a meeting room where we could hold a two-day workshop you and your law firm employees can attend free.  Please email me if you can help us:

victoriaring1958@gmail.com

JOIN US IN ATLANTA http://www.713training.com/products/Bankruptcy-Petition-Training-Seminar.html

Seminar Info:  http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=120

Let us begin with the visionary for the paralegal industry …

Jeannie Johnston, CEO of Paralegal Gateway http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniejohnston Founder and CEO of Paralegal Gateway, Inc. which is the world’s oldest and largest online Paralegal portal and Social Networking vehicle which includes a free career center, free paralegal articles (written by paralegals for paralegals), online seminars, demonstrative evidence, tools for Paralegals and much more.  Jeannie has also been a paralegal for 16 years.  Additionally, she has been a speaker at National Paralegal Conferences, is a Legal Sales Executive as well as a Legal Staffing Consultant.

experts on the CREDITOR side of bankruptcy …

Pamela Starr, CEO of StarrParalegals, LLC http://www.starrparalegals.com/ With 25+ years paralegal experience, StarrParalegals, LLC specializes in providing virtual bankruptcy assistant services specializing in bankruptcy and creditor’s rights.  StarrParalegals, LLC also provides expert services to attorneys, law firms and corporate legal departments.

Michael Misenheimer, Paralegal at Sicay-Perrow, Knighten and Bohan http://sicay-perrow.com/ Michael holds a Masters Degree in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding.  He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Association of Paralegals, the Pro Bono Director and as Community Service Coordinator. Amazingly, Michael has served in this capacity for many years and continues to be re-elected; due to the magnitude of the positive contribution he makes to the organization itself.  Additionally, Michael serves as Pro Bono Co-Coordinator for the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (“NFPA”.)

and for the DEBTOR SIDE of the coin …

Victoria Ring, Developer of the VBA Industry http://www.victoria-ring.com Not only is Victoria the developer of the virtual bankruptcy industry that serves DEBTOR bankruptcy attorneys, she is also the developer of the VBA Exam and founder of the National Association of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants at NAVBA.ORG.  Victoria is currently working with attorneys in helping to establish new Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy law firms nationwide.

Clay Holland, Certified VBA http://713training.com/clayholland.html Clay is one of the top success stories in the virtual bankruptcy assistant industry.  He started his VBA business in June 2009 and by November 2009 he was making more money than he was at his fulltime job.  Prior to being a successful VBA, Clay had spent 20 years in the computer software business. He also had worked as a mortgage loan officer and is currently a licensed real estate agent.  Additionally, Clay has owned many home businesses over the years but when he found the VBA field, he knew this was the nugget of gold he was looking for.  At the seminar, Clay will reveal his success story and tell you everything he did to build a successful VBA business.

DO NOT MISS THIS IMPORTANT EVENT

This will be the ONLY seminar held in Atlanta, Georgia this year that brings FIVE industry leaders of the VBA and paralegal world together in one place.  Attend this important seminar and get to know these leaders on a personal level. To find out more information or to register, visit:

http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=120

SPACE IS LIMITED.  REGISTER EARLY TO ENSURE YOUR RESERVATION.

We all hope to see you there.