Marketing yourself

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Alex Ullenberg knew before he graduated law school that he would start his own practice.

He also knew it would take a lot of effort to market his business.

“Whether you open your practice right out of law school or you wait, the first thing you do after setting up your office is pound the pavement,” said Ullenberg, of Ullenberg Law Offices in Fond du Lac. “And pounding the pavement as a lawyer doesn’t mean walking up and down the street handing out your business card.”

So, when Ullenberg began practicing in 1996, he started by contacting the nearly 70 attorneys in his county.

“I knocked on the door and called every lawyer in town,” he said. “I wanted to meet them, tell them there was a new lawyer in town.”

Meeting members of the local bar not only lets them know there is a new attorney in their midst, but also could lead to case referrals, said Ralph Cagle, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School.

The tactic is just one example of the free marketing strategies new lawyers can use to establish their practices.

Cagle suggested choosing a marketing plan based on your personality and the community in which you plan to work. For many lawyers, that means joining local charities or other organizations.

“Find a way to become visible in the community,” Cagle said. “Not that you should join every organization in town with your business card at the ready. That usually becomes pretty apparent.”

Join organizations that interest you, and then use your skills to benefit that group.

That doesn’t necessarily mean doing legal work, Cagle said. It could simply mean taking on tasks, getting things done, being reliable and caring about others. Your work ethic as a volunteer will give people a sense of your abilities as a lawyer.

Once you’ve gotten involved in an organization, get to know the people involved.

“Try to develop social relationships with them. The easiest way to do that is to invite them to lunch,” Cagle said. “Selectively taking people to lunch might be a better use of money than advertising.”

Cagle also advised new lawyers to accept invitations, from a friendly lunch to an evening party.

“You’ve got to make a little effort. If someone invites you to a party, you’ve got to talk to five or 10 people. You’ve got to learn to walk up to someone and say, ‘Hi, this is who I am.’ This is a crucial part of developing a practice.”

New lawyers with families should not underestimate the captive audiences at their children’s various activities. Whether you’re standing on the sidelines at a soccer game or picking up a child from dance class, Cagle said talking with the parents can grow your network of potential clients.

If shaking hands and greasing the community wheel isn’t quite for you, thinking like a journalist could help a new lawyer get some exposure, Cagle said.

That might mean writing about legal issues in a column or blog for the local newspaper, but it also could mean offering information to a reporter who covers the court system.

When Deborah A. Blommer began building her practice nearly 17 years ago, she found good old word-of-mouth from friends and family to be her greatest marketing tool.

“Your best marketers are those who know you and your personality and the work ethic you might have,” said Blommer, who grew her practice from her basement to her living room to a private office.

Today, the Blommer Peterman law firm in Brookfield has 50 employees and seven attorneys. Blommer also has taught a course at Marquette Law School on how to start and manage a law practice.

Blommer never had much luck building contacts by joining organizations, although she knows lawyers who swear by the strategy.

She suggested new lawyers work the contacts they already have. Start with family, friends and acquaintances. Also ask law school professors if they might be willing to recommend you and give out your business card.

Advertising figured little into Blommer’s marketing strategy. Ullenberg followed the same path.

Ullenberg said he relied on in-person contacts with judges, court commissioners and clerks to establish his business. Those connections led to everything from guardian at litem appointments to work on probate cases.

“Those opportunities kept me afloat in the beginning,” Ullenberg said.

As his business grew, Ullenberg turned away from the court payroll toward opportunities in large claims collection and as general counsel for small businesses.

Ullenberg recently began exploring direct mail advertising to grow the collections branch of his business. However, he has found direct mail typically works only for narrow legal specialties, such as collections or drunken driving representation.

So far, it’s an experiment.

“I’m an anomaly. I’ve never advertised in my life. The extent of my advertising is word of mouth and cultivating that,” Ullenberg said.