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Marketing: Replace ‘no comment’ with pithy quotes

Some law firms hire consultants for all or part of their media relations. But lawyers can generate a lot of favorable publicity on their own, just by following a few basic media relations rules, according to Larry Bodine, a legal marketing consultant in Chicago (www.larrybodine.com).

“I recommend lawyers do just what the PR people do,” he said. “Read the publications that write about law firms. It may be your local legal paper or daily paper or business paper. Look for articles about law firms, and make a note of the byline. That is the person you want to cultivate.”

Bodine suggests introducing yourself to a reporter at a public event, or calling the reporter to introduce yourself.

“Call the reporter and say, ‘I’ve read your article.’ The reporter will be flattered. Ask the reporter about his or her beat. If the paper allows [it], buy him lunch, just as you would any sales call,” he explained.

“Reporters live and die by their sources,” Bodine said. “Your goal is to become a source. A source is someone who always calls back, who if he or she doesn’t know the answer will refer the reporter to somebody who does.”

Here are a few other tips from Bodine and other PR professionals:

• Never say “no comment.”

“That’s akin to someone handing you a huge billboard and you leaving it blank,” said Susan Van Dyke, a legal marketing/communications consultant in Vancouver, British Columbia.

As an alternative, she suggested saying something like, “I wish I could speak more openly, but doing so would not be in the best interest of my client.”

If a reporter presses you for information about one of your cases, e-mail the reporter pertinent court documents that can help explain your position, Bodine suggested.

• Return the reporter’s call.

Nothing alienates a reporter more than someone who doesn’t return a call.

• Cultivate a reporter.

When talking to a reporter, make a record of his or her name, phone number and e-mail, Bodine suggested. And invite him or her to join your online social network if you have one.

• Pitch a story.

“Reporters are always dying for story ideas,” Bodine said. But that doesn’t mean a reporter wants to hear about a new partner at your firm. Talk with a PR professional about what’s newsworthy and what isn’t.

Also, look for legal stories in the news and significant changes in the law that affect the mainstream, suggested Van Dyke.

“If there’s an issue that may keep your clients up at night, threatens their revenue or changes the way they do business, chances are it’s newsworthy,” she explained.

• Write a news release.

Any lawyer can learn to write a news release (just check some of the ones in your in-box and follow the formula). Send your release to reporters you know will be interested in it, and follow it up with a phone call, Van Dyke suggested.

• An interview is not a court transcript.

A reporter may talk with you for half an hour, but only use a quote or two from your conversation. Remember, though, Bodine said, one quote can boost your public profile and generate phone calls from potential clients.

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