This year, the State Bar of Michigan held their annual “NEXT Conference” at Devos Place in downtown Grand Rapids – our backyard! The LaFleur team was excited to be there as an exhibitor and to have the chance to get to know more of our statewide legal community. When we weren’t manning the booth, we attended a few breakout sessions that focused on how legal practices can improve their day-to-day business operations, marketing advice, and state policy and regulation updates.
NEXT was a great opportunity to meet legal professionals outside of their offices and courtrooms. We spoke with law clerks from Lansing, owner-operated single attorney firms from Saginaw, lawyers from Detroit with more than 25 staff members, and many more. It was so nice to speak with the legal professionals from our great state, many times making personal connections with the “do you know so-and-so” game after learning where attendees were from. Conversations were casual, friendly, and informative, just how we like them.
According to Pat Kose, our account manager here at LaFleur, “It was great to reach more people here in Michigan, as I mostly work with our existing clients across the country. It was a nice change of pace to talk face-to-face with people about their businesses and about what we do here at LaFleur rather than over the phone or via email.”
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Hosting Interested Prospects at NEXT
Pat Kose and Brent Velting managed our booth, and Falon Peters and Chip LaFleur jumped in throughout the conference. We spoke with dozens of lawyers from all over the state about how LaFleur partners with law firms to develop data-driven, custom digital marketing solutions to improve the quantity and quality of leads coming in.
Attendees ranged from individuals who are just starting to establish their online presence to experienced and diversified firms interested in comprehensive marketing solutions. Aside from the dialogue, we also held a raffle to give away a year-long subscription to Regular Coffee and a new Fitbit Versa.
Speaking with the attendees is our favorite part of exhibiting at these conferences, but getting to know our neighbors in the exhibit hall is pretty fun, too! While mingling throughout the hall, we had the opportunity to speak with the team behind Legal Talk Network, a podcast network specifically designed for law professionals. We talked shop about our own podcast: Legal Marketing Radio, and Chip may be appearing as a guest on Christopher Anderson’s podcast Unbillable-hour, which focuses on marketing and business best practices and industry trends.
Let’s Do Lunch!
The conference luncheons were especially engaging. Donald G. Rockwell, the outgoing president of the State Bar of Michigan, spoke about the privilege and honor his position holds before he humbly passed the torch to new president Jennifer M. Greico, a trial lawyer from Birmingham with over twenty years of legal experience and a current shareholder at Neuman Anderson Greico McKenney, P.C.
Ms. Greico shared her own message, which focused on the need to represent the underprivileged and place public service above personal gain. She received a standing ovation from a full-capacity audience, but Ms. Greico wasn’t finished. On Friday, she oversaw the commemoration of nearly one hundred attorneys celebrating their 50th anniversaries as State Bar of Michigan members. We were able to speak with two of these lawyers, and were moved by their glowing pride. It was a special honor to be present with so many men and women who have persevered and fought for justice throughout the last 50 years, and we wish them all the best in the years to come.
We Practice Lead Nurturing, Too!
We’re looking forward to following up with everyone we met to continue our discussions about building your law practice through digital marketing. As a best practice in lead follow-up, we plan to engage with our leads on several marketing channels: email, phone, and social media, and as always, our goal is to make a positive impact on their business’s bottom line.
NEXT was the perfect opportunity to introduce our skilled team and amazing services to Michigan attorneys, and we’re already looking forward to participating in NEXT 2019.
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NEXT Up? Contact LaFleur for All Your Legal Marketing Needs
We’re proud of the services we provide and confident they make a tangible difference for our clients. We believe in the work our clients are doing for their clients and know our team of marketing experts can help them improve and expand their firms’ operations and revenue.
If you would like to learn more about our suite of digital marketing services — including content development, email marketing, and paid advertising, among many others — please complete this brief online form or call (888) 222-1512.