One of the keys to developing an attorney’s practice is getting involved in outside organizations where existing and potential contacts and client referral sources might be found.  These groups may fall into one of the  following categories:  industry, charitable or civic.

 Sometimes we join and become involved in an organization just to solidify a relationship with one important contact.  Other times, it is to hone in on a specific industry, high-end board of directors or a cause related to a specific practice area.  There is no question that getting out there provides the opportunity to garner precious face-time with potential clients and referral sources that you might not know otherwise.

When our law firm marketing consultants sit down with attorneys, they help them map out where most of their business comes from, which is a tremendous help in determining the right organization to join. Take a look at your last 10 new client matters and determine where the relationships originated. It’s likely there are common patterns.  If there is a specific organization that delivers new business, consider seeking a leadership position, joining a committee, sponsoring an event or placing an ad in the monthly eNews blast.

If most business comes from attorney referrals, then getting involved in organizations such as The Florida Bar Association or their local Bar might be the most logical use of time. CPAs?  Maybe getting involved in the local chapter of the AICPA might be best.

But what if the attorney is deriving new business through his or her social life or via their kids’ friends’ birthday parties or soccer games?  The simple answer is, leave them alone and let them do what they like and what is working for them.

However, if they are open to expanding their purview, many attorneys generate business through charitable and civic involvement. This way, they are all working toward a common goal with the new people they meet and will hopefully build lasting personal relationships through a common dedication, rather than an overt new business pitch.  There is no question, people do business with people they like and trust.

Whether industry, civic or charitable, joining an organization can be a significant practice developer. The key is to pick the right organization and become involved, join a committee, chair an event, serve on the board—remember, if you don’t work the organization, the organization won’t work for you.

There is no one right way to market an attorney.  The key for law firm marketers is helping your attorneys understand what works for them based on previous experience, comfort level and availability. Chances are, a focused approach that considers the probability of a buy-in will yield superior results.

Please join Boardroom Communications and friends for the upcoming Third Annual American Fine Wine Competition Gala Dinner, presented by Patriot Risk Management, Inc. will feature more than 450 wines from the competition and a five-course dinner prepared by some of South Florida’s most revered chefs: Johnny Vinczencz of Johnny V Restaurant, Cindy Hutson of Ortanique on the Mile, Michael Wagner of Lola’s on Harrison, Oliver Saucy of Café Maxx and Pastry Chef Joaquin Velasquez of Paradiso Restaurant.

The event will surely have good company, great food and drink!

There will be live entertainment by jazz singer Nicole Henry and famed performance artist Michael Israel, who will create original works of art for the live auction.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Quantum House, the American Red Cross and the Lincoln Culinary Institute Scholarship Program.  Tickets are $195 per person. 

To register please visit:

www.AmericanFineWineCompetition.com

or call Shari Gherman at (561)558-2345.

Saturday, March 13, 2010, 6:00 p.m.-11:00p.m.

Lincoln Culinary Institute (formerly the Florida Culinary Institute)

2410 Metrocentre Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33407

When we first heard that Tiger Woods was making a televised statement, we were not convinced that was the best strategy for winning back fans and supporters. The road back from infidelity, drug abuse, gambling or any other socially disapproved behavior is long and difficult. Kobe Bryant succeeded; Pete Rose did not.

After seeing Tiger on air Feb. 19, it seems he has taken a good first step toward mending relationships with those he disappointed the most.

As crisis communications consultants, we know the time and effort it takes to repair a damaged reputation. In a situation like this, we craft the strategy, write the plan and prepare the client to face the public. We also prepare the individual or company for the inevitable criticism and skepticism.

Tiger was on the right track when he took responsibility for his actions and apologized several times during his 14-minute talk in highly controlled conditions: three reporters, one camera, no questions. He provided answers to some of the things that the public was curious about. And he denied any spousal abuse by his wife Elin and said he was working to repair their relationship.

Today’s address was consistent with Tiger’s way of doing business. His apology came off heartfelt and genuine. He could have scored more points by seeming more spontaneous than rehearsed. But he and his handlers probably decided that ad-libbed remarks were too risky for a guy who has carefully crafted his image over the last decade.

Carefully chosen words are not enough to settle matters. The individual or company must demonstrate progress to overcome the negative publicity from doubters and cynics, the news media among them. Handicapping Tiger is the low esteem he has with the general public; in a Gallup taken in December 2009, Tiger’s unfavorable rating was 61 percent among women and 53 percent among men.

Can he change the views of both sexes? Some women who commented immediately after the statement said they believed he was sorry; others were much less sure.

To face the public in something other than a locked-down ballroom, Tiger must first make good on what promised at the press conference: he is a changed man. He needs to complete his private rehabilitation, repair his relationship with his family, and then get back on the golf course to show us why we had so much emotional capital invested in him in the first place.

Under the “What was he thinking category..”

‘Ex-NFL Coach to Help Position $150M Male-Enhancement Brand as Mass-Market Product’

The above headline appeared in a recent article in Advertising Age, trumpeting football great Jimmy Johnson as the new pitchman for ExtenZe, a male enhancement supplement whose infomercials have been blanketing cable and satellite television for years.

Johnson is among the most famous football figures of the past 30 years. He was the first football head coach to win both a college championship (University of Miami in 1987) and a Super Bowl (Dallas Cowboys in 1992 and 1993). More recently, he has been a TV studio analyst for Fox Sports, appearing in its pre-game show on Sundays.

In his newest job with ExtenZe, Johnson told Ad Age’s Jack Neff,” “Most men want to perform the best they can in just about everything,”

In the TV ad, Johnson says, “Isn’t that why we buy the biggest and best of everything?” He signs off with the tagline: “Go long with ExtenZe. I do.”

The question is, why would a successful sports celeb like Jimmy Johnson choose a supplement that gives men hope of becoming better lovers/performers?  When I saw the TV ad for the first time this morning, I was more than surprised to see Johnson pitching for the product.

Tiger Woods took few risks when choosing which companies to associate with his reputation as a winner. This appears to be the opposite scenario for Johnson, in terms of the potential hit to his image and legal risks of pitching a product that the FDA has not evaluated for the claims made in ads.

Some might say Johnson isn’t much different from professional athletes who do ads for beers or pain remedies. As a public relations and reputation management consultant, I beg to differ. It must have been the money.

Professional golfer  Tiger Woods will make his first public appearance since his sex scandal broke in December 2009. In the days after his now-famous car accident on Thanksgiving, no less than 15 women came forward to say they had had sexual relations with the married father of two. Woods made a few statements through his Web site and then disappeared from ad campaigns, TV and golf greens.

Todd Templin, executive vice president of South Florida public relations agency Boardroom Communications, told a radio audience on Feb. 18, 2010, that it’s time for Tiger to come clean: “Tiger needs to answer whatever questions he can, and those he can’t, he should say so. This will help put an end to things. If he doesn’t do this, he’ll be dogged on the course and off for the rest of the year.”

Tiger’s rapid fall from public idol to the most famous wife cheater in the world was hastened by his lack of communication. Rather than face the crisis head on, he hid, leaving media outlets to speculate on his morals and fans to question their faith.  This goes against the grain of what reputation management crisis communications consultants preach to their clients who get into hot water.

Other athletes and public figures can take away many lessons from how Tiger mishandled the global media coverage. We posted on Tiger and how we handle crisis communications in early December and later that month.

Templin was  interviewed Feb. 18 on the Tiger Woods situation on Miami radio station WQAM 560, just one day before Woods’ scheduled press conference. Radio show host Will Manso asked Templin what Tiger will likely say and what he should say.

“Tiger will do what everyone expects: apologize to his wife, fans and sponsors for his behavior,” Templin said. “He will say he’s only human and that he sought help for issues he might have. He will say he knows he let people down and he’s sorry for that.”

To try to end talk of the scandal, Tiger will say it’s time to  focus on the future, Templin told the radio audience. “He will talk about his golf schedule for the coming year, but he probably will not take any questions.”

“If this all he does and his wife does not appear at the press conference, people will see through Tiger,” Templin told listeners. “The way he’s handling it is typical of Tiger — a highly controlled format with no opportunities to question him.

“Frankly, I believe he needs to do a full press conference ala Alex Rodriguez. When the New York Yankee answered questions about steroid use, he had his teammates around him and he took questions from the media.”

Tenet Healthcare hospitals in Palm Beach County received widespread TV coverage for their assistance to the Haitian people following the devastating earthquake in January 2010. Boardroom Communications stayed in constant contact with the newsrooms of network affiliates to supply information on incoming patients and doctors who traveled to the island nation to provide emergency care.

Three doctors from Delray Medical Center quickly mobilized and traveled to Haiti to treat the injured. Doctors from Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach and West Boca Medical Center in southern Palm Beach County also went to help with recovery efforts. Delray Medical Center and St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach received injured Haitians who were flown for treatment.

In all, there were more than a dozen news reports and newspaper media placements in two languages on local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC newscasts, as well local print media, during a three-week period. Boardroom generated a majority of the stories, keeping the news flowing to reporters and assignment desk editors. Here’s a rundown on the news reports:

• On Jan. 14, WPBF (ABC-Channel 25) aired a story on preparations at Delray Medical Center for an influx of Haitian medical refugees.
• On Jan. 18, WPEC (CBS-Channel 12) aired a report about three Haitian patients being treated at St. Mary’s Medical Center in which doctors were interviewed.
• On Jan. 27, WPEC and WPTV (NBC-Channel 5) aired a report about Dr. Anthony Dardano, Dr. Louis DeLuca and Dr. Lloyd Zucker of Delray Medical Center leaving for a medical mission to Haiti. Dardano and DeLuca are plastic surgeons; Zucker is a neurosurgeon.
• On Jan 31, WPTV aired a Spanish-language news program, “Con la Communidad,” that featured a report on Drs. Dardano, Zucker and DeLuca’s mission to Haiti.
• Also on Jan. 31, WPTV reported that Good Samaritan Medical Center’s Dr. Jean Monice was headed to Haiti on a medical mission.
• On Feb. 2 WFLX (Fox-Channel 29) ran a story on the return from Haiti of doctors from Delray Medical Center.
• Also on Feb. 2, WPEC aired a live shot on its noon news in front of St. Mary’s Medical Center as part of a report on new Haitian patients that arrived for treatment.
• And on Feb. 2, WPTV led its 11 p.m. newscast with a report on injured Haitians arriving at Palm Beach International Airport and being taken to hospitals including Delray and St. Mary’s medical centers. WFLX also had a late news report.
  
• On Feb. 2, WPTV aired an interview with a Haitian patient at Delray Medical Center and the center’s trauma director, Michelle Sutton-Epps.
• On Feb. 3, WPBF aired a report on the return from Haiti of the doctors from Delray Medical Center, as did WFLX.
• And WPBF reported on the return of Dr. Kenneth Jeffers of West Boca Medical Center from a second trip to Haiti to provide emergency treatment.
  

As for local print media, the Palm Beach Post ran several stories on the hospital’s involvement with treating Haitian victims, collecting supplies, as well as doctors and nurses traveling to provide medical care:

• Palm Beach Post, Jan. 18, “Local employers lend support to Haitian workers”
• Palm Beach Post, Jan. 18, “PBC hospitals treating at least 6 Haitian quake victims”
• Palm Beach Post, Jan. 31, “Florida hospitals handling hundreds of Haiti victims”
• Palm Beach Post, Jan. 31, “Haiti in relief: a reporter’s notebook”
• South Florida Hospital News, Feb issue, “St. Mary’s Medical Center treats 3 victims from Haiti Earthquake”

We often counsel attorneys to become involved in charitable and industry organizations only to hear, “I tried that group a couple of times and didn’t get any business out of it. I refuse to waste any more time away from my family participating in unproductive activities.”

What should a PR-marketing consultant do: give up, argue the merits, or peel back a few layers of the onion?
When we experience this response from an attorney, we don’t surrender or debate. We ask these questions:

• How did you choose the organization?
• Did you know anyone who was already involved?
• If it was a business association, how relevant were the member industries to your practice?
• If it was charitable organization, did you feel strongly about the cause?
• What were your expectations before you went to your first meeting?
• Short of signing prospective clients upon entering the room, what would be the best reasons to commit time and energy to an organization?

Chances are, the attorney could have used the support of a knowledgeable PR firm to identify, assess and become engaged in an organization. Without that guidance, it’s no wonder the lawyer found participation unrewarding.

We use our understanding of an attorney’s practice and our broad knowledge of the market to create the best match. Not every attorney will master the art of networking and business development, but that lawyer receives our time and effort in creating a second, hopefully more successful experience with venturing into a new group.

Boardroom generates networking success for its attorney clients through one-on-one conversations aimed at these goals:

• Find out the attorney’s professional and personal strongest interests.
• Explain that networking is like cultivating a garden: it takes time and attention.
• Determine the limits of the lawyer’s limits on travel and time. We find that the greater the interest, the greater the limits.
• Use a mapping exercise to determine if and how the attorney has originated clients.
• Ask the lawyer which attorneys they think do an excellent job of marketing themselves.
• Develop an attorney training plan, working with a few attorneys at a time. The camaraderie, idea exchange and group support might prove invaluable.

Corporations went to great lengths and expense at Super Bowl XLIV to make the weekend in Miami fun — but not for the fun of it. Participation in events with a global audience can help a company make money, Boardroom Communications COO Don Silver told NBC 6 for a news report that aired on the eve of the big game.

Even though there is a trend to tone down the glitz and spending, companies still look for high-profile opportunities to showcase their products and services. Most important, Silver told a WTVJ reporter, the Super Bowl provides business owners and managers an exciting stage on which to solidify and build relationships with those most important to them: customers, prospects, distributors, vendors and employees.

A company that engages in sports marketing should evaluate whether the rewards justify the costs. If the payoff is there, he said, the public relations and advertising efforts tend to fall into these categories:

• Branding of events and locations, such as the recent renaming of Sun Life Stadium, where the Super Bowl was played
• Gaining paid endorsements from famous athletes like the Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning
• Getting exposure through sponsorships of sports organizations like the NFL
• Hosting of events tied or timed to high-visibility sports competitions such as the Super Bowl

Even if a company has no direct connection to sports, the association with the nation’s most watched sporting event creates a buzz, Silver said. The lucky people invited to a sit in a skybox or go inside the velvet ropes of a VIP event come away with a more positive impression of a company or brand.

To capitalize on the huge audiences that watch the Super Bowl, many makers of consumer products and services think it is a good investment to pay millions of dollars for a 30-second spot to reach hundreds of millions of viewers, Silver said. Those dollars are leveraged through the free exposure that their crazy-funny ads get from news and entertainment media.

The most popular videos get free publicity through social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This is known as earned media, Silver said.

Super Bowl ads can also support online marketing campaigns that drive people to a company’s Web site, Facebook page or virtual store, he said. And the spots can help young companies and non-profit causes gain national notice from consumers and potential supporters.

As part of its media engagement for Florida Peninsula Insurance Co., Boardroom placed the firm’s CEO, Roger L. Desjadon, on the cover of the January 2010 issue of the South Florida edition of Smart Business. The management journal provides insight and advice for top decision-makers.

Throughout the profile, Desjadon detailed his leadership style and his belief that providing employees with a sense of purpose contributes to their productivity and success. A notable quote:

When you hire highly qualified individuals and you pay them well, you need to give them more than they can handle and allow them to rise to the occasion.

The five-page article, headlined “Following Policy,” featured a full-page portrait of Desjadon and and second photo. A question-and-answer article with the feature had a headshot.

Boardroom regularly places corporate clients in media strategic to their businesses. Profiles, interviews and feature stories are linked to a company’s goal of raising its awareness and bettering its image with a targeted audience.

NAIOP South Florida, on which chief operating officer Don Silver serves as vice president of public relations, received news coverage in the Miami Herald.

Members and news media gathered in late January for the trade organization’s all-important 2010 economic outlook.  Mark Dotzour, chief economist and director of research for the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, presented a frank talk on market conditions and whether they might improve this year.

As reported in the Miami Herald, commercial real estate prices have fallen 35 percent to 50 percent from 2007 levels.  “Those prices should never have been paid and those loans should never have been made,” Dotzour was quoted as saying. “The prices are getting back to the reality level where tenants can make a profit and survive.”

Dotzour predicted that market conditions would improve this year, but that some owners would be forced to sell at discounted prices.