mediators and arbitrators aren’t large organizations and we know that customer service is one of our best profit centers.
Read MoreYour stories will help you reach your practice goals because your prospective clients will have an opportunity to get to know you, to like you, and be reassured that they can trust you. Taking advantage of video and podcast platforms in your marketing strategy will be a game-changer.
Read MoreWhat mediators and arbitrators need to know about blogging
Read MoreWhen it comes to resolving conflicts and disputes, mediation can be a powerful tool. In fact, it has a high success rate, and studies show that up to 89% of disputes are resolved this way.
If you have a mediation or arbitration business - or are planning to start one in the coming years - one of the most important aspects is branding, as this is what will build your client base.
If you’re not really sure how to begin with this, here are some tips for building your brand:
If you can’t afford to hire a digital marketing agency or SEO professionals, there are lots of tools that you can use for free to optimize your search rankings and one of which is the Google My Business.
As the name implies, Google My Business is a tool (free) provided by Google for businesses to manage how their details are listed in search. With this tool, you will be able to manage your locations on Google Maps as well as online reviews
Read MoreMost people who get into mediation or other ADR services don’t do it because they love to market their services. For many of us, marketing has a pejorative feel to it; marketing feels unprofessional for a professional service industry. Yet, because so much of the public is unfamiliar with the types of services that ADR practitioners offer, and with less support from litigation attorneys than we’d like, we need to find an authentic, comfortable way to market our services and mediation programs.
Written by Diana Mercer
Read MoreNo one ever bought anything on an elevator. The elevator pitch isn’t about selling your idea, because a metaphorical elevator is a lousy place to make a pitch. The alternative is the elevator question, not the elevator pitch. To begin a conversation–not about you, but about the person you’re hoping to connect with.
Read MoreAs a modern business, mediators and arbitrators need to make sure you focus as much as possible on how you are going to market your practice. You need to do as much as possible to make a big difference here, and it is important to have a procedure in place to deal with this. There are a lot of things you can do when it comes to improving this, and trying to develop the best possible marketing process is vital for continued practice success.
Read MoreSmall businesses are drawn irresistibly to digital marketing. For a start, it's a no to low cost platform at a time when funds are stretched. It also allows you to be highly targeted about audience segments you want to connect with and what messages you want to give them. It's highly measurable, so you can see just what your return on investment is. It's scalable, growing easily alongside your company. And it has the potential to connect your business with a vast global audience.
Read MoreTwo terms, use interchangeably but really shouldn’t be. Your marketing plan and your marketing strategy are two different parts of your business.
Simply put:
Your marketing strategy is what you need to achieve with your business. This will be tied to your business goals and vision.
Your marketing plan is how you are going to achieve what is set out on your marketing strategy.
Both are necessary for you to move forward with your business, and they will work in unison.
Read MoreWhat has not changed is that no matter the situation mediators and arbitrators are finding themselves in, there is one goal among all of them. Finding a way to keep their practices thriving.
When this is over (and it will end) things will be business as usual. Stopping your marketing efforts in the midst of something like this is a lot like deciding to give up your diet and exercise regime because you are stuck at home. I don’t want that for you. I want you and all my clients to surface from this in better shape than when we went into living with this virus.
The best way to do that, is to keep your marketing efforts going and your mediation or arbitration practice growing.
Read More“That’s a good idea”
“And then what happens?”
Repeat the second question 100 times. Because after every good idea, there are at least 100 steps of iteration, learning, adjustment, innovation and effort.
Starting with the wrong idea is a waste of energy and time.
But not committing to the 100 steps is a waste of a good idea.
We put a lot of pressure on the idea to be perfect because it distracts us from the reality that the hundred steps after the idea are going to make all the difference. Nearly every organization you can point to is built around an idea that wasn’t original or perfect.
The effort and investment and evolution made the difference.
Read MoreStriking a balance between self-promotion and professional promotion can be the defining combination for success. If you're not a business-minded mediator find someone to help with business development. If you're not entrepreneurial find someone who is to help create that never-ending drive for you. If you're not a bookkeeper - outsource your books to a professional. Essentially - do what you do best (mediate) and find professionals to augment your business with their special talents.
Read MoreAre You Making Any of These 10 Deadly Business Mistakes?
Read MoreHow can you build a Board of your own? Seek out those individuals in your area that are successful business people. They will provide you much needed advice and may become tremendous advocates of ADR. Also seek out some of the successful resolutionists in your area to serve as both ADR and business mentors. Explain your current position as well as your goals and endeavors. Go to them with specific questions and challenges that your practice is facing and listen carefully to their advice. My experience has been that the advice from my Advisory Board has been a treasure trove of information that no college degree could ever provide.
Read MoreOne of the most rewarding things about being an entrepreneur and a mediator is how you personally identify with your company. Since most of us are solo-practitioners we tend to feel tremendous pride in our practice creation. However, too frequently practitioners treat their practices in an officious and overformal way. Instead try treating your small business a little more warmth.
Read MoreWriting copy (or content) is all about persuading and motivating your reader. In order to persuade and motivate your reader you will need to break the process of writing into two sections – the first is prior to writing and the second is while you’re writing
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