Networking Through Community Activities

NETWORKING THROUGH COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
By Kenneth A. Vercammen, Esq.
My Law office is on a main street in a close knit town, although we are in the
metropolitan New ork area only !" miles north of #rinceton. $he following networking i%eas
are foun% effecti&e in a su'ur'an or rural community. No 'usiness, whether it is a large law
firm, solo or e&en pi((a shop will stay in 'usiness unless it can continue to 'ring in 'usiness
an% a%apt to the times. )e nee% to con%uct acti&ities which will promote a positi&e image of
the legal profession as well as ena'le us to generate sufficient income to pay our 'ills. *lient
relations an% community networking often merely consist of 'eing nice to people+our clients,
the postman, our neigh'ors an% strangers. )e present a few simple, low cost an% effecti&e
i%eas on personal marketing an% community networking.
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ears ago 'ack in high school an% college . organi(e% parties to meet girls 'e a 'ig
man on campus. 1n the a%&ice of Marketing E3pert /usan -ari%on, Esq. 'eginning in !"45
. 'egan turning these parties into social affairs for charity groups. )e charge% only 67+6!8
per person an% arrange% with a night clu' to pro&i%e a complementary hot an% col% 'uffet.
/ince !"45 thousan%s of young professional ha&e atten%e% these charity socials. $hey ha&e
generate% 'oth frien%s an% pu'licity for the charity groups an% my office.
)ith increase% responsi'ilities thanks to a growing personal in9ury an% litigation
practice, . selecte% a *o+*hair to help organi(e the Annual *hristmas Brew ,o+,o. $his
Annual party is sponsore% 'y a &ariety of professional groups inclu%ing the New :ersey Bar,
the /ociety of oung *#A;s an% /tate *hiropractic /ociety an% continues to 'e hel% 'y the
Bar L2.
)e raise% su'stantial money for such charities as the American *ancer /ociety,
<Make a )ish =oun%ation< an% *ommunity =oo% Bank. Between our 7 co+sponsors, o&er
the years !8,888 full page flyers ha&e 'een maile% out. $his will generate more goo% will for
the Bar Association sponsors, plus goo% will for the *o+*hair an% ., who are liste% on the
flyer.

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Many towns across the country, inclu%ing mine, host *ommunity =airs an% *arni&als.
$he non+profit an% ethic groups usually sell 'ake% goo%s, 'urgers, pirogues, kiel'asa, an% a
&ariety of ethnic foo%s.
1ur Law office sets up a ta'le an% we pro&i%e free /pring water. <=ree< is a 'ig
attraction to numerous people, while many people with health concerns cannot %rink so%a or
sweetene% %rinks. 1ur ta'le also has free legal an% consumer 'ooklets we ha&e written on
topics inclu%ing )ills, real+estate, Li&ing )ills, #ro'ate an% #ersonal .n9ury. $he senior
citi(ens lo&e the <free< material an% we 'ecome one of the most popular 'ooths. .t was so
successful we hope to again ser&e the community at upcoming town e&ents, such as
pro&i%ing hot chocolate at the *hristmas para%e an% spring water at the /pring =esti&al an%
Memorial 2ay #ara%e.
client information 'rochures 'ecome Articles for =ree )eekly Newspaper
)e prepare% on our Macintosh computer 'asic informational 'rochures for clients on
2ifferent topics.
$he topics inclu%e >
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)e then take the information containe% in our client information 'rochures, an% create
a legal information article for local free weekly newspapers an% 'logs. Many of these
newspapers ha&e space to fill. ou are pro&i%ing a ser&ice to them an% the community 'y
pro&i%ing 'asic legal rights information. /imply remo&e your client 'rochure references such
as <*ontact Mr. Vercammen< an% replace with <speak with your attorney or contact an
attorney through the Bar Association<.
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. try to make it a point to speak pu'licly or run a /eminar #rogram e&ery @ months.
Most of the e&ents an% programs . organi(e myself, . sche%ule the other speakers an%
prepare written materials. :ay =oon'erg wrote a great article in the Law #ractice
Management Maga(ine, in the :anuary !""A issue on =irm /eminars which you shoul% use
as a gui%e to organi(e seminars. .n a%%ition, the Law #ractice Management /ection has a
'ook on 1rgani(ing =irm /eminars which is a&aila'le through the ABA =ulfillment 1ffice. .
recommen% 'oth =oon'erg;s article an% the 'ook to help set+up an% run seminars.
Most attorneys will not col% call or %irectly solicitH many states ha&e outright
prohi'itions. ,owe&er my co+sponsors, whether they 'e stock 'rokers or life insurance
agents, ha&e no hesitation at col% calling. $hey hire college stu%ents at minimum wage to
col% call an% ask people to atten% seminars on estate planning, real estate an% relate% fiel%s.
$hese stu%ents were promise% a 6!8.88 'onus for e&ery person who atten%e% a recent
Estate #lanning /eminar we organi(e%. After the /eminar we a%% the names of those who
atten% to our Mail List. Life .nsurance Agents an% /tock'rokers are tying to Network 9ust like
attorneys. $hey are often poor pu'lic speakers 'ut e3cellent on pu'lici(ing the e&ents. )e
can learn from their positi&e attitu%es in han%ling occasional re9ection in marketing.
)e often try to ha&e a respecta'le community group to co+sponsor our free+to+the
pu'lic seminars. $he community groups 'enefit 'y ha&ing a no+cost e&ent which pro&i%es
useful information to its mem'ers an% impro&es their stan%ing in the community. By co+
sponsoring with the Local *ham'er of *ommerce, we were a'le to get free a%&ertising for
the e&ent 'y ha&ing the flyer hanging up in B8 'usinesses in %owntown Metuchen.
*o+sponsoring or Association with a respecte% non+profit group pro%uces goo% will for
our e&ent, an% these free programs can help the image of attorneys as people pro&i%ing
&alua'le free a%&ice to the community. No 'usiness woul% permit a flyer to 'e poste% if it
sai% <?se Attorneys to 2o )ills< or if it was an attorney+only program. /peaking
engagements are a great way to meet potential clients an% show+off some of your
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knowle%ge. )hile you will not get new clients imme%iately, your name gets aroun% an%
'usiness will result. ou can only win. /ee < $en ?nique Marketing< Law #ractice
Management Maga(ine
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=ollowing the a%&ice of :ay =oon'erg an% other national lea%ers, . sen% out free
calen%ars for the ne3t year. . now ha&e o&er 7,888 frien%s, relati&es, professionals on
%ifferent %ata'ases. Each gets a calen%ar. .t is an in&estment an% costs money, 'ut it is
important to refresh the memory of ol% frien%s you still are a&aila'le to help them.
=or the 4 years, . organi(e% a &ery successful *hristmas #arty to 'enefit the American
*ancer /ociety, which was co+sponsore% 'y my /tate D *ounty Bar. . always inclu%e% a
copy of the flyer for the <*hristmas Brew ,o< with each car% an% . pai% for postage,
en&elopes, an% the en&elope stuffing team myself. $hese charita'le #arties ha&e raise% a
great %eal of money for the American *ancer /ociety.
,owe&er, after 7 years . 'ecame well known as the American *ancer /ociety #arty
organi(er rather than a fine trial attorney. $herefore, insi%e my calen%ar to all non+lawyers
we inclu%e% a flyer for the Estate #lanning /eminar. .n the car%s to many of the lawyers we
inclu%e% the flyer for the seminar <,an%ling *riminal *ase< . was going to 'e a speaker. $his
helpe% promote our upcoming special e&ents.
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$he small 'usinesses an% other non+chains in the su'ur's are struggling against the
'ig malls an% the franchises. )hene&er . recei&e goo% ser&ice, or great foo% at local stores
or restaurants, . sen% a thank you letter on law office letterhea% to the owner an% manger.
$his makes these owners feel goo%, an% they gi&e priority ser&ice to my wife an% . when we
return. /e&eral stores e&en frame% my letter an% hung it up for their customers to see.
$hank you letters are little cost an% pro&i%es great goo%will for the legal profession an% my
office.
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. ser&e% as a $own *ommitteeman in an area of appro3imately 488 &oters. Each year
. in&ite% e&eryone to my 'ackyar% to play &olley'all, horseshoes, eat 'urgers an% meet
electe% officials. My wife an% . later com'ine% the party with my son;s 'irth%ay party. $his
small gathering shows neigh'ors that not all attorneys are IIIIIIIIII. < $en ?nique
Marketing< Law #ractice Management Maga(ine
NE.C,B1-,112 NE)/LE$$E-
My wife an% . pu'lish a Neigh'orhoo% Newsletter. )e informe% people in the
neigh'orhoo% of J!K accomplishments to make the town 'etter Je3 . painting of park swingsK
J@K upcoming non+profit e&ent Je3. E%ison Elks =ish =ry, Knights of *olum'us 1kto'erfest,
lunch with /anta, etc.K an% JAK general legal topics that will interest local citi(ens Je3. *ar
.nsurance Law, *ar Lemon Law, 2i&orce, etc.K. )e use% %esktop pu'lishing on the easy to
use MA*.N$1/, *omputer. =or un%er [email protected] we ha&e 788, B page, 43!! inch fol%e%
newsletters printe%.
2uring my %aily morning 9og . run house to house %ropping off the Neigh'orhoo%
Newsletter to local homes. )e;&e recei&e% great fee%'ack, it pro&i%es useful information an%
we;&e o'taine% many clients. )e now ha&e the newsletter online an% sen% it e&ery two
weeks to constant contacts.
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$o learn more a'out marketing an% office efficiency 9oin 'oth the ABA;s Law #ractice
Management an% Ceneral #ractice /ections. Networking an% Marketing is 'asically following
the a%&ice of 2ale *arnegie who E8 years ago simply ga&e e3amples of 'eing nice to
people. As a practicing trial attorney . try to 'e pleasant to our clients an% all people woul%
contact our office. Being a solo in a full ser&ice Law 1ffice, we ha&e to rely on our
Networking an% Marketing to pay office e3penses, the mortgage an% tra&el to Bar e&ents in
e3citing places.
,opefully, the few i%eas which ha&e helpe% me succee% may help you %e&elop your
practice.
Kenneth Vercammen is a Litigation Attorney in Metuchen, N:, appro3imately !" miles
north of #rinceton. ,e often lectures for the New :ersey /tate Bar Association on personal
in9ury, criminal 0 municipal court law an% %runk %ri&ing. ,e has pu'lishe% o&er !88 articles on
litigation relate% topics. ,e is a popular speaker for the American Bar Association;s Ceneral
#ractice /ection an% Law #ractice Management /ection.
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