Media relationships are never wasted--refer them

Return media calls. Create relationships with journalists. Be a "go-to" attorney for journalists. I keep urging you to do these things.

But isn't it a waste of time and energy to cultivate all these relationships and to return calls and answer questions unless the result is on all fours with your practice area? Why field media calls on basic criminal law if you run a commercial real estate practice?

Because no media relationship is wasted. All media opportunity is valuable. Any such opportunity you cannot or do not use yourself is still a valuable resource.

I have lots of relationships with all sorts of journalists. I get calls from journalists from medical journals, political newsletters, legal trade publications, and bar associations, and from plain old mass media radio and TV stations and newspapers big and small. They ask me legal questions --and for referrals to attorneys who will answer legal questions-- that run the gamut from homicide to I/P to insurance bad faith to divorce. I'm a professional "go-to" guy.

But I primarily work with attorneys in a very narrow range of practice. That's my job. So what do I do with media inquiries that concern practice areas miles removed from that narrow range?

I trade them, of course. They are valuable. And you can do the same thing in a smaller way.

For example. There is a well-spoken, ambitious, bright and knowledgeable attorney two cities away from my office. I trust her. Her practice area is of interest to many, but has nothing to do with the practice area where I focus my media efforts. When I receive media calls that have nothing to do with my focus, but are on point with this attorney's practice, I send those media calls her way.

Think of this as the media equivalent of a legal referral. I "refer" journalists who need legal questions answered to this attorney. She benefits from the exposure. In return, I benefit as well. I am providing the same "go-to" service to a journalist as I would be providing if I were to refer that journalist to one of my attorneys-- I provide a knowledgeable expert to quote for a story. I am still serving as a nexus and clearinghouse for journalists. Journalists know they can pick up the phone and call me and I'll get them what they need: an expert who can answer their questions. Fast.

In the above example, this ambitious attorney reimburses me for my "referral" not by fee-splitting, but by always mentioning me or the attorneys I work for. She also sends media referral calls to me when they do concern the specific practice area of those attorneys I represent.

I give her something valuable that might appear to be of no use to me. She returns the favor. We both benefit.

You --the practitioner-- can do exactly the same thing. When your local radio station or newspaper calls to ask you about court rules concerning judicial recusal, or statutes of limitations in wrongful death actions, or the current status of the right of privacy, or whatever legal thing, you can answer those questions. Or, you can deftly provide the phone number of a colleague in that area of practice. You maintain and enhance your status as the "go-to" attorney for all things legal, you earn a favor from your fellow practitioner, and you know that at some point your colleague will return the favor and send journalists to you so that you can benefit from this valuable resource your colleague count not use.

[Of course, you will want hoard your status as the local "go-to" attorney by only sending journalists to practitioners who are not competing for your business.]

Don't throw away media opportunities.

After all. In the long term process of building your practice a "Legal Expert" quote on the front page, or 10 second sound bite on the local radio station can be invaluable.



Don't waste valuable media opportunities.