It’s that time of year again. Your desk and inbox are flooded with holiday cards. I know there are folks who have very strong feelings about whether or not print or digital is the best medium to send thanks and best wishes at holiday time. Personally, I feel like both can be done well. The problem is few ARE actually done well. The majority of cards I see—be they paper or pixil—are utterly generic and impersonal. And what does that say about how you view your relationship with the recipient?

The FTC recently extended their guidelines for endorsements and testimonials in advertising beyond traditional media to include social networks and blogs. Starting December 1, 2009, you must disclose any relationships with advertisers when you endorse a product or service on a blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or any other online forum. What does this mean for you? If you’re active in social networks or contribute to a blog and offer an endorsement, you must announce:

When it comes to branding, why do professional service firms like the Home Depots of the world? From large management companies to PR firms, they all say they can handle your brand. Even though it's not their specialty. So is it really all about size and the guarantee on a box?

What is a guarantee? Or better yet, why do people like it "on the box?" Simple, because it makes a man feel good. As Chris Farley was quoted movie Tommy Boy (1995):

Do you describe your firm as “trusted advisors” but fail to incorporate client teams to better serve them?  

In a recent informal poll conducted by Moiré Marketing Partners on LinkedIn, we found that marketing professionals understand the importance of client teams. 57% of respondents indicated that communication amongst team members and the client was most important and 42% indicated that creating a team culture was most important in building client teams, when compared to commitment to the firm brand, mutual respect and capitalizing on cross-market opportunities. 

A friend of mine recently launched a new business and invited me to the grand opening. Knowing that I probably wouldn’t know anyone there, I decided to take along my 5 year old daughter, Emma. I’ve learned that next to a puppy, nothing is better than a small child to get conversations with strangers going. Even though the room was filled with adults, Emma confidently walked the room and started chatting up folks. I stood back and took notes as she showed me some of the basics of networking.

1.    Stay positive

Lately, open source CMS software like Drupal, Joomla! and Wordpress are giving proprietary CMS software a run for its money. And for good reason. It is easy to use—You don’t need programming skills to make updates or changes. Here are some of the other benefits of an open source CMS:

Are you activating your sponsorships? Are you looking for additional opportunities around your sponsorships? 

In a competitive economic climate, professional service firms need to capitalize on any edge they can and are finding rich resources when leveraging their alumni network.

Alumni programs have become a crucial way for professional service firms to develop new business, strengthen their brands and recruit the best and brightest. Alumni can become brand ambassadors for a firm, referral sources for new business and references for new hires or “boomerangs” that return to a firm.

Here's a checklist to help you start building your own successful alumni program:

I recently attended a LA LMA chapter meeting titled “Breaking Through: How to Build a Successful Sales Initiative in your Firm." If it comes to your area I urge you to attend. It was not only inspiring but incredibly informative (and highly entertaining).

In his fast-paced, interactive session, Alvidas Jasin of Thompson Hine discussed some of the critical barriers that he broke though with his lawyers to build successful client teams and a successful sales effort:

The recession hit big law firms particularly hard. This past year has seen extensive layoffs and firms closing their doors. The traditional structure based on exorbitant billing rates and over staffed matters just doesn’t work anymore.