Janet Falk is a writer, speaker, and consultant with over 30 years of experience in public relations and marketing communications. Through her company, Falk Communications and Research, she helps attorneys, executives, and firms stand out in the market.
Janet leads workshops and advises on media relations, websites, LinkedIn profiles, articles, nonlegal industry trade publications, and client newsletters, among other areas. She has published articles on media relations and marketing in the New York Law Journal, the New Jersey Law Journal, and Marketing the Law Firm. Janet is also a frequent speaker on webinars and podcasts about public relations and legal marketing.
Janet advises attorneys at solo and small law firms on media relations and marketing communications so that they can attract new clients, remain top of mind with prior clients, keep in touch with referral sources, help recruit associates, generate a news story about litigation that puts pressure on opposing counsel, and achieve business goals. One of the major components that can help firms thrive in these areas is knowing how to deal with reporters. That’s why Janet is on a mission to help attorneys gain visibility, get in touch with reporters, and craft a memorable message that will make them the go-to lawyer for big news stories.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- Why would an attorney want to be in the news?
- How a media profile can help attorneys gain visibility and secure a call with a reporter
- Janet Falk’s tips for identifying the right reporters and obtaining their contact information
- When to send your media profile to reporters
- How can you be more memorable and quotable when talking to reporters?
- Janet’s strategies to deal with spontaneous reporter calls and reshape the “no comment” technique
- Why it’s important to keep the reporter’s audience top of mind
In this episode…
Why would an attorney want to be in the news? Beyond the immediate gain of being in front of your potential client, getting in the news can help you keep in touch with referral sources, recruit employees, advocate for a cause, and prove that you’re an expert on a given topic. So how can you situate yourself as the go-to lawyer reporters want to call?
According to Janet Falk, attorneys have to think about the reporter’s audience. This is crucial if you want reporters to continuously use you as a source. Additionally, you want to be memorable and quotable. But how? Janet breaks it down into the “four A’s:” acronym, analogy, anecdote, and alliteration. You have to be creative in your remarks to a reporter, and providing visuals, a story, or any one of the “four A’s” will give them something that they can latch onto and turn into a compelling account for their audiences.
In this episode of The Lawyer’s Edge Podcast, Elise Holtzman is joined by Janet Falk, consultant, writer, and speaker at Falk Communications and Research, to talk about strategies for dealing with reporters and getting in the news. Janet details how to identify and contact reporters, the best ways to shape your media profile, tips for dealing with spontaneous reporter calls, and why it’s crucial to keep the reporter’s audience top of mind throughout the process.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Elise Holtzman on LinkedIn
- The Lawyer’s Edge
- Janet Falk on LinkedIn
- Falk Communications and Research
- Sample Attorney Executive Media Profile
- “Five Fast Tips for an Executive to Maximize a Media Interview” by Janet Falk
- Talkwalker
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is brought to you by The Lawyer’s Edge, a firm based in the New York metropolitan area founded by Elise Holtzman in 2008 to help lawyers become skilled business developers and leaders so that they can grow their practices, retain top talent, and step confidently into leadership roles.
The firm offers customized coaching, consulting, and training programs such as their signature business development program, Lawyers Making Rain.
Now more than ever, it’s not enough to just do good work and hope your law firm will thrive. And no matter how smart and hard-working you are, it can be time-consuming and overwhelming to figure it all out by yourself.
To learn more about how we help lawyers become rainmakers and leaders, visit thelawyersedge.com or email us at podcast@thelawyersedge.com.
