Grow your Process Serving Business in 2005

• February 10, 2009
• by ServeNow.com Staff
• Business Tips
• Marketing

In returning to the swing of things after the holiday season, many process servers and private investigators are going back to their desks with the intention of catching up and getting back on track for the New Year. Some of you of may be heading into 2005 with one resolution in mind – growing your business.

Whether you are new to the industry or you have an established legal services firm, there are a number of fundamental business practices that companies of all sizes should employ to maximize exposure, bolster revenue and enhance professionalism.

At ServeNow.com, our business is to help process servers and private investigators achieve exactly such goals. This article outlines a number of basic, cost-effective steps you can take right now to meet your goals and improve your business.

1. Join Local and National Associations

Most successful process servers are very involved in their local organizations, as well as the National Association of Professional Process Servers (http://www.napps.com). There is arguably no better way to build a network of colleagues and increase your incoming referral business than by joining these associations. The annual membership fees for these associations are nominal and are sure to pay for themselves many times over.

“In my experience, being a member of the state and national associations is invaluable. I can honestly say that I reap the benefits of membership every day,” said Jeff Karotkin of Personal Attorney Service.

“I get the peace of mind that comes from knowing I am always able to find a reliable process server across the state or across the country. I also know that because of my membership in the local and national associations I receive enough assignments every month from my fellow members that more than pays for the annual dues for all the associations I belong to.”

Joining these associations will generate new business and introduce a greater level of professionalism to your company while providing support for organizations that are preserving and advancing your profession. Associations are constantly lobbying against legislation designed to minimize the process server’s role in civil procedure. Organizations such as NAPPS assure that your profession is safeguarded.

“NAPPS is a nonprofit organization that has represented the process serving industry for the past 23 years. It has made great strides in establishing and enforcing ethical standards and professional rules of conduct,” said Alan Crowe, NAPPS Administrator.

“NAPPS has assisted various state associations in their legislative efforts, and it has successfully fought three major battles at the national level that have been beneficial to all process servers. In 1982 NAPPS quashed an effort to amend Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure which would have permitted service of process by certified mail, and 12 years later, when the 1994 Crime Bill was winding its way through Congress, NAPPS lobbied to retain access to personal DMV information for the service of process. In that same year, NAPPS convinced the US Postal Service to continue releasing postal change of address and box holder information to persons acting in the capacity of a process server. And we continue, on a daily basis, to monitor both federal and state legislation nationwide,” Crowe added.

Most state associations allow you to join regardless of your state of residence. Why should you join a state association outside of your home state? Referrals – many process servers are very loyal to their associations and the association’s members. When out of state service is needed, this is one of the first places process servers will begin their search.

View a list of active state process server associations and links to their websites.

2. Market your Service Locally

Market yourself as the expert service provider that you are within your local geographic region. There are a number of cost-effective ways to promote your name and your brand. The key factor is to make local laws firms aware of your services. Visit their offices in person to introduce yourself and your company. Drop off business cards, rolodex cards, price sheets, mini-calendars, coffee mugs—anything professional bearing your company information and branding that will bring to mind your services on a daily basis.

Get to know the legal assistants and paralegals in the office.

Traditionally, they manage the service of process. Once they are familiar with you and your company, you will be the first to come to mind. If they use your services frequently, show your appreciation with small tokens such as a plant or flowers. Taking the time to recognize their loyalty is a sentiment that will provide returns far outweighing the initial cost and time invested.

Reinforce your brand by creating a database of local law firms and sending out mailers periodically.

This is a solid strategy to ensure that local firms keep you in the forefront of their minds and refer you to their colleagues, especially if you have met face to face.

Build a referral network 

Align yourself with the bigger players in your state and surrounding states. Many process servers that market themselves as ‘statewide’ have created a network of servers that allow them to cover a large geographic region. Contact these companies, establish a rapport, and if they send you business, be prompt, professional and offer a fair price.

Take advantage of all local networking opportunities.

Find out where and when local legal-related mixers and meetings are held. When there is an opportunity to get involved, do so. Bring plenty of business cards and be sure to collect as many as you distribute so you can market to them in the future. The Chamber of Commerce may also afford you opportunities to market your services. Call them directly or visit their website to see how many law firms are members. If you do join, attend their events on a regular basis. Present yourself to law firms that are members by calling them or sending them an introduction letter when you first join, offering them a Chamber Member discount.

3. Advertise your Services

Choosing where to advertise can be a very difficult decision. You want to choose the advertising channels that are going to give you the most exposure. Phonebook ads can be very expensive and the coverage you get is limited. The phone book only goes out to those in your immediate geographic area and advertising in multiple phone books, if you cover several towns, cities or counties, can get very expensive.

For many process servers, much of the incoming business originates from law firms or individuals outside their immediate area. With that being the case, how do you cost-effectively reach this broader market? How can you make these individuals aware of your services? Today, the answer is ‘the Internet’. Advertising on the web can be a much more cost-effective way of marketing your services.

On the web, you have the opportunity to reach the 185 million plus people in the United States that frequent the Internet. You are also marketing yourself internationally to those who need legal services inside the U.S.

Aside from the broader reach, the Internet offers more targeted advertising, affords you the ability to differentiate your message, and often provides the user with the ability to instantly gather additional information on your company.

Most search engines such as Yahoo, Google and MSN offer pay-per-click (PPC) or cost-per-click (CPC) advertising. On Google, for instance, these ads are located above or to the right of the search results (also known as ‘organic results’). When a user does a search for the term “process server” Google will deliver relevant ads. You only pay when your ad is clicked on. These programs can be very expensive, but this is a good form of targeted advertising.

There are also a number of online advertising directories out there. When choosing which directories to join it is important to consider the following:

• Does the site come up under related searches in all major search engines?
• Do they spend money on the PPC/CPC programs, absorbing these costs for you?
• Is the site easy to navigate?
• Have other people had success on this site? Contact their current advertisers to see if they are getting good results.
• Does this site specialize in my industry?

Directories are a good form of advertising for process servers because many legal professionals will bookmark these sites and refer to them as needed.

Keep in mind that when choosing where to advertise, cheaper is not always better. There are a number of inexpensive directory options out there that will list your company for the entire year, but the amount of traffic they generate and the amount of business sent to you should be your primary concern.

4. Develop a Web Presence

A properly built and marketed website can increase the perceived professionalism of your business which generates new customers while sustaining the loyalty of your current clientele. Your website serves as your online identity. This is where you separate yourself from your competition and emphasize the reasons why a customer should choose your services.

If you decide to have a website built, enlist the assistance of a professional. An unattractive or disorganized website can deter potential customers from contacting you. Your website should be clean, professional and simple. Make it easy for customers to contact you. Don’t hide your phone number on a contact page. In fact, your phone number should be clearly visible on all pages within your site. There are innumerable “Do’s” and “Don’t” specific to building a website. This topic will be discussed at greater length in a future article.

In the meantime, if you don’t currently have a website, secure your domain name as soon as possible (e.g. https://www.serve-now.com). This is also referred to as your web address or URL. Domains can cost up to $30 per year. A cost-effective web host and domain registrar is Red Hat Domains (https://www.redhatdomains.com). Here you can find top-level domains for less than $9.95 per year.

5. Get a Toll Free Number

Another way to increase your company’s professional appearance and potentially increase your business is by having a toll free (or 800) number. If you are positioning your company as a ‘statewide’ or ‘Nationwide’ provider and the main number you are marketing is your local phone number, you are running the risk of localizing yourself. A customer visiting your site or viewing your ads might see that you are not in the specific area where service is required and move on to your competition.

Toll-free numbers are not necessarily costly. Most local long distance providers offer a nominal monthly fee and incoming phone calls for less than 4 cents a minute.

Many companies choose 800 numbers that spell something relevant to their business (e.g. 877-SERVE-NOW). Although this may strengthen your brand, be sure that you provide the numeric as well as the alpha version of your number. Displaying only the alpha characters can confuse and frustrate customers trying to reach you.

If you are looking for a toll-free number, a neat little tool to check for availability (including the alpha) can be found on AT&T’s website (click here).

6. Build a Network and Market yourself as a “One-Stop-Shop”

Many process serving companies are successful because they monetize every call received. They have established a network of reliable process servers throughout their state, or in several states. When customers call, they have an idea of what will be charged by their colleagues and offer a competitive rate.

If you are able to build a network of trusted servers, you can increase your business tremendously by positioning yourself as a “one-stop shop” for lawyers and other legal professionals.

7. Do Your Job Well

Perhaps the best way to generate more business is to consistently provide good service while continuously striving to do better. If you provide excellent customer service and get the job done, not only will your customers return again and again, but they will feel confident in referring you to their colleagues.

Take the time to get to know your customers. Familiarize yourself with their business and foster a more personal rapport. Establishing a solid relationship with your customers will make them feel more comfortable contacting you in the future.

By providing excellent service and establishing a rapport with your customers, word of mouth advertising will become an integral component in generating new business. If your client is satisfied, ask with confidence for their referrals.

8. Don’t Miss a Call

Always be sure that someone is available to answer all incoming calls. If you run your business by yourself, forward calls to your cell phone when you are away from the office to ensure that no potential client contact is missed.

Most potential customers will not leave a message or will continue their search while waiting for you to return their call. By the time you get back to them, they most likely will have found someone else. Every phone call is a potential long-term client or possibly a state contract opportunity.

9. Reinforce Your Brand

Display company contact information prominently on all correspondence – envelops, letterhead, faxes, affidavits and the signature file of your email.

This is a simple and inexpensive way to repeatedly expose your business to clients and colleagues. Include your company name, toll-free number, fax, web address, email, etc. Use your correspondence to reinforce your services. Include a tagline specific to the services you offer – “Statewide Process Serving throughout Montana” or “For all your Process Serving and Investigative Needs”.

10. Take Advantage of Free Resources

Take advantage of free networking opportunities on the web. Find message boards (also known as ‘blogs’) that are related to law, process serving or investigations. Introduce yourself and your services.

About ServeNow.com

ServeNow.com is in the business of helping process servers gain new customers. We talk to hundreds of process servers on a monthly basis about marketing and advertising their services. You are welcome to contact us regarding any of the above marketing mediums. We will be glad to discuss these concepts with you further.

ServeNow.com offers you the ability to target customers nationwide and worldwide that need services in your area. In a just a few months, ServeNow.com has emerged as the most visited process server directory on the Internet. With up to 1,200 visitors per day, we are providing a highly effective advertising channel for process servers in the United States and Canada. For more information, please email [email protected] or call (877) 737-8366.