Why focusing on relationships, not cold leads, helps you survive the holidays
Did you know the holiday season can be your most profitable? If you are an Estate Planning Attorney, there is a is a good chance that you don’t believe me. During the last two months of the year, many estate planning firms pull back on marketing. It feels like no one is paying attention. Seminars are harder to fill. Ads seem less effective. Everyone is distracted by travel, family, and year-end commitments.
But here is the secret. While it is true that public-facing marketing slows down during the holidays, it is also one of the most effective times for relationship marketing. People are focused on their families, friends, and inner circles, and your law firm should be too. Now is the time to focus on the people you already have a relationship with: your clients, past prospects, and referral sources.
At a time when connection and gratitude are top of mind, meaningful outreach is not only welcome, it is remembered. And remembered relationships turn into revenue.
Replace Cold Leads with Warm Relationships
Resist the temptation to chase cold leads when the year feels slow. Your greatest return will always come from the people who already trust you. Review your database and identify:
Clients due for a review or update
Consultations that never retained
Referrals who expressed interest but never followed through
COIs you have not connected with in a while
Reach out with intention. A simple check-in, a year-end update, a holiday message, or even an appreciation gift basket can open the door to an appointment, a referral, or an invitation to speak.
The Calendar Is a Powerful Motivator
People respond to deadlines. Use the natural urgency of the season to encourage action:
Encourage prospects to schedule before a fee increase takes effect in January
Highlight upcoming changes in tax or estate laws as a reason to amend estate plans
Help clients complete their planning before travel or the new year begins
Framing your message around “finishing the year strong” or “getting a head start on 2026” is both practical and motivating.
Show Gratitude Creatively
The holidays offer a natural reason to say thank you. Whether it is a handwritten card, a small gift, or a client appreciation event, personal touches build trust and loyalty.
One Academy Member offers a free pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving to any client who stops by. Another hosts a raffle for a “date night on us” giveaway around Valentine’s Day. The goodwill, social media buzz, and resulting review appointments more than make up for the cost of a restaurant gift card or a few dozen pies.
When you show genuine appreciation, clients remember.
Run an Online Review Campaign
Online reviews are a low-cost, high-impact way to strengthen your firm’s reputation. The holidays are a great time to ask clients for feedback—especially when you’ve just expressed appreciation through a gift, card, or meaningful touchpoint.
Reach out to happy clients and ask them to leave a short review on Google or another platform your firm uses. You can make this even easier by sending them a direct link. Frame the ask as a holiday favor: “As we wrap up the year, one of the best gifts you could give us is a quick review.”
Positive reviews not only support future referrals, but they also help build credibility with cold leads who may still be researching your firm.
Rethink What Marketing Means
Not every marketing effort has to be a campaign. Some of your best results will come from simple, consistent relationship touches:
- A phone call to a past client
- A follow-up email to a warm lead
- A LinkedIn message to a financial advisor
These efforts are small, but they build momentum. And unlike cold ads or mailers, they feel natural during the holidays.
What to Do Now
As the year winds down, resist the urge to wind down your marketing with it. Instead, use this time to deepen the relationships you already have. That is where the trust is. That is where the opportunity lives.
If you want help building a client-centered marketing strategy that works year-round, reach out to the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.
Let’s build your next season of growth, together.
Timour Mobarak
Practice Building Coach
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
