Marketing legal services can be cut throat. And yet I often write that while attorneys should keep an eye on their competition, they should not fear them. Competition makes us better lawyers. It educates and expands the market for our services. And it provides us with a way to convince prospects to choose us by showing them how we are different or better.
But there is one competitor that no attorney can afford to ignore.
This competitor is stealthy. If you aren't careful, he will steal clients from under your nose and you will never know it. There is no competition more powerful, or more deadly than this one, and you need to be prepared.
Who is he? He goes by several names: apathy, indecision, and fear.
Your biggest competition isn't the other attorneys in your market. Your prospects have another option, as Seth Godin reminds us: the option of doing nothing.
You may do a good job of showing prospects why they should choose you instead of any other attorney, but you must first show them why they need to hire any attorney. If they don't see the need or their fears preclude them from making a decision, you've lost the client, just as surely as you would had he hired the guy down the street.
The good news is that you can defeat this competitor. Make sure your prospects understand the risks of doing nothing and the benefits for making the right decision. Tell them the facts and share the stories.
Once they know why they need to hire an attorney and are persuaded to do so, then show them why the attorney they hire should be you.
Filed under Closing the sale, Handling objections, Marketing legal services, Salesmanship by 
John Jantsch's post today is about the three things every business must manage: Purpose, Projects, and Process:
- Purpose: create and tell the story about why the business does what it does.
- Projects: create actions steps and assemble resources to fulfill the business purpose.
- Process: implement the action steps.
These three functions obviously apply to every attorney and law firm. However, while we all need to manage purpose, projects, and process, we're not all in the same business (practice area).
A few years ago, I wrote a post, "The Three Things That Matter Most," about finding and focusing on the essence of what you do. The three things that matter most for you are the "twenty percent" activities that deliver eighty percent of your (desired) results. When you focus on these three things, you can eliminate (delegate) or curtail everything else, freeing you to do more of your "twenty percent" activities, getting more results.
If you want to earn more and work less, you must focus on the things that matter most. Therefore, once you know and are prepared to articulate your purpose, take the time to reflect on what matters most in your practice before you create any projects or engage in the process of fulfilling that purpose.
Filed under Dealing with stress, Handling objections, Inspiration, Personal development, Thank you letters by
Lawyers often tell me they have trouble "closing the sale". What they're really saying is they don't know how to handle objections. I addressed this in an article, "What to say when the client says, "I want to think about it". But the best way to handle objections is to eliminate them before they ever come up.
In your marketing materials, your live presentations, your comments after a free consultation, make sure you answer these four "unspoken questions" that reside in every prospects mind:
1. What can you do for me?
2. Why should I believe you?
3. How long will it take?
4. Can I afford it?
Let's look at these a little closer.
1. What can you do for me?
The number one reason why clients don't authorize the work to be done is that they don't see the need. Your job is to show them why they need what you are offering, and make the case so compellingly that when you are done, they not only see that need, they truly WANT what you offer.
Here, you must distinguish between FEATURES and BENEFITS. Features are what you do. Benefits are what the client gets as a result.
For example, preparing a Living Trust is a feature; it's WHAT you do. But what's important to the client is what happens when you do that. Tell them about the peace of mind, protection, savings, and control they will have as a result of your preparing that trust. That's what people REALLY want.
In addition to telling them the benefits they gain when they hire you, tell them the potential consequences they face if they do not. What might they lose? What detriment might they suffer? Fear of loss is almost always a more powerful motivation than the desire for gain.
2. Why should I believe you?
Prove what you say by providing evidence of the following:
- Your background, education
- Awards and distinctions
- Articles, seminars, speeches
- Testimonials from satisfied clients
- Endorsements from other professionals
- Number of clients, cases, trials, verdicts, etc.
- Success stories; results you have obtained for other clients in a similar situation
You can also "prove" your expertise via the advice you offer during the initial consultation. If you sound knowledgeable, most people will tend to believe you know what you are doing.
Most of all, clients want to hear that you have done for others what you propose to do for them. Therefore, weave into your consultation, writing or presentation, examples taken from other clients or cases.
3. How long will it take?
Tell them WHEN they can have the benefits you promise. Everyone is in a hurry today; nobody wants to wait.
Clients also fear open ended time lines, especially when your meter is running. Be up front with them. Tell them how long it will take, and what factors might contribute to delay. If possible, guarantee a delivery date. Make sure you under-promise so you can come in early and over-deliver. When you can't control the time factor, limit their risk by offering flat fees.
4. Can I afford it?
Once a client is convinced they need what you offer, they want it, and they believe you can deliver it, the only thing left is whether they can afford it. Here are some ways to convincing them that they can:
- Distinguish cost vs. value. Focus their attention on what they get, not what they pay
- Enhance the value of what they get by providing bonuses, free updates, and other incentives
- Limit their risk with flat fees and guarantees
- Show them that what they pay is only "X per day"
- Make it easy with payment plans and accepting credit cards
- Give them options and let them choose which "works best" for them. You want them deciding between option A and option B, instead of "yes" (hiring you) and "no" (not hiring you)
Answer these questions before they ask them, and you'll have more clients writing you a check. And if they still say, "I want to think about it," here's what to do.
Filed under Client relations, Closing the sale, Handling objections by
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