When you create your law firm marketing plan, I strongly suggest you consider using sales funnels.
A sales funnel simply means that on the front end of the sales process (the narrow part of the funnel), you offer something inexpensive (relative to everything else you offer) or free. The idea is to get as many people as possible buying something on the front end, to get them into your funnel, where they will be offered progressively more expensive products or services.
On the front end, you can offer products, services, or both. So, your front end offer might be a free report or a free consultation. It might be a $5 or $10 ebook or a $99 document tune-up. Once they have purchased something, or availed themselves of your free offer, you have their contact information and tacit permission to contact them with additional offers.
A sales funnel is useful because it helps you to identify prospects (leads) and build a list of prospective clients. You then invest time and money marketing to these higher probability clients.
A sales funnel also works because someone who buys something from you, however inexpensive, is more likely to buy something else. When they buy two products or services from you, the odds that they will buy a third go up exponentially. And, clients who buy more than one service or product are also more likely to buy your more expensive services. Their lower priced “purchases” help build trust in you and help them to see the need for additional work.
Studies in the banking industry prove that if you have multiple accounts with a bank, the odds of you staying with that bank increase dramatically. It works the same way with legal clients.
You can have multiple sales funnels bringing in clients from many directions. One of your funnels might start with advertising a free report to build your list. Another funnel might start with offering your basic package (e.g., estate planning, corporate formation, etc.), followed by offers for more expensive services.
You can also work with other professionals to create packages that both of you can offer on the front end. For example, an estate planning attorney and financial planner could offer packages that include information, consultations, and/or actual paid (or free) services, to get prospective clients into your sales funnels.
Sales funnels all come down to two things: giving prospective clients a sample of your work or your expertise, and building your list. Make sure you use them in your law firm marketing plan.
For more on creating a law firm marketing plan, see The Attorney Marketing Formula
