I recently wrote about the importance of making a good first impression on prospective clients, and how it is fundamental to your successs in “closing” more clients. Today, I have some additional thoughts on the subject:
- Whenever possible, meet them yourself (instead of your assistant). Remember, the goal is to get them to like and trust you, and while you also want them to like and trust your staff and other members of your firm, it’s you they will hire and work with.
- Do it in person. Research shows that a face to face meeting is very different from a virtual meeting, online via Zoom, for example, “seeing”meeting” you via a recorded video, or as a member of the audience at a presentation. Meeting in person, one-on-one, allows you to shake hands, make eye contact, respond to their questions and body language with your own questions and body language, in a way that shows them you understand them and “feel” something about what they’re saying.
- Ask how they found out about you. What caught their eye in your ad or post or website; what did the referring party tell them you? Their answers will help you connect better with them.
- Get to know them before you ask about their legal situation. Ask about their business and/or family. And, let them do most of the talking. It helps them relieve their stress and makes them more likely they will “like” you as a result.
- Ask if they have talked to or worked with other lawyers about their situation (or others) before contacting you. If they had a bad experience with another firm, you want to know what happened so you can explain what you do instead.
- Give them something: your card, a brochure, a copy of an article related to their situation. It shows them you’re prepared and professional and might create a psychological “debt,” i.e., feeling obligated to hire you or take the next step.
- When you talk about their case or situation (what you think, what you can do to help), look for opportunities to describe what you’ve done for other clients with the same or similar situation. It’s a gentle way of “selling” them, without pushing them.
- Focus the conversation on benefits, not features. Yes, tell them about your bona fides and experience with their type of business or case, but translate that into how that experienes benefits them. A good transitional phrase to use is, “What that means to you is…”.
- Assume the “sale” (sign-up) but don’t push. You might ask if they’re ready to get started or if they have any additional questions before you get started, or hand them something to fill out where doing that is an indication of their readiness to take the next step. They know it’s their decision, of course, but will appreciate you letting them make that decision.
A final thought: make sure to introduce them to members of your staff or firm, especially if they are “nicer” than you. Let’s face it, sometimes lawyers focus too much on the legal issues or the work, and not enough on the clients. (Ask me how I know.) This is a simple way to borrow some of our staff’s likability and improve the client’s first impression.
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