End with the start in mind (. . . not a typo)

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You’ve heard it many times before: “Start with the end in mind” meaning decide in advance the result or outcome you desire before you take action. In marketing, the “end” is more clients, better clients, higher income, bigger cases, and so on. 

Decide what you want before you create the plan, buy the ad, book the room, or create the content. 

It makes sense and I agree. You have to know where you’re going before you start the trip. 

So, why have I reversed this classic piece of advice? Why do I tell you to “end with the start in mind”? 

Because it is also good advice. It means developing the habit of deciding, in advance, the action you will take after you complete what you’re working on, or about to start. What’s the next step? What should you (will you) do after you start the project or do the first task on your list? 

If “find three ideas I can use for an article” is the first step, what’s the second step? If the first step is to go through your list of business contacts and invite someone to lunch, what will you do when you arrive at the restaurant? (Hint: asking them ‘what are you working on’ is a good option).

Okay, choose the next step. Don’t end the first step without deciding on the second step. 

Yes, but you’ve got other things on your calendar or todo list. Contracts to read or write, calls to make, emails to reply to. 

You’ll get to them. But before you start something new, take a minute to choose the next step you’ll do with the thing you’ve already started. Do it now, while the idea is still fresh. 

It’s all about creating and sustaining momentum and compressing time between steps. It’s about finishing more of the things you’ve decided are important before starting other things you may never finish.

It’s about being proactive about your work so you can achieve better results. 

Try it. When it works, do it again.  And keep doing it. As Seinfeld said, “Don’t break the chain”. Which is why I know that after I’ve finished writing and posting this article, my next step is to choose an idea for the next one. 

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More about the primacy of ‘first impressions’

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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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You charge too much

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Do clients or prospects ever tell you your fees are too high? They hire you once but don’t return because they don’t believe they’re ‘getting their money’s worth”. Or they talk to you but don’t sign up because they think you charge too much?

It’s one thing when a client doesn’t hire you because they can’t afford you. It’s quite another when they think you charge more than you’re worth. 

Charging more than clients think you’re worth obviously isn’t good for business. But neither is charging less than you’re worth. If your fees are lower than what other lawyers in your market charge, clients wonder why. Aren’t you as good as your compeition? 

Fees that are (perceived as) too high or too low can scare away clients and inhibit repeat business and referrals. 

So, what’s the sweet spot? How much is enough but not too much? 

In my view, you want clients to think you charge (a bit) more than most lawyers in your field and market “but you’re worth it”. 

Your goal is to figure out how much service or value you need to deliver to make clients think you’re worth somewhat higher fees, without under-valuing yourself. 

First, don’t deny that your fees are at or near the higher end of the fee spectrum, and don’t try to explain or defend them. Many clients, certainly the better ones, won’t be deterred by your somewhat higher fees and may even choose you because of them. 

Higher fees suggest you’re you’re good at your job, and know it. Your other clients pay those fees and must do so because you have more experience, deliver better outcomes and better service. 

You charge more because you’re worth more. 

That’s the posture you want. But don’t “tell” them these things, show them. 

One thing you can do is use sound bites in your marketing and presentation that succinctly tell people the value of what you do. 

For example, “I help [companies/people] solve [types of problems, issues] and/or achieve goals or outcomes] and avoid [pain, secondary problems, delays, etc.] “ 

Frame your services and value in a way that conveys the benefits your clients want and need,  and that you deliver. 

And prove it. Provide success stories and testimonials that illustrate the value of what you do. 

That’s the simplest and most effective way to prove your value. 

Ideally, though, you won’t have to say anything. If most of your new clients come from referrals, the credibility of the referring clients and professionals will do most of the talking for you. 

How to get more Referrals

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Clients hire lawyers more often because of one thing

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It’s not a lawyer’s qualifications or reputation. It’s not how they describe their services, the value they promise, their fee and billing practices, the size of their client list, or the quality of their marketing. 

All of these things are important. But clients will hire you more often based on one factor: their first impression of you. 

When you meet them, do the things you say (and don’t say), make them believe you can help them? Do they like and trust you? Do you make them feel good about you, their case, their future?

Objectively, you may or may not be the best choice for them. You may not offer everything they need or want. But that’s not as important as how you make them feel and that’s primarily determined by their first impression. 

It comes down to the things you say and how you say them. It’s the questions you ask, your body language, how you dress, how you greet them and how you treat them. 

Do you talk more about them or about yourself? Do you try to impress them with your knowledge and experience or do you make them feel you care about helping them?  Do they believe you respect them and truly want to help them or do they believe you’re doing what you have to do to get their business?

Yes, it’s complicated. There is no checklist for you to follow. You can’t learn everything you need to do in a book or a course. You learn it through experience, putting clients before cases, people before fees, and treating clients like you would like to be treated if your roles were reversed. 

But learn it you must. 

Because that first impression is crucial to your success.

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Still not sure if you should start a newsletter, blog, podcast, or channel? Here’s how to find out.

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You don’t have a newsletter (etc.) but you’ve heard (repeatedly) why you should, and you’re tempted. Or, you have a newsletter and are thinking of starting a second one, for a different  practice area, niche, or target market.

Should you?

Will it generate enough business to justify your time? Do you have enough to say to justify a newsletter or a second one? Will it lead to new cases and clients, more repeat business and referrals, or will it cause you to lose focus and regret your decision?

I can’t tell you. But I can tell you how to find out.

Yes, you could try it and see what happens. And how you feel about what happens.

Or you could do a beta test.

Instead of announcing your newsletter (et. al.) and promoting it to everyone you know, try the idea on a smaller scale.

Here are some options:

** Don’t send the first issue of your newsletter to your entire list of 3000 clients and prospects and business contacts, send it to 300. Or 30. What happens? Do you get positive feedback? Do people want to hear more? Are you encouraged and want to continue, or realize it would be a mistake?

** Instead of sending a 1,000-word missive, send 300. Or 100. What happens? How do you feel about that?

** Segment your list. Send one or two issues of your new newsletter to long-term clients who know and trust you and will stick with you even if your plans change. Or, send those first two issues to prospective clients only, who won’t care what happens. Or send it to seminar attendees who didn’t schedule an appointment, or social media followers on just one platform.

** At the end of your next seminar or podcast or mailing, mention what you are planning and call for a show of hands to see who’s interested in your newsletter or podcast.

** Send out a questionnaire, describe what you’re planning, give recipients 3 to 5 different topics (for articles, practice area content, format), and ask which one they would be interested in getting. If most choose the same topic, that’s a clue. If you don’t get many responses at all, that’s also a clue.

** Do a soft launch. Don’t announce or promote anything, just mention the newsletter in a P.S. in your next email or post, and see if anyone clicks.

** Create a tip sheet, short report or audio or video, offer it widely, see who watches, leaves comments, asks questions.

** Ask for feedback. Launch your newsletter to everyone, tell them it’s a test to see if people want to get more like it, and ask for replies or comments.

Your list can help you decide if there is sufficient interest in your idea. If you’re still not sure, find another lawyer or firm that targets your market and see what they do. If your successful competitors have newsletters or video channels, maybe you should, too.

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Some lawyers write two newsletters. Should you?

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Two newsletters? A second blog? More than one podcast or video channel? Why on earth would you do that? 

Because you have more than one practice area, target market, types of cases or clients or niches  and one market doesn’t want or need or relate to the other. If you target consumers for injury cases, for example, but also offer services to small business owners, or a sizable segment of your list speaks another language, a single newsletter or blog might not do what you want it to do. 

You start another blog or newsletter to bring in a different type of case or client. It’s a smart way to grow a general practice or a multi-disciplinary practice, or to target another niche.

So, should you do it? In theory, absolutely. In practice? Don’t be ridiculous. 

It’s challenging enough to build one marketing channel successfully; how can you possibly do it with another? 

So no, don’t do it. You don’t have the time. You’ll lose focus. You have enough on your plate already. So no, don’t start another newsletter or channel. Don’t even consider it.

Unless…. 

Unless the idea excites you and makes total sense for your practice. And you have sufficient resources, e.g., time, employees, ideas for content, technical know-how, etc., and, most importantly, you’ve thought about the idea for awhile and can’t stop thinking about it. 

In that case, do it. 

If you’re still not sure, test the waters. Tell your subscribers or followers what you’re thinking about doing and see if they show interest. Ssend out a survey, talk to some of the leaders in the market, post a sign up sheet on social. 

See what your folks think about your idea. 

Or, just start and see what happens. 

Does anyone think it’s a good idea? Something they would sign up for? Encourage you to do it? 

After you’ve done it for a couple of months, do you still love the idea? Look forward to writing the next article or post?

And, what is the market showing you? 

Are you getting a steady stream of comments, questions, success stories, and engagement from subscribers and followers? Are you getting new appointments and signing up new clients?  

If it’s working, keep going. If not, you can back off. 

That’s the way marketing works. You try things, see what happens, do more of what’s working and eliminate (or fix) what isn’t. 

Try things. And keep trying them. You might be very glad you did.

No matter what happens, you’ll get better at marketing, writing, and talking to clients and prospects about what they need and want, and showing them how you can help them get it.

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When you don’t know what to write about, write this

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I get it. Consistently finding content for a newsletter or blog (et. al.) can be challenging. 

You’ve collected a backlog of ideas (and already used the good ones). You’ve encouraged clients and prospects to ask you questions you can respond to, but they haven’t sent you any. You regularly think about your current cases and client work and note what might be a good topic for your blog or newsletter. 

But the well is dry. 

You want to write something but you can’t think of anything to say. Or you’re swamped with work and don’t have time to write anything even if you have a great idea. 

I’ve got your back. Help is on the way. I’m going to give you a very simple way to create a post or article in a matter of minutes.

You’ll be done in no time. 

Actually, I’ll give you two ways. Both are simple. So simple, if you use them, you’ll feel like you’re cheating. 

And you are. But in a good way. 

The first way to create content when you don’t know what to write about is to go through your collection of reading material, articles, notes, ideas, things you’ve seen other lawyers or experts write about or speak about, and steal their thunder. 

Write what they wrote about. 

If you felt it was worth saving the idea to your notes to read or use, it’s probably worth sharing with your readers and subscribers. Do it. Write something about something they said. Comment on it, share an example of it from your life. 

Criticize the idea or applaud it. 

Describe what they said and what you think about it. As simple as that.

Your opinion will interest your readers because they are your readers. They care about what you think. When you tell them you found an article or video worth noting, they want to know what you thought about it before they invest time in it, or instead of doing that.

Tell them the article’s premise and tell them if you agree. Or think it’s bollocks. Or have anything else to say about the subject.

If you link to the original, they may go read or watch it. But you don’t have to. Either way, you’re covered. 

Because nobody owns ideas. They found the idea and wrote about it. You can, too.

Now, if you have more than a few minutes, and you want to do more than mention what someone else said (and what you think about it), take the idea and write your own article or post about the subject.

You don’t have to quote them or give them credit for the idea. Just write what you want to write. Pretend the idea is yours (because, by default, it is). I do it all the time. So does everyone who writes content. 

When you put this tool in your content toolbox, you’ll never run out of content ideas. As long as anyone else in the world is creating content, you’ll always have a way to do it.

Read a lot and write about what you read.

If you like this idea, if you thought it was easy, maybe even obvious, you might like the second idea even better. 

Becauase its even easier. And just as obvious.

Go through your files and find something you wrote in the past, years ago, even, and (drumroll) republish it. 

Yes, you can do that. 

Send it your subscribers again. Post it on your blog again. Tell the same story in your next presentation or interview. 

The people who saw or heard it the first time you said ir or published it won’t remember. Or care that you’re using it again.

Of course, many of your readers, perhaps most, will be seeing it for the first time. 

Winning!

Now, if you have a bit more time, and you want to, go ahead and update your post. Add new cites, new thoughts, new comments, modifications, or information. Reflect on what you wrote before, retract it or double down on it. 

Agree with yourself or change your mind. No rules. 

Steal from yourself. It’s good for what ails ya. 

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What, when, why, and how?

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When a client or prospect asks you a question, about the law or their situation, when they want information or your opinion or advice, do you usually answer or do you suggesst they make an appointment, (because your knowledge and opinion are valuable and you are entitled to be paid therefor?)

Sometimes, there’s a fine line. I suggest you draw that line on the side of answering their questions, because it is a natural way to show a client or prospect why they need to hire (and pay) you. 

You can’t tell them everything, of course, but you can tell them enough to show them the seriousness of their situation, deliniate the issues, explain how long it could take to resolve their situation, and how difficult it might be. 

Questions let you say things like “it depends” and otherwise allow you to demonstrate the nature and extent of your expertise and experience. As a result, you don’t have to go into presentation mode and convince anyone they need to hire you. Your answers do the selling for you. 

Which is why you should encourage clients and prospects to ask you questions. There more the better.

There’s another reason to do that. Those questions, and your answers, give you content you can use in your newsletter, blog, articles, and speaking. 

There’s nothing more compelling than telling readers or listeners about a question you were recently asked (or are often asked), and answering it. 

There’s also no easier way to create content. 

They ask, you answer, and your post or that segment of your speech is done. 

When you create content from these questions and answers, you also get to talk about cases and clients you’ve handled, which tells your readers that you know what you’re doing and  can help them with similar issues. 

Questions and answers prompt readers to think about their own situation, leading to more inquires, appointments, and engagements. 

And more content for you. 

Which is why you should encourage clients and prospects, readers and listeners, to ask you questions. 

Questions help you build your practice.

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How to write a newsletter in 15 minutes (without ai)

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The problem with writing a newsletter is you’re writing a newsletter and that takes a lot of time. An hour or two every week, or every month, is more time than most attorneys have available or are willing to commit. 

Time to re-define the definition of a newsletter. 

Instead of thinking of a newsletter as something that requires hours of valuable, billable time, consider an alternative. Something that achieves the purpose of having a newsletter but can be done in a fraction of the time. 

In other words, a few minutes instead of a few hours. 

To do that, without hiring someone or delegating the task, or using ai to do the heavy lifting, think about the real purpose of writing a newsletter. It’s not (necessarily) to teach people all about the law, it is primarily a mechanism for staying in touch with clients and prospects in a way that reminds them that you are still available to help them and thus prompt them to contact you. 

And you don’t need thousands of words or even hundreds of words to do that, nor do you need to spend hours crafting those words. 

You can do the job in just 15 minutes, once a week or once a month or, if you must, once in awhile. 

If that’s true, would you start or re-start a newsletter? At least give it a try? 

Great. Here’s how to do it.

Instead of calling it a newsletter, with all the solemnity and scope this suggests, call it something lighter and simpler. Something along the lines of a “Tip-of-the-week”. 

3 paragraphs. 100 words. A single idea, piece of advice, reminder, definition, or thought.

For a consumer oriented practice, you might explain the meaning of “Comparative negligence,” report why your city changed the speed limit on your main thoroughfare last month, or offer a few worsds about why a living trust instead of a will (or why both).

Yes, as simple as that. 

Informal but interesting.Something that shows you know some things and want to share them. 

Whatever your idea or topic, it should be quick and easy to write (so you’ll write it), and equally quick and easy for your readers to read, which means they’ll do it, appreciate it, and look forward to your next tip. Oh, and maybe share your tip with friends and family, customers or clients.

And, guess what? If you ever find yourself “tip-less” and can’t think of anything to share, that’s when you could use ai (if you want) to provide you with ideas for you to write about. 

When you have a endless suppy of ideas and the writing can be done quickly and easily, you have a recipe for success. Now all you need are some email addresses. 

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Your clients are dying 

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They’re human, or managed by humans, and humans die. Or retire. Or get sick and can no longer run their business. Or go broke and no longer have a business.

No matter how good you are at what you do, or how long you’ve been doing it, your clients won’t be around forever. 

At least you have to assume that. 

They might sell their business. Move out of the state or the country. Or argue with you or your partner and find another attorney. 

Which means you have to replace them. 

But even when your clients love you and have lots of legal work, things happen. Laws change. Competition grows. You get tired of your practice area or niche, advertising is no longer effective or affordable, and you decide you want to or need to do something else.

Your world changes and you have to change with it. Which means you can never stop marketing. 

No matter how good things have been, or still are, nothing lasts forever. 

Except the need for marketing. 

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