Selling legal services doesn’t make you a sales person

August 19, 2013 by
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I was at a seminar on Saturday and one of the speakers briefly outlined a six-step process for selling anything. Of course that includes selling legal services.

The process is the same whether you’re sitting down with a client and selling him on giving you a check, networking with corporate bigwigs and selling them on discussing their legal needs, and everything in between. To some extent, the process is the same when you are selling legal services from the stage or in print.

Here are the six steps with my comments in parentheses:

STEP ONE: COMMIT

  • Make a personal commitment to the process. (If you look down on selling as beneath you, if you dismiss it and say, “that’s not why I went to law school,” you’re missing the point. Lawyers sell legal services. That doesn’t mean we are sales people.)
  • Set S.M.A.R.T. goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time oriented. (What do you want to accomplish? When? How will you know if you did or did not achieve your goal?)
  • Define “why”: what’s the big picture for you that makes the effort worthwhile. (When you’re not getting the results you want, you need to remember why you opened your own office.)

STEP TWO: PREPARE

  • Adjust your attitude. (Selling is helping people get what they want by removing obstacles. Be proud of what you’re doing.)
  • Work on your skills. (Read, practice, learn from your mistakes.)
  • Add to your knowledge. (Learn about sales, human psychology, and your client’s industry or interests.)

STEP THREE: CONNECT

  • Appearance. (Make sure everything you do is done professionally.)
  • Approach. (Don’t always leave it up to them. When appropriate, take the initiate. Make the call.)
  • Rapport. (Build trust before you show them what you can do.)

STEP FOUR: INVESTIGATE

  • Observe. (What are their problems? What do they want to achieve?)
  • Ask. (Learn more by asking open ended questions. Find out what they want, what they have tried before, what you need to say or do to persuade them that you are the best choice.)
  • Listen. (20% asking, 80% listening.)

STEP FIVE: PRESENT

  • Timing. (Not too soon, not too late. Look for signs they are ready. If you’re not sure, ask for permission.)
  • Solutions. (We get paid to solve problems and achieve results. Show them what’s possible. Tell them how you have helped others in similar situations.)
  • Use their language. (Mirror their style, pace, and lexicon. Refer to your notes and reflect back to them what they told you they wanted and needed.)

STEP SIX: CLOSE

  • Ask for the sale. (Tell them what to do to get the benefits they want.)
  • Overcome objections. (“I need to think about it” is never the real objection. Find out the real reason(s) and show them why the benefits you deliver trump those reasons.)
  • Support. (If they sign up, plug them into your support system so they feel easy about what will happen and what to do if they have questions. If they don’t sign up, plug them into your follow-up system.)
  • Referrals. (Always ask for referrals, even if they’re not ready to get started.)

Selling legal services is a skill and it can be learned. The better you get, the more people you can help. Last I heard, that’s at least one of the reasons’ you went to law school.

Marketing is everything we do to get and keep clients. Start here.

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Filed Under: Closing the sale, Handling objections, Marketing legal services, Salesmanship Tagged With: ,

What’s the best way to handle objections?

June 5, 2013 by
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What’s the best way to handle objections?

The best way is to eliminate them before they occur. That means providing enough information to prospective clients on your website, in your presentations, and in your client meetings, so that all of their issues and concerns are addressed and there is nothing left to object to.

Give them the facts. Share the stories. Provide FAQ’s that deal with all of the objections you commonly hear.

If money is a common objection, make sure you build the value of what they get, show them how not hiring you could be even more costly, and explain the payment options you have available. Deal with this issue in advance and you will get far fewer objections.

You won’t completely eliminate objections, however. What then?

It depends.

Sometimes, the best way to handle objections is to repeat them back to the prospective client. People often say things they don’t really mean or haven’t thought through. When they hear their own words repeated back to them, it causes them to re-evaluate. As they respond, they often answer their own objection.

Your conversation might go like this:

CLIENT: “I want to think about it”
YOU: “You want to think about it?”
CLIENT: “Yeah, I need a day or two”
YOU: “A day or two?”
CLIENT: “Well, maybe not that long. I need to see if this is something I want to do.”
YOU: “Something you want to do?”
CLIENT: “Well, I know I need to do this but it’s kinda expensive [the true objection reveals itself]. . .”
YOU: “Expensive?”
CLIENT: “Yeah, it’s a lot of money to me. But like I say, I know I need to do this and I guess I can put it on a credit card, so let’s get this going. . .”.

Sometimes, the best way to handle objections is to respond directly. When the client tells you they want to think about it and you know the real objection is probably something else, like money, you might say, “I understand completely. It is a big decision and it is a lot of money. But you have to consider what might happen if you ignore this problem. As we discussed. . .” and go over the issues and possible outcomes again.

If you’re not sure what the real objection is, ask them. “What exactly do you want to think about? Is it the need? Is it the cost?”

Handling objections this way is sometimes referred to as “Feel, Felt, Found.” It is a way to validate the client’s position before you respond to and overcome their objection. So if they object to the expense, you might say, “I understand how you FEEL. A lot of my clients tell me they FELT the same way when they were in your position. But once we got started, they FOUND that it was money well spent and they were glad they got it taken care of.”

Sometimes, the best way to handle objections is to ignore them. You’ve handed the client a retainer agreement and pen and he tells says he wants to think about it. Instead of saying, “Sure, just let me know,” and having him walk out, you say, “I can get started this afternoon and have everything done for you by next Tuesday. You will finally be able to move forward with your life and you told me that’s what you want to do. Today is the 15th; make sure you write the date here” and point to the blank for the date.

Clients typically have the same four or five objections, not hundreds. Think about the last few prospective clients who didn’t retain you. What did they say? How did you respond? How might you have handled it differently?

Come up with two or three ways to handle each common objection and the next time they arise, you’ll be ready.

Want to make the phone ring? Here’s my step-by-step system.

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Filed Under: Closing the sale, Handling objections, Salesmanship

How to invoke the law of reciprocity to get more clients and more referrals

April 23, 2013 by
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A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I had a termite inspection. Just routine. It had been awhile and it was time. We got the all clear once again, and once again there was no charge for the inspection.

However, we now have a pest control maintenance contract with this company and told our previous company adios.

We had been with the other company for 15 years and we were satisfied with their work. They showed up when they were supposed to and were reasonably polite. They always called the day before, to remind us they were coming and to ask if there were any problems they needed to address.

So why did we switch?

No, it wasn’t price. Our previous company had never raised their rates and the new company actually charged a bit more (but was willing to match the first company).

Actually, there were two reasons.

The first reason we switched is that while we were satisfied with our first company, we were only satisfied. They didn’t do anything to tip the scale from satisfied to delighted.

Of course we didn’t realize what was missing until we had the new company come out. They were more organized. And cleaner. And more thorough. The man who came out was articulate and patiently explained everything. You could tell he wasn’t just doing his job, he really enjoyed what he did.

The first company was competent. The second company made us feel like they cared about having our business.

The second reason we switched? We’d had this company out twice and it was the same guy both times. Both times, there was no charge. And so when he offered the maintenance contract, the law of reciprocity kicked in and we took it.

The law of reciprocity says that when you give someone something, they have a psychological compulsion to reciprocate. Buy someone lunch, for example, and the next time you go out together they’ll pick up the check. It’s not politeness or friendship. It’s the law of reciprocity.

If you doubt this, the next time someone you know says good morning to you, don’t say anything in return. That awkward feeling you have is the law of reciprocity.

So, did we hire the new company out of guilt? In a way, yes. We had two free inspections and had never given them anything in return. We might have reciprocated by sending them referrals, but we liked what we saw and hired them.

When you offer a free consultation, your prospective client feels like they owe you. So, unless you give them a reason not to, they will be inclined to hire you. If they can’t or don’t need to hire you, they will be primed to send you referrals.

The same goes for anything you do for others. Send a lawyer friend a referral and they will probably send one to you. Give your newsletter subscribers helpful information and they will tell their friends to visit your website. Help a neighbor set up their new computer and they’ll be looking for ways they can return the favor.

The “Golden Rule” says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Now you know how it works.

The Attorney Marketing Formula shows you how to earn more than you ever thought possible.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Closing the sale, Marketing legal services, Personal development, Referrals Tagged With:

Marketing legal services like a trial lawyer: show them the evidence

April 15, 2013 by
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Marketing legal services is like conducting a trial. No matter how charming and eloquent you are, you’re not going to win the case or the client unless you show people the evidence. But you can’t just throw the evidence at them all at once. First, you need to lay a foundation.

If your prospective clients aren’t convinced they need an attorney, for example, you’re probably wasting your time showing them why you are the best choice. Start by educating them about the benefits of hiring an attorney and the risks of doing things yourself, before you show them your bona fides.

The Wall Street Journal’s recent article, When it Helps to Have a Lawyer, references a 25 year study that shows that trademark applicants represented by attorneys are 50% more likely to get their application approved than those who try to do it themselves. Solid evidence in favor of hiring an attorney. The kind of evidence that IP attorneys should be pointing to and writing about.

No matter what your practice area, you should be utilizing studies and surveys and other evidence that proves the need for and value of what you do. Quantify the benefits of hiring an attorney. Show people that doing it themselves is ultimately more expensive, more risky, or less effective. Personal injury attorneys, for example, can point to studies showing that clients tend to net more after legal fees.

SIDE BAR: If you have a choice, it’s almost always better to target prospective clients who already know they need an attorney and are trying to decide which one. You don’t have to convince them to spend money, only why they should spend it on you.

Of course you should also present evidence that shows the client why he should choose you. You probably can’t prove you get higher settlements or verdicts but you can show him you’ve tried more cases or represented more clients than most.

Testimonials are very persuasive (if you are permitted to use them). So are endorsements by other lawyers and centers of influence in your target market or community. Speaking and publishing credits, awards and honors, number of years in practice, prestigious employers (or clients), all serve as credible evidence of your abilities.

If you aren’t already collecting evidence to prove why clients need a lawyer and why they should choose you, start now. Open a file and call it, “Why you should hire me.” Start collecting evidence you can use in your marketing. The next time someone asks, “Why you?” you’ll be ready to show them.

Want more ways to show clients why they should choose you? Get this.

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Filed Under: Closing the sale, Marketing legal services, Presentations, Salesmanship

How do you find out why they didn’t hire you?

April 10, 2013 by
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In yesterday’s post, How often should I call a prospective client? I said you should follow up with a prospective client after a free consultation, but not call them because calling is bad posture. In response, I got an email from an attorney who said, “If you don’t call them how will you find out why they didn’t hire you?”

It’s a good question.

If they don’t call you within a suitable period to give you the go ahead on their case or matter, you can send them a form letter seeking feedback about your office’s “customer service”. Were you well treated, Did we answer all of your questions, that sort of thing. Then, ask if they plan to go ahead with their case or matter and if not, why not. You might provide multiple choice answers for them to tick off, and room for additional comments.

Send this with a cover letter about how you are constantly seeking to improve your services to your clients and you would greatly appreciate it if they would fill out the survey and return it in the envelope provided. You might offer to send them a free report or a $10 Starbuck’s gift card to say thank you.

Anyway, this should give you some feedback on what you’re doing right and what you need to improve. But there’s an even better way to find out why someone doesn’t hire you: ask them while they are still in the office.

 

Before you hand them a retainer agreement and pen, ask if they see the need for your services and how it will help them. If they do, ask if they are ready to get started. (There are other ways to close). If they aren’t ready, politely ask why.

If they need to discuss it with someone, that’s your cue that the next time you set an appointment, you need to find out if you are speaking to the decision maker and if not, make sure they come, too.

If they are reticent to share their reasons, there’s a good chance it’s money: they don’t have it or they think you’re too expensive. If they don’t have it, you can remind them that you take credit cards or have a payment plan. If they think you’re too expensive, you need to do a better job of building the value of what you do before they see you (i.e., on your web site) and during the consultation.

By the way, “I want to think about it,” almost always means they have another objection. Ask them what they want to think about: Is it the need? Is it the fee? Is there something else that’s holding you back?

The best time to get feedback is when they are in the office, feeling a little guilty for turning you down.

Do you have The Attorney Marketing Formula? If you want to get more clients, you should. Click here.

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Filed Under: Attorneys fees, Client relations, Closing the sale, Law office management, Salesmanship

How often should I call a prospective client?

April 9, 2013 by
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A lawyer wants to know, “How often should I call a prospective client after a free consultation or a first phone call?”

The answer is you shouldn’t.

Don’t call. But do follow up.

Don’t call, because calling is bad posture. It makes you look like the pursuer, not the pursued. And that’s true even if you have someone in your office make the call.

You want to attract clients, not chase them. You are a professional. Highly sought after. Booked up.

Let them call you when they’re ready to hire you.

There are exceptions. If the prospect asked you to call. If they called you and you’re returning the call. Or if you are calling to find out if their wife’s surgery went okay.

Otherwise, don’t call.

Follow up by email or regular mail. Send them a thank you note. I enjoyed meeting you, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.

Courtesy, not sales.

Then, put them on your mailing list. Send additional information about their legal issue. Articles and reports. Emails that direct them to relevant content on your website.

But no personal mail or email.

Stay in touch with them and all of your prospects by mail or email. Each time you mail, it reminds them that you still exist and you’re still available to help. You maintain a bit of distance and the correct posture because you’re mailing this information to everyone on your list, not just them.

Information, not sales.

If they came to see you and didn’t hire you, there’s a reason. If they don’t have the money, or they need someone else’s permission, sending information is about all you can do. When they’re ready and able, they’ll call.

If there’s another reason they didn’t hire you, you need to figure out what it is and fix it. Because until you do, no amount of information is going to get them to call.

Get more clients and earn more from the clients you get. Click here.

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Filed Under: Closing the sale, Communication, Email, Image, Marketing legal services

Why that client hired another attorney instead of you

January 29, 2013 by
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Why do prospective clients come to your office to talk to you and then go out and hire someone else?

They need your help. They have the money. You answered all their questions thoroughly and politely. But they still said no.

We assume that because we have the skills and they have the need that they’re going to sign the retainer agreement, and most of the time they do. When they don’t, we have to remind ourselves that the first meeting with a prospective client is a job interview. When we don’t get the job, we have to stop and figure out why.

Sometimes, we don’t get hired because of the nonverbal cues we communicate. Did you fail to make eye contact? According to a survey of people who hire employees, 67% of job applicants make that mistake. Was your handshake too weak? 26% of job applicants failed that test. How about forgetting to smile? That omission plagues 38% of applicants.

Statistics say as much as 55% of the impact we make when meeting another person is nonverbal: the way we dress, walk, and act.

But maybe it’s not your body language. If you don’t get the job, maybe you made one of the “Top ten common mistakes at a job interview”. For example, number 8 is “Lacking Humor, Warmth, or Personality”. What, attorneys? No way.

How about number 6, “Concentrating Too Much on What You Want”. “Out out, damn ego.”

Number 2 on the list: Failing to Set Yourself Apart From Other Candidates.” That’s true of most attorneys, isn’t it? Again, we assume that because we have the skills and they have the need, they’re going to sign up. When they don’t, there’s a good chance this is why.

Number 1 on the list of mistakes: “Failing to Ask For the Job.” Relax, you don’t have to ask the client, “Do I get the job.” There are other ways to ask, such as, “Do you have any other questions before we get started on your case,” or “Would you like me to send your ‘New Client Kit’ to your home or to your office?” But you do have to close the deal.

One more thing. Don’t be complacent because prospective clients usually hire you. Yes, you got the job but that doesn’t mean you passed the interview. They may not have been thrilled with what you said or how you comported yourself but hired you because they were intimidated or didn’t know they had a choice.

You want your clients to like you and be glad they chose you. So work on yourself, even if you don’t think you have to, because marketing is everything you do to get and keep good clients.

Are you doing everything you can to get and keep good clients? If not, read this.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Closing the sale, Communication, Marketing legal services, Salesmanship Tagged With: ,

Get more clients by being yourself (even if you’re nothing special)

January 18, 2013 by
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An unremarkable undergrad at an unremarkable college is in talks with a prestigious Wall Street investment firm for a coveted internship, on the strength of the cover letter he sent with his resume. The letter has been called the ‘best cover letter ever’ and has gone viral throughout the investment world and on the Internet.

The article reporting the story put it this way:

“Rather than inflating his qualifications and bragging about his grades or past job experiences, the humble applicant simply stated his case and matter-of-factly asked for an internship–even if it meant shining shoes.”

He added: “I have no unbelievably special skills or genius eccentricities.”

You can read the letter and the rest of the story here.

So, great story, huh? Boy meets (investment) world. Boy lands big internship. Boy makes his mom proud.

Nice. But what does it have to do with marketing legal services?

Here’s what:

It deftly illustrates a timeless direct marketing principle–the supremacy of the sales letter. It wasn’t this young man’s resume that got the job. It was the letter. Similarly, your CV or list of accomplishments won’t get clients to hire you. Not by itself. You need a sales letter.

Let me show you what I mean by taking you on a stroll down memory lane.

Remember back before email when we all got a lot of direct mail solicitations in our mailboxes? For various goods and services, magazines, record clubs, insurance, and such? The mailing has several components and each plays a role in getting the sale.

First, the envelope.

Oh yes, the envelope is a sales tool. Direct mail experts consider (and test) the size and shape of the envelope, the color, the stamp, the address (label, print, or hand written), and the copy–the words printed on the outside of the envelope. It is those words that get the recipient to open the envelope (or not). Envelope copy grabs you (or doesn’t) and that determines whether or not you open the dang thing. Just like the “subject” line in an email today.

Inside the envelope is the sales letter and other documents. These may include a brochure or leaflet, a booklet of testimonials, a guarantee, an order form, a return envelope, and perhaps various “involvement devices” like stamps or tokens you’re supposed to affix to a the order form to indicate your preference.

Let’s compare that package to your web site.

You get people to “open” your web site with your “envelope copy”–the title and description of your site in search engines or in an ad, for example. Your description or ad piques their interest and they click through to your site.

In a mailing, the brochure and other components provide supporting materials: facts, details, proof. People buy for emotional reasons and justify their decision with logic and facts. The brochure supplies the latter.

On your web site, your brochure takes form in articles, FAQs, and a list of accomplishments. This is the supporting data that helps people justify their decision to take the next step towards hiring you.

Other content that supports this might be a page that offers a pledge or guarantee, involvement devices like polls (or results), videos, checklists, forms, and the like. These get people to spend more time on your site.

All of this content helps. But it is the sales letter that gets them to act.

On your web site, your sales letter might be on a welcome page or your “About” page. It might be a video. You greet the visitor and tell them what you can do for them. You tell them about yourself and do your best to connect with them. You want them to feel good about you and trust you. If they do, they’ll read some of your other content to learn the details.

The sales letter is the most important part of the mail package and your web site. It has to connect with the reader and do a complete sales job. There’s no sales person sitting with them or on the phone so the letter has to do all the talking. It has to tell the story, answer questions, overcome objections, and close the deal. In a mailing package, it has to get the order. On your web site, your sales letter has to get the visitor to call, fill out a form, or opt into your email list.

Now, how did this young college student with ostensibly no sales or marketing experience write such an effective sales letter? How did he stand out in a sea of competition?

He did it by ignoring what everyone else does and what conventional wisdom says he should do.

He wrote from the heart. Straight talk. No hype, no pretense. “Here I am, nothing special. I’m reasonably intelligent and I’ll work hard. Give me any job, I want to learn.”

He told the “buyer” what they wanted wanted to hear. Not because he knew what they wanted to hear, but because he didn’t know what else to say except the unvarnished truth.

It worked because he was refreshingly honest.

People don’t want “canned” and “commercial”. They want “real” and “believable.” If you can deliver that, they’ll pay attention, and if they want what you offer, they’ll buy.

The most critical job of the sales letter is getting the reader to pay attention. Employers sort resumes with a bias towards trashing them. They read only a handful that have a cover letter that catches their attention.

Web visitors do the same thing. When they arrive at a web site, they look for reasons to click away. Your “sales letter” has to get them to stay.

When you write your sales letter, you should do what this young man did. Be yourself. Tell your story, warts and all. Okay, maybe you can hide some of the warts, but keep it real and talk to them from the page like you would if you were talking face to face.

Don’t give them the packaged and polished (and boring) stuff you see coming from most attorneys. If you don’t grab them, you’ve lost them. If you don’t get their attention, it won’t matter how impressive your accomplishments might be, nobody will see them.

So here’s what I want you to do. Write a letter to a prospective client. Tell him why he should hire you. Tell him what you can do for him or his company and how you’ll work hard to do it. Imagine you’re sitting with him in a coffee shop, just the two of you. What would you say to get his attention and make your case?

Write that down.

I’m not suggesting that you’ll write something brilliant that will go viral on the Internet and be called the “greatest lawyer letter ever”. In fact, nobody will see this letter because you’re not going to send it to anyone.

But you might just get some ideas you can use on your web site or the next time you write an email or a blog post. You might just write something that reaches out and touches someone and makes them want to hear more.

Human beings are starved for real communication. A lot of people don’t even talk on the phone anymore, they “talk” with their thumbs. So when they hear a real person who speaks plainly and openly, without pretense or affectation, they listen.

To college students, and even to lawyers.

Learn more. Earn more. Get the Attorney Marketing Formula.

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Filed Under: Closing the sale, Communication, Copywriting, Marketing legal services, Online Marketing, Salesmanship Tagged With: , ,

Poor follow-up: another symptom of underearning attorneys

November 8, 2012 by
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Yesterday’s post was about the price you pay for under-valuing and under-pricing your services. It is one of the 12 “Symptoms of underearning” on the Underearners Antonymous web site.

Today’s post is about another symptom of underearning common to attorneys. It’s number 11 on the list, “Not Following Up”. This includes failing to follow up on “opportunities, leads, or jobs” or beginning many projects and tasks and not completing them.

“Not following up” may be caused by psychological issues (i.e., low self-esteem, fear of failure), but it’s often just a matter of poor organization.

There was a period in my career when I had a large number of people I needed to follow up with every day. These were prospective clients I had spoken to but who weren’t ready to sign up. I needed to follow-up with them in 30 to 90 days. If they still weren’t ready, I would schedule another follow-up.

Every day, I spoke to prospects at various stages of readiness. Some I’d spoken to once, others I’d spoken to several times. Every day, new prospects were added to the list and before long, I started to fall behind. Out of necessity, I developed a system for tracking follow-ups. It allowed me to efficiently manage hundreds of prospects who were in my “funnel” at any given time.

You may not call prospects like I was doing, but the concepts behind this system may help you stay on top of other follow-ups you need to do.

The first thing I did was make a prospect tracking form. It was a single page with space for their contact information, notes of our discussions, and a place to record the next follow-up date. Everything I needed was in one place. (I do everything electronically today, but the principles are the same.)

Next, I developed a set of rules for when follow-ups would take place. As I recall, I had criteria for two week follow-ups, 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days, depending on their level of interest and stated reasons for not going forward.

The key to making this work was to decide when to follow-up, and record it, before moving onto the next prospect. There were four choices for follow-up and all I had to do was choose one. Prior to this, I would put the day’s tracking forms in a pile and go through them at the end of the day, deciding when to follow up. This wasted time and was unnecessary. With my new rule, I looked at the page just once and not again until the follow-up date arrived.

What did I do with the tracking form? I filed it in a manual “Tickler” file, a metal file box with hanging folders. I used a variation of the system described at 43 folders–twelve monthly folders and 31 daily folders. As I scheduled follow-ups, I filed them in the appropriate folder (well, on the closest weekday).

Every day, I would empty that day’s folder and move the empty folder to the back of the group. At the end of the month, I would do the same thing with that month’s folder. This way, “today’s” folder was always in the front of the box.

Every day, I knew exactly who to call. When I was done with those calls, if they still weren’t ready to sign up, I put the prospect form back in the tickler box at the appropriate future date.

Why not use the calendar? Because the calendar should be reserved for tasks that are due on a given day, like an appointment. If you want to follow up with someone in 30 days, this is approximate. If you don’t call them on that day, they won’t know it. So if you aren’t able to do some of your follow-up calls on a given day, you can move them to the following day.

There were times when I scheduled a follow-up for a specific day and I did put those on the calendar. If the prospect and I had a phone appointment (which I encouraged), the date and time were scheduled on my calendar. If the time was not specified but I was asked to call on a certain date, I would calendar it for that day but not at a specific time.

This system made me a champion at follow-up. I signed up many new clients that I am sure would have otherwise fallen through the cracks.

You may be wondering how many times I followed-up with a prospect. Well, some of my prospects didn’t sign up until I had followed-up six or seven times. Some, after ten or more. So, I my rule for how many follow-ups: Follow-up until they “buy or die”.

It kept things simple. And profitable.

Want to earn more even if you’re NOT good at follow-up? Download The Attorney Marketing Formula and find out how.

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Filed Under: Closing the sale, Productivity, Salesmanship Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Three goals for your next presentation

September 6, 2012 by
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I’m speaking tonight and I have three things I want to accomplish:

First, I want to INFORM.

That’s what the audience is paying for. But even if this were a free talk, the audience would still be “paying” with their time and I must give them their “monies” worth.

Second, I want to INSPIRE.

Facts and logic can only take you so far in persuading people to act. I want the audience to be motivated to follow through on my information and advice. I will do that by appealing to their emotions. I will tell them the BENEFITS of taking action and illustrate the benefits with appropriate STORIES.

Third, I want to PROMOTE THE NEXT STEP.

In this case, the next step is to attend the next event we’re conducting in this market. Your audience’s next step might be to sign up for a free consultation, fill out a form, or give you a check or credit card.

Information and inspiration set the stage for action, but not everyone will take the next step. Promoting the next step means giving them more reasons to act. This is done by providing additional information or incentives (i.e., special offers).

Promoting the next step is also accomplished through salesmanship. One thing I like to do at the end of a presentation is to invoke “social proof”. By asking for a show of hands of those who are committed to coming to the next event or who are signing up (or whatever the next step is) , not only will the people who reply in the affirmative be more likely to follow through, the undecideds will be more likely to cross over into the action column.

In marketing, or in the courtroom or boardroom, many lawyers rely on the weight and persuasiveness of their information to get the job done. Often, it’s not enough. You must also inspire your audience and promote the next step.

The ultimate goal isn’t to educate. It’s to get the check.

If you want to get more checks and bigger checks, pick up a copy of The Attorney Marketing Formula:

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Filed Under: Closing the sale, Communication, Marketing legal services, Presentations, Public Speaking, Salesmanship Tagged With:
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