How to get a competitive advantage over other lawyers

January 31, 2008 by
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A great way to stand out in a crowded field is to do something nobody else is doing. Nobody sends postal mail any more and that’s exactly why you should.

Everyone is moving online. Yes, you must have a presence online. In fact, that’s where you should concentrate most of your marketing muscle. But there are great fortunes to be had by those who use old fashioned paper and envelopes and stamps to communicate with clients and prospects and referral sources.

The volume of direct mail is way down. What that means is that your prospect’s mail box is emptier than a few years ago. As a result, when your client gets your newsletter in their mailbox, it won’t get lost in the clutter. Compare that to their email inbox, where they are inundated.

Your printed and mailed message means much more to them, too. They can hold it, they can sit in their favorite chair and listen to your words spoken from the page, or throw it in a briefcase to read on the train. Yes, they can do all that by printing your email or pdf, but it’s not the same. It lacks some of the warmth and personality of something actually delivered to their mailbox.

Just as there’s a big difference between an email that says "thanks" and a hand-written, personal thank you note sent by mail, you can get the essence of that difference with a printed newsletter or other message.

Also consider the retention factor. If you write a good newsletter or report and get it into the hands of clients and prospects, they’ll be more likely to hold onto it if they don’t have time to read it now. And, if they do read it now and it is good information, they’ll be more likely to hold onto it for future reference. By contrast, I’ve got emails I’ve saved in my inbox for years, but I’ll never find them.

What about "pass along"? Well, it’s easy for them to forward your email message to a large number of people, but what will those people do with the message? Probably not read it and probably not hold onto it, either.

There is a greater cost to putting things in the mail, and more labor, too. But the question isn’t the net cost of one medium of communication versus another, it’s net effectiveness. Return on investment.

Don’t stop sending email, but do consider starting (or re-starting if you have let lapse) a postal mail campaign to keep your name and message in front of the most important people in your business life. You’ve often heard me say, "They may not be able to hire or refer today, so stay in their minds and in their mailboxes until they do." Today, they have more than one mailbox and you should be in both.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Communication, Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Online Marketing Tagged With: ,

Why people need lawyers (you) but don’t hire them (you)

January 9, 2008 by
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Why is it that people who need your services don’t "buy" them? The answer is that people don’t buy what they need, they buy what they want. They may need your advice, but they won’t plunk down the cash unless they want to.

People buy what they want and what they want, ultimately, is a feeling. People buy on emotion, and then justify their decision with logic.

You need a car, you don’t need a Lexus (well, I do, but most people don’t). You buy the Lexus because of how it makes you feel driving it. You tell yourself Lexus is reliable and you will save on repairs and downtime, or that it’s good for business, and so on, but in the end, it’s the feeling you’re after.

People hire an attorney the same way. Any attorney can do the job, but they hire you because of how you make them feel (or how they think you will make them feel). And they’ll pay dearly for that feeling. You charge more, and they know it, but they’ll pay it and convince themselves that you’re worth it.

In your marketing, don’t just show people the logical reasons to hire you. Don’t just appeal to need. Touch them emotionally and help them to want your services.

And don’t hold back. Your marketing materials must make people feel something when they read them, and the same goes for when you speak in front of the room or conduct a free consultation. Touch that nerve. Make them nervous. Make them care.

One of the easiest (and best) ways to do that is by telling stories. Stories have people in them and people relate to other people. People want to know "what happened". They care about the outcome because they can imagine themselves in that situation and feel what it would be like. Become a master story teller. Facts tell, but stories. . . sell.

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Filed Under: Communication, Copywriting, Marketing legal services Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What to put in your new client welcome letter

November 13, 2007 by
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There are many benefits to sending your new clients a "welcome" letter.

  • It allows you express appreciation by saying "thank you"
  • It shows that you are organized, which reduces anxiety and inspires confidence
  • It lets you assure clients of your commitment to helping them achieve their desired outcome
  • It lets you tell them what to expect, avoiding surprises and allowing you to deliver more than they expect
  • It orients them to office procedures (hours, whom to call, where to park, etc.), reducing confusion
  • It allows you to encourage the client to ask questions or express concerns
  • It can inform the client about your other practice areas (cross-selling)
  • It can let them know that you appreciate referrals
  • It let’s them know more about you, adding to your developing relationship

Your welcome letter should make the new client feel truly welcome, appreciated, and empowered. It should calm their fears, inspire their confidence, and innoculate them against negative consequences. They should conclude, upon reading it, that they absolutely made the right decision in choosing you as their attorney.

Welcome letters should be signed with an original signature, not a photocopy, or worse, left blank. Add a personal note, handwritten at the end of the letter, adding a comment about the client’s situation, family, or business, or an additional word of encouragement. Show the client that you took the time to personally ackowledge them, rather than asking your secretary to send out a form letter.

For a unique twist, consider an "audio letter". Simply record your welcome message and burn it onto a CD. You can add audio greetings from your partners and staff, too. If you really want to go crazy, you could record a video welcome letter onto a DVD. Take the client on a video tour of your office, introduce them to staff, show them your library, and so on. You should do this with them in person, of course, but this is nice added touch.

Is your welcome letter doing everything it could? If not, take the time to make it better. You won’t get another chance to make a first impression.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Communication, Law office management, Thank you letters Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Don’t make this mistake in your communications

September 26, 2007 by
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The language of the brain is pictures, sounds, and feelings. If I tell you I saw a pink turtle, your mind will process my statement by creating a mental picture of a pink turtle. However, if I tell you that I did NOT see a pink turtle, you will still see a pink turtle. That’s because the brain can only process positive information. You can’t make a mental picture of NOT seeing something because the brain can’t process negative pictures, sounds, or feelings.

If you tell your child, “Don’t run across the street,” the message their brain sees is “run across the street.” You have planted the visual image of them doing the very thing you don’t want them to do.

Sure, as adults we have the facility to translate the negation of a thought to its positive form, but the additional step involved in doing so means there is a lesser chance that the information you want to communicate will get through.

If you want to communicate more clearly, be conscious not to plant negative suggestions in others’ minds with the words you choose. Speak in the positive. Say “It’s a pleasure” instead of “no problem”. Use the words “Call me” instead of “Don’t hesitate to call.” Tell clients, “The trial will go smoothly,” and not, “Don’t worry about the trial.”

Tell people what you want rather than what you don’t want. Tell people what to do rather than what not to do. When you phrase things in the positive, you will communicate more clearly and you will get more of the results you seek.

There are exceptions, however, and you can use them to your advantage.

The title of this article (intentionally) tells you what NOT to do, and uses a negative, the word “mistake”. In this case, the title is meant to create curiosity or “mental tension” that can only be relieved by reading the article. The title doesn’t tell you what to do, the article does, and you are compelled to read it to find out.

Curiosity is a powerful motivator because our brains want to see what can’t be seen, to find the positive image it cannot see but knows is there.

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Filed Under: Communication, Copywriting Tagged With: ,
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