Years ago, I read Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi, the lead prosecutor in the case against Charles Manson. Bugliosi presented the timeline and documented the evidence in the case in meticulous detail.
But he didn’t just describe the facts and the evidence. He explained why it mattered. He put everything together into a masterfully persuasive account, as though he was again presenting the case to the jury.
I remember thinking, “nobody who reads this would have any doubts about what happened, or the correctness of the verdicts”.
That’s what we expect of a prosecutor doing his job. It’s also what we expect lawyers to do when advising their clients.
When you tell your clients what you recommend, you must tell them why.
It may be obvious to you, but it isn’t necessarily obvious to the client. Even when it is, telling them the facts and arguments you considered helps them to see why they should follow your advice.
I’m sure you do this (most of the time). You’re not like my father who sometimes grew tired of my relentless “why” questions and said, “Because I said so!” (Wait, your dad did that too?)
Anyway, I’m sure you tell clients why they should follow your advice, but do you do that in your marketing?
I’ve seen too many ads, blog posts, articles, videos, emails, presentations, and so on, where the lawyer doesn’t tell people what to do (call, email, fill out a form, etc.), or if they do, they don’t tell them why.
Tell people why they should call, download your report, or subscribe to your newsletter. Tell them why they need a lawyer, why they should choose you, and why they shouldn’t wait.
If you want to get more clients, tell people what to do. And why.
Marketing is easier when you know the formula
