Yesterday, I talked about how some lawyers are afraid of their clients. They bend over backward to give them whatever they want, even if they don’t deserve it, because they’re afraid of losing the client or having them say bad things about them.
They try to please everyone, thinking they’ll attract more clients, but all they do is drive clients away.
When you’re too eager to please, too available, or too generous, you project an image of neediness. Clients can sense it.
When clients see you as needy, they get nervous. It’s like pulling up to a restaurant at 6 pm and seeing an empty parking lot. Nobody wants to eat where nobody else is eating.
People want to hire attorneys who don’t need their business. True or not, that’s what you want them to think.
Don’t be so quick to give them what they want. Make them wait a day or a week to book an appointment. Have them speak to someone on your staff or fill out a form on your website before they get to speak to you.
To pull this off, you have to believe that they need you more than you need them. If you don’t believe this, you need to work on that. For starters, make your services different and better than what other lawyers offer, or at least package and present them that way.
It’s called posture and the most successful attorneys have it in spades.
Have you seen attorneys who accept new clients “by referral only”? That’s posture.
You want to attract clients, not chase them. You want them to see you as the best choice, not just another pretty face in the crowd.
On the other hand, don’t do what some attorneys do. Don’t overplay your hand. Some attorneys come off as cocky, expensive, and too unavailable. Hey, if a client wanted that they’d hire a doctor, not a lawyer.
How to get clients to see you as the one they want
