Wouldn’t it be good to know the reason(s) your clients chose you instead of another lawyer or firm?
I’ll answer for you: you bet.
In fact, wouldn’t it be helpful to know why they hired an attorney at all, instead of self-help or doing nothing? And why now, instead of waiting?
It’s valuable to know this because these are likely the same reasons other clients will hire you. If you know this, you can improve your marketing and get better results.
So, why did they do it?
Is it how you describe your services? The social proof you provide? Your website and other content that showed them how you think and how you do what you do?
Maybe it was something you offer that other lawyers don’t, like a “satisfaction guarantee”. Or something every lawyer does but usually doesn’t mention, such as the steps you take to investigate the case, research liability, or construct a demand letter.
Maybe it’s your reputation in the courtroom. Maybe they like your ads. Maybe they thought you look friendly, or you look tough and they want you on their side.
Or maybe they saw you as a more affordable choice (although that’s not necessarily a good thing).
It’s also possible they chose you because you don’t do or say things other lawyers do or say.
Happy day, you can find out these things by simply asking.
Talk to your new clients or ask them to fill out a questionnaire. Ask what attracted them, convinced them, or otherwise caused them to make an appointment or fill out a form.
You can also “ask” what they liked best by examining the number of click-throughs and percentage of forms filled out among the different pages on your website. If you get a high percentage of clicks and opt-ins on a page that describes one aspect of what you do and how you work with your clients, for example, you’ll know to create more content like that.
Another thing you can do is sit down with folks who resemble your ideal client and ask them to go through your website while you observe them. What page do they go to first? Next? What do they ignore or skim, what do they read completely?
Do they ask any questions or offer any observations about certain pages or content? Do they make suggestions about what they would like to see or know?
Yes, you can hire experts to do this for you, but you can learn a lot by simply observing. Just as you can learn a lot by talking to or surveying new clients and asking them why they chose you.
Your clients will tell you. Go ahead and ask.
