The Attorney Marketing Center--Earn More. Work Less

Why did your new client choose you?

February 9, 2024 by David M. Ward

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.

Filed Under: Marketing legal services

Use leverage to get bigger, faster

February 8, 2024 by David M. Ward

There are a lot of ways to grow your practice. Most involve improving and expanding what you’re already doing.

Things like:

Improving your SEO
Getting more sign-ups for your seminars
Getting more subscribers for your newsletter
Creating better content or ads
Learning how to better use LinkedIn (etc.)
Converting more leads and prospects to clients
Getting more repeat business and referrals
Promoting your podcast, blog, newsletter, or channel
Getting more social media followers
Improving your networking or speaking skills
And so on

These are all worth considering. Each can help you grow your practice. But that growth is unlikely to be more than “incremental,” meaning single digit.

That’s not bad, especially if you continue to do them and allow your results to compound. But if you’re looking to do something bigger or quicker, such as doubling or tripling your revenue this year, you should focus on strategies that can create that kind of result.

One of the best, most leveraged methods for doing that is setting up strategic alliances with other professionals and businesses that sell to or serve your target markets.

In short, you form a relationship with another lawyer or business professional, they endorse or recommend you and your services to their customers or clients, subscribers or followers, and you do the same for them.

Because their clients trust them, their recommendations can quickly result in a large number of new clients for you. You don’t have to invest a lot of time or create new infrastructure. Your job is to identify suitable candidates, connect with them and propose an alliance.

To start, that alliance can be as simple as mentioning each other’s upcoming event or recommending each other’s blog or podcast. As you get to know each other better, this might evolve into full-throated endorsements and referrals.

You don’t need dozens of strategic alliances partners to make this a very profitable undertaking for you; you only need a few.

To learn how to do this, see my course on Lawyer-to-Lawyer Referrals

Filed Under: Leverage, List building, Marketing legal services

The simplest way to improve the results of your advertising

February 7, 2024 by David M. Ward

There are many things you can do to improve your advertising. You can use more effective sales copy, advertise in different publications or media, use different keywords, run different size ads, increase the frequency of your ads, and more. And you should regularly try (test) these to find the most effective and profitable combination.

It can bring in more leads, bigger cases or better clients, and reduce your costs.

But there’s something else you can do to immediately make your ads more effective and profitable. Make sure your ads contain a call-to-action.

Most lawyers run “branding” ads, designed to get their name or firm name in front of their target market. They might include a list of practice areas or services or tout their capabilities, but the primary purpose is to promote the firm’s name instead of getting the reader or listener to respond to that ad.

You want a response, don’t you?

You want the reader to call you, fill out a form, sign up for your list or event, or download your report. Don’t leave it up to them to figure out what you want them to do. Tell them. Every ad you run should have a “call to action”.

Tell them exactly what to do, make it easy to do, and tell them why they should.

Why should they call? To make an appointment? Ask questions? Is there a cost? What will they learn? How will they be better off?

Why should they sign up for your newsletter or seminar or report? What’s in it for them?

Provide a call-to-action and you will get more calls, sign-ups, downloads, and clients.

Simple as that.

Look at ads placed by your competition. If their ad doesn’t have a call to action (what to do and why), and yours does, which ad do you think will do better?

Ironically, your direct response ad will also brand you.

Okay, point taken. But what if your ads already contain a call to action—What can you do to improve response?

You can make the call to action more prominent. You can repeat it. You can add a deadline. You can improve the perceived value of the incentive you offer. You can provide testimonials or success stories from happy clients who called or signed up.

Also simple. And effective.

One more thing. You should also include a call-to-action in all of your content. In your articles, podcasts, on your blog, in your newsletter, and in your presentations.

Tell people what to do, and why, and make it easy to do, and more people will do it.

How to use a newsletter to get more clients and increase your income

Filed Under: Advertising, Content creation

Push or pull?

February 6, 2024 by David M. Ward

You tell clients what to do and what to avoid, but maybe you’ve noticed—clients don’t always listen.

Neither do prospective clients.

You show them the benefits of hiring a lawyer (and why that should be you), but they often do nothing (or hire someone else).

Your clients and prospects might not believe you. They might not have the money or want to spend it. They might think they can do “it” themself. Or they might be busy with other things and not pay attention.

How do you get them to do what you recommend?

Repetition is a good option. If you want them to make an appointment or call you to discuss (something), you send them a series of emails and letters; you have an assistant call them, and then you call them. Or you write articles and blog posts and come at the subject in different ways, over an extended period of time, and eventually they get it.

But repetition doesn’t always work. Sometimes, you have to scare the hell out of them by telling them the bad things that can happen if they don’t follow your advice.

Sometimes you give them the facts. Sometimes, you dramatize the facts and get them to feel the heat.

You want them to consider the plea deal, so you sit them down and explain the worst-case scenario.

You want them to update their documents, but they drag their feet so you tell them what happened to some of your other clients who waited too long or didn’t do it at all.

Fear of loss is the most powerful way to motivate someone, and you should use it when necessary.

Sometimes you push—emphasize the bad things that can happen if they don’t follow your advice, and sometimes you pull—emphasize the benefits if they do.

Yes, tell them both. But they want to know what you think, what you would do if you were in their shoes. Don’t be too quick to answer. Walk them through it. And be as gentle or as tough as you need.

Filed Under: Client relations

Quitting doesn’t make you a quitter

February 5, 2024 by David M. Ward

You messed up. You’re not making progress on a project or goal. You can’t seem to stick with your diet or stop doom scrolling on your phone.

You’re frustrated and want to give up.

Do it. Giving up might be the answer. This might have been a bad time to start. You didn’t have enough information, or you were busy with other things you also need to do.

Give yourself permission to quit. You’ve given up on things before, haven’t you? Dropped a case or client or moved a project to “someday/maybe”? Walked away from a relationship or let go of employees?

Maybe you’ve changed careers. Maybe you’ve done that more than once.

It wasn’t the end of the world. It might have been the best decision you ever made.

It doesn’t matter how much time or money you’ve put into something. Quitting is a viable option.

But before you quit, consider starting again. You started the project for a reason. Maybe that reason still exists.

Take a break and come back to the project or goal with fresh eyes. Things might be different this time.

That’s how life works, isn’t it? You try something and when it doesn’t work, you try again. There are no rules that say you can’t. So, let it go for a few days or weeks, or a few hours, and start again.

You’ll use what you’ve learned and do it better this time. Do more research or get some advice. Put in more time or try a different angle.

Or you might start from scratch, with a blank page and beginner’s mind.

How do you know what to do?

The answer might be in your notes, but it is more likely in your stomach. Logic is good, but how you feel is usually better.

Start again if that feels like the right thing to do. Throw it out and choose something else if it doesn’t.

Filed Under: success

“I didn’t know you did that”

February 2, 2024 by David M. Ward

Yeah, that’s something you never want to hear. Because if a client or professional contact doesn’t know that you (and/or your firm) do a certain type of work or handle a certain type of case, you shouldn’t be surprised when they hire someone else.

Yes, they might ask if you handle X or can help them or a friend with Y—but you shouldn’t count on it. People get used to your being a (type) of lawyer or representing a (type) of client. It might not occur to them that you might do something else, and they’re busy and won’t bother to ask.

So… the first rule for getting more repeat business and referrals is to make sure everyone you know knows what (else) you do.

What if you DON’T do anything else? Great, this gives you the opportunity to remind people that you “specialize” in your field. Since clients and the people who refer them prefer hiring or referring a lawyer who specializes, it gives you an advantage over other lawyers who don’t.

But. . . you also want them to know that you know lawyers in other fields and might be able to refer them, and they should call you about any legal matter.

Not just because you want to serve them by introducing them to someone who can do a good job for them. But also because it gives you more referrals to give to colleagues who might think of you when they get a case or client they don’t handle (but you do).

Ya with me?

One more thing. Tell them this often. Tell them again (and again) what you do and that they should call you for any legal matter.

Tell them often, because people forget what you told them before, especially when they haven’t heard from you in a while.

Stay in touch with the people in your world, because the only thing worse than hearing someone say they ‘didn’t know you did that’ is hearing them say they don’t remember your name.

Filed Under: Referrals

Talk to me, baby

February 1, 2024 by David M. Ward

A few thoughts about talking to people you want to like you, hire you, and follow your advice.

First, assume they’re nervous; say something “neutral” to break the ice. Ask about the traffic or parking, or how they found you. If you know something about their problem, and it’s bad, acknowledge that up front.

If you’re in person, make eye contact. And smile. So simple, and so effective at showing them you’re listening, you care about what they say, and you’re a nice person. It makes them much more likely to like you and listen to you.

You want them to do most of the talking, so ask open-ended questions to get them to do that. Ask appropriate follow-up questions to clarify what they say (and show them you care about getting it right). Then, repeat their important points back to them, to give them a chance to hear what they told you, e.g., “So, what you’re saying is…”, and thus, prompt them to confirm it, change it, or add to it.

And again, to show them you’re listening.

If you feel the need to correct something they said, be gentle.

Share information, but don’t show off how much you know. And, whatever you do, don’t talk all about yourself. Talk about them, their legal matter, and the options available to them.

Take notes. Let them see you writing what they say, or hear you typing or scratching if on the phone. It tells them that what they say is important, you care about accuracy, and you want to do a good job for them.

Finally, ask them to tell you if there’s anything else they want you to know (but might not have mentioned).

They might tell you something important, but if they don’t, they’ll appreciate your thoroughness and that you let them get in the last word.

Filed Under: Communication

Ai ain’t Cyrano

January 31, 2024 by David M. Ward

Ben Settle was talking about email copywriting, but it applies to any kind of writing if your objective is to get someone to do something, buy something or believe something.

So, writing.

And we would do well to remember it when we toy with the idea of using Ai to do all of our writing.

It might be a good idea if you just want to shovel words at a reader. But not if you want to persuade them (and get paid lawyer money to do it).

Settle said, “Email is a transfer of emotion and energy from writer to reader”.

Which is something Ai can’t do.

A professional copywriter can. You can. But Ai can only transfer information, not emotion or energy, which is why we shouldn’t let it turn our heads.

Use Ai for research, for outlining, for ideas, even for first drafts. But not for anything that requires the human touch.

Someday? I don’t think so. But what do I know? I’m only human.

Filed Under: Writing

When do prospective clients decide to hire you?

January 30, 2024 by David M. Ward

By the time most prospective clients meet you or speak to you, they’ve already decided to hire you. Or not.

They usually know something about you—from your website, your ad or mailing, a review, or a friend who referred them. When they speak to you, their gut tells them yes or no.

You can give them more information about yourself, about their case and what you can do to help them. But they’ve usually already decided. They use the information you give them to confirm their decision or to see if there’s a reason to override it.

Which means you don’t have to give them a lot of information or go hard trying to persuade them.

If, based on first impressions, they’ve decided they want to hire you, you only need to tell them enough so they can justify their decision. If you give them more, you risk overwhelming or confusing them, giving them more things to think about or question, and talking yourself out of the sale.

On the other hand, if they initially decided to not hire you, loading them up with information is unlikely to get them to change their mind.

People don’t like changing their minds.

Give them basic information and not too much of it. If they want more, they’ll ask for more.

Hey, this is good news. Since the sale is made before you speak to the prospective client, you just have to say enough to not screw it up.

Filed Under: Client relations, Closing the sale, Salesmanship

Managing expectations

January 29, 2024 by David M. Ward

Years ago, each January, my wife and I attended an “expectation” party which took place at a friend’s home. Everyone found a seat and wrote a letter to their future self, to be read the following year. Instead of writing our goals, we wrote our expectations for the upcoming year, supposedly because expectations are more realistic than goals. They’re based on what we’ve been doing and thus, what we expect to happen—not just what we want.

The next January, we would gather again and read our letters, out loud if we wanted but usually to ourself. And then, write our expectations for the next year.

Unfortunately, most years I usually didn’t achieve what I expected. Probably because I wrote what I wanted, not what I expected. You want big things to happen in your life. So naturally you set lofty goals (expectations), even if they are unrealistic.

Think big, we’re told. Aim for the sun, the moon, and the stars. If you fall short, you’ll accomplish more than you would if you hadn’t thought big.

But that’s not the best advice because we usually set goals that are too high (and long term) and continually fail to reach them. We fall short and thus condition ourself to expect to be disappointed. And unhappy. And too often, that’s what happens.

Charlie Munger, said, “If you have unrealistic expectations, you’re going to be miserable all your life.”

Better than setting big goals and continually failing to meet them is setting small goals and continually reaching them. When we do, we condition ourself to expect to succeed, which is a much better place to be.

If you expect to bring in 5 new clients each month but only bring in 2, you’re disappointed and frustrated. If that happens enough, you start to believe you can’t get more.

Instead, lower your expectations. Stop trying to accomplish more than what’s realistic and failing. Choose a goal you are reasonably certain you can reach and succeed.

You’ll feel better about yourself and what you can do. You’ll be successful and feel successful, and that’s what will allow you to accomplish more.

Setting and reaching goals, albeit lower goals than you really want, is a recipe for success because you gain confidence in yourself and what you can do. From that platform, you can set incrementally higher goals and realistically expect to reach them.

Taking a gigantic leap sounds good, but you are more likely to get to the top by taking one step at a time.

Filed Under: Goal Setting, success, Uncategorized