Every time you send an email, talk to someone, conduct a presentation, or otherwise seek to persuade someone to do something, you can’t deliver your message and expect everyone who hears or reads it to hear the same message.  

Because they won’t. 

It depends on the context. Your reader or listener’s prior experience, their needs and wants, their perception of you, and other factors make a difference. 

Especially the actual words you say and when you say them. 

The latter is based on a phenomenon known as “the framing effect” which says that people’s perceptions and decisions are influenced by how and when the information is presented to them. 

A product may be more appealing, for example, if the price is framed as a discount rather than the regular price. Your client may see an offer to settle his claim as more acceptable if it is made after a series of lower offers. 

Consider the context in which the other person will receive your message. And modify your message to suit that context. 

Some people won’t decide without hearing more information. Others might be overwhelmed and shut down if you give them more. 

How do you know what to do? 

You have to know your client (prospect, opposition, etc.) Which is why it is better to target niche markets. 

And you need to pay attention. Because the other person’s response to your message will often tell you everything you need to know. 

You have a list. Business contacts, subscribers, followers, and friends. People who read what you write and listen to you when you speak. People who know, like, and trust you, or are on their way to doing that.

Now what? How do you convert these folks into clients and income?

Sending them information is good. And easy. Write about their problems and the available solutions, about their market or industry, about your services, and about other topics that will be of interest or value to them.

Keep doing that but realize that they can get most of this information at the library, surfing the web, or following other lawyers.

To convert these folks into clients and referral sources, to people who send you traffic, to people who look forward to hearing from and make a point of sharing your information with others, you need more than just information.

You need connection.

You do this all the time offline. You can do it with your digital contacts.

There are two things you need to do.

First, you need to know the people on your list or in your market. Who are they, what they do, and what they want (and not just legally speaking).

What makes them tick?

Study your market. And talk to the people in it. What are they excited about? What keeps them up at night? What is it like to walk in their shoes?

Because understanding is the first step towards connecting.

The second thing you need to do? You need to allow them to get to know you.

That means opening up about your personal life. Not everything, but something. Your life outside of work, your family, what you do for fun.

Let down your guard a bit and show people your human side.

Flaws and mistakes and struggles included.

Because that’s what people relate to. That’s what people will like and come to trust.

You don’t have to be an open book. Confess all your sins. A few details go a long way.

Do you have any photos or memorabilia in your office? Things visitors notice and ask about? Do you ever brag about your child hitting a home run in the big game? Do you ever talk about a tough case and how you (eventually) won it? A mistake in judgement you once made and the lesson it taught you?

In your newsletter, talk about the kinds of things you talk about in person. Let people see you’re just like them and they’re just like you.

That’s how you connect. And convert contacts into clients.