I just read an article about marketing that points out something you and I already know:

“Competition is fierce. . . consumers are inundated with options and may develop decision fatigue. So. . . they tend to [rely] on referrals and reviews from friends,” she says.

“Highly competitive spaces breed the “who you know” type of purchasing decisions, or can drive you to offer a lower price as a competitive edge.”

She makes it sound like referrals are a bad thing. Hey, that’s where we part company.

Then she makes a good point, stressing the value of “offering a novel and truly innovative product or service” to stand out.

We agree. Marketing is easier and more effective when you do something most attorneys don’t.

Then the author makes another good point. She says that being different keeps you from focusing on your competition, and makes you more likely to focus on your client or market.

“There’s only so far ahead you can get if all you is follow or copycat a competitor.”

Preach, sister.

But, alas, most attorneys are in the copycat game. Most attorneys don’t innovate or do things differently.

We use the same forms, the same process, and follow the same timetable. We offer the same services and charge the same fees.

We look alike, because we are alike. (Okay, some of us have better jokes.)

What’s the solution? How do you stand out when you’re not different or better?

The thing is, you don’t actually have be different, or better, at least not demonstrably. You can “be” different by appearing to be different.

That’s where marketing comes in.

To wit:

You and 1000 other attorneys in town all begin the case by interviewing the client, getting all the facts and details, and asking the same questions to flesh out what happened.

Boring, isn’t it? Not to the client.

Clients want an attorney who is thorough and works hard to get all the facts, so they can do a better job for them. Yes, other attorneys do the same thing, but if you’re the only one describing this process in your marketing, in the eyes of your market. . . you are different. Or better.

And that’s why it’s a good idea to study your competition, what they do and how they market their services.

It’s how you find ways to differentiate yourself.

For more ways, get a copy of The Attorney Marketing Formula.

A friend sent me an email he got from a company that offers law firm management consulting. He’d spoken to them about what they could do for his practice and wanted to know if I knew anything about them or if I had any advice.

I didn’t know them. My advice? Get more information. A lot more.

Granted, all I looked at was the email. I didn’t see a website or any other marketing materials. But what I did see left me less than impressed.

They have different packages ranging from $1500 per month up to more than $4000 per month, which isn’t expensive if they can help you grow from six-figures to seven-figures, something they allude to.

But can they? And what exactly do they do?

The email was a model of vague generalities. It talked about meetings and coaching, but not much about the subject of those meetings or that coaching. It talked a lot about bookkeeping and accounting. It mentioned the word marketing once.

Why anyone would talk so much about counting beans instead of getting more beans to count is beyond me.

So yeah, not impressed.

But here’s the thing. Some lawyers are paying these guys thousands of dollars a month to do whatever it is they do. So I have to assume that they deliver some value to their clients.

Whether or not they’re good at what they do, one thing they’re doing right is packaging their services in ways that make it difficult to compare what they offer with what other consulting firms offer.

And that’s the point, my little droogies.

When you offer the same services your competition offers, and you charge the same range of fees, you make it easier for clients to compare you to everyone else.

Sometimes they choose you. Sometimes they don’t.

On the other hand, when you offer something your competition doesn’t appear to offer, you give clients a reason to choose you. You can charge more, too.

Don’t offer what other lawyers offer. Package your services in ways that allow you to emphasize results and benefits and not the activities or time needed to deliver those results. Charge monthly fees or flat fees, not hourly.

A little slight of hand? Smoke and mirrors? Maybe. Or maybe just good marketing.

For more good marketing, go here