When clients and prospects read or hear your marketing message, what is it that persuades them to choose you instead of any other lawyer or firm? Your reputation? The way you talk about their legal issues and your solutions? Success stories of clients like them you’ve helped? 

Clearly, these are all factors. But when a prospective client finally decides to call for an appointment or fill out a form on your website, it often comes down to something much simpler. 

Your choice of words. 

Specifically, your use of “emotional trigger words” that evoke in them the desire to make the call or fill out the form. 

For example: 

• You / your: Lawyers often speak in the abstract, hedge, attempt to be all things to all people. By trying to appeal to everyone, they weaken the appeal of their message and often get lower response.  The better approach is to personalize your message by speaking directly to the person who is reading it. Instead of saying, “We help clients create an effective estate plan,” for example, say, “Our services can help you protect your business and your loved ones.” 
• Now / Immediately: You can create urgency, or enhance it, by telling people what to do and when to do it. “Call now to speak to an attorney about your case” is likely to get more calls than not telling them when to call. It also speaks to the fears or impatience many clients have about their situation, getting them to take action instead of waiting and considering other options.
• Because / Why: When you tell people why they should respond, e.g., to get something, learn something, be able to do something, you’re showing them the benefits of doing what you’re asking or telling them to do. More people will respond when they clearly know the reasons why they should.

Effective trigger words might be those used by clients and referral sources in your target market, specific to the issues and desires associated with their needs or wants, as well as generalized words such as, “quick, simple, easy, better, proven track record, experience, guaranteed…” (assuming these aren’t prohibited or hyperbolic). 

Review your existing marketing materials and look for opportunities to make them clearer and more persuasive, more likely to get people to listen and to take action. A different word or phrase can make a big difference, changing the effect of your message from one that isn’t converting into one that consistently makes your phone ring. 

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If you meet with a prospective client, or even an existing client, and tell them what you know about a given subject, offering information and advice about that subject, some lawyers and so-called marketing experts will tell you you’re being foolish. Your knowledge and opinions are your work product, they say, and you should never give that away; you should be paid for it. 

There are others, myself included, who tell you just the opposite. If you do it he right way.  

“Give away lots of information,” we tell you. “Share your knowledge and ideas liberally, because education-based marketing is extremely effective at showing people what you do and how you can help them, and if you do it right, it can be some of the most profitable marketing you do. 

But first, it depends on your practice area and services.

If you handle plaintiffs’ personal injury, for example, free consultations convert to new clients often enough to make it worthwhile, which is why most lawyers in that area offer them. With other practice areas, it can be a different story, because it takes time to speak with prospective clients and indeed, time is our most precious commodity. 

The thing is, many lawyers refuse to use content marketing because creating content also takes time. 

What they don’t realize is that that while speaking with invididual prospects can be a costly use of your time and might not provide a sufficient return on your time, spending the same amount of time creating content is usually differeent, because content scales. 

You might spend an hour or two writing a newsletter or creating a video or article, but unlike meeting with prospects individually, that piece of content might be seen or heard by hundreds or thousands of people, which might result in dozens of new cases or clients. Over time, and with sharing and referrals, those numbers could be even higher. 

But there’s more to consider. 

Many lawyers believe in the value of creating content, and do it, but don’t put a lot of effort into it. Their content tends to be generic and overly simple. Their content tends to attract less sophisticated clients or freebie-seekers, and not necessarily the best clients.

Better clients are attracted to better content. 

Which is why you should give away not just any ideas but your best ideas. 

Don’t hold back. It’s just information. If you give these away, you still have them and can use them again and again. 

If the information is good enough, it shows clients that you’re not like other lawyers, you’re different and better, and they can see why they should hire instead of those other lawyers.

If you want to attract the best clients, give away your best ideas. 

One marketing expert got it right when he said, “Be stingy with your time but generous with your ideas.”

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Building a successful practice isn’t easy. There are no shortcuts or hacks. Even if you have a lot of money and experience, even if you’re very good at what you do and have a great reputation, it takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (and years) to build the career and lifestyle I’m sure you want. 

Stop looking for the secret sauce. Success is complicated. 

But it’s also simple. 

Yes, you have to get a lot of things right, but most of those things are small and obvious. You probably do most of them already.

Treating clients like you would like to be treated if you were in their shoes, for example. Being nice. Patiently explaining things. Going the extra mile. 

Simple things like that. 

But there’s a catch. You can’t be complacent. You have to keep doing the little things and you have to continuously improve them. 

Professional services, after all. 

So, here’s your plan: 

Take inventory of every element in your marketing, client relations, and practice management. Brainstorm, talk to your employees and partners, and write down everything you do to get and keep clients and perform your services. Everything you do to attract them, get them to hire you, get them to return, and tell others about you. 

It might be things you already do well but it could also be things that need fixing, or things you don’t do at all. 

It should be a long list. Because success is complicated. 

Next, the part that’s simple. 

Choose something on your list you believe can be improved. Even a little. Because in any business, but especially in professional services, small, incremental improvements can make a very big difference. Attorneys work closely and directly with clients and those who can refer them, and little improvements get noticed. 

All those little improvements compound and help you grow.

So, pick something and work on it. Make it better. Do it faster. Help clients and prospects feel a little better about you and your office. 

Pick something you can improve and improve it. Then, look for something else and do that. 

That’s the plan. And you can start on it immediately. 

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I remember my eighth grade history teacher, Mr. Fourgis, these many decades later, because he did something most history teachers don’t do or don’t do well.  Most teachers talk about the facts and recite the dates looking backward through time. They talk about history. Mr. Fourgis talked about the historical figures as though he knew them.

He told us what they did, how they felt about their decisions, and how they felt about what happened. We heard about their fears and struggles and their hard-fought victories. Sitting in Mr. Fourgis’ class was like sitting in a movie theater and watching history in real time. 

The difference, the reason I still remember him and am telling you about him today, is that he didn’t just tell us the facts about long-deceased figures with powdered wigs and long coats. He told us stories about people as though they were still alive.

Facts tell but stories sell. Which is why you should tell more stories in your marketing. 

Don’t just tell prospective clients about your services, tell them what those services have done for real clients. What problems did they have and how did they feel about those problems? Describe their pain and desires, what you did to help them, and how they felt about what you did.

Tell stories about cases and clients they might relate to or at least find interesting, stories that illustrate what you do and how your clients are better off when you do it.

The facts are important, but stories make prospective clients feel something. That emotional experience is what makes them pay attention to you and hire you. And maybe tell others about you, decades later. 

One more thing. Unlike a history class, you were there. You witnessed some of what happened and were instrumental in creating a better outcome. So, when you tell client stories, remember to talk about yourself.

Your story is an important part of their story.

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When was the last time you asked a client why they chose you instead of another lawyer or firm? When was the last time you tried a new marketing strategy, billing method, or productivity tool? 

How long has it been since you did something new or different in your practice? If it’s been a long time, maybe it’s time to do something about that. 

Contact an old client to say hello and ask how they’re doing. Write some content on a subject you usually don’t write about. Interview a new ad agency to see what they think about your existing campaigns. 

Any change could make a huge difference in the success of your practice. 

Anything. 

It might be small compared to what you currently do or have done in the past. It might be only slightly different from what other attorneys in your market do. It could be as seemingly small as adding a new success story or testimonial to the “About” page on your website, or sending hand-written thank you notes instead of doing everything digitally. 

It might be as small as updating your forms or editing your form letters. It also might be big as starting a new practice area or opening another office in another part of town. 

You might write your first article or blog post or record your first YouTube video. You might talk to other attorneys about a possible partnership or marketing alliance, or interview a new office manager or business coach. 

Maybe you’ll do something with ai. Or commit to writing short, daily posts instead of your current once-a-month schedule. 

The question isn’t how big or small it is, or even what it is. The question is when was the last time you did something different?

Change is uncomfortable for most people but especially for attorneys. What if it fails and I look bad? What if it costs too much and returns too little? What if it takes up too much time or distracts me from my billeable hours?

I know. I think those things too. 

Instead of thinking what if it doesn’t work, we should think about what if it does.

What if ian idea leads to bringing in twice as many new cases this year? What if it allows you to increase revenue by thirty or forty percent? What if it gives you more free time you can use to do something else?

What if it makes you happy?

By definition, most changes won’t work, or won’t work well enough to be worth the effort. But the fact that most ideas flop doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try new things, it means we should try more of them. 

Because one good idea could be worth a fortune to you. 

I know, you’re skeptical. Don’t have time to think about what you might do, let alone try it. Need to stop reading this and get back to work.

Okay, but I have one more question for you. 

When was the last time you thought like a business owner and not like a lawyer? 

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I know, that should read “positive mental attitude” but I’m having a little fun. And that’s the point. Life isn’t just about work and obligation, productivity and achievement. We’re not machines. We need rest and sustenance and fun. 

Put “have more fun” on your todo list. 

Last few days, I’ve been on a kick watching ai videos that recreate the music and themes from the 50’s and 60’s. There are tons of them and they are amazingly well done. They’re fun to watch because they harken back to a time when people seemed to enjoy life more than we do today. No doom and gloom. A better time (and better music, if I’m allowed to say so). 

However unrealistic these videos might be, they are fun to watch. And, let’s face it, optimism is good for the soul.

Speaking of that, I have a question for you. What are you optimistic about for your future? Specifically, the future of your law practice. 

Give it some thought. Here, I’ll give you some ideas.

Think about the fact that you are one decision away from a new level of success in your practice. One idea, one strategy, one change in what you currently do. That could be all it takes to take your practice to the next level.

It might be a new marketing campaign. Meeting a new business contact. Finally writing the book you’ve been talking about for years. Or freeing up two hours a week by letting go of a certain networking event that’s not working.

One decision could be all it takes to dramatically improve the direction of your career. What might it be?

You could be a single conversation away from converting a business contact into a big source of referrals. Turn that thought over to your subconscious mind to work on. Who might that be? What could you say to them? What kind of case or client could they refer? 

Fun to think about that, isn’t it? 

How about another?

Think about the notion that you are one email to “old” clients away from bringing in a lot of repeat business. 

What might you send or say to clients you haven’t worked with (or spoken to) in a long time to get them to hire you again? 

There is an answer.

More. 

You have a list of prospects. People who have never hired you but subscribe to your newsletter, read your blog, follow you on social, or otherwise know who you are. You could be one message away from attracting dozens of new subscribers, sign-ups for your seminar, or requests to talk to you about a legal issue. It could be a turning point that eventually doubles or triples your revenue.

What could you say or offer to make that happen? 

This isn’t fantasy. These are real possibilities. You should get excited about these thoughts and let them stimulate your creative juices. 

You don’t need to figure out everything immediately. The “how” will come. Right now, think about what you want, believe that you can have what you want, and have fun thinking about how good that makes you feel.

Now, if you will excuse me, I’m going to see if I can find some ai music recreations of the 70’s.

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Clients have options. Lots of them. So, why do they choose you?

You can learn how they found you by asking, “How did you find me?” You can also do intake and exit surveys, track your leads and advertising metrics, and you should.

Did they find you via search? What keywords do they use? Did they see your ad? Which publication, what day and at what time? Were they a referral? From which client or business professional, and what did they say about you?

The list goes on.

But while this is important information and you should continue doing what you do to get found by prospective clients, it doesn’t answer the bigger question: when they find you, why do they hire you instead of all the other attorneys they could choose?

Even the most unsophisticated client knows there are other attorneys who do what you do, and they know how to find them.

So, why you?

Sometimes, the answer is simply that you were the first one they looked at. They needed help and didn’t think they could wait. Or you looked like you could do what they needed or wanted done, and they didn’t want to spend time looking at other options.

But that’s not always the case. You should assume that a significant percentage of prospective clients do take the time to look at other options and that they compare them to you.

And so besides getting found, you need say and do things to stand out from other attorneys. You need to differentiate yourself so clients see choosing you as the best option.

The good news is that this isn’t as difficult as you might think. And, while other attorneys might be able to say the same things you could say, the fact is that many attorneys who could, don’t.

Many attorneys don’t say much of anything beyond name, rank, and serial number. Which makes your job much easier.

Okay. What could you say about your services or about yourself to make yourself stand out? That’s what you need to figure out. Here are some ideas to get your juices flowing:

You’re good. You have achieved millions or billions of dollars in verdicts or settlements for your clients, won awards, achieved records your competition haven’t.

** You’re trustworthy. You have many testimonials and endorsements, people who say good things about you, tell their stories and recommend you.

** You’re tough. You have a military or athletic background, or have taken on seemingly impossible cases or causes and beaten the odds.

** You’re smart. You have an academic background; you teach other lawyers (school, continuing education), you’ve been a judge, you do a lot of speaking, have written books, write a blog or newsletter, or served on committees.

** You’re well-known. You have been interviewed in prestigious publications, quoted by your peers, run for office, are the president of your local bar association,

** You’re focused. Clients prefer lawyers who specialize in their particular problem or type of case, or who focus in their niche or market.

** You’re like them. You grew up in their town; you had the same major in school; you read the same authors, or listen to the same kinds of music.

** You’re well-rounded. You have a good sense of humor, play guitar in a band, play sports, coach your kid’s soccer team, are active in charitable or humanitarian causes.

** You’re likable. You say things that make them smile, show them you truly care about your clients, tell stories that make them think.

** You explain things clearly. You thoroughly tell people about your work and how can help them. You spell out the steps, keep things simple, and don’t present too many options.

** You make it easy to hire you. You don’t bury them in details, fine print, disclaimers, and red flags. You spell out the next step and make it easy to take.

Figure out what makes you different and feature that in your marketing. It’s often the reason the people who find you hire you.

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I didn’t learn how to build my practice in law school (or college). Or by reading books or taking courses. I learned it by observing what other lawyers were doing successfully and doing what they were doing.

I copied them, and you should do the same . Find successful lawyers and firms in your niche or market and do what they’re doing, or did.

Forget originality. You can experiment later. For now, be a copycat.

Target the same market or niche. Use the same keywords. Advertise in the same publications.

If they have a newsletter, you should, too. If they network at a certain organization or meeting, that’s where you should be. If they create videos or podcasts, you should consider doing that, too.

At least for now.

Do what they do not necessarily to compete with them but to learn from them. They’ve made some good decisions, met some of the right people, created content that brings in leads, and conducted themselves in ways that helped them attract clients and referrals.

It worked for them. There’s a good chance it will work for you.

Their success is proof that there is a viable market for the types of services you offer, and the ways you have available for offering them. So, learn from them. Study their websites. What’s on the home page? What other pages do they feature? What forms do they use? What offers do they make?

Read every page and take notes. How do they describe their services? Do they display testimonials or success stories? How many and what do they say? Do they have a slogan or catchphrase? Do they do something that makes them stand out?

Study their content. Read their articles and blog posts. Watch their videos. What topics do they write about? How often do they publish? How long is their average article or audio?

Do they use social media? Which platforms? How often do they post? What do they say, what do they offer? How do they engage with followers?

Watch what they do. Subscribe to their content, go to their seminars, read everything they write or that is written about them.

If you meet one of their former clients or employees, talk to them. See what they can tell you about what that lawyer did well and/or any mistakes they might have made.

Talk to other professionals in the market and see what they think about what that firm does or how they market their services.

You don’t need to do this for every lawyer in your niche. Just a few who are successful and consistent, a few of your so-called competitors.

So-called because you’re not going to go head-to-head against them; you’re going to do what they do, or have done, but better.

A better version of their website, ads, or articles. Make yours simpler or, if the market demands it, more comprehensive. Do the same things but more often. Add more social channels, or concentrate on one or two. Use the keywords they use but increase your bids. Run the same kinds of seminars but promote them to different lists.

What they do has worked for them and will work for you. Especially if you do them better.

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Several years ago, I had an appointment with a dermatologist. No, I don’t remember why but thanks for asking. Anyway, I got an email from them yesterday. From a marketing perspective, the email got two things right and several things wrong. 

See if you can tell what’s what. 

The email subject line: “We’d Love to See You Again”

The body of the email: 

“Hi there,

It’s been a little while since your last visit, and we just wanted to check in.

Whether you have a concern you’d like to discuss, or are interested in cosmetic treatments, we’re here for you.

Please schedule your appointment online, [website], request a callback here [link], or call us directly at [telephone]. 

Sincerely,

(Name of the clinic)

-— 

That was the entire email. 

What did they get right? 

First, they contacted me. Many professionals don’t do that. You hire them once and never hear from them again. Bad for them since they get less repeat business or referrals. Bad for patients and clients who might need help but not get it. 

So, kudos to them for contacting me. 

The second good thing they did was to give me several options for contacting them. The easier it is for a patient or client to contact you, the more likely it is that they will. 

A professional will get more business doing those two things. But they could get a lot more:

• It’s been years since I heard from them. Staying in touch with patients or clients means contacting them more often than once every several years. When you’re out of their mailbox, you’re out of their mind. Even if they don’t need your services immediately, they might need them soon and remember hearing from you, or know someone they could refer. 
• They didn’t tell me who they were and it’s been a while. They mentioned the name of the clinic and I had to think about who they were, which I did for the purpose of writing this post. Most patients wouldn’t bother. 
• They listed the generic-sounding name of the clinic instead of the name of the doctor. It would be easier to remember the name of the doctor. Make sure your name in all of your communications, not just the name of your firm. 
• “We’d love to see you again” (subject line); “We just wanted to check in” (body). Sorry, Charlie, nobody cares what you want. What does the patient or client want or need? You can’t get the attention of a patient or client or prospect by talking about yourself and what you want; talk about them. 
• They didn’t tell me why I should make an appointment. They leave it up to me to figure out if I might need or want to see them again. Their message should reference problems I might have or want to avoid. Tell your list what you can help them with and you’ll get more appointments. Leave it up to them and you’ll get fewer because clients don’t know what they need or even what they want.
• Why this clinic? Why should I see them (again) instead of any other doctor or clinic? Always tell clients and prospects why they should hire you or talk to you instead of any other doctor or lawyer. What do you do that’s different or better? What do you specialize in? What’s new I should know about but might not hear from other lawyers?

Finally, they should have made an offer. A free consultation, a discount, an invitation for a friend, or information–a report or checklist, a seminar or video or some other incentive will get more calls and appointments. 

Some things to keep in mind the next time you contact clients and prospects, and I hope that’s soon.

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Have you heard of the elimination diet? It is described as “a short-term diagnostic tool. . . designed to identify food intolerances, sensitivities, or allergies by removing suspected trigger foods and then reintroducing them systematically, to see if symptoms resolve during the elimination phase and reappear upon reintroduction.” 

Basically, you eliminate foods or supplements that might be causing you issues, reintroduce them one at a time, and see what happens. Do your symptoms stop? Improve? Stay the same? Get worse? 

Last year, I wanted to see if I could improve my sleep so I stopped drinking coffee for a few months. I didn’t get more sleep or better sleep and (not surprisngly) had less energy throughout the day. When I started drinking coffee again, my energy improved, my sleep didn’t worsen, and I’m (happily) back to enjoying the bean. 

I’ve done similar experiments with vitamins and supplements I’ve taken and discovered that some bothered me, some weren’t helping, and some could be eliminated completely. 

That’s the idea behind an elimination diet. And if your marketing and practice development efforts aren’t working the way you would like, you might consider doing the same thing.

If you suspect your advertising is costing more than it should, for example, turn it off and see what that does to your numbers. You’ll probably get fewer leads and cases or clients but your net income might actually be higher. if you think the time you spend networking or creating content isn’t worth the effort, stop doing what you’re doing and re-introduce each activity one at a time. 

You can also do an elimination diet (in reverse) for strategies you’re not doing. 

If you’ve never advertised, for example, or it’s been a long time since you’ve done it, if you’ve eliminated advertising from your marketing, consider introducing or reintroducing it and seeing what happens. 

I’ve cut out ads and publications that were no longer pulling, started them up again after a period of time and found they were profitable. I don’t know why but I didn’t question it. 

That’s how marketing works. 

We’d all like our marketing to be consistently profitable but things change and we need to accept that and roll with those changes. 

Yes? Yes. And now it’s time for another cup of Joe. 

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