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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According to a search, “the phrase “arrogant twat” is a vulgar British insult combining the adjective “arrogant” (showing an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance) with “twat,” a slang term for a foolish, contemptible, or obnoxious person. It describes a person who is condescending, self-important, and believes they are superior to others, often dismissing anyone who disagrees with them as an idiot.”

In other words, most physicians today. 

Okay, that’s probably an overstatement. Or is it? I’ve had appointments with several doctors in the last year and found most of them to be precisely what’s on the tin (to use another British expression). I’ve also watched a lot of videos about medical issues and nutrition, and found some wonderful professionals but also a lot of jerks.  

This isn’t anything new. I’ve known many doctors over the years, have several in my family, and believe the stereotype is often right on the money. As bad as it’s been before, things are even worse today. For at least two reasons, I think. 

First, doctors have only a few minutes to see patients because insurance companies pay very little per appointment so doctors triple-book patients and see them for only five or ten minutes. They don’t have time for more.

Constant pressure. Overhead. Assembly line medicine. 

The second reason? The Internet. 

Patients have access to an almost endless supply of information online. They read about their diseases and conditions and treatments, watch endless videos, query their favorite ai bot, and talk to friends who followed a different path than conventional medicine traditionally advises. 

And they’re not shy about talking to their doctor about what they’ve heard. 

When every other patient tells a doctor they don’t want to take this medication or follow that treatment, when they question the doctor’s advice instead of being a good little patient and doing what they’re told, nobody should be surprised when doctors aren’t patient and understanding, they just want to write script, keep the insurance carrier happy, and get through their day.

They don’t like like the idea that there are other treatments than what they learned about in med school, or never learned about in med school. They don’t want to hear about how a proper diet can cure a lot of ills and that more pills isn’t the answer.

They know better. 

The genesis of arrogant twatism. 

But surely lawyers aren’t like that? 

No. We’re not. Not yet, anyway. But Ai and YouTube are making it more and more likely that this could change. Our clients will start questioning us, if they haven’t started already. 

So, lawyers need to be prepared. Because when those doubts and questions come, we need to not only be prepared to address them and patiently explain things to our clients and prospects, we need to scrupulously avoid any hint of arrogance. 

I know, it’s hard. But we must. 

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In the 1950s, motivational speaker Earl Nightingale created The Strangest Secret audio program, which told the world, “We become what we think about.” It said our beliefs and internal dialogue, what we regularly think about and focus on, directly influence our decisions and behaviors, our attitudes and expectations, and in this way, literally shape our reality. 

I’ve seen evidence of this being true throughout my life. Haven’t you? 

So, a question for you. What do you think about your law practice and career? What do you see for your future?

Do you see your practice as a way to use your skills and knowledge to pay your bills, or do you see it as a way to earn a fortune? Do you see yourself continuing to do what you do now, or do you think about a different future? 

One lawyer enjoys being a sole practitioner and doesn’t want or expect that to change. Another lawyer sees a future as the senior partner in a big firm. One lawyer thinks about opening a bigger office and growing his or her income to multiple-six figures. Another lawyer sees opening many offices and earning tens of millions.  

Your practice could be a great way to earn a living or it could be a way to change the world.

What do you believe about your future? What do you think about? What do you want?

There is no right or wrong answer, of course. But what you think about is likely to be what you become, so choose wisely.

You have a newsletter, blog, podcast, or video channel. You create content for subscribers and followers, clients and prospects, and business contacts, and show them what you do and thus how you can help them or people they know. 

And it works. It helps you build your practice. 

Content about legal problems and solutions is a simple and effective way to educate your target market, drive traffic to your website, build your email list or social media following, attract leads and inquiries for your services, and otherwise get more cases and clients. 

So, don’t stop doing it. 

But there’s another way to use content to build your practice. 

Besides “legal” content, you can also create content about subjects that interest your subscribers and followers:

1. Content about their industry, market, business, or local community, and/or 
2. Content that could interest “anyone”.

Content about their industry or market is pretty straightforward. If you target small business owners, for example, you can create content that shows them how to get more customers or clients, improve their marketing or advertising, lower their expenses, or increase their productivity. 

You can write this yourself, outsource it, or interview subject-matter experts or your clients. 

What about content that might interest anyone? Here are some ideas:

• Word-of-the day
• Interesting quotes
• Trivia
• On-this-day in history 
• Quizes
• Human interest stories
• Product recommendations

Just about anything, really. But it’s probably a good idea to stay away from politics, religion, and inappropriate humor. 

Either of these two types of “other” content gives your readers a break from your usual fare, which they might have stopped reading or watching if they haven’t recently had a legal issue. It might also make your content creation more enjoyable if you feel you’ve already said everything you need to say.

Of course, continue creating a preponderance of “legal” content, in the neighborhood of 80-90%, and a small percentage the other categories. You can also append “other” content to your regular legal content, adding a quote or interesting fact to the footer of your regular post.

But don’t be afraid to let go of legal-only content and do something different. 

You might be surprised so see that your “other” content gets more comments, more suggestions and ideas, and more re-posting and sharing; that engagement is far greater than you now get with your “regular” legal content. 

Would it be okay if your “other” content makes your numbers blow up?

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Hint: the strategy is in the title of this post. . .

When a prospective client reads your article, sees your post, or views your ad, when they see or hear your content or marketing message, what do you want them to do? 

Do you want them to call your office? Fill out a form? Go to your website? 

Do you want them to click something, download something, or send you something? 

What do you want them to do? 

Whatever it is, tell them, and make it simple. Because the simpler it is for them to do, the more likely it is that they will do it. 

Conversely, the more complicated it is, the more time it takes to do it, the less likely it is that they will. 

NB: Simplify the next step. 

You want them to take that step. You want them to move forward. You want to get past their fear or doubt, overcome inertia, and take action. 

The first step will lead to the next step. And the next. And eventually lead to your being hired. 

Many attorneys don’t simplify the next step. They often do the opposite and make it harder for the client to take that step.

Why? Because they are attorneys. They live in the details and fine print. They don’t like “simple” they like “complete”. 

You can be that attorney later. Right now, simplify the next step. 

Don’t give them a lengthy page to fill out. Don’t make them go through a lot of hoops. You don’t want them to hesitate or feel the need to get more information. You want them to call or click right now.  

You’ve told them enough. Show them what to do next. One specific, simple step.

Because the more who do, the more cases and clients you sign up. 

One last thought. 

Some attorneys don’t want to make it easy for prospects to take the next step because they don’t want to spend a lot of time talking to people who can’t or won’t hire them. They want to screen them and make sure the prospective client is a good fit. 

Me? I say talk to them. Talk to as many as possible, even if they aren’t a good fit. 

Because while they might not hire you today, if you treat them right, they might remember you and hire you tomorrow.

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Some clients are better (for you) than others. At a minimum, the best clients (for you) have a large quantity of legal needs and wants that align with the services and benefits you offer, and the ability and willingness to pay for them. 

Agreed? 

Can we also agree that it’s better to attract these clients, meaning they find you and hire you, rather than you having to find them and convince them to hire you?

Of course. 

So, how do you do that? 

Lots of marketing-related activities can lead to that outcome, but in my book, here are the top four (in reverse order):

The fourth best way to attract your best clients is currently referred to as “content marketing”. It means showing your work—demonstrating your knowledge and abilities and successes, along with a taste of your style and personality, where prospective clients will see it. 

You do that through a newsletter or blog, videos or a podcast, websites, articles, live presentations or workshops, and the list goes on. 

And yes, this also includes advertising, and other paid media.

You have lots of options, and many of them are an effective way to bring in business. But for attracting your best clients, there’s something better. 

The third-best way is to meet and talk to prospective clients. 

Networking, lunches, and coffees, for example, let you speak with potential clients, learn about them and what they need or want, so you can give them personalized advice or suggestions about what they need and how you can help them. Of course, it also gives them the opportunity to get to know you and sell themselves on hiring you. 

Call these informal, free consultations. You can also do them formally, of course. 

Onto the second-best way to attract your best clients: referrals.

Referrals from people who have already hired you and were happy with your services, and referrals from other professionals and centers of influence whose clients or customers or business contacts have hired you and been happy with your work. They’ve seen you deliver, or heard from people they trust that you’re good at what you do.

Referrals are about as good as it gets when it comes to attracting the right clients. But there’s something even better and it’s number one on our list.

It also happens to be the easiest on this list.

Number one on the list of ways to attract your best clients is staying in touch with your former clients. 

They hired you once; they will almost certainly hire you again. But you may need to remind them you’re still in business and still available to help them, and that they might still need your services.

Easy to do. 

Stay in touch with everyone who has ever hired you, or referred clients to you, and you will be almost certain to get more repeat business and referrals. 

You don’t have to go looking for it. Just stay in their minds and mailboxes and be there when they call. 

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