Law Firm Marketing and the Lottery Mentality

So, have you earned $10,000 from home this month using Google yet? Me neither, but it sounds like a great concept. What's not to like about it? 95% of us would take this deal in a heartbeat. Even you successful trial lawyers out there. You're probaly pulling 80 hour weeks before a major trial. I bet most of you would trade it in for a guaranteed $120k per year w/ little to no work involved.

You're thinking about it right now, envisioning what your life would be like... all that extra time spent with your family, freedom to travel, to relax with no deadlines, clients or bosses, watching your favorite sport team, or tv show, on a weekday afternoon, driving your sports car to the beach while others are working... OK SNAP OUT OF IT!

I believe the statistic that I have come across is that 97% of the people who get involved in any online get-rich-quick scheme either lose money, or fail (spend countless hours to make little, or no money). So how is it, that against such odds that so many highly intelligent people continue to choose to defy logic and participate in these brainwashing cults, where it is virtually impossible to beat the odds, unless you are among the founders of the entire system?

If you can understand this, you will understand one of marketing's most powerful secrets. These marketers do not promote products. They promote happiness. The logic of how you get there becomes completely blurred. No different than the lottery. "Hey, you never know". Actually, most people do know that they have better odds of buying $50 Million in lottery tix before actually winning a $25 Mil. lottery that only pays out about $10 Mil. after taxes and lump sum payout... but they buy anyway...

Most people know that these get-rich-quick schemes are bogus, but our brains are hard wired in such a way that we find the allure of "happiness" too difficult to resist and the lottery mentality (risk a little for a chance to win a lot) highly attractive.

The lesson to be learned from this as it applies to law firm marketing and new client lawyer lead generation? Remember this when you are advertising, or speaking with clients... Clients do not hire you because you are the greatest thing since sliced bread. In fact, they don't care who you are, where you've come from, or where you've been featured. They hire you because you are a means to an end for them. That end is their happiness, whatever that may entail. For one, it's retribution for a wrong. For another, it's the peace of mind that comes with having one's estate in order. For a third, it may be the monetary settlement and what it means for them personally.

Demonstrate to the client that you are the most qualified to remove their pain, or help them achieve that specific happiness that they are seeking and you will win that client's trust and business.

Also remember this tendency when you interact with legal marketing vendors. Many will attempt to sell you by painting a picture of the volume of leads they will generate for your law firm and how great the end result will look. Fight the urge and let your logic guide you through the maze of snake oil marketers. Remember that LitigatorEdge can do everything they can and more, at a fraction of the cost and that it pays to explore a more-cost effective alternative, while you comparison shop. You have nothing to lose by going to http://www.litigatoredge.com/ and calling us today for a no-cost analysis of your law firm's Internet marketing.

And I know times are tough, but please, try to stay away from the get-rich-quick Google schemes.

Law Firm Clients Should be Seen, Not Heard

In 99% of businesses in the world, it is common knowledge that there's no better way to fail in a business than to fail to listen to a client's needs. These unique characters represent the other 1%...

- The Fortune Teller CEO This visionary individual moonlights as a predictor of client needs. He/she has an amazing product and knows it. The client's feedback is irrelevant to him/her because the client "doesn't really know what he or she wants anyway", and when confronted by marketers with "but doesn't the client know best" typically answers: "if the client was so smart, he or she would have my job." Analogies to royalty are often made such as "I need to have a 'king-to-king' conversation with the CEO of the other company." Usually enjoys speaking to crowds - doesn't much enjoy when the crowd speaks back.

- The Injury Lawyer with the Highest Verdict in the State He/she is the greatest thing in the history of the legal profession. There isn't a soul who hasn't heard about the $40 Trillion verdict. There are 100+ outdoor ads featuring this individual's face, including billboards, bus stops, benches and little league fields. Would not recall that customers existed, but for those nagging phone calls demanding a status on the settlement check. As the self-proclaimed best lawyer in the state, country and probably even the world, he/she automatically assumes any client that walks through the door will sign a retainer agreement immediately upon seeing the holy light of legal stardom shining down upon them.

You get the picture... I know, you want more characters, but it's getting late and I'm not feeling that creative right now.

The point I am trying to make is that it doesn't matter who you are, or what type of business you are in. You have to make an effort to continually listen to your customer. Let me give you a personal example. Most doctors automatically assume that if they are good at what they do and accept the right insurance, clients will follow. Well, I happen to be slightly wary around doctors... phobia stemming from a mean doctor in my childhood, who knows? As a result, I find it extremely important that the doctor I see has a pleasant demeanor, in addition to other qualities. Now think about how a doctor would know that smiling more and being pleasant and positive is such a critical part of retaining my business?

It is no different with lawyers. One particular client may be your multi-million dollar opportunity that will propel your firm to stardom and this individual may walk out the door because something you deem to be trivial is important to them.

Now, you can't please 100% of the people 100% of the time, but stepping out of one's aura of importance and placing oneself in the shoes of the client is vital to building a successful practice. By being empathetic and truly listening to the client, you may learn things about his or her preferences that you never anticipated and can focus on your strengths that cater to this client's unique priorities.

When you go through the same motions: file claim against insurance carrier, submit demand package, negotiate, receive check - it is easy to fall into the trap that everyone should be treated the same way. A little extra care, listening and personal touch can earn you additional clients and the potential referrals that go along with them.