The vast majority of people, whether referral sources or prospective clients, do not know or understand what you really do as a lawyer. They may have a general idea, but what they’re carrying around in their heads is a mix of previous experience and media-fed misconceptions and stereotypes.
It’s your job, then, each time you’re engaged in a business development (i.e., marketing) conversation, to illustrate the outcomes your clients get by working with you.
Start a Word document or a mini-journal and label it, for example, “Client Success Stories”. Think through two or three of your most satisfying client successes.
Write down the specific problem or opportunity for which they sought your help. Then write down:
- what you did
- how you did it
- the result they got
- the positive impact/value of that result
Devote a little time each week to tweaking your stories until they become familiar and comfortable. Then, begin weaving them into your dialog during your “What do you do?/Tell me about your practice”-type conversations.
Remember, this is Lawyer Marketing 101: if you speak in generalities, you’re consigning yourself to remain undifferentiated – or worse, not thought of at all. In contrast, by providing a few specific, real-life illustrations, you’re more likely to get a call when your contact has (or encounters someone else with) those kinds of situations.
Want help crafting your success stories? Call us for a complimentary consulting session and we’ll walk you through the entire process: 203-876-8999
