We meet with many attorneys and law firms, in a wide range of practice areas, to help them build their businesses and grow their sales with inbound marketing. And there is one common thread that seems to exist with the majority of these lawyers: they just don’t speak the same language as their clients.
This is costing them new business. It’s making their lead and referral generation efforts more difficult.
It’s resulting in higher advertising costs to make up for slow (or non-existent) inbound leads.
And it’s all completely avoidable.
We don’t mean that they are literally speaking another language; but that the keywords and terminology they are using does not match what their prospective clients are searching for (online and via word of mouth).
Here’s an Example:
Prospective Client: “Our family needs help making medical and financial decisions for mom, and we’re concerned that she may need to go to a nursing home. My brothers and I can’t agree on whether we should sell mom’s house to pay for her care; or which of us should make medical decisions for her.”
Law Firm: “We provide comprehensive guardianship and estate planning services for clients. We are experienced with wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, including advanced directives or living wills. Our attorneys will work with you to procure an executor for your estate, and develop a revocable or irrevocable trust to protect your assets.”
Do you see the issue here?
Both of these statements refer to the same situation, and the law firm obviously would be equipped to handle the needs of the prospective client. However, because the words they use are so drastically different, it is nearly impossible for the client to even FIND this law firm in an online search; and if they do manage to find the firm, they likely still will not understand that their needs can be met here.
We understand that one of the most difficult issues for attorneys (and similar legal, medical, and financial professionals) is that they must be very cautious of the words that they use. If they are too casual, they could be deemed unprofessional or uneducated. If they use over-reaching statements (‘expertise’ and ‘specialties’ come to mind), they could be found in violation of industry standards.
However, by striking a balance to speak the language of your prospective clients, while still maintaining professional and industry standards, you will see a dramatic improvement in your lead generation results and new business.
Want to learn more?
We are hosting a FREE teleseminar on “Inbound Marketing and Lead Generation Strategies for Attorneys” on Friday, April 19th. Reserve your seat by clicking here. And don’t worry if you can’t make it to the live event; we’ll send a recorded presentation to all participants who registered.