To get more great clients you need to understand what they are thinking. The more you know about these ‘client’s journeys’ the better your chances of being there when they decide their problem is big enough and scary enough to require a lawyer. It also gives you the intel you need to focus your outreach efforts on the people who will see those people before they see you.
Virtually every journey to needing a lawyer has these waypoints.
A triggering event. They become aware of a significant legal problem (or opportunity) that is complicated and is beyond their ability to solve. Most will seek ways to solve the problem without hiring a lawyer. (Yes, let’s face it, most clients would prefer not to hire us if there is any other option). Once they decide they need a lawyer they have to be able to find you.
A search for a qualified lawyer.
A client with the problem that you solve starts looking for you.
- Referrals are the go-to route for almost 6 in 10 people according to a 2019 Clio report. They ask friends and family (32%), another lawyer (16%), or other non-legal professionals like an accountant, real estate agent, financial advisor, or other related professional.
- Almost half (57%) won’t ask for a referral. They will do their own research online via a lawyer’s website, search engine, reviews, or other sources. This is especially true for younger clients. Fun fact: The oldest millennials turn 39 in 2021.
An investigation into your qualifications.
Your clients need facts to decide if you are qualified and a fit for them. They want to know about:
- Your experience handling their kind of problem, for people like them.
- How other clients have experienced you (reviews and testimonials)
- What it will be like to work with you.
Sometimes your referral source has warmed them up and they will simply call or email you directly. That’s the best case. In most cases, they will also look up your website and probably your LinkedIn profile before they call. If you are not serving up what they think they want – using messages (language and images) that connect to them then they will move on.
Take my recent experience looking for a closing lawyer in a new state. I asked around for referrals finally going to my real estate broker and new banker. I asked the broker for some names and didn’t hear back in a couple of days, after asking twice. So I moved on. I asked the banker and got a list of three names, without any contact information. So I went to Google to learn something about each one, and to get an email address. (Pro Tip … if someone is going to be a really good referral source for you they will pass on your contact information, not just your name).
So I went to Google. I found the first person on the list, clicked on her website, and got an error message. The next 3 search results went to the main lawyer ranking sites – and none of the profiles had been claimed. Finding no information I concluded that new clients were not that important to her and I moved on to the next name.
The next attorney’s website worked. It highlighted three practice areas, the first one being real estate. I was interested and clicked around to learn more. The graphics were nice and I got a positive feeling about it, but it didn’t have everything I wanted (e.g., to know about the individual lawyers, and how to contact them). I checked out the next name on the list, which wasn’t a name, it was a firm name.
This firm highlighted 5 practice areas, starting with criminal, personal injury, and two others before real estate at the end. I didn’t get the sense that their focus was what I needed. I also didn’t want to be the last on the menu of cases they handle. Can you see how less is more here?
I went on to call firm #2 to get more facts to help me on the next step in my journey:
The decision on whether they want to work with you.
Qualifications are not enough to get a client to hire you. They have to decide they want to work with you, as opposed to others who solve the same problem and are equally qualified (in the client’s eyes). It is your job to stand out above others. You want to complete the “know you”, “like you”, and “trust you” equation.
At this point, I was looking to learn about the process, timing, and price. Remember, this was for a simple residential real estate closing so it was pretty straightforward for me. I was evaluating both the data and a few other key factors – that all clients want:
- A timely response (same day).
- Information that is easy to understand and digest – especially about the process. Most clients are trying to get comfortable with the unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory. Falling back on the typical “it depends” answer doesn’t satisfy this need.
- To have a human connection. They have to know you, like you and trust you as a person.
Marketing without knowing your clients’ journey is like swinging at a pitch with your eyes closed. You might connect, but more often than not, you’ll be wasting a lot of energy for not a lot of return.
What are the steps in your clients’ journey?
Where are they doing their research, and what are they finding?
How do you know?
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If you’d like to know about my three favorite marketing strategies, you can check out this free replay of our training on How to Grow your Income Using 3 Simple Marketing Strategies that Cost you Nothing to Implement.
If you’d like help with your marketing strategies, or your customer journey send me a message ([email protected]) or click here for a strategy call