Why Lawyers Fail at Marketing

Lawyers fail at marketing because they are not doing it right.  And it’s not their fault.

Marketing isn’t part of the law school curriculum – except in ethics class where they make it very clear what not to do. Traditional CLEs don’t do much better. They are most often taught by other lawyers who may (or may not) have figured it out by trial and error, or by marketers trying to get you to hire them to fix it for you.

Marketing just isn’t that complicated. There is no reason why smart people like lawyers should struggle with marketing or sales for that matter.  Yes, I said “sales”, and it’s ok.  Marketing and sales are not the same thing.  Marketing is simply the process of becoming known so the right people are interested in learning more about hiring you.  Sales is the process of engaging with a potential client, assessing whether there is a proper fit, and agreeing on the scope of representation.

The most common mistake I see is lawyers focusing on themselves first, instead of the client first.  If you want to market effectively then you need to understand the people you are attempting to reach. There’s a lot you need to know about your potential clients, including who they are, the problems they need to be solved, where they gather, and how they find and make decisions – especially the decision to hire a lawyer.

How people make the decision to hire a lawyer.

“People buy on emotion and justify with logic” is a popular expression. It’s also backed up by hard science. Harvard researchers have found that 95% of purchase decisions take place unconsciously. These decisions show up as emotions. Then the conscious mind works on rational and logical reasons to support what the emotions want us to do. As a result, we have the illusion that we’re acting completely rationally – but we’re not.

This is why traditional, rational, logical lawyer marketing falls flat.  Sure, your clients won’t hire you if you don’t have the technical competence and qualifications to do the work. But that’s not enough. There must be a deeper emotional connection – a trigger – for them to pick you over other equally qualified attorneys. 

Your people need to feel a connection with you. They have to know, like and trust you. They must feel safe and comfortable to allow you to solve their big and scary legal problem. That’s the purpose of marketing – to bring them on a journey to your door – and then to hire you.

You don’t need to spend money or go to extraordinary lengths to foster this connection. You simply need to address some pretty simple human needs. Needs that seem to be lacking in many lawyers, according to recent surveys.  Things like:

  • Listening attentively to their questions (and the questions behind the questions)
  • Answering simply, clearly, and directly
  • Acknowledging the human part of your client – and their need for certainty.

Do a quick self-audit of your website and social media profiles – from the perspective of your clients.  Is the messaging about you and your greatness? Or is it about them, and addressing their needs?  Where are your opportunities to improve the emotional connection which is the thing that will cause your clients to buy?

Do you want help deciding how to make your marketing more authentic and effective? Reach out and let’s talk.