How Consumers Look for Lawyers & How to Lead Them to You
Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Our experience in law firm marketing over the past decade has taught us that most people take a four-step approach when choosing a lawyer:

1.  The person gathers general information to determine what type of lawyer they need and if they actually have a need for a lawyer;

2.  The person begins to search and look at several law firms (those they have heard of or find on the Internet);

3.  The person begins to validate specific attorneys (performs a credibility search to ensure the attorneys he/she is considering are good, qualified attorneys);

4.  The person then makes an attorney selection (perhaps engaging in a free consult, calling the attorney, etc.).

Savvy attorneys know they need to be accessible at each step in the decision process; here’s how:

Step 1: Information Gathering. Most people turn to the Internet to gather information and you need to be there to answer their questions via a blog or your website. You should have content that specifically addresses the type of situation that would lead someone to hire you and/or why they need legal counsel for their particular problem.

Step 2: Search. An active presence on social networking sites as well as your blog and website can help lead prospects to your door. Many may ask their friends on Facebook for recommendations or turn to other social media sites for information about specific firms, so you need to be there.

Step 3: Validation. Having good reviews and posting testimonials (if your state bar allows it) on your website and blog will help put you front and center during the validation process. Don’t forget to beef up your profiles on legal directories as well as LinkedIn.

Step 4: Selection. Offer free consultations at every opportunity and when someone calls your office, return the call immediately. Research shows that a hot lead can turn cold in as little as five minutes, so if you can’t get to them quickly, make sure someone else in your office can or that you have an automated system to follow up immediately.

This last step is where things often fall apart for many law firms, who have not yet been awakened to the importance of lead conversion.

First, you must understand that lead conversion doesn’t begin when you are trying to close a sale, it begins the moment someone initiates contact with you.

Most law firms do not have a proper lead conversion process in place that begins when someone calls or emails and your staff is poorly trained to boot!

 

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