How to Answer The #1 Question Prospective Clients Have to Win the Business

Standing apart from competitors is increasingly difficult for attorneys today.  When I routinely ask attorneys, “Why should someone hire you versus your competition?” almost all of them respond with the same four answers: quality, service, years of experience, and price—none of which has any impact on prospective clients!

Quality is not a feature people will pay extra for. It simply means you meet the minimum level of expectation.

For every service you provide there are a thousand other law firms that offer the exact same service.

Regardless of how long you’ve been in practice, someone has been there longer.  

And trying to compete on price is a losing proposition.

Every prospect that walks into your office is looking for the answer to the same question: Why should I hire you? While they may not verbally ask it, they are all thinking it. To win their business, you need to answer that question for them. Here are three things to emphasize in your response:

Focus on the benefits, value, and results. When meeting with a prospective client, emphasize the benefits you offer to clients, the value you bring, and the results you achieve. Be careful not   to run afoul of your state’s ethics in advertising regulations.

Focus on your service, not the list of services your firm provides. Explain how you serve your clients better by going out of your way for them and by treating every person as a VIP. Ask yourself what kind of “client experience” you want each client to have. Be very specific and write down your ideas. Put an action plan into place with your staff to ensure that every experience a prospect or client has with your firm is a positive one.

Focus on solutions. People don’t buy legal services; they buy solutions to their legal problems.   Prepare a case study of how you found a creative solution to another client’s problem. Explain how you came up with it and the results. 

Marketing your law firm is both art and science. There are no magic wands or silver bullets. It takes time, energy, money and advanced planning. Too many attorneys view marketing as an event you go to or an ad you place in the Yellow Pages (and who uses those anymore?). Top Rainmakers recognize marketing is a process, a systematic approach to building referral relationships, cultivating contacts, and staying connected to clients.