Law Firm Marketing: How to Identify Prospects "Point of Pain"

As a member of a small or solo law firm you are certainly faced with many challenges daily. If your firm is not growing as you had envisioned, it may be largely due to the fact that you are not utilizing effective law firm marketing strategies to get more. By not using proven legal marketing techniques, many attorneys remain stuck in the same old rut; doing the same old thing and getting the same miserable results.

If you have been looking for clients, using the same old advertising techniques and are getting nowhere, it is definitely time to make a change in your legal marketing strategy.

One of the primary reasons that a company or person hires an attorney is to alleviate some type of "pain". They may use words like "challenges", "problems", or "obstacles", but all of the words amount to the same thing; they are experiencing discomfort; they are experiencing pain. Their "pain" is whatever they are asking your assistance with. Successful marketing for lawyers relies upon your ability to identify their pain and effectively communicate how you will help them resolve it.

Many people sense they need some type of help but can't immediately identify what it is they need. That is when you are called upon to investigate to find the root cause; to use many of the tools you have in your "legal marketing toolkit". Some reasons prospects can't identify specific points of pain include:

Due to stressful conditions, they may not be thinking clearly and may be making bad decisions (like hiring the wrong attorney).

They aren't acquainted with the right terms; they may ask for "mediation" when they actually want a divorce lawyer.

They may use "things" or "people" to conceal the true pain source (Often, they will point to the wrong person or to the company as the source of their pain).

You can use this knowledge to increase your law firm marketing effectiveness by following these 7 guidelines to uncovering your prospects "point of pain":

1. You must know how your prospects define and describe their "pain".

2. You must talk about the problem using their language. (Using language they don't understand will lead to the failure of your legal marketing efforts)

3. Ask a lot of questions about their pain; they will feel listened to and that you truly care about their problems.

4. Do not waste precious time describing the process you will employ to resolve their pain; focus on helping them visualize your solution and the results.

5. You must give the client a sense of hope; let them know that things will get better and you know how to make that happen.

6. Project confidence in your ability to help them. Share a case study or an example of a success story.

7. You must listen to them and make them feel understood before they will listen to you.

Law firm marketing starts with successfully identifying the prospect's "point of pain", listening to them carefully and showing that you truly care.