Right now we are in the process of changing all our advertising. For the past few years we have used a few phrases that describe how we think we are different and better than other similar firms. Even though we thought enough of the phrases that we registered them as service marks, not one client ever told us that the phrases had a thing to do with why they chose us to represent them!
In discussing where our practice was heading Gabe and I realized that those service marks represent what our clients need, except that they don’t know it! But clients choose lawyers based on what they want, not what they need; and our clients do know what they want. They want to win and get their benefits and they want to do it as quickly as possible.
At the same time we were coming to this realization I found some notes I made almost 12 years ago. At that time I was a partner in a different law firm and not very happy there. One Saturday I attended a seminar called “Before You Start That Business” because at the time I was looking for another avenue on which to focus some of my energy.
In those notes I found two things that relate to giving clients what they want. I had written that the answer to your questions is with your customers and that to find new clients you have to figure out what you do right for the ones you already have. In other words, what are we doing that our clients want us to do?
Well, we win 90% of our Social Security Disability claims, and one of the things that our clients frequently express satisfaction with is how Gabe and I and the staff in our office work to keep them aware of what is going on with their cases.
So, while up to this point we didn’t market to our prospective clients that we win 90% of our cases and that we take a very hands on approach to our clients’ cases, it turns out that all along we were doing what they wanted us to do. Now it’s up to us to spread the word.
Lew Insler