By Taylor Darcy
Gone are the days of putting your name in the yellow pages under “Attorney” or putting up a massive billboard in a prominent location and hoping for the phone to ring. Finding clients has become more competitive and challenging, yet paradoxically more accessible as society moves toward an on-demand, 24/7 economy.
On average, it takes interacting with a client 25-28 times online (e.g., website, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter) before they feel comfortable hiring you and, depending on the matter, even contacting you. Shocking! You do not earn someone’s business when you only give them a few moments of your time. Today’s ever-changing economic landscape requires that attorneys adapt to the new. There are two primary ways to find your next client.
First, referrals are a tried-and-true way to get clients. Even with the gig economy, referrals are king for myriad reasons. They are low or no cost and they have a high close rate. It’s easier for someone to hire you because they trust the referring party and, by proxy, trust you. Unfortunately, referrals are lower volume. You cannot depend on referrals occurring as regularly as you can other marketing methods. Still, take the time to build referral relationships with attorneys in complementary practice areas. Lunch or coffee is a great way to get out of the office and build relationships. Refer all cases or matters you do not handle to attorneys who do handle them. Be generous and liberal with your referrals. It builds trust and your relationships.
When you refer an attorney, a case creates a sense of obligation on the other attorney’s part to reciprocate when a matter comes their way. They will remember you and send potential clients to you. Do NOT just send them pro bono clients you are “too busy” to take. Dumping a potential pro bono client on a fellow attorney destroys the relationship and will likely cause them to stop sending referrals to you. It also hurts your relationship with the potential client; they can see through the façade and know that you are dumping them on someone else. Finally, treat opposing counsel with professionalism and respect. You never know when they will need to refer a potential client and you are the right attorney for the matter.
Second is marketing. Marketing has changed significantly since the days of the phone book and billboard era. Now it is Google PPC (pay-per-click), Facebook Ads, Bing Ads, search engine optimization (SEO) and email. Each fulfills a different purpose and when combined, can get attorneys their next client. You can also go broke spending a lot of money if you do not know what you are doing.
Many attorneys fall into the trap of believing they should do one at a time or all at a time. The secret is not to do one or all but to do the right combination that builds a relationship with their potential client. People who know you are more likely to hire you. The problem is that no method allows people to know you. All methods are simply an introduction to you and your law firm. Just like you would not expect someone to marry you on the first date (hopefully), you should not want your client to hire you on the first phone call. Representing someone is intimate. Many potential clients are hiring an attorney for the first time. They are scared or confused about what they are facing. As an attorney, you are privy to the most essential and personal details of a person’s life. Build a relationship through these marketing methods and other social media. Then when the relationship has been made and they need your services, ask for their business. Take the time to get to know potential clients and their needs, and you will have them flocking to you.
Taylor Darcy is founder and owner of Darcy Law.