Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_TH8US_LEN in /home/attorne1/public_html/blog/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1821
Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_TH8US_LEN in /home/attorne1/public_html/blog/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1821
Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_TH8US_LEN in /home/attorne1/public_html/blog/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1821
Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_TH8US_LEN in /home/attorne1/public_html/blog/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1821
Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_TH8US_LEN in /home/attorne1/public_html/blog/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1821
When you do a search about marketing on the internet, you’ll see the vast majority of the listings are marketing gurus trying to sell you a “system”.
What you won’t see is that often, their “marketing system” was designed to market information products and other low cost good sold and delivered exclusively on the Internet.
As a legal professional, you may wonder if the tools the info gurus are promoting will help you to build and promote your legal practice.
Unfortunately, the answer is “probably not”.
Marketing your own professional expertise is simply not the same as marketing an “information product” (which is what most internet marketing sites are offering).
Inf fact, the same marketing tools and tactics that work incredibly well at promoting an info product - are often not only ineffective at promoting your legal practice but may actually hurt your reputation.
An information product is an example of a Minor Sale. The tools and techniques used to sell those products are RADICALLY different than the tools and techniques used to make Major Sales – like the what happens when a client hires you.
According to Neil Rackham in his book “Spin Selling”, you are making minor sales if
- There is a single decision maker
- The financial/emotional investment on part of buyer is insignificant
- The purchase does not warrant time and research into alternatives
- There is not a lot of interaction between you and the consumer
- The consequences of making a purchasing mistake are inconsequential.
In general, minor sales have a buying curve that is short.
As you read that descriptions I’m sure you realized that you are NOT making minor sale when you sign an agreement to represent a client.
When you’re selling your legal expertise, you are making a major sale, which tend to involve more time and research on the part of the consumer. The characteristics of the Major Sale are:
- There is more than one decision maker
- There is significant financial/emotional investment on the part of buyer
- The purchase warrants significant time and research into alternatives
- There is the potential of a long-term relationship between you and/or your business and the customer
- The consequences of making a purchasing mistake are high
Purchasing shampoo is a minor sale.
Choosing an expert such as a lawyer is a major sale.
If you try to market your business (which is making major sales) by following advice designed for marketing Internet products and services (which are by nature, minor sales), you’re likely to make some serious mistakes.
The most serious mistake of all is to underestimate the role information plays in the decision making process of the Major Sale.
The more information you can provide to a prospective legal client – the better your chances are of successfully landing that client. That’s why blogs are a crucial marketing tool for attorneys who want to build and promote their practice.
Blogs allow you to demonstrate your legal expertise – without repeating the same spiel time and time again.
Not only do blogs allow you to demonstrate your expertise, they also are quickly becoming the “uniform” of the web. Just as a policeman’s uniform instantly conveys “authority” – attorney blogs are quickly gaining that kind of effect – not only with prospective clients but with the media as well.
Until recently, there were only two options for attorney blogging. Attorneys could invest a lot of time/money into launching a self hosted blog. These self hosted blogs are great at attracting quality traffic but require considerable expertise and upkeep. The other option – a cheesy “free” blog . That’s why Attorney Marketing & Advertising has introduced the easy way to blog… simply pick the domain name which targets the audience you want to reach (eg. birth injury) and you’ll be blogging in as little as 24 hours!
Sign up for your Attorney Marketing & Advertising blog today.
