What’s been interesting to me lately has been the intersection of ethics and marketing. As lawyers, we are all painfully aware of the microscope under which we are viewed, with the public looking on us as just slightly better than used car salesmen. So we need to project and convince our prospects of our moral fiber lest we be lumped together with unsavory characters.
So how do we do that? By letting our actions speak to our motivations. Tell someone you’re going to call at 11am, you better make that call on time. Offer to send out a document, send it pronto. And if there’s bad news on the doorstep, deliver it simply and honestly.
When dealing with colleagues, live up to your word. Don’t promise something and then flake out – if you do, you’re burning good karma faster than a marshmallow over a campfire. For example, I recently had the opportunity to work with a respected colleague. Nice guy, comes with the right pedigree and “street cred.” He made me a few promises, said he’s do some things on a time frame. Given his reputation, I trusted his word. Unfortunately, my trust was ill-founded.
So the next time someone asks me about this person, what will I say? Will I recommend his services and products? Will I send people to his door?
That depends, actually. Maybe the failure to deliver was a mistake, in which case I’m fine with it. But even if it was done on purpose, there’s still one way for this colleague to redeem himself. It’s instructive because this is the same way you, a lawyer, can regain trust from your clients.
Apologize, and deliver.
Consider this: JetBlue, my favorite airline, stranded people on the runway for an enormous amount of time this past February due to ice storms and poor planning. They dropped the ball in a big way, and they burned their customers. A less honest company would have passed the blame or made a short apology before moving on. Not JetBlue. They put out a full-page open letter in the newspaper, begged forgiveness, and vowed not to do it again. Then, the next stretch of winter storms passed with JetBlue performing wonderfully.
They apologized, then delivered. So simple, yet so difficult.
How does this relate back to marketing, you ask? Simple, really. If you’re an honest lawyer who delivers on promises – and who apologizes and corrects mistakes when made – your clients are likely to trust and believe in you. When people believe in you, they are likely to refer other people to you because honesty is just so darn rare these days.
Remember, folks – don’t just talk the talk, always walk the walk.
