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A cautionary tale on why it is important to fully investigate the claims of any so-called legal marketing expert, and how one bankruptcy practice marketing “expert” came in under the radar.
Recently one of my coaching students, a consumer bankruptcy lawyer like me, pointed me to a website for a company providing a marketing program for bankruptcy lawyers. I was shocked to learn that one of my other coaching students, a man who told me that he was employed by a law firm providing consumer bankruptcy services, is listed as the Managing Director of this operation.
His bio on this marketing site claims that he has been a legal marketing consultant since 1997, and has focused on helping attorneys start and run very successful bankruptcy practices ever since then. His make a very bold claim that all of his clients became top-filing bankruptcy practitioners in their markets within a matter of months after engaging his services.
This is most definitely at odds with what he told me when he signed up with my program; after all, if he’s such a marketing wizard then why would he need to learn from me?
I should be flattered, but instead I’m disturbed. Not because I’m training the competition (anyone in my program knows that about 5% of the students are consumer bankruptcy lawyers in my home market of New York City), but because he lied.
Lied to me when he signed up and, more important, lies every single day to his prospective market through his website. Maybe. We don’t know for sure – he could be telling them the truth by claiming expertise in the field. Or maybe he’s telling me the truth when he says that he’s employed by a law firm rather than as a marketing consultant to the profession.
It’s kind of like the old cross-examination question, “Are you lying now, or were you lying before?” Either way, this guy is telling something less than the truth.
What does this have to do with legal marketing? Everything.
You, gentle reader, are pitched every single day by someone who claims they can do something for you as a result of their expertise. They can wave a magic wand and get you to the top of Google, they can get you a 40% response rate on your direct mail, whatever.
You make similar claims every day when you market your law firm. Claims of expertise, a caring attitude, and the willingness to stand up and fight for your clients.
Your audience, however, can’t tell the difference between your claims and those of the other lawyers in your market. Are you really a fighter or are you just saying so to get into their wallets? Do you truly care, or is your client nothing more than a meal ticket for you?
The important thing here is to show your prospective clients that you care. Tell stories about your life, your world, and why you believe what you believe. Provide testimonials if you can, and make sure those testimonials are as specific as your clients allow.
Tell the ugly truth, and show your warts. When you do, you become more credible when you make a bold claim.
Purchasers of services – any kind of services – need to know if you’re the real deal or just someone who’s one chapter ahead in the book. Encourage your prospective clients to:
- Take some time before whipping out the checkbook.
- Be informed enough to know the right questions to ask.
- Verify all claims made.
- Demand a guarantee, either results-based or money-back.
- Get some feedback from past or current clients, and then verify that feedback to be sure it’s real.
It’s your money, and your business. Don’t be a sucker.
Photo courtesy of elements of life FREE GIRAFA NOW!!!!!.
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This is disturbing. The internet makes it so much easier to pretend to be someone that you're not–to claim more experience, more schooling, more success rates–and it's difficult for anyone to question it.
Because there are so few ways to verify these claims, consumers often need to decide between trusting everyone and trusting no one.
I would recommend taking three steps before hiring anyone found online:
1. Google them. Even through there's no way to guarantee that all or even any of the information found in a google search is accurate–after all, the same person who made up qualifications could have easily gone to several review sites and written praise under a variety of aliases–it's a good start, and you may find valuable information about them from trustworthy sources.
2. Call them. A faker may be able to make himself sound great in writing, but not be able keep up ruse in real time. A phone call will allow you to test how knowledgeable they sound.
3. Get the phone number of at least one former client you can call for a recommendation.
Even with all of these steps, there's no guarantee that a clever conman won't be able to fool you, but most of the fakers online aren't so clever and prepared–they're just trying to make themselves sound more experienced than they are, and this attempt will fall apart under too much scrutinizing.
I learned all I needed to know about marketing pre-internet days when a new lawyer bought the back cover of a phone book advertising his skills and I was telling him how to fix his objectionable Chapter 13 plans by looking over them for 30 seconds.
Excellent point, Michael!
Excellent point, Michael!