Stop Selling Services & Start Selling Benefits: Promote What Is Gained From the Service Rather Than Details of the Service

Question: How can legal professionals effectively promote their services to attract clients?

Answer: Legal professionals can attract clients by focusing on the benefits their services provide, such as reduced stress, increased confidence, and peace of mind. Instead of merely offering legal expertise, promotional messages should convey how clients' needs and desires are met through effective legal representation. This approach resonates emotionally with potential clients, fostering trust and encouraging them to seek your services. Discover how our strategic platform can help your practice align with client expectations and grow sustainably at Marketing.Legal.

Understand What Clients Actually Want from a Legal Services Provider

When crafting promotional messages for legal services, it is essential to recognize that potential clients are actually disinterested in legal services — instead, potential clients are looking for the benefits that legal services provide.  People want to feel less stressed, to regain control over an difficult situation, and to have confidence that the legal troubles are being handled by a trusted professional.  People are without a want to hire a lawyer or paralegal simply because of a lack of a want for legal representation; instead, people want the results that come from legal representation — such as peace of mind, such as resolution, and such as the ability to move forward.

The Lesson to Gain by Thinking About Dorothy and Friends

Think about the story of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.  Dorothy was on a journey to the Emerald City to get help with the wish to return to Kansas from the Wizard.  Along the way, Dorothy convinced the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion, to join and come along the journey.  Dorothy was joined on the journey because each friend had an independently held reason for doing so.  The Scarecrow wanted a brain, the Tin Man wanted a heart, and the Lion wanted courage.  The friends of Dorothy were each independently motivated by their own individual desires, and that is why each agreed to join the journey.  Reflect back to the movie.  You will recall that Dorothy persuaded each friend to come along the journey by suggesting the possibility that the wizard would grant the wishes of each friend and thereby resolve the want of each friend.  Dorothy sold each friend based upon what each friend wanted.  Dorothy sold the potential result as a benefit rather than just selling a journey — Dorothy sold the potential benefits as the purpose of the journey.  And of course, each friend joined the journey for their own reason rather than Dorothy's reason.

Persuade By Stating the Desired Benefits

The same is true for legal clients.  People, being prospective clients, will make buying decisions — such as hiring a lawyer or paralegal, for reasons other than what the seller gets out of the deal.  People buy because of what the people get out of the deal.  The decision to purchase is always about the needs, wants, and desires, of the buyer.

The Importance of Benefit Statements

While all good deals involve a mutually beneficial win-win scenario, it is important to remember that the inspiration to buy will always arise from what the buyer will receive - being fulfillment of needs, wants, and desires, rather than from what is being offered by the seller.  For legal professionals, this means that promotional messages should focus upon, and should express, the benefits that will be received by the client — and in the genuine context of what the client actually wants: being reduced stress, being a sense of confidence, being trust that legal matters are in capable hands, among other intangible emotional gains or relief.  Legal professionals should take extra-special heed of what is said here and should recognize that clients are always without any interest in buying legal services; but, clients will be very interested in the benefits of legal services.  Accordingly, promotion materials and selling efforts should express the benefits of the service rather than just expressing the details or nature of the service — remember, people will only buy what will be received rather than what is being offered — make sure that you understand the difference in the context of what is received and what is offered.

By emphasizing benefit statements that address the specific needs, wants, and desires, of potential clients, legal professionals can create marketing that truly resonates with the potential clients.  Clients are looking for relief, confidence, and a way to move forward, and your promotional messages should speak directly to those desires.

Examples of Benefits That Clients Are Wanting

In the context of the intangible benefits received by clients of legal services, the following are common:

• The Benefit of Peace of Mind:
  Clients gain a sense of relief and comfort knowing their legal matters are in capable hands, which helps alleviate the stress and uncertainty that often accompanies legal issues.
• The Benefit of Trust and Confidence:
  Clients want guidance from a trusted expert for the feeling of security that the client experiences in knowing that interests are being properly represented and rights are being protected.
• The Benefit of Empowerment:
  By understanding rights and the options available, clients feel more empowered to make informed decisions about the specific legal matter, giving the client a greater sense of control.
• The Benefit of Reduced Anxiety:
  Having an experienced legal professional handling complex situations reduces the anxiety clients may feel, as the client avoids experiencing the dreadful feeling of having to navigate challenging processes alone.
• The Benefit of Clarity and Assurance:
  Legal services provide clients with clear and precise information, which reduces confusion.  Knowing what to expect and how the process works brings a sense of predictability and assurance to the client.
• The Benefit of Security in Decision-Making:
  Clients benefit from having a knowledgeable advocate who can evaluate risks, explain possible outcomes, and assist in making strategic decisions that align with specific goals.
• The Benefit of Emotional Support:
  During stressful legal proceedings, having a legal professional who offers understanding and empathy can provide important emotional support, making the process less isolating.
• The Benefit of Optimism for Resolution:
  Clients receive a sense of optimism knowing that the legal case is being handled effectively, increasing the likelihood of a positive resolution and closure.

Conclusion

Promoting the benefits of your legal services effectively means understanding what truly matters to your clients rather than just listing summary details of your service offering or the features or technical jargon; and instead, effective marketing is about about conveying the peace of mind, the trust, the empowerment, and the security, that clients will feel by choose your services.  By focusing upon the intangible, yet powerful, outcomes that clients seek, you ensure that your message resonates on an emotional level, fostering connection and trust.  Remember, people are not buying legal expertise — they are buying the confidence that their legal matters are being handled by someone who genuinely understands their needs and can guide them towards a positive resolution.