Know Your Business
Knowing your business means more than having a thorough legal knowledge. When you know your business, you don't just know what you're selling you know what your clients are buying.
One of the main motivations for seeking legal counsel is fear, or perhaps a more accurate term for some clients would be Concern: whether for their business, themselves, their communities, and/or their families. Realize, then, that while you may be selling legal services, it's Peace of Mind that your client is buying. When you understand that you are in the Peace of Mind Business, you've taken the first step toward building a lifetime relationship with your client.
One client whose practice focuses on insurance defense explained this very well. He said it's enough to convince case managers that his firm is skilled, or that they provide good value. "That case manager's job is on the line when he turns a case over to me. If we handle it well, he can be a hero. If we don't -- he could lose his job. I have to let him know I understand that. I have to convince him that I care about HIM. I have to let him know that I'm going to do my best to make sure he looks like a hero."
This same theory applies to other professional referral sources as well. They want the Peace of Mind of knowing they have referred their clients to the most appropriate attorney for their needs, that their clients will be well-served, and that their clients will APPRECIATE the referral. Each time advisors refer clients to you, they take risks -- they risk tarnishing a client relationship they have worked hard to establish and nurture. They risk losing business, losing the client, and losing referrals. Give them Peace of Mind and you will win their referrals.
Comments