I have always used Internet Explorer as my primary internet browser. I have used Firefox and Safari to test websites and make sure that they function properly, but pretty much every working day of my life, and most weekends too, I have searched the internet using Internet Explorer as my primary browser. Whilst it worked I had no reason to change. It did all that I asked it to and seemed to work very well.
At one of my regular legal marketing consultancy clients I had to use Firefox because Internet Explorer (IE) kept crashing their wireless network (oops)! However, I did not enjoy the experience and returned to IE as soon as I was back in my office or visiting other clients.
Then suddenly, for no reason I could find or understand, Internet Explorer kept freezing, not only on my computer but Megan and Samuel’s computer too. Now as Dad and household IT fixer this meant I was having to sort out my children’s computers at night as well as my own. I spend a lot of time on computers so this was not a welcome intrusion into my short evening. Enough was enough, IE was swiftly dumped and Google Chrome was tested for a few days.
It worked, did not keep crashing and it had a much bigger display than IE as it cut out a lot of the unecessary junk at the top of the page. So my browsing was much better because I could see more of the websites that I wanted to. Also, the best part, there was no need for a separate search box at the top of the page, you simply type in your search term into the URL address bar and Google knows you are trying to search so presents your results. Simple, yet brilliant.
I had used IE for all of my browsing life, at least 10 meaningful years and then in no time at all they lost me as a user. Google had kept mentioning Google Chrome to me everytime I browsed and searched on Google using IE. Subtly and not so subtly Google kept suggesting I try Chrome as my browser. For a long time I was happy to ignore their messages, UNTIL IE caused me pain and kept crashing. Then I was a Google Chrome convert.
Is this not the same approach you need to take to converting prospects into new clients of your firm? Particularly with commercial lawyers, if you are looking for new clients (and you always should be as if you are ‘Not moving forwards, you are moving backwards’) then when you find a potential client, you have to keep popping up under their noses. If you do not you are missing massive opportunities as it is only when they have a problem with their current solicitor that they will change. If you are not in front of them at that time you will not win their business.
If you have found a prospect that you know would be an excellent client, have kept in touch with that prospect by constantly sending useful information, press cuttings of interest and newsletters, you give yourself a chance of winning that new business. It might take one month, three months or three years. Some of my best clients that I work with on a regular basis first received my free marketing guide 18 months before they instructed me; others two years. I gave myself a chance of them using my services by constantly providing them with useful information. When they were ready to ask for some help with winning new business for their practice, who did they ask? A law firm marketing consultant that had once sent them an email, or one who practiced what he preaches and kept in touch with them regularly and provided them with useful information that proved their expertise? Well they are my clients so we know the answer to that one.
It is no different for you. If you want to win a good client, or an excellent referrer, you have to keep going until they are unhappy with their current supplier and decide to find a new one. At that point, if you have done your job well, the only firm they are going to approach is your firm. Now in a race, would you rather be one in a field of 20, or one in a field of one? I know which race you are most likely to win.
Most firms I speak with that mention a prospect they would really love to work with, when I ask them what they have done to try and win their business they explain that they once tried calling them but they could not speak with the decision maker. Once! Once is never enough. Do you want to know the only test to use for deciding when you have made enough of an effort? When the prospect engages your services or tells you never to contact them again. Even on the second option you could try again a few months later as decision makers often change and someone else might be in the buying seat then.
Don’t give up on your law firm marketing, go Chrome and keep going until your prospects submit to your services!
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