Getting out of work on time, the lawyer showed up at the networking event with a stack full of business cards in his pocket eager to pass them out.
As he introduced himself to a fellow attendee, he grabbed a drink at the bar. As their conversation progressed the attendee asked, “So what do you do?”
With a big smile, the lawyer said proudly, “I’m a commercial litigator.”
“Oh that’s fascinating.” said the attendee. “Do a lot of advertisers sue?”
“Excuse me?” asked the lawyer.
“I didn’t realize there was a lot of law suits over television commercials.”
Uh oh. Awkward…
What words do you use to describe what you do? Does the average person understand them? Does your ideal client understand them?
Lawyers use fancy words.
- Trusts & Estates
- Domestic Relations
- Intellectual Property
- Commercial Litigation
What do they mean?
It doesn’t matter if you, the lawyer, understand the fancy legal terms you use. When it comes to marketing your legal services, the only thing that matters is that your prospects or referral sources understand what you actually do and whom you help.
And if you’re using legalese to describe your services, then it stands to reason that there is a percentage of people who read or hear your legal terms and don’t have a clue what you do.
Are you marketing to other lawyers or your ideal clients? Legal marketing works best when you describe your services with words your prospects or clients understand.
How would they describe your services? What words would they use if they were doing a Google search to find information on their legal problem? You need to use those exact words in your marketing, at networking events, on your website, and in your social media content.
Only use words that your prospects would understand. It’s the best way to show them that you understand them, that you understand their needs, their pain. Use too much legalese and you run the risk of your ideal client misunderstanding what you do and moving on to the next lawyer.
Legal marketing isn’t about impressing the prospect. The lawyer who uses the fanciest language doesn’t win a prize. He loses a client.
Leave a Reply