Give prospective clients what they want to know about you
When looking for a doctor for me personally or a family member I look for as much information as I can find to evaluate possible doctors. It’s the same whether I am investigating a referral or I am looking “cold” via the net. I Google the doctor’s name and follow the trail.
I generally find hospital, clinic and directory profiles, all including a picture of the doctor. I also come across patient reviews and ratings on various sites, some more credible than others. That’s about it.
I don’t find evidence of how the doctor stays abreast of developments in their field, what they share insight and commentary on, evidence of where their passions lie, how they engage consumers in a public setting where healthcare issues are discussed or evidence of online networking and collaboration with other doctors and thought leaders.
So coming across a good piece by Nika Kabria, Director of Consumer Insights at Avvo, about what clients want to know about a lawyer before hiring them I thought something was missing.
Kabria’s point, a well taken one, is that with the Internet consumers are more informed than ever as to who they want to hire.
People research lawyers the same way they research cars, homes, or computers. They get online and gather information. Knowing a lawyer’s specific area of expertise is like knowing a car’s gas mileage. Every bit of information they gather is a data point that speaks to competence and professionalism. The more transparent you are about you and your practice, the better the chances that you’ll get the right clients. The less consumers can learn about you, the more likely they’ll keep looking for someone who isn’t so much of a mystery.
What does Kabria advise you as lawyers to do in order to give consumers what they need?
- Build your online profile in online directories, including Avvo.
- Offer objective evaluations of your work in the form of reviews.
- Let them see you in the form of a good photo.
- Go a step further with a video of you.
But doesn’t this come up short?
- How does a consumer glean the areas of law the lawyer is most passionate about?
- How does a consumer see the lawyer following legal and societal developments with the lawyer’s accompanying insight and commentary?
- How does a consumer see how the lawyer engages people in a down to earth, genuine and authentic fashion? Maybe the lawyer’s sense of humor?
- How does a consumer see how the lawyer networks with their peers and thought leaders in their field?
- How does a consumer see how a lawyer is viewed by peers, thought leaders, association leaders and the media? Are they being cited? Is what the lawyer is saying being shared by others?
- How does a consumer see how a lawyer engages people just like the consumer? Can they relate to the lawyer? Do they like the lawyer’s style? Notwithstanding legal situations being uncomfortable, could they be comfortable with this lawyer?
Possible for a consumer to glean this information? Absolutely, so long as a lawyer cares enough to give consumers what they need to make an informed choice of a lawyer.
Blogging and other social media give all of the above to consumers. Consumers don’t necessarily begin their search for a lawyer on blogs or social media. Consumers do a Google search on the names of the lawyers they are considering. They’ll wind down a path of blog posts by the lawyer. They’ll come across various social media and social networks shining a real light on how the lawyer is respected, how the lawyer engages others, how the lawyer relates to people and how the lawyer networks and stays abreast of developments.
In a matter of 15 or 20 minutes consumers will be able to determine if the lawyer they are considering is the real deal, if they can trust them and if they can relate to them.
What Kabria describes is good, but it’s the minimum and will leave you, as a lawyer, at a competitive disadvantage. Give a little more through blogging and social media and you’ll be giving consumers what they truly need — and want.
Image courtesy of Flickr by Damien