Most lawyers are skilled communicators. Even so, they often have
trouble explaining how they can help prospective clients. Follow these 12 steps
to get your message across:
STEP #1: Start talking with your prospect at his own level. Ask
your prospect what he's concerned about because that's all your prospect can
relate to.
STEP #2: Identify the problem your prospect wants to solve or the
goal he wants to achieve. Listen carefully so you can determine which points
your prospect considers most important. Then focus your message on those
subjects.
STEP #3: Confirm and reinforce the importance of your prospect's
problem. Explain how serious it could become if your prospect doesn't act now.
STEP #4: In simple terms, give your prospect an overview of the
solution you recommend so he understands how you will take him from where he is
now to where he wants to be.
STEP #5: Keep your message simple. Every day, prospects suffer
from information overload. They screen out complicated messages. A simple
message is the only message that has any chance of getting through to your
prospective clients.
STEP #6: When you begin your explanation, always go back to square
one. When you assume your prospect knows and understands basic facts, you're
almost always wrong.
STEP #7: Speak in plain English. If you must use a legal term,
make sure you define it. Don't assume that your prospect understands these terms.
He may have heard the words before, but he may have no idea what they mean in
this context.
STEP #8: Explain each step in the process -- in order -- so your
prospect knows exactly what you will do to solve his problem or achieve his goal.
STEP #9: During your explanation, answer every question your
prospect might ask. When you explain all the major points in order, your message
is clear and straightforward. On the other hand, if your prospect raises a
number of questions later, he is asking questions outside the context of your
presentation, which often results in more confusion than clarity.
STEP #10: Explain how your prospect benefits from your solution.
Your prospect needs to know how the steps you plan to take will bring him the
solution he wants -- and how he will benefit from that solution.
STEP #11: Talk about other clients you have helped in similar
situations. The more your case histories are like your prospect's situation, the
more they will motivate him to act.
STEP #12: Don't worry about repeating yourself. When prospects
take in new information, they forget most of it. Your prospect needs to digest
what you say -- step by step -- in plain English -- in logical order. Only then
will your prospect understand how you will bring him the solution he wants.
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© Trey Ryder
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