Have you ever watched a spider at work? Getting past the creepy, crawly issues, we can see how much theyre driven to prepare and to be patient. Ever so carefully, they craft their intricate webs, so any and all prey that happens by will stay for dinner. We invest fortunes in advertising to attract clients, but were totally unprepared to take advantage of the situation when they come by, and actually respond to our ads and doorknob hangers, and direct mail pieces. Instead of pouncing when they call, we let them get away, because we havent been trained or conditioned to react intelligently and instinctively. Our advertising effectiveness may be astounding, but our sloppiness is costing us money. Simply said, we need to construct tighter webs! Let me give you an example. A Los Angeles attorney advertises on the radio, and his ads are great. Believe me, it takes a lot for a wordsmith like me to offer praise like this. Everything is memorable about his spots. His name is repeated, the ad is written in a problem to solution format, his phone number spells out a phrase that is also memorable, and there is a catchy tag line that subtly suggests that potential clients will achieve an advantaged outcome to their cases if he is retained. So, as an experiment, I phoned into his office, and the person who answered the line was inarticulate, slow, and unprepared to handle my inquiry. Unquestionably, the receptionist is turning off some potential clients. A relatively small amount invested in making sure she, and the lawyers in the office are capable communicators, can pay off handsomely. Like him, you should appreciate that it doesnt matter how many people you invite; its the ones who stay for dinner that count! |
