satellite

Written by a lawyer, for lawyers: Lawyers and clients think differently. A personal injury lawyer will tell you that the law is about proving certain elements to show negligence, medical bills and records to establish damages and insurance to pay the damages. Without liability, damages and insurance, a person holding himself or herself out as a personal injury lawyer isn’t going to be very successful or have any significant accomplishments. On the other hand, the client will tell the lawyer that personal injury law is about the pain they’ve been living with each and every day, the stress from bills piling up, collection agencies dunning them and the emotional struggle they’ve been enduring from sudden economic devastation.

When personal injury lawyers do become successful, they focus on their accomplishments. That might impress other lawyers and judges, but by focusing on accomplishments, lawyers quickly lose the interest of the public. That’s because most radio ads for lawyers pivot on what the lawyer believes is important for the potential client and not what the potential client feels is important. By the very nature of the profession and the need to stay emotionally detached from clients, lawyers have at best, a questionable understanding of a prospective client’s emotions when he or she is enduring a very difficult interval in life.

Lawyers are poor marketers. Have you ever met a lawyer with an undergraduate degree in marketing? Your professional experience and thorough case preparation do little or nothing for potential clients who want to connect with a lawyer. Rather than arousing interest in your personal injury firm, you’re turning prospective clients in the other direction. They’ve heard that song and dance before, and it doesn’t have any heart.

Many potential clients don’t like lawyers, regardless of the fact that at this point in the time line of their lives, they need a good one. For better or for worse, they’re going to end up retaining one too, and it’s more likely than not that it will be a lawyer who connects with them on an emotional level rather than on a professional accomplishments level. Don’t you think that lawyers would grasp that concept? No, they’ve been trained to think like lawyers from their first day in law school, and after two decades in the profession, they’re focused on speaking with other lawyers and judges. Go to a cocktail party or even a wake, and take a look at the social mix The lawyers are always over in a corner talking about the law while the doctors are in another corner talking about their investments. Both professions are emotionally detached.

Do Radio Ads Work for Personal Injury Lawyers?

Radio ads are terrific for focusing on people who are traveling to or from their jobs or those who are even at their jobs. Commuting times are when most accidents happen, and the employee who gets hurt at work is likely to remember you too. Is your number the number that they’re going to call, or is it the one that the back of their brain tells them to stay away from? Connecting your brain with their emotions is the key to giving that free initial consultation and case evaluation that’s generated from a radio ad. The hospital and rehabilitation bills are staggering, and the sole support of a family has been out of work for three months. Step in their shoes, and get on their level. You’ll find your radio ads bringing more people through your door. You know what you’ve accomplished. After that, it’s all about humility.

Chris

Leave a Reply