The secret to long-lasting success with clients
Written by Sam Abeysekera on April 3, 2022
Do you know the quintessential quality that your clients look to you for? Do you ever wonder why prospects might look at you blankly when you're explaining all the wonderful things you will do for them?
Despite the complex profession of law, we often miss important nuances for clients.
Let me explain…
The secret to long-lasting success with clients is in recognizing that every kind of legal service you practice is comprised of two services:-
One is the *features* of what you do — the research, the meetings, the advice, the court appearance i.e. everything that you do.
The other is the *purpose* of what you do — the benefits that the client experiences when you perform your services i.e., everything of utmost importance to the client.
In reality, it is always the purpose of your services that generates its selling power. Not the features.
The purpose of what you do is the raison dêtre that clients retain you and the reason they pay you.
Your title, firm, and even your credentials are secondary as reinforcements to this core purpose.
However, what most lawyers lead with when interacting with clients are the features of what they or their firm can do e.g. the people they will allocate to the matter, the time frame, the number of offices they have, and all of this non-core purpose detail.
And to make it better, lawyers then pile on and offer to do even more in an effort to win the client. But it ends up not really “clicking”, and then the client tries to get further discounts or benefits — they’ve been trained well!
All clients want their most painful situation to evaporate and/or their highest desire to materialize. This is their purpose for you. It is seldom just about a “win,” but about a certain result in their lives/business.
All clients carry a hierarchy of desires that they wish to fulfill. You want to meet them at their highest one.
Sometimes (or often), the highest desire is hidden from even them. Example — many of my clients find that what they really think about is the kind of life they want and the kind of law practice they want, rather than the cookie cutter approach that they operate in every day. This kind of clarity makes it easier for clients to then take big steps forward!
The features of how you do it is a "derivative" — they are important, but "derive" value only because they support the purpose you will achieve for them.
When you make the purpose your leading theme when talking with prospects and clients, you immediately set yourself apart. Why? Because you are speaking directly to the heart of what matters most to your client and what will drive them to the action of hiring you and sticking with you.
Now, to find out what the highest purpose is requires a complete shift in viewing your target client group from the “we-they” mindset that pervades the legal system to using our experience to “stand in their shoes.”
When you do this correctly, it is a game-changer….not only for your connection with clients but often it changes the very nature of how you construct your services.
Understanding the purpose of your services from the client’s view allows you to get deeper than being on the same page as a client…you’ll be on the same sentence, the same word.
The law is built for legal reasoning and legal abstraction — and that is its strength. But it’s also why clients find the system too daunting and just, well, too legal!
But when you focus on this second aspect of your services -- the purpose -- you move from the abstract and make it real.
In the client’s mind, you become a bridge between the client and the solution they seek.
It is the best place for you to be - and your clients will thank you (and hire you) for it!
Sam Abeysekera
Sam is dedicated to empowering female partners and founders in the legal industry to break through barriers and redefine success. As the lawyer's advocate, she equips her clients with strategies to become seasoned rainmakers and thrive within the dynamics of law firm culture, all while maintaining balance and authenticity.
