Thursday, July 24, 2008

Legal Marketing - How To Get Top Dollar For Your Services

What are people thinking (psychographics) when they are "shopping" for a lawyer? What if you are viewed as cheap? What if you are viewed as expensive? How can you address both of these ways of thinking and still get top dollar? What do you say when "the money" objection comes up? These questions and more are addressed in this article.

Legal marketing success for you can reside in your knowing the psychographics of your market. One key area of law marketing psychographics is knowing how your prospective client is thinking about fees. In one of my other articles I write about law practice management pricing strategies. If you have not read that article I do recommend you read it since it is related to getting top dollar for your services. That said lets move forward in getting you comfortable in getting the fees you deserve from your legal marketing.

In legal marketing you need to know is very few people have the time, energy and perseverance to "shop" very much for a lawyer. These prospects will use price as a quick way to decide if someone is competent. In law marketing you need to know people are already pre-conditioned to think about price in certain ways. If your fee is $150 per hour, a second lawyer's fee is $200 per hour and a third lawyer's fee is $250 per hour what is the pre-programmed way clients will be thinking? It is highly likely in legal marketing they are thinking the "cheap" lawyer must not be as good as the other two. Why? Because in the USA culture people are taught "you get what you pay for" and thus the cheapest lawyer "must have something wrong with them" or they will be "cutting corners" in some way to be so "cheap". You don't want to be in that law marketing club for sure. They are also thinking "the most expensive lawyer must be the most experienced, most skilled, the most specialized and at least among the best." You do want to be in that legal marketing club or at least close to that club. So you see in law practice management being in at lest the beginning of the top 30% of fees in your community is where you want to be if you possibly can. In legal marketing terms you are "positioning" yourself as among the best by having a higher price.

Additionally in legal marketing terms it is also much better to spend you law marketing dollars getting fewer high quality prospective clients to speak with and do that well than it is to have to shift through a legion of "frogs" who are shopping, shopping, shopping for "cheap". Also the "cheap" client is not loyal to you but to "cheap" and if they find "cheaper" they are gone. I will give you a bit more on this aspect of legal marketing later in the article.

We have the legal marketing positioning we need in place now so what is next? What do you actually say to have someone ready to pay top dollar? First you need to tell them up front, close to the beginning of the conversation, something close to the following: "I do want you to know that I can't work with everyone. Sometimes I don't have the exact expertise you may need. Also I do want you to know that I am not the most inexpensive attorney in the city. If I am a good match for your situation I will be talking with you about fees. If my fees are too expensive for you don't be afraid or embarrassed to tell me. I will have some good referrals for you that might be a better fit for your budget."

In legal marketing terms what have you done here? You have made yourself a scarce service. We all are pre-programmed to think something or someone that is scarce is valuable (Cialdini Ph.D., Influence, Science and Practice; 2001). You have told them you don't work with just anyone. Now they are hoping that their case is a good fit so they can have you. They are wondering if you can fit them in since you are in such demand that you can decline cases. Nice law marketing positioning for sure. Suddenly they are auditioning for you, not you auditioning for them. They also are thinking this fellow must be really, really good or he would not be saying such things to me. They are thinking that they better act quickly and say yes to hiring you or you may be full and can't take them later. They also may be imagining a really, really high fee in their minds and when you quote something less than their imagination (which you can often) or contrast it with something higher or a benefit (more here later) they are relieved. Besides if they have been shopping then they know the really, really high fee and you are maybe 20% to 30% below that.

OK so lets say this legal marketing scenario did not go that well. What if the person says something like: "But your fee is $300 per hour and another lawyer I talked to charges $225 per hour." What do you say? How about something like this: "I don't know exactly why this lawyer is charging so much less than I do, however, I can tell you exactly what you will be getting working with me, what my qualifications/experience/expertise are with respect to your particular matter and I just can't help but wonder what he might be missing or leaving out by charging the fee he charges." In law marketing here you want to bring forward in their minds the unconscious thought that someone who charges less must be doing less of a job for you or is not as competent. The old "you get what you pay for" scenario most of us were raised on works well in legal marketing. Another way to say it is "penny wise, pound foolish" since if a lawyer who charges less does the job one could just wind up paying more later because of that "cheaper" work. Another good job of law marketing positioning I'd say. In a specialty practice area this old adage is even more applicable than say a commodity practice area like residential real estate closings. I think you get the idea here in this law practice management effort. In what you are saying be sure they are wondering just what might be missing since doubt is what you need to create in the mind of the prospect about your competitors. You might even want to go so far as to list out in detail what you will be doing and providing for the client before you say the magic words I just gave you so they see all that is coming their way by selecting you. Again with this legal marketing approach what we are doing is bringing forward "doubt" and "suspicion" while making sure they know how solid you are for them. It never hurts to have testimonials or letters of recommendation as well to show prospective clients before you give the magic words.

In legal marketing a bit of preemption or prevention could work well in telling prospective clients about your fees as well. If you contrast your fee against a higher fee then your fee does not sound so large even if it is larger than a competing lawyers fee. An example would be a family lawyer might say something like: "Some attorneys would charge as much as $20,000 for handling this type of a divorce, however, with my experience and expertise I know I can do the divorce for you for $15,000". Here you are saying your competitors' fees first with your fee second making your fee sound good compared to the others. Another law marketing example would be in estate planning you could say something like: "I can prepare a document (for document insert the correct technical term) that will save you $400,000 in federal estate taxes for only $20,000." Here you are contrasting your fee to the savings and saying the savings first and your fee last. A PI lawyer might say, "Some attorneys would charge you 40% of the recovery, however, I will be able to take your case for 30% of recovery." I think you get the idea here when it comes to this law practice management strategy.

Legal marketing is not always a "slam dunk so now, you have done everything I suggested above and the client is still having price objections. My advice is to let that client go. If money is their only remaining objection and nothing you have said or done to this point has made a difference then I suspect they are going to be a problem in other areas later on. What type of a law practice management problem? Well, like not paying their fees or objecting to some of your billing demanding still a lower fee. Also, they are telling you extremely clearly they are a price only buyer not a value purchaser who is not loyal to you as a long-term client but loyal to the lowest price. In legal marketing you need long-term clients who are not price sensitive and not problematic. Finally, if you begin to negotiate the price now you are showing weakness and they will use that weakness with you down the line. I say legal marketing is tough enough without this type of client. Make a good referral to one of your competitors who is not reading my material so they have the headaches that keeps them bogged down and not able to do any legal marketing since they are bogged down with these types of clients!

All about Legal Transcription

Legal transcription has come into the public view recently being recognized for its efficient and professional influence on legal records and is steadily becoming a popular trend in the legal field. Legal transcriptionists, much like their counterparts in the medical field, listen to dictations from legal professionals and type them into documents that are edited and grammatically correct. These transcriptionists generally listen to testimonies, interrogations, court hearings, and pleadings, after which they compose what they heard into an easily understood document that will turn into record.

Legal transcriptionists generally work for larger firms or private practice attorneys who have a large number of cases. They are also widely used by large corporations, governmental departments, insurance companies, and banks that all have a need for more accurate legal records. A large number of transcriptionists work for the U.S. government attempting to establish a more organized and complete record system.

In order to be good legal transcriptionists, individuals should have a solid understanding of legal terminology. They should have impeccable grammar and a good command of the English language. After transcriptions are complete they become legal records that are extremely useful to lawyers when they are researching to win a case. Thanks to these transcriptionists, legal records are now more clearly written and thorough. The lawyers and paralegals who wrote the records before were often too busy to make sure the records were exact.

The job market is unique in that there is little competition and plenty of jobs. This fact is most likely due to the overwhelming need for accurate and more advanced legal records to help businesses keep better records and provide their clients with more protection. Other ways legal transcriptionists are hired is by companies that choose to outsource the work for lower costs and increased quality. By outsourcing, companies will generally have a quicker turnaround rate as well because they are dividing jobs across the board rather than giving them all to one particular person. However, there has been a growing trend that has threatened the U.S. job market slightly. Many overseas companies have begun to lend their services to U.S. companies for less money and with a quicker turnaround. These companies, with the majority being found in India, have obtained many U.S. clients who choose their services for the lower costs and to get more records completed. Yet, the news is not all bad. Many other businesses look to legal transcriptionists in the U.S. because they have a better understanding of the laws and the English language, a quality that the overseas companies cannot offer.

Although no formal training is required to become a legal transcriptionist, many companies require a basic knowledge of legal terminology and excellent grammatical skills. They also tend to gravitate toward individuals who have prior experience in the medical field, writing, or an extensive knowledge of English. However, there is a new trend in legal transcription that is lowering the chances of less qualified individuals getting jobs. Many companies are hiring retired lawyers to join their team and write up new records. These individuals are good candidates for legal transcription because they know the legal lingo, the laws, and generally people in the business to help them get started. They also have the added advantage of knowing precisely what is needed in files and what is unnecessary.

Although they play a key role in the security and development of better legal records, legal transcriptionists are often underappreciated. The legal transcription field has not yet gained support from governmental organizations as medical transcriptionists have, but their role as newcomers to the business is likely to blame. Despite that, legal transcriptionists are steadily becoming permanent fixtures on law firm and government department payrolls and the need for their services will likely continue to grow even more.

In recent years, the demand for talented and professional individuals to take on the task of writing accurate and grammatically correct legal records has been on the rise. These individuals, known as legal transcriptionists, are being looked to in order to take some of the workload from lawyers and paralegals who have a need for accurate records but do not have the time to construct them. Many reputable companies and individuals are now providing their services to law firms, banks, insurance companies, and government organizations in order to quickly supply legal records that are easier to understand. Not only are these services easing the workload of busy professionals, they are also improving the quality of legal records to make for more accurate and organized legal systems.

Legal transcriptionists use the latest technology to take dictations from legal professionals and transcribe them into official documents. These professionals generally work as secretaries in offices, allowing them full access to files and information. This profession is rising in importance as the need for accurate documentation increases. Their services help to create and maintain organized and detailed legal records that will help their superiors win more cases or conduct better business. The records created by legal transcriptionists also allow for a more efficiently run company because the workers spend less time concentrating on organization and more time on productive work.

Today there are several reputable companies that provide top-notch transcription services to those in need. TranscriptionStar is one of the most well-known transcription service providers that supply services to numerous corporations and small businesses in the U.S. and Europe. They work under the head of iSource, which uses the latest technology to provide high-quality, cost effective transcription services to their vast client base. TranscriptionStar provides several areas of transcription services other than legal that include medical, business, research, educational, and media. TranscriptionStar is HIPAA compliant and provides strict security in accordance with PHI Privacy and Security.

For larger jobs, RapidText.com is a good service that provides legal transcription to various businesses but prefers to work on larger projects and establish long-term relationships. The company employs around 250 transcriptionists who are well-trained and knowledgeable in several different fields, helping to provide the best and most complete documents possible.

For smaller or average sized jobs, TranscriptionStudio.com is a good place to look. TranscriptionStudio offers experienced professionals who have knowledge in a variety of legal areas. The versatility that this service provides allows the employees to supply transcription services to a variety of legal sectors. The company specializes in insurance, government, law, and media related fields and offers a one hunderd percent satisfaction guarantee.

UKtyping is another company that offers legal transcription to various groups. The company specializes in strictly legal services and has the advantage of vast knowledge in everything legal related. UKtyping provides great resources and tools to aid in dictation and record creation. The company works mainly with lawyers, doctors, accountants, authors, and property professionals but claims to be able to adapt to most other fields.

NCH.com is a site that supplies a list of businesses that are currently looking for transcriptionists. The site posts jobs from companies located all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe.
The services provided by legal transcriptionists are becoming invaluable resources to various companies throughout the U.S. These legal secretaries are single-handedly improving the way organizations run their businesses. The outpour of positions that are now available give the added perk of versatility in the workplace, allowing transcriptionists to find jobs in various sectors other than the legal world. Although these professionals do not always receive the recognition they deserve, there are steps being taken to create organizations that will promote better treatment and provide more rights to legal transcriptionists. These organizations will also be able to spell out precisely which qualifications should be necessary before embarking on a career in legal transcription. Hopefully these advancements will create better working conditions and help improve America's legal record system.

Expert Legal Help From True Lawyers

Have you ever imagined what will happen if you are sued or an arrest warrant is issued against you? The first thing that would come to your mind is to hire a lawyer, who shall provide the legal help. Often we come across situations where we find ourselves engulfed into legal matters. At these situations the best possible thing we can do is to find an attorney to cope with the trouble. The best place to find an attorney, among the various sources, is the attorney directory. Here the lawyers and attorneys are listed as per their specialization in different legal issues like registration, consumer protection, child custody, divorce etc. So whether you have any complain against a product, you want to file a divorce, or there is an arrest warrant for you, you can always seek Legal help from the true lawyers.

In our everyday life, we often come in close interaction with law and being a good citizen we must abide by the law of the state we live in. But sometimes we get a brush with the law like we get sued or sacked for no apparent reason. In the world of web you have ready access to any Lawyer Directory or Attorney Directory and when you feel the need for an attorney now you can just click one of these directories to find true lawyers and attorneys. Many lawyers are registered members of these online Lawyers directory and attorney directory, thereby providing us the most authentic and complete legal help.

The true lawyers apply the legal theories and knowledge to solve legal disputes and advance the interest of their clients who seek legal help. There are matters like registration and parking summons for vehicle owners and we need not always seek help from an attorney in such cases; we can always depend on self-help. But if the things go worse you must ask an attorney for legal help regarding the legal aspects of these issues. Sometimes it may happen that we have many ways to resolve a legal issue or that we are in jeopardy about what to do in a particular legal turmoil. In such a situation we can ask a lawyer about our queries on the specific legal issues or can hire a lawyer to present our case in the court. Entrepreneurs and businessmen usually prefer to ask an attorney regarding the intricacies of a legal issue before arriving at any legal decision.

For entrepreneurs and businessmen, legal help can be sought in matters related to estate planning, partnership deeds, financial agreements and business negotiations and transactions. Having wide knowledge about the law of the land and regular interaction with various legal issues, the true lawyers are the best professionals who can give expert advice to their clients and advance the interest of the clients. Professional legal help from the true lawyers can help us make the best benefit out of the rules and regulations imposed by the government.

Being a country comprising of fifty states, United States has a complicated legal system as all the fifty states have their own constitutions other than the common constitution of the nation. There are several laws that differ in different states, and it is not possible for a common man to know and understand all these law properly. For this reason we seek legal help from the true lawyers and attorneys whom we can find from the attorney directory or lawyers directory.

The directories help us to find an attorney from the state where we have faced the legal issues. Not every lawyers in a state deal with all legal issues; many of them specialize in different subjects like administration, transportation, tax, wills and probate, adoption, divorce, business laws etc. If we have some legal issues dealing with transportation law there is no point in going to an attorney who specializes in administrative laws or to ask an attorney specializing in divorce cases for the legal help. For this the Attorney directories provide a list of specialized lawyers who can be helpful for us in resolving the legal issues we have. After we find an attorney suitable for our job we can contact them and let the lawyer know about the legal issue. In the later stage we can ask an attorney to give expert opinion in this matter and with them we can even have the benefit of Attorney Referral service.

If the lawyer dealing with the legal issues feels that his or her opinion must be seconded by another attorney or that he or she is unable to find a solution for the legal issue, he or she may go for an attorney referral, i.e. they will refer another attorney to deal with the case. Generally the referred attorneys are very experienced and can provide the specific legal help. When the matter is related to tax planning, estate planning, drafting will or trust, business negotiations or personal matters like divorce or adoption, what is sought most is the legal help from the true lawyers.

When we feel that our reputation, finance or job is at the stake, we cannot help but find an attorney to provide us with the required legal help that will be beneficial to resolve those legal issues. With the online Attorney directory, an attorney can expect to be consulted 24 hours a day and seven days a week by the common people seeking legal help. This will add to the reputation of the lawyers. By registering in any lawyers directory the lawyers can expand their client base significantly. They can take the benefit of online chat to stay in touch with the client all the time to provide them with the necessary legal help. Also the clients can get in touch with a lawyer instantly if they feel that they need an attorney now.

All of us can have a close interaction with the law at any point of time. It is therefore necessary to know something about the law. When we are empowered with the law we can deal with many legal issues by ourselves. But if we feel that we really need legal help we can always bank on the true lawyers.