I recently had a conversation with an LNC who asked me, “How do I market to a defense attorney?” If defense attorneys are your target market, the first step is understanding your ideal LNC client’s hidden fears.
One of the most important things to remember as you focus on your marketing is to think about who you want to work with and how you will reach your market. Think about how that defense prospect or client might respond to your message when you craft your marketing messages.
The more you know about the defense attorney, the better. You have to understand defense attorneys’ beliefs, fears, insecurities, needs, and desires.
Facts tell and emotions sell
Nido Quebain who is the chairman-emeritus of High Point University in North Carolina and also an articulate speaker, reminds us that, “Facts tell and emotions sell.” It is really through emotions that we are able to touch our ideal LNC’s client’s fears.
What are the fears of a defense attorney? These could include:
- Displeasing the insurance company that provides work
- Getting hit with a large jury verdict
- Hiring ineffective expert witnesses
- Not seeing the holes in the case
How does a defense attorney define a win? Defense wins are very different from plaintiff wins.
Your Ideal LNC Client’s Wins
Plaintiff attorneys define wins as
1. Avoiding taking a claim that has no chance of success
2. Being able to settle a case for a large enough amount
3. Winning in court
Defense attorneys define wins as
1. Being able to win in court
2. Offering a settlement for as little money as necessary
3. Being able to settle a case quickly rather than expending lots of hours and money on a case that is indefensible
Also consider the relationship between the defense firm and the insurance carrier. Defense attorneys have close relationships with the carriers. The carriers are paying their bills. The carriers want to be sure they are placing their trust and resources in the right hands.
An attorney who worked for a defense firm took a very expensive deposition out of state. The expert’s bill was enormous. There had been other issues associated with this attorney. A decision maker at the insurance firm rented a truck and sent it to the law firm with instructions to remove all of the carrier’s files from the firm. The carrier got the files back; the attorney lost his job.
Putting this together, your marketing messages to a defense attorney who handles personal injury cases might address this ideal LNC client’s fears with this kind of language:
- Are you concerned that your adversary may surprise you with medical facts in the courtroom?
- Do you ever wonder if the plaintiff is trying to claim injuries that are non-existent?
- Do you feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of medical data that you need to review, digest and summarize?
We can help. We work with defense attorneys to help make sense of the medical facts so you can focus on the legal issues.
Is this making sense to you? One of my new books, How to get More Clients: Marketing Secrets for LNCs has a ton of tips to help you pinpoint your ideal client’s needs and fears. Get a copy at the link for How to Get More Clients: Marketing Secrets for LNCs