Michael Hammond and Mark Powers
About a hundred years ago in New York City, lived a then-famous, now-forgotten Broadway producer who ignored any up-and-coming playwright who could not write in a compelling way the essential idea for their play on the back of a business card. Only the few who passed the deceptively simple test would get an audience with The Great One. That little vignette illustrates the power behind clear, concise and compelling communication. It can be the difference between winning and losing, making it or breaking it, going on or going home.
What you do, not who you are
At first glance, the Laser Talk is nothing more than an off-hand response to the question: What do you do? Most lawyers respond by stating who they are, not what they do. The common reply is, "I'm a lawyer," or "I'm an estate planning attorney." Typically, the listener replies, "Oh, that's interesting," and moves on.
The opportunity to communicate is lost. The listener may know who you are, but he has no real idea of what you do, who you help, or why. The lawyer doesn't realize that he just failed The Great One's test.
The savvy marketer sees "What do you do?" as a great marketing opportunity. A well-crafted Laser Talk that doesn't sound phony or canned allows you to speak powerfully, passionately, even humorously about what you do.
The mediator who opens with, "I'm a recovering litigator," or the estate planning attorney who responds with, "I help people who don't want to outlive their money," tend to be much more memorable and generate more interest.
By describing your practice in such a way you increase what is known as "top-of-mind" awareness: You make such a good impression that people remember you, want to use your services, and tell others about you.
To create your Laser Talk, you must answer the following questions:
1) Whom do you help? (Your target market)
2) What problems do you resolve and how do your clients benefit? (The benefits you provide)
3) How do you resolve their problem? (Your feature)
4) What makes you uniquely qualified to do so? (Your "USP": unique selling point)
In effect, the Laser Talk is a miniature marketing plan because it compels you to identify your target market, articulate the service you provide, and highlight what makes you unique among providers of that service.
Every effective marketing plan must answer those basic questions. It's a powerful way to differentiate yourself. The attorney who says, "I work with high net worth individuals and families to protect their wealth and pass it on to their children intact," is pinpointing his clients and speaking directly to their concerns. It sure beats, "I'm an estate planning attorney."
To craft your Laser Talk, follow this simple formula:
"I work with (specific description of client) in their desire to (benefit statement) by means of (how you deliver the benefit). What's unique about my practice is (your USP)."
Audience, benefit, feature
First, describe the clients you work with in terms they would use to describe themselves. Think in terms of the people you work with, not the companies, organizations or institutions you represent.
Second, try to describe the benefit from the clients' perspective, not yours as their lawyer. In a matrimonial practice, for example, clients don't see the divorce as the benefit; their positive is the opportunity to get on with their lives. Identify the benefit by describing your services in more emotionally oriented language instead of emphasizing the technical legal work you do.
The third step - how you deliver the benefit - distinguishes the features of what you do. So if the benefit for the matrimonial client is getting a fresh start, the lawyer's "feature" may be "by being a powerful advocate who focuses on my client's best interests."
Finally, it is important to further differentiate yourself by defining your "USP." What is unique about you, setting you apart from all the other providers of your services? Provide the answer by including in your Laser Talk some aspect of your personal history, training, family background, life experience or special interest that differentiates you from your peers.
For example: the criminal attorney who mentions that he learned from his own mistakes as a teenager, or the family lawyer who explains how her own divorce gave her compassion for those going through the process. That kind of personal sharing leaves a more memorable, meaningful and human impression with the listener. Often what you might consider a weakness, a flaw or even a quirk in your background is what makes you more interesting and appealing to a potential client.
Once you can identify your clients, define your services, describe how you help people, and state what makes you unique, put your own spin on the phrases and tie them together in a natural-sounding, 30-second message. Think of your Laser Talk as a verbal form of branding: When it's clear, compelling and memorable, it can be a powerful tool in cultivating clients.
Draft a script of your Talk, then listen to how you say it out loud. You will automatically give voice to a version that's more comfortable for you. Experiment with your Laser Talk on family members and friends first, then try it out with people you meet in the courthouse or at social gatherings. With practice, you will speak with ease, comfort and confidence.
Your Laser Talk will be the seed from which all your subsequent marketing efforts grow and become the centerpiece of your word-of-mouth marketing campaign.
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Michael Hammond is a "founding father" of Atticus and a certified practice advisor with extensive experience in lawyer marketing, one-on-one business coaching and strategic planning. He can be contacted via www.atticusonline.com. Mark Powers is the president of Atticus and co-author of "How Good Attorneys Become Great Rainmakers" and "Time Management for Attorneys." He can be contacted at mark@atticusonline.com.
Published: Fri, Apr 10, 2015
