Let’s face it. We as lawyers tend to pounce when the new lead comes in. We go right to the sale and try to get them to retain us as soon as possible. Although some of your leads may be ready to hire a lawyer, many of them just aren’t there yet. They aren’t ready to pull the trigger. If you want them to turn into clients, you sometimes have to play a long game.

Many Leads Just Aren’t Ready Yet

Many people who ultimately hire a lawyer start by looking for legal information to help with them with a problem in their lives. They may have a common lead, because they had some questions, and you either answered them in a consultation or in contact on your website. The thing is, they aren’t ready to hire you yet.

So what do you do then? Most attorneys would simply wait for that person to get back to them when they are ready to hire a lawyer. This is a huge mistake! Don’t make it. What do you need to do is stay in contact with that lead, nurturing them along and staying top of mind with them, so that when they’re ready to hire, a lawyer, they will contact you.

5 Rules to Nurturing Success

But what’s the best way to do that? Well, here are a few rules to follow to maximize your chances of success.

1. 1. Keep them engaged. When you send them emails, be interesting; be entertaining. Although the ultimate goal is to get them to hire you, don’t be a salesman.
   2. Show that you care about them. Add value to their lives by providing them with interesting and useful information. Make it all about them, not you.
   3. Promote a long-term relationship. This is part of showing them that you care, and I’m not looking for the quick sale.
   4. Send emails that speak directly to the person. Don’t treat them like a transaction; treat them like people.
   5. Come from a place of giving. Relate to them without trying to sell yourself. This will make you seem more genuine, and a person who really cares about them.

Many lawyers seem to think that if they are not retained on first contact, that the lead will not hire anyone or will simply hire someone else. This is not necessarily true. Maybe they won’t have the money to pay you right now, but they might later. Maybe they haven’t fully decided to take action and hire a lawyer yet.

Don’t Give Up on a Lead Too Quickly

Don’t give up too quickly. 40% of sales people give up after one follow up, and the average sales person only attempts twice to reach prospects. But the truth of the matter is that 80% of lead require five follow ups or calls, and can need up to 12 contacts before they buy.

The bottom line here is that any time a potential client enters your world, they should be put into a long term email campaign to keep up contact. I’ve had people call me to hire me, only to find out that they entered my list months ago.

Need Help Nurturing?

Crafting an e-mail campaign that is engaging, informative, and entertaining for your leads is no easy task. If you’ve been struggling with it, I can help. I have written hundreds of e-mail campaigns for my practice to nurture the 5-6 leads that come in every day from my web site, and I can help you do the same.

,p.Just click here to schedule an initial call to discuss your needs and schedule a free coaching call. You don’t have to go it alone!