Why Most People Are Scared of Lawyers and What to Do About it

July 1, 2015
Spotlight Branding

Dear Lawyer,

Most people don’t trust you. No offense.

Plenty of surveys over the years have reinforced this. For example, an ABA study found that a full 69% of consumers surveyed believe that “Lawyers are more interested in making money than in serving their clients.”

Obviously that’s not accurate. We know this firsthand – the vast majority of our clients are lawyers who are dedicated to solving problems and making their clients’ lives better.

But that’s not how the general public perceives the legal profession.

Most of your potential clients are pre-disposed NOT to trust you. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that there is plenty you can do to overcome this perception. And once you do, you’re at a competitive advantage compared to all of the other lawyers in your market who haven’t figured it out.

The challenge is to establish a personal connection with potential clients – so that they can get to know you, sense your passion, and recognize your expertise and your ability to solve their problems. Otherwise, you’re “just another lawyer” who is out to make a quick buck.

Here are several ways to establish this all-important connection through your internet presence:

  • Include video on your website, giving potential clients the opportunity to see your face, hear your voice, read your body language, and develop trust.
  • Get active on social media, giving your audience the chance to engage with you, ask you questions, and get to know what you and your firm stand for.
  • Create a value-based email newsletter, a regular feature that focuses on providing helpful and practical information to your audience.
  • Write blog entries which demonstrate that you understand common questions and concerns facing your clients and that you have the know-how and the passion to help clients solve those problems.

And a bonus tip that is applicable in the “real world” as well as the internet:

  • Drop the “legalese” when discussing what you do, and instead speak the language of your target market. Let them know, in language that makes sense to them, what it is that you do and how you can solve their problems. This is important when you’re posting on social media, when you’re meeting people face-to-face at an industry function, and everywhere in between.

Most of your potential clients are conditioned NOT to trust you. But you can use the internet to break down those barriers and establish trust.

We can help you make that happen.

Click here to schedule a call with Marc to discuss the next steps.

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Spotlight Branding

Spotlight Branding is a content marketing and branding firm for lawyers and other professionals. Our goal is to help you create an online presence that positions you as a credible expert in your field, keeps you connected with your network in order to stay top of mind and increase referrals, and to become more visible online so prospects can find you!