Rainmaking Recommendation #145: The Most Important Question the Candidates aren’t Answering

This is not a commentary on the candidates for President this year.  I will not be telling you how to vote or for whom I am casting my ballot.

When I was in college and in law school, to make extra money, I would tend bar.  The very first thing I was taught when I learned to bar-tend is there are three subject which you never talk about to customers – sex, religion or politics.

So I am not here to discuss the issues, or even the candidates themselves.  Only to address the one question that, in my humble opinion, all candidates for office, including on the local, state or federal level seem never to answer:

“HOW?”

• How are you going to lower taxes?
• How are you going to create jobs?
• How are you going initiate better relationships between the public and law enforcement?
• How are you going to solve <add political issue here>?

Through all of the hype, the divisiveness, and the bashing, through all of the vicious commercials and interactions the candidates have, and despite all of the media attention that the clients have been getting, the one question that the American Public isn’t getting a response to is HOW?

Well, this is the one question that your legal clients have as well.

HOW?

• How are you going to solve their legal issue? And before you send me mail saying that you cannot tell them “how” because each case is fact specific, what I am talking about is discussing the process that you will be going through to help them solve their problems.
• How are you going to communicate with them? How often? In what manner?  Via email, phone, text?
• How are you going to bill them? Be very clear with your clients on this issue. If you bill hourly, if you charge for copies, if you have an alternative fee arrangement (AFA), you should be very deliberate in explaining this to your clients.

Your rainmaking and legal marketing, whether it is on line or in-person, you should also be answering the question, “how?”

Your initial meeting with a prospective client should answer this question.

Your interactions, all of them, should make sure that this question is always satisfactorily addressed.

Answer the question, “HOW?” for you clients and they will never ask “Why did they hire you?”