How Do I Get Better Leads?

The answer is simple. You don't go out and get better leads. Better leads come to you because you offer a valuable solution to a prospect's problem. Allow me to explain but first, let's clarify the hierarchy of lead quality.

• The highest quality lead is an unsolicited referral. This is where the prospect calls you directly and wants you as their lawyer.
• The second highest quality lead is a proactive referral. This is where one of your existing clients gives you the name of a prospective client because he thinks you can fix their problem.
• The third highest quality lead is a reactive referral from a client. This is where you ask your clients for referrals to prospective clients who would benefit from your counsel.

So, the challenge is in how to attract unsolicited referrals. The secret is to be the perceived leader in a subject matter. But how do you achieve that distinction? The answer is that you must discipline yourself to narrow and focus on one aspect of your practice.

Here are three simple steps to demonstrate the power of narrow focus:

1. Narrow the subject of your specialized knowledge. The more narrowly defined your area of expertise, the easier it is to get known as an expert in it. Consider this example. There are a lot of ear, nose and throat specialists in the country. So narrow your expertise further. Focus on being a throat specialist. If there are a lot of throat specialists, focus on being a swallowing expert. If there are too many swallowing experts, consider focusing on being an infant swallowing expert. See how that works? As you focus and refine, the ways in which people know how to use your services becomes more and more clear. And, the types of marketing activities and who your prospective client will be also becomes more clear in the process.

2. Narrow the definition of the buyer of your services. Let's play the same game with step two. You could define your clients as being anyone who has ear, nose or throat problems. Or, you can define them as being anyone with swallowing challenges. But to really get specific, define your targets as only the parents of infants with swallowing issues. This narrowing of your audience gives you a clearer understanding of your best and most profitable clients. It also has the added benefit of leverage. If you are an expert in infant swallowing problems, surely you will be able to handle any adult swallowing challenges as well.

3. Focus on one specific and simple message. In marketing, simple gets noticed. Compelling gets remembered. Craft your message so that it is both simple (concise) and compelling. Compelling means that the audience knows clearly the value you bring and the problem you can solve. Don't talk about yourself, talk about the client and how they will benefit from your service. That's what will resonate and be remembered. To do this, think about what benefit you truly provide. If you are an infant swallowing expert, you provide the benefit of 'no more stress at feeding time'. See how easy that is? You just wrote your tagline and your practice mission statement in one simple step. And, I assure you, it will be much more memorable than 'helping infants swallow since 1979'.

It goes without saying. If I can be of assistance in increasing your unsolicited referrals, please don't hesitate to call me at 502-693-4731.