Communication hot buttons

By Linda Julian

Whether it’s your website, brochures, or important buying-time documents like proposals and tenders, make sure your written communications hit communication hot buttons for your clients and prospective clients.

While every client is different, my analysis reveals striking similarity among the outbound written business development communications of many law firms.  The bad news is that this great raft of material on which cases are built to win clients and business clusters around themes which are unlikely to be "hot buttons".

So, what's hot and what's not ?

Clients are individuals with different tastes, interests, and issues  -  that is, every client is different.  Undoubtedly, some will warm to themes which leave most cold.

I don't have a neat list of hard and fast rules for each and every circumstance.  But I can share with you that these are most likely to be at the warm to hot end of the communication continuum:

• your passionate commitment to help clients
• focus on clients and their needs
• willingness to go the extra mile to understand your clients
• immersion in your client's business and industry
• how easy and flexible you are to deal with
• specific, case-study style examples of how you've helped others with innovative approaches to old or tough or big problems.

Check that you're not stuck in the sameness zone  -  that low impact communication area where so many law firms “invest”. 

Communication around these themes mostly hits cold, cool, or luke-warm buttons:

• your wide range of services
• national coverage
• impressive international connections
• technical qualifications
• your quality management system
• the beautiful decor and artwork in your prestigious offices
• long lists of professional memberships
• sponsorships
• history of your firm
• friendliness of your people.

If you're investing in marketing communications, make sure it produces the business development returns you want by hitting the right buttons.