Sometime last year, I was at a legal convention talking with an attorney who prided himself on being, and I quote, “the cheapest attorney in town”.
I kid you not.
He was bragging about it.
Until I had to come along and burst his bubble.
“You’re not actually the cheapest attorney in town”, I said.
“Yes I am!”, he retorted, “we’ve checked and there’s no other lawyer who offers what our firm gives clients for a better price.”
Here’s what I told him:
No matter how low your prices, there are exactly two attorneys in your metro area who’ll always offer a lower price than you:
Mr. Public Defender… and Mr. Nobody.
Don’t laugh!
There are a ton of schmucks who walk into court with the idea in their head that they’ll represent themselves and save $1,000 on their DUI case.
“I may have just lost everything to my name, but at least I saved $1,000…”
It’ll never occur to them that they could have kept their job, their home and car, and perhaps their marriage as well, if they only hired a professional…
And there are many folks who genuinely believe that public defenders care about their case and want to help them. Poor fools.
But do you know who is the biggest fool?
That attorney I just told you about.
Because very few clients will ever choose to work with his firm. Most the tire kickers looking for a good deal with chose Mr. Public Defender or Mr. Nobody over them – because these two options are always the cheapest.
Those clients looking for the best won’t give them a second look.
And those folks – the majority of clients – who want a compromise between “white-glove” representation and an affordable fee will never reach to the bottom of the bargain bucket and hire them.
So the cheapest attorney in town is screwed on all fronts.
That’s why you should never, ever be this attorney.
In my Secrets of Attorney Marketing book, I share a selection of proven strategies my most successful clients are using to charge (and get) premium fees. These strategies don’t involve trickery. They’re about building a sense of value and showing potentials what they’d lose if they cheap out.
You might want to read up on these strategies.
I’m sure there’s one you’re not using right now. If it helps you retain a higher percentage of clients or raise your fees, it could be a game-changer.
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