As consumers, we are fed so much information in the media. Be it television, billboards, radio or the internet, we are constantly told what's good for us, what product is the best, whose service we should use. So, how do we know? Who do we trust? Where can we obtain really good information?
How about word-of-mouth? It's easier than ever these days through social media. Put a question out there, and you will get an answer from someone you know and trust. In fact, you will probably get answers from MANY people you know and trust.
Why let others tell you how good they are? Why not get the real story?
Take attorneys for instance. If you turn on the television from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and even at other times now, you will be inundated with attorney commercials. You will see cartoons, tools, animals, superman, and whatever the next great attorney commercial might tell you. You will see clients saying how great their attorney was, how much money they got them, and how fast and easy it was.
But, will these commercials tell you everything you REALLY need to know? For example, does that attorney, who is advertising, have experience litigating the types of cases he/she is advertising for? Does the attorney investigate the claims, interview witnesses, conduct written discovery, take depositions, attend court hearings, and try cases? Or, does that attorney simply move the cases right on through?
Let me give you an example. A client came to me. She had been in a car wreck and had had two previous attorneys. Typically, that is a red flag, but I listened to the client. She told me that the two attorneys said she should take the insurance company's settlement offer of $15,000.00. This was backed up by paperwork. She didn't want to take it which is why she came to me.
After listening to her story and reading the file and wreck report, I told her, "I have no idea if $15,000.00 is a good settlement, and I won't know until I have more information about the defendant driver. If I conduct discovery and don't find anything, I will tell you to take the $15,000.00 too. However, if discovery shows otherwise, I think $15,000.00 is way too low." So, she hired us, and we filed suit. We conducted discovery. We took her case seriously. We didn't just settle. We practiced law. What's the current offer? $150,000.00. Yes, we found something in discovery.
Had she listened to her two previous attorneys, she would have about $8,000-$9,000 in compensation for her very serious injuries. Now, she might be fairly compensated.
This is the problem with mass advertising for legal services. The legal profession is just that, A PROFESSION. It's not a marketing gimmick. Clients are NOT widgets and inventory. They are people who require professional help, not legal adjusters.
So, next time you need an attorney, ask your friends, ask other attorneys, ask business associates, but don't just listen to some ad on TV or read some billboard. You might not get an attorney who actually practices law. You might get an attorney who knows how to market well. Is that what you want? A good marketer?
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