“If there’s one thing you can say about someone who visits a legal directory it’s that they are in ‘get-it-done mode’ – they likely have a clear intent to hire an attorney”.
That’s a good take on the value of directories by Stephanie Gallagher at FindLaw on its lawyer marketing blog.
A buyer of legal services who has got as far as a legal directory has probably already got a few names on a shortlist – the lawyer/firm they used last time for something similar, referrals from existing lawyers (if it’s not their area), recommendations from other companies in the same situation.
Often they’ve done some internal work already before consulting a legal directory – they’re not coming into the buying decision “blind”.
The role of the directory may then be crucial, because it will confirm to the potential buyer what he had instinctively thought – “let’s go with firm/lawyer X”.
Or it will tip the scales in favor of one firm/lawyer over another – “there were two firms/lawyers on my shortlist, but one of them has got a glowing write-up, while I can’t see the other, so I’ll go with her”.
Or it may open their eyes to a new firm/lawyer that had not previously come up in the initial discussions of potential options.
In all these instances, as Gallagher says, they are ready to act.
They’ve gathered up information, done some research, checked out websites, spoken to people, put a shortlist together, and now they want to move forward.
At that point, you want to be visible.
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