Turn Calls/Inquiries into Signed Retainer
Agreements and Cash in the Bank… Remotely
Interviewer: It seems obvious that you’re operating differently from any other personal-injury lawyer that I’ve seen. How do you think differently, and how has this led to your success?
JW: Well, I’ve spent a lot of time talking to my clients about what really matters to them and I think that’s a key. You’ve got to find out what people are interested in because, as a lawyer, there is often a tendency to just dispense legal advice, to give legal advice but what might make someone happy, and what I’m providing them with, may be two different things. So, to take the time to find out what my clients are really interested in, what’s important to them, what’s really going to make the case from their perspective, I think, is key.
I also spend a fair bit of time reading about how to make sure we serve people properly, because at the end of the day, we are in a service industry and the way that you treat people, the way you communicate with them, it’s no different or it shouldn’t be any different from a lawyer to any other person who’s providing service to the public. A lot of lawyers miss that piece. They think just because they’ve got a law degree, they’re able to operate differently from the rest of the world, in terms of how they treat people, and that’s where you really go wrong.
Interviewer: Yes. It definitely seems like the clients themselves are telling you, first, what’s important for them. Then, when you are looking to attract new clients, you know what’s important to most people, so you’re able to put a better message out there. And also, you follow up with them.
JW: The key is to ask. I find that if you ask people, they are more than happy to tell you what’s on their mind, but most of them, they have this perception of a lawyer as someone they shouldn’t be telling that kind of stuff to. The lawyer should be calling all the shots and telling them everything. So, you have to develop a wave length with people where they’re going to confide in you, they’re going to trust, trust to the extent that they’ll tell you what’s really on their mind, and they’ll tell you what really would make them happy.
Interviewer: OK. I’m sure there’s probably misconceptions that other attorneys have about how you run things and how you do things. Can you talk about some of those?
JW: That’s a good one. It’s often thought that the way I do things is not lawyer-like, that a lawyer puts a big ad in the Yellow Pages or a big TV ad out there, and that’s the way you should operate, that’s the way you’re going to get clients. I’ve kind of turned it on its head and said, “Well, let’s not just shovel it out there. Let’s get in touch with people. Let’s talk to clients. Let’s connect with clients and maintain a relationship, develop a relationship, not try and keep a big distance between myself and my client but plug in to what makes them tick and then give them more of what they’re interested in.”
Interviewer: Well, that makes sense. Yes. I’ve gotten a lot out of speaking with you, and I’m sure people listening to the call will as well.
JW: Well, you know what, I hope so because I think that it’s really important for A) for lawyers to understand that there are different ways to do things, other than the way that everybody else is doing it. You have to use your imagination. You have to look around a little bit, and it’s important for people who are going to be hiring a lawyer to understand that different lawyers do things differently, different lawyers operate differently. You should be asking questions, not just about the legal end of things but about how that lawyer operates, how they connect with their clients, how they communicate with their clients, how they really drill down on what’s important to their clients, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all type of approach to dealing with injured people or, for that matter, any type of client.
Interviewer: Sure. Well, very good. This has been great, and I really appreciate your time.
JW: Oh, my pleasure, Richard. You know what? It’s been a lot of fun. You’ve asked some challenging questions. You got me thinking here. It’s not the type of conversation that I have on a regular basis, but you’ve got the noodle working hard here. I’ve had to really give it some thought, but hopefully the people who listen to this call will take away something from it and not just think about it but use it, put it in their toolbox and take out the tool and actually put it to good use.
Interviewer: Yes. I think they’re listening carefully. There are definitely some good insights out of it for sure. It doesn’t matter what you do and who you are. Yeah. I agree.
JW: Oh, 100%, man, 100%.
Interviewer: All right. Well, I know you’re busy. So, let me get you back to your work, and thanks for doing the interview.
JW: Oh, my pleasure. You know what? It’s been a lot of fun, actually.