Before starting, have you had a chance to read my first article about what it takes to do effective business development? It starts with knowing your client. If you haven't, please do it. This is one of the first things I help my clients think about. If you have, then congratulations!

Why?

Because competition is more brutal than ever before. There are others out there ready to undercut you. They might have a different set of connections that can open doors quicker than your network can.

When the odds are against you, it helps to have a secret weapon that helps you cut through the clutter and be noticed.

This secret weapon is about knowing the inner needs of your client at an individual level. Once you know these inner needs, you can elevate the conversation tremendously.

Most lawyers believe they are in the business of providing services to their clients. That is not the case. You are in the business of providing benefits to your client.

The more your language, your communication, your outreach, your conversation, etc. focuses on the level of benefit, the more likely you will be able to get their business and collect the full amount that you bill.

Let's look at this in action based on the two examples from before.

A lawyer who specializes in estate planning used to believe that his service was to prepare wills and estate documents. He used to believe that everyone should have this done. He used to charge a fixed amount for this package. He was constantly undercut by software solutions, and other self-guided solutions that would do the job.

After the exercise, our friend started to focus on high net worth individuals who owned multiple properties and were concerned about their children and their potential tax bill. He stopped talking about providing services to “prepare wills.”

Instead, he started talking about “helping make sure your family saves an average of $100,000 on taxes and prevents your assets from falling into the wrong hands.” His clients immediately sat up straight. It helped him step away from the competition, which only provided a service to prepare a will. He was able to start asking for significantly higher fees and to stop giving discounts.

The fact is, most people do not care about preparing a will. A will implies death and mortality. Even though your area of practice might not be estate planning, the fact remains that most people would rather not think about the paperwork that you can help them sort through.

They care about what outcomes and benefits you can provide them.

Most lawyers feel they are undifferentiated from others. They feel out of control in client conversations. But focusing on benefits and outcomes changes the tone of conversation completely.

This isn't possible unless you do a deep dive into the mind of your client. This helps you connect to their needs. It helps you figure out what benefits you truly provide.

And the benefits do not even have to be related to the work itself. It can be merely about the experience you provide.

Let's think about a corporate lawyer who wants to bring in more CEOs who are trying to expand into different markets.

The exercise from the previous article tells you that the real decision factor for her will be not only your ability to solve her problem but also how hands off she can be. This becomes your value proposition. Your ability to help her get home in time to be with her family is how you set yourself apart.

You can differentiate yourself on just the type of service you offer. You can appeal to her more inner needs by bringing up stories about family and parenting. This is not meant to be manipulative, but as a point of common interest.

Can you see how powerful this is? Do not skip this thought exercise.

This is not meant to be a manipulative exercise. It is meant to be a tool to help you connect deeply with your clients. Whether they be C-level executives or people you meet when you’re at an event, stop thinking about just the services you provide. Think about the benefits.

About the Author:

Dhawal Tank is the co-founder of Build Your Book. He works with lawyers across the world to help them build an authentic brand, attract and keep great clients, and shape their legal careers. He currently runs in-house and external cohorts for his coaching. You can subscribe to his bi-weekly newsletter read by thousands of attorneys at The Authentic Lawyer.