Integrated Counsel Trumps Lawyer
When you hear the word lawyer, what do you think? Costly. Paperwork. Stressful. Reserved. Antagonistic.
When you hear integrated counsel, what do you think? Probably nothing comes to mind, since you never heard it before. If you are asking yourself what does that mean. . . I just broke the generic label trap.
Shut Up! I Already Know What You Do.
The term lawyer is a generic label. So is accountant, and social media specialist, and computer guy. Any term that a prospect can immediately categorize you with is a generic label. In other words, when they hear your generic label they conclude that they already know what you do. Even if they really don’t. And that is a big problem for you.
For example, if you tell prospects you are a lawyer, they don’t need to hear any more. They already know what you do. They already know that you are costly, and are antagonistic, and reserved, and did I mention costly?
Once a prospect hears a generic label, you no longer can explain how you are different. I mean, you can try. But they won’t listen. They already “know you.”
I’m Sorry. What Does That Mean?
You can break the generic label trap by using a unique name that explains a specific benefit of what you do. Consider integrated counsel. Since a prospect can’t instantly categorize you, you have the ability to explain why you are unique. This time they will listen. A unique label, that customers haven’t heard before, gets their attention.
When you share your unique label, and you hear your prospect mutter those magic words “what does that mean?” you have received an invite to highlight your differences.
The dialog can now go something like this: “As an integrate counsel, one of our legal experts will work at your facility for the length of the project. They will integrate into your environment and get a hands on awareness of what your corporate culture and social network is like.” Putting the nail in the competitors coffin, the dialog may continue with: “We do all the legal work that ordinary lawyers do. That’s the easy part. It’s the integral understanding of your culture that allows us to write legal documents providing both the necessary legal protection and to address your cultural objectives that you need to thrive.”
Break your industry’s generic label trap. Your prospects will finally listen to what makes you great (and finally pay you what you are worth).
