Imagine I’m your ideal client and I’m looking for a lawyer. I do a search. I discover your website and I look you up on LinkedIn. What do I find there? If I had to bet, I’d say you’ve got your education and your year of call. Maybe a list of awards, publications, and all the associations you belong to. On your website, I bet I’ll also find the history of your firm, how long it’s been established, how many offices you have in how many cities. Blah. Blah. Blah.

But what does it say about me, your potential client? Does it tell me, in the first 3-5 seconds (because that’s all the time you’ve got to capture my interest), that you’ll understand my problem? That you know where I’m coming from? That YOU can solve my problem? Again, if I had to bet, I’d bet against you.

Welcome to Gimbal’s Tip of the Week, where you get practical, actionable advice you can use right away to start building a more productive and profitable legal practice.

Like we said back in Episode 113, everyone is inundated with information. To reach potential clients, you need to capture their interest. And one of the best tools for a story they can relate to.

Anecdotally, people tell us that humans’ attention spans are declining. People are reading less often and less long. They scan articles, emails, and websites. But you need them to STAY on your website or your bio long enough to decide to hire you. You need to stop the scan. For that, you need a story.

So this week’s tip is to use stories to capture the interest of your potential new clients.

But, I can hear you say, it’s just a website. What’s story got to do with it? Well, stories are powerful tools to compel the human brain. Think about the most impactful or memorable blog or social media post you read recently. Why did you read it? What about the most recent ad you read on Facebook? Why did you click “read more”? Chances are it’s because that ad or email or post started with a story that made you curious, a story you could relate to.

Stories work because we know the formula. They help us make sense of life and offer a clear path of understanding. Every story has the same seven elements: It starts with character who has a problem. The character meets a guide. The guide gives them a plan and calls them to action. They take that action, resulting in success or failure.

Let me list them again:

1.  A character
2.  A problem
3.  A guide
4.  A plan
5.  A call to action
6.  Success or
7.  Failure

Your action item:  Put your own website to the test. Does it tell a story? Would a potential client know, in 3-5 seconds, how you can solve their problem? If not, ask yourself how you can incorporate the story framework into your messaging.

Legal professionals who regularly use the story framework can engage people more quickly and leave a lasting impact. Put simply, they’re much more likely to stand out from the competition and land loyal clients.

Thanks a lot everybody! See you next week.