We were sitting in the studio discussing the plans for an upcoming executive portrait session. When Jim leaned in and said, “George, I have to find a way to bring in more clients. There are so many lawyers in this town, how do I stand out?” According to the State Bar of California, there are nearly 200,000 practicing lawyers in Los Angeles County alone. A quick Google search for “Lawyer” in Los Angeles, returns a whopping 63 million hits.
“I have to find a way to bring in more clients”
Imagine for a moment; you are a person in need of a lawyer. Where do you turn for help? You could ask a friend, do a web search, respond to a TV or Radio ad or call a referral service like the bar association. Then what? The next step is almost universal. You turn to the internet and research your list of prospects. Now here’s where it gets complicated.
After investigating multiple web pages, all the attorneys begin to look alike. You’re in trouble and need someone you can trust to help you out of a jam, Now! This is a critical point. You MUST connect with your prospects at gut level at their moment of need! In an instant, you must establish trust, convey honesty and reinforce competence! How do we do that you ask? Let’s look at a couple of things.
Differentiate or die of sameness
Pick any business that provides services, and you’ll find the same problem exists. We are drowning in a sea of blah blah blah. In short order, all these words seem to run together. But hold on; there’s a way to set yourself apart from the competition. Almost every detail of a business can be copied or reproduced. Your personality, however, cannot. Your brand personality is unique to you alone. Establishing a positive band personality as part of your brand identity is the most important thing anyone can do to differentiate themselves in this sea of sameness.
Soon Yu, best-selling author, international speaker, and former Global VP at VF Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel says in his book, “Iconic Advantage,” “Most people purchase from an emotional basis and then back it up with rationalization.”
Your Brand Personality engages your client on the emotional level!
There is a common belief that your Brand identity is limited to your logo, web design, tagline, color palette, type font, and the like. This misconception is a major miscalculation. These elements are only building blocks and tools that construct the brand. Your Brand Identity consists of another vital component – personality! Your Brand Personality is the way your clients feel about you and your business. Your brand Personality is about how people feel about who you are.
How To Develop a Winning Brand Personality
The only truly unique element of your service business is you. YOU are what’s unique! No one can duplicate or copy you. When a prospective client visits your page and has a subconscious reaction to your image, their first intuitive, emotional response is a critical aspect of your branding success. It’s a subliminal reaction resulting in a positive or negative response. Either they feel confident that you can solve their problems, or they dismiss you as someone that “just doesn’t feel right.” If they have a positive emotional response to your portrait and feel good about you, they will rationalize everything else. They will find a way to justify your fees and services.
“If people like you they will listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you” – Zig Ziglar.
Oh, you’re probably wondering how we solved Jim’s problem! We designed an image that reached his prospective clients on that gut level. When they come to his page and meet him face to face, a millennia of human instinct reinforces the message that he is a friend that can be trusted. They feel confident that what he says rings true. It’s more than making a pretty picture. It’s directing the entire process to create an emotional magnet that draws prospects in and convinces them that YOU are the one they want to work with.
