The 6 Principles of Persuasion to Help You Grow your Firm

I used to JOKINGLY end all of my LegalEase consultations with some version of

"I am going to send you a contract. You can read it. This is NOT click funnels. It does not become $40,000 if you don't sign up in the next 15 minutes, and there are not only two slots left."

I have since found out that other marketing companies genuinely do stuff like this with lawyers...let me be VERY clear - I get that it's a sales tactic. I even get that it can be an effective SALES tactic.

But if I am interested in working with you for 10-20-30 years, I don't give a SHIT about a sales tactic. I want a BRAND that you can be proud to work with; sometimes, those two things are mutually exclusive.

That being said, it is effective (or can be) because it's a clear use of one of Robert Cialdini's 6 Principles of Compliance:

1) Reciprocity

2) Scarcity

3) Authority

4) Commitment and Consistency

5) Consensus/Social Proof

6) Similarity/Liking

1) Reciprocity

There's a study where they took two people (but one was secretly in on it), and they had them perform some tasks together, and then the person who was in on it tried to sell the other person some raffle tickets.

In half the cases, the planted person was given two cokes and gave one to the other person (who was REALLY in the study). In those cases, the average raffle tickets purchased were DOUBLE the control group.

They also asked the person who got the coke if they liked the person who gave them the coke...it didn't matter. They still bought twice as many raffle tickets.

THIS is reciprocity. Same for the Hare Krishnas giving you a flower before asking for a donation.

To make this EVEN more impactful for your firm, the gift must be aligned with the ask. Meaning, sure, you can have free coke or coffee when they come in, but if you're 

• an estate planning firm, and you give them a free Medical DNR form 
• a pi firm giving a free e-book on property damage claims for vehicles 
• a criminal defense firm having a free guide on the bail/bond process

THOSE are more related to your legal work and, in theory, become better for getting compliance (in this case, having them hire your firm).

A Lannister always pays his debts! And while they did a LOT, that is not normal human behavior - this is - across ALL cultures.

2) Scarcity

Here is our act now, or the price goes away (or act now there are limited spaces). The ENTIRE point of scarcity is to make the person NOT think critically about your offer and just take it.

Hence, why I find it to be distasteful too, and for lawyers.

BUT it's effective on the human mind at the moment.  

In another study, they interviewed people while there were cookies on the table for the person to eat. In some rooms, there were ten cookies. In other rooms, there were 2. People rated the cookies tastier in the rooms with two cookies. Then in the third room, they saw the ten cookies; another person came in and took 8 of the cookies and said there was a mistake and they put too many cookies in the room, and now these people went WILD for the cookies.

You are MORE than welcome to use scarcity to your advantage, but PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE - be honest about it.

If there are truly only two slots left, let them know.

Let them know if your trademark package is TRULY going from $1500 to $2000 in 2023.

Just don't always have some BS sales or BS limit on your work.

3) Authority

There was a Dr who was ordering an auditory test on a patient's Right Ear. He wrote it as R Ear.  

Someone read it as rear and did the auditory test on the patient's butt. (whether that was their first thought or just #2...we have no idea)

Why? Because we freaking trust Doctors. Hell, look at all the ads that use people who just PLAYED a doctor in a show to sell their stuff.  

Do I have T-Mobile because I love Scrubs, and they have Turk and JD in their ads? No...I swear...well...still...

This is why con artists wear fancy suits and call themselves Judges, Bank Managers, or whatever because it promotes authority.

I wear a Hawaiian shirt because I enjoy it, and it makes me more approachable, even if it downplays my authority a bit.

Think about the image you portray and how you show off as the expert.

They've done brain scans of people where the person was asked a legitimately two-sided question, told an expert's opinion, and then reasked the question. Your brain actually lights up in fewer places if you're told an expert thinks this way because it doesn't have to MAKE the decision truly. It can just repeat someone else's. SO be the authority that makes people not have to make a tough decision (like on who to hire).

4) Commitment and Consistency

Let's say you go to the Kentucky Derby and bet on a horse. When are you MOST confident in that horse?

RIGHT after you place the bet, you're actually MORE confident AFTER you bet than you were BEFORE.

Why? Because it's CONSISTENT with placing the bet on the horse.

This applies to fraternities, too - the more we are hazed to get in, the more we need to think it's the best thing ever to be committed to the hazing we went through.

For us as law firms - DO NOT HAZE YOUR CLIENTS - DON'T DO IT.

BUT - do ask for reviews or feedback RIGHT after they hire you (it's when they should be the MOST committed to their decision being great).

And then, they can be consistent with the positive words. But you must maintain the awesome service they think you have through the whole case.

And also, the more expensive you are, the most commitment you will get from clients because that's your version of the hazing.

Again though - DO NOT HAZE YOUR CLIENTS

5) Consensus/Social Proof

I like this order because by getting the great reviews in part 4, you build more social proof in part 5.

I had a client of ours send me an email complaining about our work (I will totally own that and try to make it right), but weirdly the email brought me some joy because the client explained how this had to not be common because of all the people who rave about us (that's sort of a win right?).

So this social proof gave us the opportunity to make it right instead of them just assuming we suck at our jobs.

Use this to your advantage: in your follow-up emails, share your great reviews. In your social media, share your great reviews. Then, when talking to clients, fall back on your great reviews.

This is how doomsday cults work - so use it for your law firm (and for GOOD).

The more the person sharing the positive thoughts MATCHES the client, the more impactful it is.

For example - if the former client raves about how you handled their car accident, but the current client needs a will done - that's not as impactful as social proof.

6) Similarity/Liking

Which then dovetails in similarity.

We are more compliant with people we think are attractive (NOT why you are here...I know...I've come to terms with that)

We also tend to like people who are more similar to us (THIS is why you are here - and you're welcome or I'm sorry)

Social proof works the same way. Similarities = easier compliance.

THIS is why you NEED an ideal client. I know I hammer this a TON, but it all comes back here.

If you STILL don't have a clear ideal client - click here. 

And I don't even mean that your clients physically look alike, but the more they have in common (where they are, what they do, what legal need they have), the more all of this works together to build and grow a stronger firm!

And weirdly, you also tend to like things that are more familiar - if you took a photo of yourself and then flip it 180 degrees vertically and show it to your friends - each of you will like a different photo because you see yourself backward in a mirror more often than they do. (This is GREAT with social media - you might have hated me at first...but like a fungus, I grew on you, and that's okay!)

Another odd one - we tend to trust taller people (again, NOT why you are here listening to me...)

And with that - go forth and get more positive compliance!!! In a way, that helps create a firm you can be proud of and an even better life!

Next week I am not going to talk about Bruno (no, no, no)...but I AM going to talk about how to make better emails manage your inbox better.

Until then, have a wonderful weekend, and may your law firm not have the chance to buy the newer firm down the block, turn it down, and then go almost out of business while the other makes a TV show about your last store, a la Netflix's Blockbuster show. 

The GREATEST flex of all time (if you disagree, please let me know what is better - I genuinely want to hear more options).

Also, the blockbuster in the show doesn't look like the actual last blockbuster, and if you want to know what it looks like, here's me trying to explain videos to my 4-year-old in front of the story.

Until Next Friday,

Jordan Ostroff

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