How To Get Clients Through Generosity

Years ago, I got hooked on a podcast called Truth for Life. Day in and day out, I would hear this man with a cool Scottish accent expound truths that profoundly impacted my life, and it was all free. If it weren’t for the free podcasts which initially drew me in, I would not have paid any attention, let alone money. After listening to this podcast for awhile, I decided to donate to their organization. I share this not to brag about my giving, but to reveal how my mindset works. The stuff was so good, I wanted to donate money because I was getting so much out of it. Furthermore, I wanted to keep giving because I wanted others to benefit from hearing this podcast. There is a lesson here that can be applied to service professionals. Generosity can help you get clients.

Generosity Begets Generosity

I’ve seen this principle play out in so many areas of life. There is something in human nature that causes a person to open up when they feel that they been blessed by others. So how can we apply this principle to marketing and business development, particularly for lawyer and service professionals?

Generosity can practiced through giving away helpful information. Blogging is a perfect platform not only for providing such information, but also for showcasing your expertise. You can also submit articles to news sites and business related media publications.

Are there any websites devoted to certain industries that would benefit from your insight? Ask if they would be open to receiving a guest post from you.

How do Conduct Free Initial Consultations

Being in the third decade of my law practice, I’ve had my share of initial consultations. Some practitioners may disagree with my philosophy, but I’ve always kept my initial consultations free of charge. The key is controlling the amount of information you should divulge to a potential client.

In my field, I often deal with sensitive proprietary information that the potential client may prefer to keep confidential. I want the potential client to feel safe and respected, so I tell them to maintain confidentiality. Without knowing any specific details of their ideas, I can still provide them with helpful general information. And that is the key – keep it general. No need to dive into specifics if the potential client does not want to divulge any details of their matter.

Furthermore, you can ask some general questions regarding their need that would not seem nosy. Here are some examples of general questions that should not offend potential clients:

• Have you already publicly disclosed your idea or sold any products? If so, when?
• How soon do you need a solution?
• What is your budget?
• Are you looking for a smaller service at a lower cost or a greater service at a higher cost?
• In your current situation, is money or time more scarce?
• Would you be open to a flat fee arrangement or a cost based on some performance metrics?

Listen carefully to their answers, and then provide some helpful general information. The goal is give tasty appetizers that will make them come back to you for the full meal.

Be Generous In Your Work Product

When it comes to professional services, value is often determined by comparing the cost of your services to the value received. One way to be generous, therefore, is to provide more than what the client was expecting. For example, the cost estimate for your professional services will typically cover a certain scope of work. When you’re ready to deliver the final work product, add a bonus that exceeds the original scope of work.

If you’re in the business of consulting or lawyering, consider adding a key piece of advice that they did not pay for or were not expecting. Another option is to offer a follow-up visit or meeting at no additional charge to check up on the status of your project.

In my field, for example, rejections are common when it comes to utility patent applications. When a client receives such a rejection, we will report the rejection to the client for free and provide a flat rate quote for an appropriate response. In some cases, we may even provide a bit of technical analysis to help guide the client in making a wise decision.

How To Deal With Tire Kicking Non-Clients

Free initial consultations can lead to unproductive meetings with non-clients, namely, tire kickers. They talk about doing stuff, but are nowhere near taking action. What are some respectful ways to deal with folks who are not interested in engaging your services?

First, you can tell them that any specific advice will require a signed engagement agreement and some kind of advanced payment. If they are not serious about engaging you, the idea of paying money will effectively end the conversation.

Second, you can direct them to your blog which will hopefully contain general information that addresses or relates to their issue. Surprisingly, I’ve often used my blog as a useful mechanism for dealing with non-clients.

Third, perhaps invite them to contact you in the future if the current timing is not right. Some potential clients need time to save money or raise capital so that they can engage your services. So don’t burn bridges. You can keep the meeting short and be respectful at the same time.

How to Get Clients With A Generosity Mindset

There are countless ways to get clients through generosity. Once you get into the habit of thinking this way, more ideas will come to mind. Adopt a generosity mindset, and you will find ways to be generous to potential clients in your marketing.