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Message: Hi, I thought you might be interested in this article I found. Attorney Marketing and Client Selection Sometimes attorney marketing helps you decide which clients NOT to work with. The most difficult decision for any attorney is one that involves turning away business. There are times with the client in front of you has enough money to work with you, has a problem you can solve and is ready to get started but you just can’t work with them. How could this ever happen? Here are three reasons to turn away a client: Lack of Integrity Clients lie to their attorneys all the time but this doesn’t mean you have to tolerate it. If someone comes to you with a matter and their initial story sounds “fishy”, walk away. Your gut instinct is always right. You do not need the headache of guessing which lie will take down the whole case. Use your marketing as a tool to screen your clients. Have a member of your team conduct a thorough interview with the prospective client before agreeing to the initial meeting. Use the results of this interview to inform your initial consultation. Look for inconsistencies. If you find any, decline the case. Lack of Engagement Some clients will ask you to “just handle it” when it comes to their matter. The extent of their involvement ends when they sign the check to pay your fee. Unfortunately these clients usually become re-engaged right about the time the whole case blows up. That’s when they file the bar complaint. In your pre-meeting packet (you should send your clients something before the initial consultation) stress the importance of the attorney-client relationship. Highlight it as a partnership designed to achieve the optimal result. Clearly spell out the consequences of a lack of client participation. Lack of Decisiveness Clients who are irresolute will kill you. They will waste your time and drain your resources. An indecisive client will take a victory and turn it into a defeat. Run away from clients who have difficulty in making decisions. Many attorneys think it will be difficult to spot these people. It is easier than you think. In your screening interview ask questions about major decisions they have made in the past. Ask about things like home purchases, auto purchases and selecting other professional service providers. Finally, ask the prospective client how many lawyers they met with before they came to see you. If they have visited with more than one attorney prior to seeing you, decline the matter. Attorney marketing is sometimes about the cases you do not take. Making wise decisions in client selection will save you money, it will save time and most importantly, it will save your sanity. Link: http://www.rainmakerlawyer.com/site/permalink/attorney_marketing_and_client_selection/