As lawyers, most of us are very analytical people. In law school moot court, our professors taught us to see both sides of an issue regardless of our personal biases and to passionately argue for the plaintiff at 1pm and the defendant at 1:30. Law school courses were and are designed to help us identify the “black letter” law in case law reports written by judges in different jurisdictions, in different eras.
In our law practices, most of us have focused on one or two practice areas and we have become very skilled in guiding clients down a specific path. Time is quite literally money so we are very bottom line people.
This analytical way of thinking, unfortunately, is not very effective when preparing and recording educational videos. When you survey law firm YouTube channels, you will inevitably see videos displaying an uncomfortable looking lawyer in a tight collar spouting complex legal jargon in lengthy lecture style videos.
I have even seen videos where the lawyer is standing in front of a white board with a pointer as if he was presenting to a CLE or law school class. In another video I saw recently, the presenting lawyer urged his viewers to grab a pen and paper to take notes.
Needless to say, your videos will not be effective if you treat them like lectures that you might give at a CLE presentation.
Don’t be a Lecturer of the Law
Your potential clients are not lawyers or law students and legal jargon will confuse them unless you clearly and patiently explain an important term of art.
I don’t think you need to go so far as to assume that your online audience is made up of people with an 8th grade education but you have to make your presentations understandable and practical. Speak slowly and give examples. Pretend that you are explaining your topic to your spouse’s best friend or to a non-lawyer at a cocktail party.
Further, your videos need to do more than serve as a forum for you to reveal information. In an effective video you are presenting yourself as a sincere, generous, caring and knowledgeable advocate – in that order.
If you are dressed like a professional and have Esq. after your name, your audience will assume you have substantive knowledge. In your videos you present yourself as a likeable person who can be trusted with someone’s important legal matter.
Remember that Most People See Legal Fees as an Unexpected and Unwelcome Expense
It goes without saying that most consumers (and probably many businesses) do not budget for legal problems and they see your fees as an unexpected expense that will blow their budget. If you come across as someone sincerely interested in their well being, their personal and financial health and their success, you will get past the inherent resentment and become that trusted adviser.
Many of your potential clients have never interacted with a lawyer before. They see the slick talking personal injury lawyers on TV talking about money, and they see lawyers on TV shows litigating murder or divorce cases. But most people have no idea what lawyers do on a day to day basis or how to put a value on your knowledge and experience.
Focus on Your Subliminal Messaging
When I work with a new client here at Proven Video Solutions, we spend a good deal of time talking about the subliminal messages we want to send with our videos. How can we present that lawyer’s personality on video to generate trust, respect and familiarity.
So, whether you work with us at Proven Video Solutions or not, I would suggest that before you hit “record,” think about how your potential client will see you. Record a test video and ask friends, relatives, and existing clients for feedback about the non-substantive elements of your presentation.
If you get this right, you will be well on the way to establishing yourself as the go-to lawyer in your practice area.
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