What’s In It For me?
Let me repeat: What’s in it for me?
Face to face to discussion.
Lawyers write from the perspective of IAAM ~ It’s All About Me.
Ask them what they are writing about and they will tell you. It relates to this case or that statute or possibly if you are lucky it relates to how a client might mitigate a position. But ask them to consider what’s in it for their client, and the look of resignation tells you everything.
Good copy is about selling. Period.
It is not about trying to impress people or even being first out of the blocks (Twitter and Blogging combined, perhaps).
All your clients want to know about is What’s In It for Them.
I asked the other day amongst a group of business owners where they had on their website a call to action (and I don’t mean your phone number). Something that says, “Buy our Services”.
Not a single person answered in the affirmative.
Consider your own material, once your clients have read whatever it is that you are asking them to read, what exactly do you want them to do?
Pick up the phone?
Email you for further information.
Or is it just to think? To think about what you have written?
Next time you pen something stand the other side and ask yourself what is in it for your client? If you believe you have a proposition or issue worth their time then it is only right that you should ask them to do something. This is no different to making the best pitch in the World and then not asking for the order.
Pin it up next to your computer and don’t ever write something again without reference to your clients’ perspective.