Is Your Image Keeping the Clients Away?

Image is everything for attorneys and anyone in business for that fact. No, I don’t just mean how you look, but yes that is important. I’m talking about what you are showing the world in terms of you/your firm/your business. I have recently had a few events where I have had the chance to speak with some attorneys. Some were brand spanking new and some had been practicing for years but they all had something in common. They were lacking in the image department.

Now what do I mean by this? Well let me tell you. A few of these attorneys were still using a Gmail, Yahoo, or AOL account for their email. Now listen I’m in no way disparaging the use of any of these free email services. I myself have one of each, yes including AOL, I still use my AOL account that I set up when I was 14. My issue is that they were using these services as their firm or attorney accounts. Potential clients do not want to see @yahoo.com on the end of your email address. It doesn’t make a good impression. It doesn’t make you look like a lawyer. The professionalism is gone.

If you don’t look like a professional you will attract clients who do not see you as professional; and trust me you don’t want those clients. Getting a customized email is easy and cheap to do today. Services like Go Daddy, 1 and 1, and even Google Apps have these services (these are just a few that come to mind, none are paying me to mention them by the way). There is no excuse for not getting a custom email domain. Also a free account makes you look like you can’t afford a personalized account. As if to say business is not going well. Even if that is the case fake it until you make it right. Keep the free services for your personal accounts.

Possibly worse than the free email account mentioned above is the use of your home address. Now there is nothing wrong with working from home. Many attorneys and non-attorneys do it. Many attorneys have offices in their houses where they actually meet clients. Perfectly fine. I’m not talking about them. I’m talking to the attorneys who have something like this on their websites and business cards: 123 Elm St. Apt. 59, Anytown, WA 98000. You have to stop that. Stop that now. Talk about looking unprofessional. Potential clients don’t want to see your apartment number on your website. Again it doesn’t give the right appearance. As a matter of fact it gives a bad appearance. Clients will see this and think “am I supposed to come to their apartment? Do they even have an office? Can they even afford an office?” You don’t want those thoughts going through your potential clients’ minds.

Let’s just forget the unprofessional nature of this for a moment, let’s talk about safety. Clients can be as the kids say these days “cray cray”. Do you really want them and the world having your home address? There is already very little privacy left in the world you should hold on to what you can. There are so many services now that will give you a professional address for less than $100 a month. This is a great investment. I actually mentioned one of these services to a new lawyer who had the offending apartment number on his website and his response was “I need to keep costs low.” I get that. As new lawyers you are not making a lot of money but some things you really cannot forgo. There are some basics you need to start a practice and a professional address and place to meet clients is one of them.

You don’t want clients looking at your website or business card like this:

Professionalism is still important today no matter what you may think. Clients want to work with a professional so be and look like a professional.