Grey Areas

I've been learning a lot about marketing this year. The key is to give the customer what they want. Sounds like common sense, doesn't it? What I've been learning and what is finally sinking in is that customers will value more and hence pay more for what they WANT than what they NEED. Even more to the point is that you actually don't have a potential customer if you are selling what you think the customer needs without even knowing if the customer thinks they need it!

The thing with most professional services, doctors, lawyers etc is that we provide a service that our client invariably NEED rather than necessarily WANT. So, as a lawyer we are already behind the eight ball when it comes to providing cost effective services. Customers are more likely to resent having to use legal services in their time of need than chosing the services they want at a time that suits them.

So the struggle I have is working out what preventative legal services you as a business owner will actually want, and appreciate, rather than trying to give you what I think you need.

What makes working out what you as a client might want, is further complicated by the fact that there are not a lot of clear answers in law. The example I used at a recent presentation was this:

Imagine a big red cross one side of the room and a big green tick the other side of the room and a whole lot of hazy grey area in between. There is very little definative right and wrong in law and a whole lot of grey area which is subject to interpretation.

Subject to Interpretation...

What difference would it make to you if your lawyer clearly explained that the advice they are giving you is their best guess as to how it would be interpreted by a court and not the definative right answer in your situation?

The First Legaleasy Presentation

Hi there readers,

I just gave my first live Legaleasy presentation today to a group of about 35 coaches all training for coaching certification with Beyond Success.

I provided an overview of business legal structures, briefly covering sole traders, partnerships, trusts and companies, and a discussion around business names. We then went on to get an overview of intellectual property - trademarks, copyright, patents and designs.

Then finished with obligations to clients include fair trading/consumer affairs implied warranties, duty of care, privacy, confidentiality and record keeping.

It seemed to be well received and 25 people have given me written feedback about the top three legal concerns they have in running or setting up their coaching businesses, and I'm excited to be finding out what it is people really want to know.

Thank you to Paul and Mary Blackburn for giving me the opportunity to speak today, Jules for your support, and all the people who chose to attend the session that I presented. I appreciate the opportunity to add value!

Jeanette