Ben Glass is this amazing lawyer who also understands marketing.  You know, selling yourself and your services. The word "Guru" aptly applies to Ben and I have been reading a lot of his info lately as I try to work on my own marketing. For years I just lived on my reputation. "Hey, aren’t you that lawyer I see on TV?"  I hear that a lot at the grocery store. Or, "You represented that Weaver guy, right?"  Guilty. But is this really anyway to sell legal services?  That is what we sell – service. I sometimes tell people I sell reasonable doubt for a reasonable price.  But the price is not so "reasonable" you might suggest, because there is undoubtedly a lawyer out there who will happily take your case for less money. So how can I differentiate myself from other lawyers? I mean, let’s face it, that guy with the full page ad in the phonebook looks more successful than the other lawyers in the book, doesn’t he. Lawyer yellow page ads are intended to make the lawyers look successful, but at what price? What if your case can’t be settled?  What if you need a real trial lawyer? What if the lawyer on the other side is not the least bit scared by that full page advertisement in the Dex directory?  What if you have to fight the battle? Ben Glass says that I have to focus on the things that make me different from those guys who will gladly take less money and do less before they plead you guilty or settle your injury or civil rights case for fifty percent of what it is worth,  Question one for me – what does my perfect client look like?  In the criminal context that client probably looks different than you think. My perfect client in criminal cases is the one who trusts me and is thankful for the work I do.  I have one in mind as I am writing this, and I am always honored to be his lawyer.  In the civil arena – my perfect client is – well kind of the same.  This client realizes how much he needs my help to settle the score and he gives me the room to do what needs to be done.  How do I get more of these clients and fewer of the ones who don’t really trust me and who want to tell me how to prepare and manage their own case? Well – I am not sure.  That is why I am happy there are lawyer / marketing guys like Ben Glass to help us through this stuff.  At least part of the key is to differentiate me from those other lawyers.  Got an idea?  Let me hear you.