I got a speeding ticket. I deserved the ticket. I had zero interest in contesting the ticket. The last one I got was about 100 years ago, on the highway from Spokane to Coeur D’Alene, heading out for a day of sailing on the lake. I was due for the one I got in a (shock and horror!) school zone in New Jersey! I’m still a little embarassed.  

I got 11 letters from attorneys within about 25 miles. Each assumed I was outraged and wanted to contest. 7 of them had information about points and consequences, which was helpful. Two made me feel as though I’d been moved into a category called “criminals”. 

To my surprise, none of the lawyers who wrote mentioned other services. What if I don’t need a lawyer who to contest a speeding ticket, but I do need a will, or a real estate attorney? Maybe I feel that I’m ready to have a family lawyer relationship of some sort. I checked the lawyers out; none of them were SOLELY focused on traffic or vehicle violations. All of them missed an opportunity. 

Event marketing can be a terrific way to get in front of new prospects. Traffic ticket or other violations are triggers. You still need to choose the ammunition that will be most effective.  My intent isn’t to offer lawyers sample marketing letters for prospects who get speeding tickets. What I want is for you to look at your current marketing efforts and see if you’re missing opportunities. If you’re marketing but not seeing the type of clients or revenue you’d like- then consider tweaking the approach. 

In the current example, would it be worth the effort to research more information about the person you’re writing? Might you send a different mailing to someone in one zip code or age group versus another? Would you send a different one to owners of a particular type of car? Can you tell if it’s a first offense? 

Don’t want to do research? I’m big on marketing intimacy and focus, what would you write to your ideal client? For example, say she’s a professional woman with a family and some assets. She’s more concerned about the fact that she doesn’t have a will or other basic legal protection than she is interested in fighting a traffic ticket. Still too complicated? What about simply trying a different letter for every 50 mailings? Vary the font size, change a few key words, see what happens. 

I don’t know the hit rate for the kind of mailing I received. Maybe the numbers make sense. To me, it was a miss. I didn’t want to contest the ticket, and I didn’t want to meet the lawyer behind the letter. The point is to review your marketing, track the results, and make sure your aim is on target! 

Note: Anne Miller is a terrific writer, coach and speaker who works specifically with people to use metaphors effectively.  Clearly I haven’t yet taken advantage of this great resource!  HOWEVER, don’t let this discourage you from checking out her free newsletter, the Metaphor Minute. There are also free podcasts and other materials, it’s worth your time if you’re interested in writing and speaking resources.