Personal injury attorney chasing ambulances

Well, that's just business. Figuring out the best way to get yourself in-front of your target audience. However, I agree that calling someone or sending a sales letter right after an accident can be off-putting depending on the accident and can give a negative perception if not done correctly.

Instead of a call or sales letter why not send them flowers, a greeting card, or a small gift expressing your concern for their health. People don't like being marketing to (especially a few days after they just split their head open) but letting people know that you care for their well-being and wish them a speedy recovery sends a much different tone. Then you can include a note at the bottom saying that you're available if they need your help, along with an an attached business card or two.

Hope that helps!

" However recently a couple attorneys and one chiropractor in his market have begun sending out letters and making calls to people based on public records of an auto accident."

I think this is potentially a million dollar idea. Really. Sending chocolates ($50 or so? Can test a "luxury" brand vs. not) And then flowers, with a message in them, I really think this will convert like crazy. My guess could be 5-10% response rate. And getting client for $500 in this niche is pathetically cheap.

I guess "awesome rankings" don't mean a damned thing when it comes to getting new business. Only the results count. Nothing else.

Seems "old skool" personal contact beats SEO. Who wudda thunk it?

Making personal contact or visits, sending letters or cards, using 3rd party notifications, MAY be illegal for attorneys and chiros to do, in your area. You'll want to check the laws very closely.

In some places, there are heavy fines and potential jail time for violators. Not to mention loss of license to practice.

If it is illegal, you can report the violators. That should slow them down, some.

There are ways to get on top of them with less effort, but this isn't the time or space.

Ron

I think trying to "slow down" the competition is the wrong approach. "Ambulance chasers" are those who show up at an accident scene - or the hospital. That doesn't seem to be the case here.

Other lawyers are reaching out to accident victims - your client is sitting back and waiting for victims to find him. Unfortunately, he needs to adjust his promotional efforts - and that may leave you high and dry if you are telling him 'awesome rankings' are all he needs.

IN many areas of the US there is a glut of lawyers. You'll find a lot written about that problem in the past 2-3 years. If your client has been practicing for some time he may not realize that more competition may require him to up his game.

SEO is but a small part of a good marketing system. If your attorney doesn't want to send marketing pieces to people who've had an accident, and sEO doesn't work, then what?

Send marketing pieces to people, then cause them to have an accident?

The way to get clients is to find a hungry crowd. If you're an attorney who represents accident victims, people who've had an accident are that crowd.

You've got to reach them: they IS your client.

I mean, he/she could send marketing pieces to everybody in a particular neighborhood, that way, he/she will avoid the negative perception. But that's expensive.

He could have ads on the radio and TV and billboards... Also more expensive than just targeting those who've already just had an accident.

But it can be done.

Should it be done?

Sending letters to those who've had accidents, and being #1 in Google, and having ads on the radio, and in the local newspaper... That's the way to go.

By the way, the negative when approaching people who've been in an accident, how is it created? Is it due to the fact that you approach people who've been in an accident or by how you approach them?

And, he/she wouldn't be having this problem if he'd established himself/herself as the one to call if you had an accident. Which is done through writing books/articles, being on TV, on the radio, and talked about and... more than SEO.

Get him/her invited on a few local radio shows, as the guest who tells people what to do if you had an accident. Get him/her to publish articles in local publications -- have a weekly column: Ask Leslie, the Accident Attorney. Have the biggest local celebrity endorse him/her.