There are two vineyards in Kent (where I now live) which offer almost identical membership packages, at very similar prices.
Vineyard A has three times as many members as Vineyard B, even though it is a fraction of the size and has many fewer visitors to promote its membership to.
So why is there such a difference in membership numbers?
In the interests of research, I have of course visited both and sampled the wines. 😊
They both have excellent quality wine, so that isn’t the differentiating factor.
But there is a big difference in the membership ‘offer’ that each vineyard makes.
Vineyard B sells its membership for £300 per year. For this you get a case of 6 bottles of wine (of the vineyard’s choosing) twice a year, and 15% off any further wine and anything you spend in their restaurant. Plus, there are some other perks like a wine cooler and a wine tasting voucher.
Vineyard A, however, offers “free membership, we just ask that you commit to buying two cases of 6 bottles per year and we’ll also give you 15% off any wine purchases and anything you spend in our restaurant”.
The minimum cost of buying two cases of 6 bottles at Vineyard A is around £300 if you choose their least expensive wine, so the cost is basically the same as Vineyard B.
But the offer at Vineyard A feels different.
It’s a light-touch, breezy-sounding offer.
It’s easier to say “yes” to Vineyard A’s offer, because it is:
- easy to get started: you just give them your name and contact details and you’re instantly a member. You don’t pay anything until you order some wine.
- easy to understand: the offer doesn’t require a lot of assessment about the ‘value’ of what you are getting versus the cost, so potential members don’t get ‘analysis paralysis’ about whether the offer is a ‘good one’ or not. It’s just free membership plus a commitment to buy some wine.
And Vineyard A has three times as many members as Vineyard B, so there’s proof it’s working.
As lawyers, we often make offers or proposals to clients which are difficult for them to assess – either in terms of the value they will get or the complexity of the steps and processes involved.
Take action
How can you make offers to potential clients that are easier for them to say ‘yes’ to?
For example, if you offer a retainer service, how can you make it simpler to understand so there’s no ‘analysis paralysis’ about whether it’s good value?
Or, if you offer fixed fees or provide quotes based on hourly rates, how can you make the value of your services clearer to potential clients, so that it’s easier for them to say “yes” to you rather than a competitor?
When your offers feel more like the offer from Vineyard A than Vineyard B, you’ll have more potential clients saying “yes”.
If you’d like to increase your new client instructions, achieve higher monthly fee income, and increase your profits without working more hours, you can start by taking our NEW Law Firm Growth Score Assessment to uncover your biggest opportunities for profitable growth and how your firm compares with other firms of similar size. It’s free, only takes 3 minutes, and you’ll get my personalised recommendations for your next steps to increase your clients, fee income and profits and reduce your working hours.
If you’d like my professional advice on which strategies will work best for your firm (and the best way to implement them effectively), join me and other small firm owners at my next online workshop ‘Profitable Practice Growth Secrets For Small Law Firms’. To check dates and ticket availability (and see testimonials), click HERE.
