Many of our personal injury clients often ask us if they should buy leads. We’ve been asked this question so much so, that it felt right to discuss it with the general public of personal injury attorneys out there. First and foremost, as a personal injury attorney – it’s likely – in most cases, you’re average fee is anywhere from 4-5 digits. Because of this, you’re willing to incur a higher cost per case – because you’ll make it back after the case is settled. As a result, many attorneys are willing to spend a large sum of money – because all they need is a few cases to break even…and anything after that is profit.
The question is – should I BUY leads, in order to accelerate my firms growth. Our answer? No. We’ve seen it time and time again – attorneys buy lead, and complain they were all garbage. We’ll explain below why it’s a terrible idea.
Often, personal injury lead generation companies create generic websites or run generic TV commercials. The brand being advertised isn’t yours. Most of the time, there isn’t a brand. It’s some generic landing page. That means when you call these leads – they don’t know who you are. They don’t know if they can trust you. While they listen to you solicit them – they’re also thinking about where you got their number, if this is a scam, and if they can trust you. With all of those emotions going through their head – the question you simply have to ask is – why the heck would they convert into a client? These people have never heard of you. You’re literally cold calling. The chance of you converting them is slim to none. The fundamental principle upon which the legal profession revolves around – is trust. These people don’t trust you. You’re just a telemarketer harassing them. By default, you’re at a disadvantage. So based on this fact alone – buying leads doesn’t make sense.
When you do SEO, or a press release, or whatever – there’s residual value in the services provided by the vendor. Your SEO rankings will stick around for a while(if the work was done ethically). Even if you fire the law firm SEO company, you’ll get something out of the deal that stays with you. When you buy leads, there is no value. It’s a simple transaction, and that’s it. In the event the leads are all garbage – you have literally gained nothing. In contrast, if you had invested money into SEO, or a website, you now have X months of SEO services boosting your visibility, or have a website which looks good and continues to help you generate more business in the future. Bottom line – you got something. In the case of buying personal injury lawyer leads, you may get a case – but in most cases be disappointed with no results at all. End result? No value.
Think you’re the only one calling that lead? NO WAY. Most personal injury leads are sold anywhere from 3 to 10 times. In some cases, one company will sell the lead to 3 attorneys, and THEN sell the lead to ANOTHER company who then sells the leads to 3 companies. It’s a huge scam. It makes no sense. Unless you have a call center, who can call the leads quickly – you might be the 10th, or 20th, attorney calling those leads. Bottom line, why buy leads if you know you’re not the only buying them. Most personal injury lead generation companies are lying – and are selling leads to multiple people. So why bother buying them? Best case scenario, you’re one of 3 attorneys, worst case scenario you’re 1 of 10. At the end of the day, by the time you speak to the prospective client – he’ll be so fed up of the calls, he’ll just hang up on you.
lawyer leads, you may get a case – but in most cases be disappointed with no results at all. End result? No value.
Lawyers are in a unique industry. Lawyers aren’t allowed to solicit business. While they can advertise – they cannot directly tell you to hire them. This also applies when you’re buying leads. If a personal injury lead generation agency solicits clients on your behalf – you, as the attorney, are responsible for the marketing agencies actions and can be held liable. That means a potential Bar complaint – and consequently, losing your license.
It simply doesn’t make sense to buy personal injury leads. While it is an option, and some personal injury lawyers do buy lead – from our perspective it makes no sense. What you should do instead is market your own brand – generate immense visibility, and create an organic funnel which generates new inquiries. The prospect of buying leads is dubious at best, and at worst – could result in a potential bar complaint. There is no residual value in buying personal injury leads. We highly recommend hiring a law firm SEO company to work on your behalf, who can handle all facets of your marketing strategy.
