“I really like you, but I can get it done for less by the other lawyer I met, and money is really tight, so I should probably use him,” he said.

He’s right if price is the only issue.

Is it the only issue?

Have you given him any reason to pay more for you?

Let’s roll back the tape (disk, computer file, whatever) and watch what happened earlier in the meeting.

You asked him about his vision for the outcome. You asked him what things would look like a year from now when the dust has settled. You got him to vividly describe his vision of his future. You watched and listened, carefully noticing what really mattered to him based on visual cues and voice inflection. You saw him blink back the tears when he talked about his daughter.

• Did you connect the dots between his vision of the future and your offering? Did you help him see how you know the players, know the game, and know the pathway to what he wants? Did you match your skills to his vision? Did you tell him a story that illustrates your history with these issues?
• Did you find out what he’s worried about? Did you discover that he worries that he’ll be treated like his friend who paid lots of money and couldn’t get a return phone call from his lawyer? Did you find out that he heard about someone who went through the entire process only to have to go back to court a year later and spend all over again? Did you probe enough to find that he has a secret he’d prefer never come out?
• Did you learn what’s important to him and what he values? Did you learn of his deepest fears, his anxieties, and the things he loves and cherishes?
• Did you think through the things you offer that meet his unique situation? Did you help him understand what you do differently and how those things address his specific concerns?
• Did you share what you bring to the table as you sat with him at the table? Did you demonstrate how hard you listen and how well you understand? Did you explain how you, your team, your technology, and your unique approach provide the solution? Did you tell him stories about you and your clients?

We all know the deal: some people buy a Kia, and some people buy a Lexus. Money is always tight, yet many of our clients choose the Lexus even as they have trouble paying the mortgage.

Why the Lexus? Because they value it. It’s not about the price, and it’s not about getting from A to B. They value the Lexus. It’s the right thing for them without regard to the price.

Our prospective client is right if price is the only issue. If price is the only issue, he should hire the other lawyer.

Have you let price become the only issue?