The lawyer excitedly explained that things were going great. Nearly everyone who comes in is hiring her. She’s doing the math, and about 90 percent of her consultations are turning into retainers.

She’s got clients coming out of her ears.

But I wonder whether her success is awesome or a sign of trouble. Yeah, don’t invite me to your party. I’m a downer.

When everyone is hiring you, it could mean one of three things.

1. Awesomeness

You’re amazing. Clients are showing up at your door as a result of referrals and the trust generated by the referral source. Other clients are coming because your website helped them and they feel a connection with you because you’ve already demonstrated how you can be valuable. More clients are coming because they’ve met you at a speaking event or read your articles in publications. These folks walk in the door ready to roll because they already know they want YOU.

But that 90 percent conversion rate might not mean you’re awesome. It might mean something else.

2. Discrimination

You’re not discriminating. You’re letting everyone hire you. Some clients aren’t a good fit. They may fall outside of your core practice area. They may want you to drive to a distant county. They may be unpleasant and difficult. They may be a grievance or malpractice claim waiting to happen. A big part of being successful is picking the right clients. You want to find the folks who are likely to be happy. That happiness doesn’t happen by accident. Good client selection is always part of the foundation of a successful practice.

3. Pricing

Another reason they’re hiring you is that you’re not charging enough. That may mean you’re charging a low fixed fee. More likely, it means you’re asking for a low initial deposit to your trust account for hourly billing. You’re not warning the client about the need to replenish the trust account, and you’re not testing their financial wherewithal by requiring a substantial deposit to cover the initial work.

When you don’t charge enough, you don’t have the time you need to invest in learning and becoming an expert, developing technology in your practice, hiring great people, or delivering amazing service. Pricing issues result in client service issues, and that damages your reputation and ultimately your business.

Learn to Read the Tea Leaves

I hope that your great conversion rate is a sign of your awesomeness. Sadly, it’s usually not. It’s often a sign of a deeper problem developing down the road.

You’re better off with fewer great clients who are a perfect fit. Those folks will pay what you’re worth and help you achieve the results you need to enhance your position in your market. Look carefully at your successes and your failures. There are lessons to be learned in both.