Business Strategy & Development
Sure, individual traffic cases typically garner low flat fees, and they certainly don’t have the same luster as handling a high profile criminal case, but that doesn’t mean that handling traffic tickets isn’t a great way to grow your bottom line.
Whether you want to focus a large amount of your resources to handle a high volume of cases, or fill in time gaps between larger cases, here are three reasons to target traffic cases with direct mail:
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Create a Need: The vast majority of people who receive a traffic ticket consider it a minor inconvenience that doesn’t warrant much attention. For that reason, most people don’t consider hiring a lawyer. When a customized mail piece arrives that helps educate the consumer about “hidden” costs of a traffic ticket, then the recipient is provided with a more complete story of how that ticket may affect them financially. This information is what drives action and leads to a phone call.
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Competition: Due to the heavy case volume and timing concerns of traffic cases, it takes a large and sophisticated operation to get materials accurately produced and delivered. Because of this, and the perceived lower case revenue value, there are typically very few attorneys competing for these cases.
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Brand Building: With each letter sent, you are building brand awareness for your law firm. Even if someone does not hire you right away, you’re making a professional impression each time your letter is received. In the case of traffic violators, you’re reaching an “average” member of the general public who is likely to share their experience with people within their network.
The reasons listed above show why an attorney would want to reach out to people who have been cited for a traffic violation, but that’s only one half of the equation. There needs to be compelling reasons for the average person to hire an attorney to defend their case. As mentioned above, a certain percentage of the population will simply pay their fine and won’t consider any other options. When the phone starts ringing with people who want to know how you can help them, focus on these key topics:
Convenience – They don’t want to have to go to court and wait around for three hours. Make sure they know that you can typically appear on their behalf.
Financial – It may cost a little more in the short term to hire an attorney, but long-term increased insurance rates may offset any “savings” they would experience for just paying the ticket. You may want to consider offering payment plans to help alleviate the immediate financial burden.
Points & Suspension – The caller may not know all of the rules and regulations about points and license suspension in your state, so make sure you ask about their driving history and potential consequences.
Employment – If the person cited has a CDL, then it’s probably a no brainer that they need to fight the ticket for employment reasons. However, CDL drivers aren’t the only people who heavily rely on driving for their occupation. Understand how any interruption in driving privileges would affect them and advise on their unique circumstances.
Not sure where to begin?
Get started with a marketing audit.