Write A Book To Build Trust With Your Client by Chuck Boyk

People want to do business with people they know, like, and trust. Writing a book or “booklet” on each one of your cases areas to give to your client is great way to build up that trust.

An “educated” client that understands the area of law in their case can better work with you as a team to reach their case specific goals.

Over the years at our law firm, we have written 13 books, including some with multiple editions. Topics cover our range of practice areas, including car and motorcycle accidents to wrongful death, work injuries, and construction accidents. We give prospective clients a free copy of our book pertaining to their case or practice area. We also have them for a free pdf download from our website.

In a recent episode of our Boyk Brief podcast, Estate Planning Attorney Tim Semro of Semro Henry Ltd., talked about the motivation for writing his book Your Money Your Way. “I got this idea to write the book, because people are often hesitant to come in and meet with an attorney. And what I wanted to show them is that it’s not a scary proposition to come in and meet with the attorney and have a conversation.”

His book uses client stories, (fictional, but based on actual situations), to cover typical estate planning scenarios in an engaging way. It’s designed to be a quick read – about 90 minutes to 2 hours – and each chapter ends with explanations of relevant documents and their importance.

Similar to what we do at Boyk Law, Tim makes his book available as a free download from his firm’s website, www.semrohenry.com, and they also provide hard copies if requested.

How to Get Started:
Here are some thoughts on how you can write a book in your practice area:

■ The size of the book can be as long as you want. Most of our books are between 35 and 100 pages.

■ The goal is to give the client an easy-to-understand summary of the basic law and educate them on their legal options. We try to write it at a 6th grade level.

■ You can make a list of the common questions you are asked, the things a client should know, and perhaps some cases examples from your past experience. What you include is totally up to your best judgment and imagination.

■ The easy way to write the book is to either make an outline and write it up or just record you answering all your outline questions and then transcribe it. Then you just need to edit it and have someone give you a second opinion.

■ The publishing process is also easy when you have the right (write) people on the job. We use BDP, a local company who handles the design and layout of the book. They also manage the printing.

■ Printing costs vary by the number of pages and the quantity of books printed. The higher the page count, the price per piece can go up, however the higher the quantity of books, the price per book WILL GO DOWN considerably.

■ Brian Fowler with BDP can help with editing or writing the book if necessary for those who have a hard time finishing because of limited time and resources. You can contact him directly at any time for more information at 419.346.6213.

■ It typically takes between 5-10 business days once the proof is approved to get the finished product, which can be shipped directly to your office.

■ If you have specific questions, we are happy to help you.