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Let’s put an end to the “Three one-word sentence” taglines.

Particularly alliterative ones, like “Expertise. Excellence. Efficiency.” 

For law and accounting firms, the most-overused three words in this category seem to be “Experience. Creativity. Results.”

(A few actual examples of these cropped from law firm websites are shown below.)

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No one believes this type of empty bragging.  No client ever said, “I thought you overworked your cases and padded your bills until I saw the word ‘Efficient’ in your slogan.  Now I know I was wrong all along!”

This category of slogans is essentially an organization’s choosing to proclaim to everyone:

“I. Am. Awesome.”

A quick Google search yielded back-patting gems like:

Effective. Efficient. Expeditious.

Excellence. Efficiency. Expertise.

Excellent. Effective. Efficient.

Experience. Creativity. Results.

Experienced. Driven. Effective.

Experience. Creativity. Results.

Leadership. Creativity. Results.

 

(Wait, did I repeat one of them? Who knows? Who cares?)

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First of all, does anyone believe that claiming “Results,” or “Creativity,” or “Experience,” persuades prospects that you offer it?

In fact, I’d suggest that the least-effective way to prove that you’re “Creative” is to declare it without clear supporting evidence.  (See “In Marketing, when you have the facts, USE them.”)

In fact, if you actually were Creative, you’d have a better tagline.

Admittedly, tag lines are hard. (Click here to read The 30 Best Law Firm Tag Lines Ever.)

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Encapsulating an entire complex organization or skilled professionals into a handful of unique words is a serious challenge.  I’m simply suggesting that unless your law firm has a powerful branding campaign and unique differentiator, it isn’t critical for you to have a tagline. 

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And if the best you can do is something really lame or braggy, just don’t do it.  No one will ever fail to hire you due to its absence.

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I’ll rail against the two two-word-sentence tag lines later….

Like:

Legal Insight. Business Instinct.

Local presence. Global insight.

Local Expertise. International Depth.

Local knowledge. Global reach.

Business people. Business law.

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Need to enhance your firm’s tagline, Marketing and Recruiting? Call Ross now! Watch our fun video here.

Contact Ross Fishman directly for more information at +1.847.921.7677 (call or text) or ross@fishmanmarketing.com.

For more info, download a free copy of the definitive law firm branding book, “We’re Smart. We’re Old. And We’re the Best at Everything. The World’s First No-BS Guide to Legal Marketing and Branding” available at Amazon here.