Deborah Danger, of DangerLaw, has been awarded a Jenny for her creativity in marketing her practice. In her case, Deborah makes very effective use of humor as a marketing tool.
I met Deb through my business networking group, ProVisors. (ProVisors is filled with creative professionals who may be in line for future Jennys.)
Deb offers a 5% discount to any client who makes her laugh. Offering this discount not only has the benefit of making clients feeling like they are getting better value, but it also serves as a way to break the ice in addressing uncomfortable subjects.
According to Deborah: Many people find estate planning a dismal chore. I don’t blame them. The task at hand is imagining the world without you in it. There is nothing more heartwarming than when one of them says something ridiculous that makes me laugh…and then they laugh and exclaim, “We made you laugh! We get a 5% discount!” It changes the entire tone of the meeting and deepens the professional trust they place in me and usually allows for a deeper exploration of their intentions.
In addition, Deb has created a board game which she calls Why Wonder When You’re Six Feet Under? She incorporates the game into her talks to prospective clients. It is like the T&E version of an escape room. Players draw cards which raise an array of challenges that can be solved through effective estate planning (e.g. You are on vacation in the Caribbean and a big storm blows the roof off of your house. Do you have documents in place so someone can legally act on your behalf while you are out of the country?)
Deb uses the tag line, All of my clients are dead or planning on it, but only with her referral sources. While humor is a big part of who she is, she saves this catch phrase for the professionals who won’t be offended.
In making her selection, my wife Jenny Gamson, for whom the awards are named, had this to say: Who knew that planning for your demise could be so much fun?
Congratulations Deb and keep us laughing!
Readers are encouraged to nominate themselves or others for Jennys.
The nominees must be individuals (i.e. these are not awards for firms). The main criteria are:
- Creativity
- Memorability
- Tastefulness (there may be some flexibility on this one)
