This weekend while driving, I was listening to an NPR segment about why U.S. automobile manufacturers are lagging behind their Japanese counterparts in revenue and innovation. Some of the suggested reasons for this were:

• American auto workers are being paid too much
• US car makers are reluctant to introduce fuel-efficient vehicles, as they are much less profitable
• Manufacturers do not know their customers
• The notion of “buying American” is no longer compelling in an increasingly interdependent global market

And so on.

One commentator noted that the average American automobile buyer is more educated than ever (an obvious statement, but a powerful idea). Rather than walking into a showroom and just looking around, today’s car buyer goes to the dealership after hours of research on the internet. Sometimes, the commentator suggested, consumers know more about a car than the salesperson.

That was interesting to me. Is an educated consumer a positive or a negative?

Thinking in terms of law firm clients, I would have to say that it’s a good thing.

First off, having an uninformed customer is only beneficial when you’re trying to hide something. In general, I like to think of law firms as being more ethical and professional than that.

Secondly, having an educated client speeds up the process. When a client really understands their problem, the attorney has a much easier time getting to the solution(s). I think of it this way: You’re walking down the street in your home town, and someone approaches you asking for directions. Which case would you prefer?

a) someone that has never been to your city before and knows nothing about the area

or

b) someone very familiar with the area

Obviously it would be easier to give directions to person b. You can use landmarks (”It’s over by the old Dunkin’ Donuts”) and draw on their previous knowledge to get them to their destination.

This is another reason I like blogs. As a legal blogger, you can provide the information you’d like your clients to have. Teaching as marketing. Now that’s a win/win.

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