A. Synopsis: The Problem
Today’s Law Firm is faced with various challenges:-
1. Sophisticated well-read clients (Google is your friend).
2. The big four and other such consultancies who disguisedly provide legal services.
3. A new age of “Y-Generation Managers” with no patience for the Law Firm of Yesterday
4. An increased demystification of the law through liberalisation of Legal Education etc.
In a market where your client is aware of what you do and even has ideas on how to do it better, how do you remain relevant to him? How does a law firm today acclimatise to the changes in the economy, o the information tsunami and to the wave of new tech-savvy clients?
The Law and the practice of it is no longer a mystery. There was a time where a solicitor was called before a doctor to one’s deathbed. Those days are gone. Instead, we have templates on the internet, legal education programs online and even legal advisors in form of computer applications. In summary, the days of the lawyer/advocate we knew growing up are fast dwindling.
What then shall we do? Should we fold up and quit?
B. The Panacea
We Adapt! Below are just a few suggestions you might want to adopt to take your law firm to the next level.
1. Embrace the Times….Join the Crowd, on the Cloud
If our ‘cheese’ has moved so should we[1] in order to survive. In this generation, the middle level management running all our client’s organisations are more active and present on the cloud than in their very lives. They also live in a world where the press of a button will order you a meal or buy you a plane ticket so they are used to services coming to them.
Join the cloud. Get on social media. Success on the cloud comes from an emotional perspective. Are you appealing to your market? Is your page responsive? Are you engaging? Remember that you are competing with shopping apps, celebrity gossip columns and business magazines not to mention “click bait[2]” like pornography and weight loss sites. Your market will gravitate to you based on your views, opinions, tastes and ability to engage. They are more likely to check your Facebook page before your LinkedIn Account. It is a fickle emotive generation we are handling and we have got to adapt. This means your content should be relevant and adaptable to the different markets on different platforms. Content should be brief and clear and simplicity is such a rare trait with lawyers but please embrace it.
2. Charter Experts!
Please note that Business Development is NOT Marketing
BD has in the past been taken for marketing and there was a time when it was enough on its own. However, the firm of today requires the skill and expertise of a modern marketer who is also skilled in social media marketing.
You need to do market research and stakeholder mapping as you design your marketing tools and content.
3. Embrace Corporate Governance
Gone are the days when a sole partner in a law firm could act as accountant and manager at the same time. Our sophisticated clients want a sustainable going entity. They are not attracted to briefcase firms and transparency is the first trait they look for. Corporate clients do not want their advocates or external counsel to be the source of their governance issues and therefore require compliance to corporate governance principles. Trust is key in business and since an advocate is a purveyor of trust transparency and good governance should be your adornments. Commit your resources to running a professional law firm so that you can be left to innovate in service provision.
5. Invest in Your People
Your people are your greatest asset. A delighted workforce not only produces great results but also brings in more business. Staff welfare is not about salaries but rather knowing and prioritising your staff. This will in turn make them prioritise you.
7. The Client is Always Right!
Yes. I can see your eyes roll. The Client is the reason we exist. Doesn’t it make sense therefore to make your firm about them? The lawyers of yesterday were few and valued and therefore almost worshiped. Today we are competing with everything for our clients. Law firms are a dime a dozen or so to speak so what sets you apart? Why should they choose you? Commit to you? How often do you engage them for their own good? How many after sales services do you offer? What can your client count on you for? Again, the services of long ago that were considered a luxury are now entitlements with our new brand of clients so we should deliver them with that 1% that creates raving fans.
C. Conclusion
The law firm of today is like any other business. It requires nurturing, and consistent maintenance. It is not over for us. Rather, this is a new horizon with new opportunities waiting to be discovered. Gird your loins and venture into marketing corporate governance and Client Relations Management with me. Then the sky will be the limit!
D.
References
[1]“Who Moved My Cheese?” By Spencer Johnson, Ken Blanchard
[2] https://seriouslysimplemarketing.com/click-bait-headlines-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
[3] http://go.marketri.com/blog/marketing-vs-business-development-whats-the-difference
[4] http://www.prauganda.ug/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Building-Your-Brand-in-Seven.pdf
[5] https://biblia.com/bible/csb/Rev%203.15-17
[6] “Creating Raving Fans” by Ken Blanchard