What is effective Law Firm Marketing for you?

Let’s define law firm marketing as planned and regular activities that generate profitable new clients and increase revenue.

The majority of these marketing activities can be used with existing clients; however you can also use them to focus on new clients.

What processes will most business clients go through before hiring you?
Try the VCR Model. That is Visibility, Credibility and then Rapport. 

So how does this work?
Potential new clients have to become aware of you and your firm. 
If not, they will simply hire one of your MANY competitors.

We are not referring to your technical credibility of whether you can execute the technical legal work.  More, are you aware of the issues in your prospective new client’s marketplace?

Do you ask power questions or dumb questions?
Can you talk your client’s language?

If you struggle with technical issues for example, then you may just find it a trifle hard to position yourself as an expert in the software industry.

How you position your fee earners and your firm is key because any potential client will be looking for you to demonstrate a perception of expertise. 
In short can you “talk the talk, but also walk the talk”.

Once you have established credibility, you can then work on what will pay you long term i.e. establishing rapport and building a relationship. 

Can you build a relationship that is unique to you and your firm?

Every activity in your Marketing Plan should be focused on first building Visibility, then Credibility and finally Rapport. 

If this is not the purpose of your marketing, then you are maybe pursuing a fruitless and wasted activity.

There appears to be some confusion between the function of a Marketing Plan and a Business Plan.  Here’s one opinion.  A Business Plan is a roadmap for the whole firm for the next three to five years.  Often used in times of start-up or merger, it outlines markets and revenue plans.  The desired outcome of this type of document is often to secure funds from potential investors.

A Marketing Plan is rarely shared with anyone outside the practice. This plan will normally have a timescale of one year and is simply new business based.  It may or may not include revenue targets.

You may have asked yourself how long, big, detailed and comprehensive a Marketing Plan should be. The shocking truth may upset you, particularly if you come from an MBA background.

A marketing plan for a law firm should be one page long and only one page long.

Now, you may be thinking, but how am I going to include all our marketing plans…well you don’t.

The plan is for your partners, if it’s longer it will not be read, will not be believed and certainly will not be implemented.

Most solicitors marketing their legal services are “winging it” with a seminar here, now let’s have a new logo and a now a new brochure.  Networking events, yes we must do them and let’s bash out a free electronic newsletter.

Now, there is a problem with all these disparate activities in that they will give a law firm guaranteed results, which will be occasional, short-term, erratic and most unlikely unprofitable.

The outcome of your marketing plan should be one simple goal…a focus.

Rod Sloane is the Director of the Solicitors Institute the law firm marketing consultancy.
www.SolicitorsInstitute.com

Comments

[Jeff Paul Scam]

Where I come from girls are considered to know nothing about IT, but my girls and I started a blog and promoted it to receive some visits. It’s a start but we will not back down from this challenge.