When it comes to law firm marketing we have to think beyond the quality of the work we do.
To prove this point the Law Society Gazette published an article in 2010 which revealed that ‘more than 60% of the public were unable to name a single law firm brand, even though 78% had used a solicitor before’.
Even more worrying, ‘of those people who had used a solicitor before, only 27% said they would return to that same professional if they once more had a similar need’.
So what do these statistics mean? Are we a nation of lawyers who provide second rate legal advice? Of course, not. We pride ourselves on quality service and see it as an important part of law firm marketing activity.
But if you look closely, this next statistic could give you a clue.
‘More than two thirds of clients who had used a lawyer, had never heard from that lawyer, or their law firm again’.
So it seems that rather than providing poor advice, many professionals in the legal sector simply take instructions, follow through with the case and then move onto the next, expecting that work will continue to flow through the doors in this manner.
Strange then, that so many departments were closed and redundancies made during this last recession.
The last two years should have made law firms realise that excellent service cannot be measured simply by the successful outcome of a case. Numerous surveys have shown that the client values their experience of a firm and the relationship which is built up over time, above fees.
Which leads me to this point – legal marketing and CRM is not the sole remit of the marketing team. To be successful, the whole firm must actively get involved in “sharing” both their clients and their knowledge. In this way, law firm marketing becomes more consistent, proactive and transparent, giving power to a truly effective CRM process and clients who feel valued.
Tags: Relationship Building
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I recently spoke with Lara King of BBC Radio Humberside on the subject of Employment Law. Click on the Play button, above, to hear the interview.