There was once a time when all a good lawyer had to do to generate new business is send out some calendars at the end of the year, and rely on satisfied clients to spread the word about the fine service they got. Times have certainly changed as the legal profession continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Attorneys are finding themselves having to compete for business, which places them in the position of having to manage their client caseload, while at the same time, devising and implementing a successful marketing strategy.
Because the very nature of the law profession is so competitive, attorneys have to be on the top of their game when it comes to figuring out the best marketing strategy for their practice. Venturing into marketing for a legal practice can be time consuming and perplexing for people who are not in the legal profession. It is for this reason that attorneys are turning to other attorneys to help them with their marketing strategies. As the demand for legal consulting services continues to grow, lawyers are learning that turning to one of their own to help them generate new business is the best move they can make.
Compartmentalization Sparks a Greater Need For Knowledgeable Professionals
One of the reasons attorneys make good marketing consultants is they understand the business. The field of law has changed from what it used to be. Attorneys think and work outside of the box. Lawyers don’t paint themselves into a corner when it comes to their practices. Many attorneys have specific areas of law they practice, and their practices are compartmentalized. One law practice could represent a hospital conglomerate, a biotech company and a small beauty school. Generally, law firms will divide their attorneys into teams to accommodate the niches they represent, which requires the consultants they work with to be knowledgeable about the services they offer, what potential clients seeking these types of services want and need, and the best way to reach clients who are in search of representation.
Marketing Consultants Streamline Marketing Plans and Help Law Practices Save Time and Money
There are many smaller law practices that choose to develop their own marketing plans. Due to their size, many feel that they just don’t have the financial leeway to support hiring a consultant that specializes in strategic marketing and organizational services. In many cases, it is the smaller law practices that often benefit from marketing strategy and organizational consulting the most. Marketing consultants can help smaller companies pinpoint what is working well for an attorney’s practice and integrate it with other strategies their current marketing plan is devoid of. A good attorney who specializes in marketing strategies for law firms can also help their clients weed out the things that are not working well for them, which in the final analysis, saves them time and money.
Attorneys who work as marketing consultants can also help law practices define the direction of their practice. Oftentimes, the main culprit in the failure of a law practice is its inability to figure out the direction it needs to go in. It is impossible to create a successful marketing plan when there is not a clearly defined goal and intention behind every marketing decision made. To accomplish both of the aforementioned objectives, a law practice must have a an understanding of the geographical area their practice is in, the types of clients they serve, the types of clients they want to attract, what their expectations are for their practices, and the processes they need to engage it to help them reach their goals. These areas of focus is what makes a lawyer who specializes in marketing strategy so valuable.
Adding New Practice Areas and Refining Practice Management
Law practices looking to add a new speciality to their areas of service and hone in on their practice management systems are reaping the benefits offered by legal consultants. The greatest asset an attorney has is time, unfortunately for many lawyers, time is not something they have an abundance of. Legal consultants not only understand the many complexities associated with practicing law, they can identify the things that consume the majority of the time spent in a law practice, and introduce procedures and systems to follow to help reduce the amount of time spent getting things done.
Attorneys who are looking to integrate a new area of law into their practice have to be very strategic about how they move forward, especially if they are known for practicing certain areas of law. Gaining the trust of potential clientele in a specialization that is not common or known to be offered by a practice, requires finesse. Business development is not necessarily an attorney’s forte. As a matter of fact, Harry Keset, who is an organizational psychologist, estimates that approximately 80 percent of practicing attorneys don’t have an understanding of how to develop business, nor do they understand how to build relationships or sell their businesses to potential clients. Consultants work with attorneys to provide them with the tools they need to land clients, forge a productive path and build productive relationships.
Everyone Needs Help
If you are an attorney who is running into roadblocks in terms of your marketing strategy, it might be a great time to do a little research into how an attorney who specializes in legal consulting for law practices can help your law firm grow. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you can do it all yourself. Understanding all of the aspects of what a successful marketing strategy for your law practice entails is time consuming, and can be an ominous task. Understanding that everyone needs help sometimes is the first step. There is nothing wrong with seeking help and accepting it. As a matter of fact , the benefits of doing so could give your marketing plan the boost it needs.
