Legal Marketing Blog

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To paraphrase the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland:

"if you don't know where you're going any path will take you there."

When it comes to marketing your law firm, the adage is just as accurate. It is incredibly important whether the process involves small law firm marketing, or a large law firm business development efforts. For long term success of any firm, marketing planning should be aimed at the types of clients you want to represent, and involve the types of law practice you enjoy doing. 

Whether it involves individual, lawyer marketing planning, or large law firm strategic planning, planning for e a focus to avoid going with the fad-of-the-month law firm marketing plan.

However, it does not have to be a complicated, scary proposition, nor a lengthy and time-consuming process. Rather, Kane Consulting offers a relatively painless and quick process relating to the developing a business plan for your firm or individual lawyers within the firm.

The planning process goes like this:

1. Each lawyer involved in the law firm marketing planning will be asked to fill out a questionnaire relating to each attorney’s current practice, marketing activities, and preferences relating to practice and clients.  The information requested will include among other items:

• Types of matters handled,
• Source(s) of client work,
• SWOT(strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats) for the lawyer/practice group,
• Percentage of time spent on specific matters and clients; and
• The resulting % of their revenues from each,
• Preferences as to types of matters each would like to obtain, and
• Ideal clients they would prefer to represent. 

Each lawyer would fill out the questionnaire independently, and answers will be kept in complete confidence, and not shared unless the lawyer or practice group prefers that they are.

2.  Based on the information gathered from the questionnaires, and one or two additional telephone consultations with each lawyer, an attorney specific marketing plan or group plan will be prepared for the lawyers approval. 

3. Deliverable:  Business Development Plans for each lawyer (one to two pages) or for a practice group that can be implemented immediately. It will include types of targets (clients, referral sources, prospects & organizations) to pursue, specific actions to be carried out, and a timeframe for the action items.

4. Additionally, for a nominal monthly fee, Kane Consulting will offer legal coaching on an ongoing basis to motivate and continue to focus the business development plans and the efforts of the individual lawyers.

For more information, call Tom today at (941) 376-3366 or email: TKane@KaneConsultingInc.com

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Seeking client feedback is probably the most underutilized technique for developing and enhancing client relationships. It is astonishing how few firms fail to inquire of their clients as to just how well they are doing as a legal services provider.

A number of surveys over the last several years have highlighted the need for law firms to seek feedback from their clients. Surveys by the BTI Consulting Group, ACC/Serengeti and others have reinforced the idea that clients actually want their law firms to seek their input on how the relationship is progressing, and on the services provided.

The idea is even more important in light of the current economic conditions and the resulting impact on all businesses. The likelihood that competitors will attempt to lure clients away from other law firms is real, and makes the need for a program that will enhance our existing client relationships more critical than ever.

Kane Consulting, Inc. offers client feedback services focusing on telephone or in-person interviews.

Steps in Process:

• Memo to Attorneys explaining the program
• Select Key Clients to be Interviewed
• Send Letters to Clients (by responsible attorney and interviewer)
• Conduct Client interviews
• Send “Thank You” letter to Clients following the interview
• Take action on any issues identified, if any, and
• Follow up with Clients relating to any identified issues, and potential new opportunities.

Deliverable: Detailed report that includes notes on each interview, opportunities and areas of concern, if any.

For more information call Tom Kane today at (941) 376-3366, or email: TKane@KaneConsultingInc.com.

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With more than 22 years experience as an in-house marketer and consultant to law firms, I have seen what works and what doesn’t work for lawyers in developing business. In addition to sharing my insights and experience on my Legal Marketing Blog since January 2005, I offer training sessions to law firms, practice groups, and bar associations.

The training for lawyers provides an overview of marketing and business development for the purpose of getting as many lawyers as possible on the same page; and for the more experienced attorneys, offers a refresher on the tools and techniques that will work best for them individually. 

The lawyer training sessions vary from two-hours to six hours in length, or can be expanded to a two-day session. The areas covered include:

• What marketing is and what it is not
• Client likes and dislikes
• Key elements to improve communications and client relationships
• Most effective business development techniques
• Meeting client expectations
• Insight into the development of an action plan (including the drafting of an actual, workable plan to take from the training, depending on the length of the attorney training session).

Following the session, Tom makes himself available to meet with management, key partners or practice group leaders for the purpose of discussing more details on marketing the firm/practice, and to discuss the best way to proceed forward.

Call Tom today for more information about the training sessions at 941-376-3366, or email: TKane@KaneConsultingInc.com.

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