Every law firm marketer – whether lawyer, in-house staffer or consultant – should really pay attention. When asked by a lawyer “what is the best type of marketing I should do to be successful?” the simple and most candid answer: The marketing activity you will actually do!!!
We can thank Georgia Patrick at Duct Tape Marketing for those words of wisdom. Although she was referring to the world of fitness workouts, she is so right!! And I have personally found it’s so true in the legal profession.
It is not uncommon for a marketer or consultant to push onto their constituents what they think the lawyer or firm should do. The point is that that approach is meaningless. If the lawyer is not comfortable speaking, writing, networking, entertaining or whatever, he or she is NOT going to do it. (Never mind that they are not going do it because the compensation system rewards billable hours only – a topic for another time). But, it is vital to determine where a lawyer’s comfort level is (or provide the training to raise that level) or forget trying to get them to do things they simply will not do.
So, marketers, stop pushing your ideas, and start discerning what your lawyer-clients are willing to do. Train them or stop wasting marketing time and money that could be better spent.