Making marketing happen. By Janet Dean, Executive Director Marketing is already going on at your firm. Your firm is marketing and so are you. Often these activities are unconscious or unplanned. Taking the time to formulate your marketing plan of action will help improve your chances of building the practise you want. Let’s explore how your marketing plan of action can make this "marketing thing" happen. 1.Cornerstones Build your marketing house from brick, not straw. Start with a strong foundation. Here are the three corner stones to successful legal marketing initiatives: 2. Take your position
Define expectations Shape your product to meet expectations Communicate the value Simple affirmation. "I understand what you want and need, and what concerns you most and I am
going to give it to you." 3. Strengthening your position This is a little like fine tuning or conceptual editing. Examine your expectation and begin considering your
teams individual strengths and how they can support firm marketing. If you focus is too broad try to narrow
down the definition. For example "full service law firm". What does it mean to clients? Remember the following principles; A. Positions are dynamic Once you have identified your position, remember that you must remain flexible.
Identify periodic "check in" times and diarize them. B. Positions must differentiate Ensure your position differentiates you from your competitors.
Build in a way to communicate this to clients and staff. C. Positions are only platforms Turn words into actions. To quote a famous American institution... "just do it" 4. Draft a marketing plan Your marketing plan may be elaborate or simple but must spring from your position.
Successful professional services marketing is an integrated and concerted effort.
Use a format that includes goals, objectives and strategies. Assign responsibility, actions,
resources and time frames to all initiatives. 5. Plan for marketing success (integrate) Involve all staff Ensure that all staff understand their individual role in marketing efforts. Have regular meetings. Solicit input for improvement and for additional initiatives. Involve your clients Your clients expectations and needs are what should define the level of service you provide. Find out whether you are meeting their needs. Ask them. Invite them into your firm. Ask them to participate on an advisory. Commit dollars and resources Time is a valuable commodity in the practise of law. Marketing takes time.
Commit time to your marketing initiatives. Budget time in individual lawyers expectations and billable hour goals.
Set a realistic marketing budget. Provide support Encourage individual participation in marketing. Support colleagues and staff in their marketing activities.
Encourage the development of marketing techniques that match each individuals preferences and personality. Reflect in action Donald Schon in "Educating the reflective practitioner" coined the terms single and double
loop thinking. Single loop thinking keeps you tied to repeating the same things over and over again.
Double loop thinking lets you stand back and reassess what you are doing while you are still doing it.
This is called reflecting in action. Marketing success is a journey, not an outcome in itself.
Your marketing goals must continue to evolve and develop. Marketing efforts should be evaluated objectively on a
regular basis. Some successful activities should become a regular ‘marketing routine" and be repeated year after year. When you start getting a little overwhelmed, remember that success comes to those who work ON their business, not just IN their business. Marketing has to become part of your regular business practises.
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Practice Development Group Inc.
Sit down and identify the firm philosophy and your role in achieving corporate objectives.
Clearly and precisely identify what your product is. Brainstorm ways to improve the match of your product to client and firm demands.
Upwards, downwards, sideways, internal and external.