Professional Services Accounting ARTICLE -
Building a Marketing Culture in Your Firm

Target Audience: Legal Professionals, Professional Service Firms, Law Firm Partners, Law Firm Marketing, Law Firm Marketing Directors

Years after many law firms first adopted formal marketing plans, some attorneys continue to find legal marketing distasteful. In today’s economy, though, firms must view marketing as an essential component of their continued survival. It’s not enough to simply hire a marketing director — you need to foster a marketing culture that permeates and directs all levels of your firm.

Put it in writing

Firms that have seen the most marketing success generally have taken the time to develop mission statements, core values and service standards that reflect the importance of marketing.

This written guidance helps them focus on strategies (such as increasing the number of client referrals) rather than tactics (client newsletters, for example). But marketing-oriented firms recognize that newsletters alone won’t accomplish their goals.

Go to the horse’s mouth

Clients can play a vital role in focusing attorneys on marketing. If your firm’s ultimate goal is to generate more business, it makes sense to check in with your existing clients. Conducting client interviews is a cost-effective method of directly involving them in your firm’s marketing efforts and increasing client satisfaction.

Such interviews should solicit the client’s impressions on your firm’s and individual attorneys’ service, complaints and suggestions for improvement, opinions of potential competitors, and potential referrals.

It starts at the top

To gain firmwide buy-in of a marketing culture, your firm’s leaders must demonstrate their own commitment to it. One way to show this commitment is through the line of reporting: Your marketing director should report directly to the managing partner. This also will help ensure integration of the firm’s strategic directions and goals with marketing. Some firms even choose to make the marketing director an ex officio member of the executive committee.

While commitment from the top is critical, consider gathering input from all staff levels when developing the firm’s marketing plans. This will not only help make your staff feel like part of the team, but their input may also produce practical ideas for better marketing. A win-win situation for everyone.

Accountability plays a crucial role, too. Make it clear that all attorneys are expected to contribute to marketing efforts, whether through speaking engagements, networking, publishing or other vehicles. And, to put some real teeth in their expectations, consider including marketing activities in the compensation equation.

Walk the talk

Law firms that continue to emphasize traditional metrics — such as hours billed, amounts collected and profitability — will undermine their marketing culture (if they even have one). But firm leadership that continually stresses client satisfaction and growth will create a ripple effect throughout the firm.

Find out how our expertise in professional services accounting can add value to your business. Email us or call us at 1 (888) 875-9770.

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