The more I think about marketing legal or financial services, the more I become convinced that the ultimate marketing tool is great client service. And by that, I do not mean great legal work, or great financial plans or products.
The fact is, even if you are very, very good at what you do, that circumstance will not set you apart from, or above, your competitors. Most of them are pretty good, too. And moreover, your clients are not really capable of distinguishing between an A-plus or a C-plus attorney or financial advisor. They aren't qualified.
But every one of your clients considers him- or herself to be an expert on customer service. They know when they are being ignored, or treated rudely. They know when someone doesn't return a phone call, or keeps them waiting 20 minutes past the appointed time. They understand when your office looks like a pigsty and your staff is condescending and your phone answering system is a nightmare.
Estate planning attorneys, want to see your future competition? Here it is.
It's a comprehensive onscreen legal manual with expert tech support available. It allows you to choose from 40,000 legal documents to protect your family and assets. It allows you to create a legal will, living trust, financial power of attorney, health care directive, and more. For each document, WillMaker Plus takes you through a step-by-step interview, and your documents will automatically reflect the laws of your state.
Can it be long before there is a virtual lawyer in every mall and grocery store? Don't think so? Ask the pharmacists.
But here's the good news. Those same customer service experts, your clients and potential clients, know when they are being treated well. They know that a box of software will not serve them coffee, or send them a birthday card, or inquire about their grandchildren, or hold their hands when they cry.
If your company is a client service firm, the work product of which happens to be legal documents or financial plans, you have an excellent chance of being an indispensable part of your clients' lives.
But if your office is a document-creation system, well...your competition comes in a box. And the box costs $34.99.
I personally would like to see the commoditization of legal services. I think we also have to work harder to standardize the basic forms, contracts and other legal documents which are used nation wide in order to reduce the cost of producing these documents for clients. The law, legal services and the courts are hardly accessible to the average American. Very few people can afford to pay attorneys by the hour to assert their rights. This leaves our justice system available only to those who have the money to finance litigation or those who are so seriously injured that they can entice an attorney to take the case on a contingency fee basis.
I welcome law firms which bring legal services directly to the consumer on a cost effective basis. Of course, our bar associations, law firms and lawyers will work hard to keep alternatives out of the market and kill competition. People need to realize that the powers which control the justice system have a huge incentive to preserve the status quo.
Enrico Schaefer
Posted by: Traverse Legal | June 17, 2005 at 06:17 PM