Legal Marketing & PR

Firm's Message to Associates: "If You Can't Steal The Firm's Clients, We Don't Want Ya"

By Tom Kane

My friend Dan Hull of What About Clients? blog and Hull McGuire PC law firm, has an extremely provocative post about the message he believes should be conveyed to associates in his firm and others. 

Here’s the message: 

We want you to provide such fabulous service to our clients, that they will think the world of you; and yes, if you were ever leave this firm, the client might go with you. If you are not prepared to provide that level of client service, we don't want you.

WHOA now. You’re kidding me, right Dan? Fact is I know you’re not, and I totally agree with you. Maybe we both should just agree to enter the same sanitarium where we could console each other as to how sane we really are. Certainly, no one else is likely to think so.

Too many firms don’t even want to train their associates in marketing and business development, because it takes them away from billable hours and let’s face it, client relationship building takes time and training; but also, some likely fear that the associates will get too close to the client and steal the client if they ever left the firm. 

So, instead of training and insisting that all their lawyers provide the absolute highest quality client service (not just work product) to clients that would actually benefit the firm and the lawyers in the long run, these firms just claim to be all about client service.

Also, think of the positive message it will send to clients and the associates. In other words, the firm is so into client service, which in turn will only make the firm more successful and profitable, we are willing to risk losing some clients in the process.  With such an approach the firm will be so wildly success that associates (and partners for that matter) wouldn't consider leaving the firm. Crazy thought, huh? 

I expect the majority of law firms would not be willing to follow Dan’s “outrageous” plan. Do ya think!! Too bad. But, if your firm is serious about client service and really means it, then you might want to consider Dan’s message to your associates.

Full post as published by Legal Marketing Blog on September 12, 2008 (boomark / email).