Legal Marketing & PR

Selling By Any Other Name is Still Selling

By Tom Kane

An article that appears in Small Firm Business reports that 55-lawyer Birmingham firm of Lightfoot, Franklin & White received the highest marks in client satisfaction according to a recent Altman Weil survey. Yet, the article “Firm Avoids Marketing, Gets High Client Satisfaction Marks” indicates that the firm is NOT doing marketing (or business development, if you will). Rather, according to the article:

“It's pretty simple, says managing partner Adam Peck. The firm sells itself primarily by not trying so hard to sell itself. Instead of beating the bushes looking for new clients, attorneys focus on their existing clients and rely primarily on referrals for new business."

E-X-C-U-U-U-U-U-S-S-S-S-E     M-E!!!!!!! Not selling themselves? That is exactly what they are doing. They are just doing it the right way:

• Focusing on satisfied clients to bring in more business, and
• Not doing some of the wasteful and questionable things too many law firms do in the name of marketing.

And, doing it well, if one is to believe the survey results. The author apparently only meant that the firm doesn’t have “a full-service marketing and business development department.” The title notwithstanding, it is clear that the firm is in a full-fledged business development mode – however subtle they think they are being.

The important thing to remember is that the most effective way to develop clients is to ensure that the clients you already have are very happy with your firm. As with the Lightfoot firm, you should have engrained within your firm the “idea that client satisfaction is a top priority.”

What you call it is immaterial, the important thing is that “A Rose is a Rose…” and it will result in more business for your firm, especially in these times.

Full post as published by Legal Marketing Blog on January 08, 2009 (boomark / email).