Practice Management

I do not normally look at my junk mail. But, the other day I looked at my local Chamber of Commerce mailing showing all of the glossy pictures of the new business openings. Most were just individual guys and gals opening their little nail shops, heating and air services, remodeling and repair shops. It hearkened me back to when we knew that economies were local and transactions were face-to-face and personal.

Well, maybe many businesses, including the practice of law, are not a face-to-face as they once were in days gone by, but that does not mean that we should strive to make our practices feel anonymous.

I tend to think we lose sight of the people element as we get detached during law school and working in government agencies or larger law firms. Then we start law practices and we strive too hard to make our practices feel larger than they are -- or "professional" using bar-tender speak. We get use to buying from the big boxes and online, we get wrapped up in all of the globalization stuff, and before you know it the image that you are presenting is nothing but a big, boring, anonymous blob. And, I do not happen to thing it is good for business. (Opps, I called the practice of law a business again).

The simple truth is that people want to buy from people. At least they want to feel a connection of some sort, and most lawyers and most solos are missing that boat. They are neglectful of their personal stories, making themselves front and center, getting away from the staged shots, putting up anything but stock photos and template websites, keeping to and not exerting themselves, and not giving the public a feel of of who you the lawyer really is.

Realtors by and large understand this. Oh, most of them are a little too slick, but they picture themselves.

Wal-Mart fights against this by placing personal greeters at their doors. Their ads in the past have been about their people.

People want to meet the people who make the products they buy. For lawyers that product is the law or legal representation. And, where getting to know the lawyer first might not be possible, it does not mean that your method of marketing and your website should not come close.

Think about Facebook for a moment. It connects because it is the online equivalent of getting know someone. You have their status, what they do, their thoughts free of legalese, and pictures that a generally homemade and natural. The point is that Facebook is all about promoting you generally. Lawyers need to promote themselves a little more like Facebook. This does not mean you should not be indiscreet -- just personal.

I think you can do this a number of ways.

First, if your practice is based upon network marketing, getting out and meeting people who can refer you business, then this will take care of itself.

Second, get rid of all of the assumed names and law firm concoctions. I do not want to go to the "Smith Law Firm". I want to be represented by "Jane Smith" or "John Smith". Even in Big Law much of the business is built around individual rainmakers.

Third, get rid of the Madison Avenue look or your perception of it. The website templates, get rid of them. The professional photography, let it go. The stock photos and clip art need to be removed.

Fourth, let the people know how you roll, your personal story, how you are really one of them, understand the process in ways that are not sales speak or boilerplate, and include natural and ordinary pictures of yourself, your staff, your offices, etc.

Presenting the more unvarnished truth will likely result in more people clicking through and calling in need of your legal services.