Challenging the speed of change
A challenge has been laid down for solicitors firms. Ajaz Ahmed, co-founder of the award-winning Legal365, outlined what he believes firms need to do to compete in the changing legal services market. Speaking at the recent LawTech Camp London he urged: 'Reduce complexity; don’t sell law - sell solutions to customers’ actual problems; make your prices affordable; teach everyone in your company to talk in a language that your customers will understand; be totally transparent; and make loyalty dramatically easier than disloyalty.'
This is also the approach being taken by any business with serious intent to enter or stay in the legal services market. While most of the points are already well known and discussed widely in solicitors firms, the last point of loyalty is the most challenging. How can you make a loyalty to your firm stick in the minds of your clients? This is about influencing the actions of potential clients so that they contact your firm first. If they do, then your firm has the ability to make the most of the engagement.
The recent Legal Services Board Consumer panel YouGov research reports that the clients are still on your side. It continues to show that people usually stick with the first ‘lawyer’ that they go to for advice (few shop around). When Mr Ahmed states that it’s 'still all to play for' in the market, this evidence would indicate that Legal365 have to do most of the ‘playing’ to tempt clients away. However, his final point is again the most challenging.
For your firm to compete in any future legal service market sector, you will need to demonstrate the value of the services you offer in terms that your potential client understands. Loyalty will only go as far as paying the next bill for the client. If they see a comparable service they feel they can trust to deliver a similar solution then Mr Ahmed wins. That’s not to say that Legal365 or other new services will get the matter, but your firm has lost the loyalty.
In a previous article, Pinch Point, I outlined one element that’s needed in most firms. Alongside that is the need for constant meaningful communications with those client types your firm wants to have in the future. Tell past clients why they should call you first if they have any need for advice. If you are not regularly telling them why they should call you an increasing number of other businesses will be.
What is now more important to the challenge for solicitors is the speed of change in the market. Most change is unnoticed by hard-working solicitors because they’re not in the target market so don’t see the advertising and promotions aimed at their clients. Most firms are thinking about and some are making the changes necessary to compete in the changing market. However their pace of change is a ‘solicitors' pace of change’ and we are now not in that closed market. Others are driving the pace of change and many firms will be left behind, even those with radical plans and the finance to push forward.
Solicitors are not moving quickly enough to secure their future clients, leaving the clients to try out new legal services - not necessarily because they want to but because it "looks like a good deal", it’s easy for clients to contact rivals and for them to get a solution to their current problem. And because their solicitor didn’t tell the clients why they should call them first.
Alastair Moyes is a director at Marketlaw and co-author of Marketing Legal Services, the current marketing handbook from Law Society Publishing
Comments
Spot on - but most solicitors are not listening
You are absolutely right – it's clear as crystal that the market for legal services in the UK is changing rapidly. Despite the sage prognostications of many academic experts in the legal field, let's face it, most of them have no better idea of what the market for legal services will look in 20 years time than we do. The only thing that anybody who is really looking at this challenging issue can agree on is that it will be unrecognisable from the current state of the legal profession.
What never ceases to amaze me, no matter how often Alistair and many other legal marketers make this point, 99% of solicitors just don't seem to be listening. Unless they wake up to the new reality, and do so swiftly, I fear that for many them, their beloved practice may be doomed.
And guess what here you are
And guess what here you are again! Quelle surprise! Two threads at the same time-we never would spot that one would we?
The pace of change is increasing
With the development of technology etc I have seen, first hand, the way legal services are promoted and delivered change dramatically over the last 30 or so years. However, the pace of change is increasing. Like others who spend their working lives monitoring the metamorphosis that is taking place I have no doubt that the legal landscape over the next five to ten years will be very different. It really is quite simple, many (not all) of the actual and imminent changes taking place should be embraced not ignored.
Change at the speed of light
I am predicting that most standard legal services will be backsourced.
The client will fill in the information online and receive the document in return for a set fee. If you don't do business this way, then kiss goodbye to the majority of work.
The set fee will be lower for no solicitor involvement and a bit higher for solicitor involvement i.e. checking.
That's how insurance for cars works. And that's how it's going to pan out for general solicitors.
Non-standard legal services will require some solicitor input - which is where quality of service will win out. By quality of service I don't mean best service or best advice.
Quality of service means the client knows what he is getting, why he is getting it and what the outcome will be - and is prepared to pay a fair price for the outcome.
Firms who find, get, keep and grow clients will be those that undertstand marketing is the key to success.
Find ways to market effectively and find ways to improve efficiency at the same time. Find ways to add value. Act and be ahead of the game.
I am a typical consumer for family legal services. When I can get a will for £80 why would I pay £200 for the same thing? I'm not going to. There are millions of people like me and law firms that accept the marketing challenge will find a ready market for services. Millions of people want peace of mind that legal services can provide.
The fact is that this marketing change is happening at light speed. The worst thing that can happen is not that firms go out of business in their hundreds....it's that firms don't try to capitalise on things right this minute. It is better to try and fail than to just fail.
Yes it has been said before. And solicitors will only buy the message when they are ready. But this does not mean that we shouldn't repeat the message often.
Everytime this message is communicated, with ideas that can solve firms' marketing challenges, then at least one solicitor will take notice and take action.
That's a good enough reason to keep reporting on this subject and for trying to influence people to take action. Utimately everyone has responsibility for their own future and their family's well-being. What outcome do you want for your family? Is it worth taking 30 minutes a day to achieve it?
Great blog, Alisatair. We all
Great blog, Alisatair. We all know that the best type of marketing is repeat business but so often firms do not have time, resource or inclination to keep marketing to their existing client base. Sometimes, it is difficult to know what to say and how often to say it.
We assist our member law firms in this regard by collective marketing; be it newsletters, brochures, blogs or events.
Far easier to remind people you are still there if you have something interesting to say.
Yes indeed, its what everyone
Yes indeed, its what everyone wants-more junk mail coming through the letterbox or into the computers inbox! Especially with news of some rivetting piece of legal trivia.
15 years a client.......or so I thought. Silly me.
Having used the same local firm for the past 15 years, my wife and I regarded ourselves as clients.
We noticed a name change outside their office some three months or so ago and looked forward to learning more. The Principal is actually a personal friend but we have been advised that they have only considered it appropriate to advise what have been described as 'current' clients of the change - a merger with another firm in the next town.
So despite holding our Wills we are apparently not regarded as clients. The good news is that no-one is spoilt for choice.
Alastair, you are so right. Most solicitors just don't get it.
With respect, this is the
With respect, this is the sort of behaviour associated with the current ethos of law. "Old style firms" would almost certainly have let you know-quite simply because you are indeed a client.
As with banks, it is best to be careful what you wish for-you might just get it. The banks got much more "commercial"-and the customer suffered. The same is happening to law.
Oh silly me-just spotted that
Oh silly me-just spotted that your comment is actually an advert!