It was heartening today to learn of the strategy adopted by Lancashire firm Joseph Frasier, which is setting out to become the first practice specially dedicated to deaf and hard-of-hearing clients.

The move to target a particular niche area of the market is precisely what consultants have been advising firms to do in the face of impending competition from the big brands.

While the most obvious niche for private client work is the top end of the market, servicing high-net-worth individuals, that is not a realistic move for many firms. You can’t just decide you’re going to target super-rich clients if you don’t have the right kind of office accommodation, location and reputation, and that could require massive investment.

But the strategy undertaken by Joseph Frasier is one that is potentially open to all firms. It’s all about targeting a significant section of the client base that has special requirements of some sort, and catering for those.

The firm is investing in teaching all of its fee-earners sign language, and using technical tools such as webcams to make communication with their solicitor easier. But the amount of investment required is, I imagine, relatively low compared with the very significant potential rewards that may be reaped if it can convince deaf and hard-of-hearing clients that it is a firm that truly understands their needs.

Another obvious example would be targeting services at the elderly, perhaps by making a point of offering home visits to clients.

If new entrants make it increasingly difficult for firms to compete on price, then solicitors will need to take advantage of their ability to offer a personalised service. If they can go one step further and tailor their services to a specific section of the market, all the better.

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