When presented with the ‘next big thing’ in legal services marketing there is a good question to ask at the outset that will help you gain the best for your firm.

Is the latest idea a tool for marketing and promotions or a technique of marketing management?

This is an important distinction to make. In our work with firms we see a tendency for solicitors firms to buy in ‘tools’ for marketing and promotion but then fail use them fully or often ‘get hold of the wrong end’.

Marketing management involves the application of techniques that uses the appropriate tools to achieve the planned results in the same way as the accounting or IT systems contribute towards practice management.

Solicitor firms often go straight to the end product of the marketing management process, such as buying Yellow Pages advertising, renewing the website and wanting to achieve a ‘high profile for the firm’s brand’.

Doing things without a coherent strategy may get short-term limited results but it is putting the cart before the horse.

If the partner responsible for marketing starts with the questions ‘who are our clients?’ ‘what services do we offer to them profitably?’ and ‘where do we want our firm to be in 2 years time?’, then the analysis of ‘the next big thing’ becomes a lot easier.

‘Does this idea help us achieve our business aims?’ when considering a marketing tool then becomes the first criteria for consideration of it’s value to your firm.

In the current legal services market tools include services like Direct Law, Certainty and group brands.

Many are worth considering. but what makes the difference is how you integrate the tools into your firm.

Buying any tool is the start of a process.

Achieving a return on investment can only come with proper use.

There are a few examples from marketing and other areas in solicitors firms.

In the 1990’s the tools firm’s bought were IT based practice and case management systems. From 2000 or so firms bought websites.

I would suggest firms already have all the tools for running a successful business so why is everyone so worried about ‘Tesco law’ or, more realistically, the Co-Op’s Legal Services and other big brand offerings?

Two issues arise that can help you assess a new tool. First, control within a firm and second, the communications gap between firms and their clients.

On the first issue, ask who controls the tools is often an internal politics debate, a cost concern or lack of clear policy?

‘Should all our fee earners be using Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter?’ or ‘how can we train our fee earners and support staff to confidently promote the benefits of the services we offer?’.

In general, firms should have a system that allows the efficient and effective use of all promotional tools by anyone in the firm capable of using them properly.

The communications gap is a huge challenge for most firms. Potential clients aren’t aware of the benefits of the range of services your firm offers.

The current Big Brand Competition are rapidly filling the clients knowledge void with accessible and clearly priced services and the new ABS firms will only add to this promotional information stream.

If ‘the next big thing’ helps you fill-in the communications gap with promotions that bring clients to your firm then it’s worth considering the costs.

But remember that it will be an expensive adornment if you fail to allow everyone to use the tools purchased and make sure you’ve got hold of the right end and pointing it in the right direction.