Positioning yourself as a mid-size law firm can be a tricky task. You’ve got to provide more of a personal touch than larger firms while offering a higher quality of service than smaller companies competing at your price point.
So, what can you do to differentiate yourself from the rest of the legal industry? How can you genuinely mark yourself out to potential clients as worthy of their business?
Here are four strategies that will help your mid-sized law firm to stand out from the crowd.
Go Above and Beyond with Great Customer Service
Every law firm – no matter the size – will claim they have excellent customer service. But having a superb telephone manner will not cut it when trying to win new and retain existing clients’ work.
It’s essential to keep adding personal touches to the client experience to really ‘Wow!’ them. What about sending them a birthday card every year? Or why not treat them to lunch to catch up rather than continually trying to close new business? The clients that stay with you are the ones that truly feel like they are part of the firm. Gestures such as sending a thank you card after the conclusion of a case can make all the difference for making them feel that way.
Focus On Retention
If you’ve retained clients for several years, then inevitably, you must be doing something right. Therefore, it makes business sense to increase investment in retention strategies. Remember, expanding existing client relationships costs far less than it does to make new ones.
Delve deeper into why clients have stuck around for so long, surveying them if possible. Approach your longest-standing clients for case studies and testimonials. One of the best ways to impress potential clients is to have existing clients speak on your behalf. This strategy is particularly effective for potential leads who find themselves in the same industry as your client, as it demonstrates your expertise on the subject.
Provide Industry Insights Through Thought Leadership Marketing
Many mid-sized law firms like to share knowledge of their specific niche with the occasional blog post. But now, that’s nowhere near enough. Business leaders must author thought leadership articles at regular intervals, attend networking events, accept speaking slots at conferences, and have an active social media presence (particularly on LinkedIn).
Eventually, your brand name will become synonymous with leading individuals who provide commentary and opinion on some of today’s leading legal topics. This type of marketing has a beneficial snowball effect, too, often culminating in television, radio, and podcast appearances. All of which are excellent methods of generating exposure for your mid-sized firm.
Use Innovative Technology to Differentiate Your Firm
With the coming dawn of the Internet of Things (IoT), technology is everywhere. However, not all law firms use it to their advantage. For instance, only a select few firms are using AI-driven software to automate workflows, which helps to lower costs and become even more competitive with price.
Automation in this manner also frees up time to meet with existing clients, make initial contact with sales leads, and keep on top of crucial deadlines. You can even avoid the costs of a brick-and-mortar location and run a virtual practice. Regardless of which solution you choose, look at innovative ways you could utilize the latest advances in technology to help you to leave other competitors behind.
Differentiating Your Mid-Sized Law Firm Is Hard – But It’s Not Impossible
Without a doubt, the legal industry is a mature and saturated market. Thus, it can be exceedingly difficult to differentiate yourself from other similar law firms. However, by implementing a few crucial differentiation strategies, you can pull away from competitors and build a strong USP. Whether that’s by taking advantage of emerging tech, or by going the extra mile with customer service, it’s a case of finding what brings you the most success and doubling down on it.
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