HOW THE PANDEMIC IS CHANGING THE WAY LAW FIRMS DO BUSINESS
Since Covid19 has hit, the world is starting to open up again, but many businesses know that the way they did business before the pandemic hit will never return. The business world has been turned on its head. Everything from how we travel, work, shop, and eat at restaurants have changed.
The legal profession has changed too, as a result of the changes and it will affect everything including how we market our business and maintain relationships with clients. Some of the changes would eventually have occurred; the outbreak has simply moved things along.
Marketing has changed the way that professional services will be looked at, investigated, evaluated and law firms retained in the now often remote working environment that has been created. This affects client retention as well.
Bar luncheons, after hours networking, face to face business meetings, and meetings with new clients are even now limited. These things have been replaced with scrutiny of expertise, on-line research, and proof of confidence before there is any direct contact made. Usually who is having the easiest time with this are the attorneys who can adapt to these changes. Referrals today start in-depth on-line investigation such as website, social profiles such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
When a potential client has determined through all these sources that you have the expertise they require and you are their very best option, then you will get an email, text or in some cases (still) a phone call.
The question is how do you adapt your business to continue business development and new client retention?
1, Content – Attorneys need to show their competence and experience. They do this through blogs and sharing other sources of relevant information that is helpful. The key is to keep it short and sweet, write often and write about things that contain new ideas.
2. Website –A website is your first, last and every chance in-between to make a good first impression. Make it count! Make sure your website is up-to-date, easy to use on a mobile device and contains relevant information. A website needs to be kept up to date and show that it is a living brochure for your firm.
3. Social Media – Clients have more time on their hands and spend a significant amount of time on social media. This means that you need to become part of the social media crowd and participate in “social networking”. Join groups, participate in posts, repurpose blogs and other postings.
4. Communications – How comfortable are you with texting? Do you have a digital appointment calendar? Is your office set up to make good impressions on video chat, zoom or gotomeetings? Become comfortable with these alternate avenues of client meetings, court hearings, mediations and the like. Make sure that you come across genuine, sincere and authentic.
These things are more important than ever. As I said, law firms will likely never go back to doing business the way they did before. Even potential employees want to know if positions are remote or partly remote. Some law firms cannot operate this way.
But your law firm needs to keep up with the changes, at the same time taking care of its current clients and managing the business that takes care of its operation. It is, in fact, a whole new world!
Call me – Liz Miller – Law Practice Management Consultant at 813-340-9569. I can help your law firm keep up with changes that have happened because of the pandemic – and you keep doing what you are doing: practicing law!!
Email: liz.managementconsultant@gmail.com
