The question.

• Author: Hirsch, Stewart
• Position: Ask the Authorities

Our firm's managing partner has no interest in hearing about how other industries market and sell. He says lawyers are different. What can I say to him that will help him realize he's making a mistake?

Jay Wager

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The foundation of legal business development continues to be based on a mix of trust, respect and friendship. However, it is only one sector of the professional services arena that employs this relationship-based model. Accounting, management consulting and financial advisory firms are too similar and successful to dismiss.

Everyone is grappling with leveraging the Internet and mobile devices to communicate effectively with existing and prospective clients. Lawyers do not differ there. What about globalization of the marketplace? Again, there are industries that are years ahead. Knowing your clients? High-end and luxury retail businesses go to extremes to keep their customers happy. There are applicable lessons for legal client service.

Also, it is no longer only in-house counsel making the choice. Procurement departments and consultants are significant decision makers who are applying approaches common with product and technology industries. The smart strategy is to identify the best practice that addresses the marketing challenge you face and not to limit your solution to the legal industry.

Jay Wager has been developing business and marketing for law and consulting firms since 1991, and is business development manager at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge. He will be the 2011 LMA NE chapter president

Brian Colucci

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Your managing partner is right--law firms are different than companies. That said, there are lessons to learn. If you can get your managing partner to admit that there's room for improvement, focus on one thing--superior client service. Consider Apple--a retail company with outstanding products and fiercely loyal clients. Apple sells products, but they also sell service and experience. Apple's approach is uniform and consistent--with a level of service and quality that makes customers proud to be associated with the company. Imagine the power of that same type of loyalty among your clients.

Your firm sells solutions to complicated problems to sophisticated clients--but if your competitors do the same thing with better service, you will lose. Lessons in client service are everywhere--from accountants, financial advisers and other sophisticated professional services providers--to...