Turning the business model in your law firm inside out: focus on effective Internal Marketing.

• Author: Lowell, William E.

My wife will no longer go out to dinner with me. It's not my manners. I just have this theory, if something is not right when I walk into a restaurant--if the hostess is surly, has a bad attitude or the table is unclean--then nine times out of 10 the food will be cold and the service will be bad. Rather than sticking around for the inevitable disappointment, I simply walk right out; and frankly, I'm not shy about telling others to stay away from that establishment.

All the available evidence suggests that most people are like me. They are increasingly demanding and will not tolerate a bad experience, whether they are buying a meal or working with an attorney. That is why it has never been more important for law firms to have an effective Internal Marketing program in place.

Ultimately, Internal Marketing is all about developing "relationship capital." Relationship capital is created when everyone on your team is focused on working together to create a positive brand image and deliver that brand promise to each and every client. If your firm doesn't understand and support the brand message, it is doubtful anyone else will either. "Internal marketing is crucial to employing the full strength of a brand," says Karl James & Company Principal, Karl Robe, APR. "If employee actions are inconsistent with how you position your firm in the marketplace, the brand narrative and power quickly diminish."

Dr. Silvia Hodges, Ph.D., who teaches law firm management at Fordham Law School in New York and Professional Services Marketing at Emerson College in Boston, believes Internal Marketing is everyone's responsibility. "The most important point is that marketing, human resources and the leadership of the firm all need to work together on Internal Marketing and to drive the efforts," she says. "Marketing cannot do it themselves. The key is to get people wholeheartedly on board. It's all about leadership, the culture and communication efforts," Hodges further states.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Unfortunately, in too many organizations, Internal Marketing is little more than an afterthought. In a recent nationwide survey, only about one in five executives (21 percent) say their marketing and HR departments work together to drive the brand internally and externally.

Effective Internal Marketing prepares your associates, staff and even partners to properly handle every interaction, or "touch point," they might have with existing clients, prospects and recruits...