Many Marketers, Many Styles

There are several schools of thought in the broader law marketing community about how lawyers can ' and should ' market effectively. In fact, entire courses are taught to provide lawyers with a consistent framework for marketing. These are all well and good, but it is important to remember that lawyers have different personalities and, with that, different styles of marketing.

While each firm might like to have more of the “rainmaker” personalities, there may be another way to view the many marketing faces that lawyers put forth. For example, at my firm, Freeborn & Peters LLP, a regional law firm with 120 lawyers in two Illinois offices, there is a high degree of motivation for marketing among all lawyers. In fact, one of the best and most effective aspects of the firm's marketing program is how the different marketing personalities complement each other ' and help achieve the firm's marketing goals.

Certainly, there are areas for improvement and there needs to be a constant focus on marketing. However, by taking a look at some of the marketing personality patterns among lawyers in the firm, it helps to create specific marketing programs, design and allocate resources and connect younger lawyers to the appropriate style and mentor(s).

Over the course of my career, I've seen many different marketing styles exercised. Some styles worked very well for individuals and flopped for others. Here is a snap shot of some different marketing patterns I've come across:

“Relationship Building, Not Marketing.” There is a group of firm lawyers who turn a blind eye to some common marketing efforts, such as developing identity systems, advertising and other forms of communication-based efforts. Instead, they believe that the only effective marketing is one-to-one, face-to-face relationship building with clients and prospective clients. Bravo! Marketing theorists would say this is the epitome of excellent marketing. In many respects, it is. Looking at the flipside, the lawyers who espouse this viewpoint tend to have strong existing client relationships and an already large book of business. Relationship building without all the marketing pieces that support it ' including direct mail and advertising ' is not complete. Additionally, many younger lawyers are intimidated with the prospect of pure relationship building and their contacts generally are not in a position to refer significant business.

“Media, Media, Media.” There is another group of lawyers who believe any publicity is good publicity – and the more the better. Just spell my name correctly, they say. Again, media relations is one of the best, and most cost-effective, means of gaining visibility and credibility. But it is not a sales tool. More often than not, the media savvy lawyers eventually ask why their phone is not ringing with business. The answer is that media relations is a tactic to gain visibility, but rarely closes new business deals.

Marketing Planning: Firm, Practice Area and Individual Marketing Plans. I've worked with several lawyers who are businessmen at heart. They love to plan, talk strategy and go to market. For them, the planning process is one of their greatest motivators. The fact is that all law firms need good strategic thinkers who understand how planning can lead to results. Unfortunately, the great majority of lawyers go through the planning process as a needed assignment and great plans end up sitting on shelves and gathering dust. For all but the “businessman at heart”- type of lawyer, firms need to tie compensation to marketing planning in order to get lawyers to create and implement their plans.

Research! There are other firm attorneys who religiously do their homework on a prospect and are excellent at identifying the prospect's needs and tying the needs to firm service offerings. These same lawyers will deliver a presentation that will knock the socks off of the prospect. This technique works for the lawyers who have had presentation training or who are natural salespeople. For those who aren't comfortable speaking in front of an audience, this marketing technique is a disaster.

Many marketers may be put off track by the different personality styles of lawyers because it diverges from the “consistent approach to marketing” theory. What's important for marketers to know is that there isn't a “one size fits all” approach to marketing. As I move along in my career, I see the wisdom of multiple marketing styles and work to tailor programs to the personality styles of each lawyer.

If you're as fortunate as I am, you will be surrounded by a business savvy group of attorneys who understand the importance of marketing and are enthusiastic to share their individual secrets of success with other firm attorneys. As a result, there's a marketing fusion throughout the Firm and younger attorneys understand, appreciate, and are able to learn the many facets of marketing.

Sandra Napoli D'Arco is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Freeborn & Peters LLP, a Chicago-based law firm whose practice focuses on litigation, business law, bankruptcy, reorganization and creditors' rights, and government relations. Sandra can be reached at [email protected].

There are several schools of thought in the broader law marketing community about how lawyers can ' and should ' market effectively. In fact, entire courses are taught to provide lawyers with a consistent framework for marketing. These are all well and good, but it is important to remember that lawyers have different personalities and, with that, different styles of marketing.

While each firm might like to have more of the “rainmaker” personalities, there may be another way to view the many marketing faces that lawyers put forth. For example, at my firm, Freeborn & Peters LLP, a regional law firm with 120 lawyers in two Illinois offices, there is a high degree of motivation for marketing among all lawyers. In fact, one of the best and most effective aspects of the firm's marketing program is how the different marketing personalities complement each other ' and help achieve the firm's marketing goals.

Certainly, there are areas for improvement and there needs to be a constant focus on marketing. However, by taking a look at some of the marketing personality patterns among lawyers in the firm, it helps to create specific marketing programs, design and allocate resources and connect younger lawyers to the appropriate style and mentor(s).

Over the course of my career, I've seen many different marketing styles exercised. Some styles worked very well for individuals and flopped for others. Here is a snap shot of some different marketing patterns I've come across:

“Relationship Building, Not Marketing.” There is a group of firm lawyers who turn a blind eye to some common marketing efforts, such as developing identity systems, advertising and other forms of communication-based efforts. Instead, they believe that the only effective marketing is one-to-one, face-to-face relationship building with clients and prospective clients. Bravo! Marketing theorists would say this is the epitome of excellent marketing. In many respects, it is. Looking at the flipside, the lawyers who espouse this viewpoint tend to have strong existing client relationships and an already large book of business. Relationship building without all the marketing pieces that support it ' including direct mail and advertising ' is not complete. Additionally, many younger lawyers are intimidated with the prospect of pure relationship building and their contacts generally are not in a position to refer significant business.

“Media, Media, Media.” There is another group of lawyers who believe any publicity is good publicity – and the more the better. Just spell my name correctly, they say. Again, media relations is one of the best, and most cost-effective, means of gaining visibility and credibility. But it is not a sales tool. More often than not, the media savvy lawyers eventually ask why their phone is not ringing with business. The answer is that media relations is a tactic to gain visibility, but rarely closes new business deals.

Marketing Planning: Firm, Practice Area and Individual Marketing Plans. I've worked with several lawyers who are businessmen at heart. They love to plan, talk strategy and go to market. For them, the planning process is one of their greatest motivators. The fact is that all law firms need good strategic thinkers who understand how planning can lead to results. Unfortunately, the great majority of lawyers go through the planning process as a needed assignment and great plans end up sitting on shelves and gathering dust. For all but the “businessman at heart”- type of lawyer, firms need to tie compensation to marketing planning in order to get lawyers to create and implement their plans.

Research! There are other firm attorneys who religiously do their homework on a prospect and are excellent at identifying the prospect's needs and tying the needs to firm service offerings. These same lawyers will deliver a presentation that will knock the socks off of the prospect. This technique works for the lawyers who have had presentation training or who are natural salespeople. For those who aren't comfortable speaking in front of an audience, this marketing technique is a disaster.

Many marketers may be put off track by the different personality styles of lawyers because it diverges from the “consistent approach to marketing” theory. What's important for marketers to know is that there isn't a “one size fits all” approach to marketing. As I move along in my career, I see the wisdom of multiple marketing styles and work to tailor programs to the personality styles of each lawyer.

If you're as fortunate as I am, you will be surrounded by a business savvy group of attorneys who understand the importance of marketing and are enthusiastic to share their individual secrets of success with other firm attorneys. As a result, there's a marketing fusion throughout the Firm and younger attorneys understand, appreciate, and are able to learn the many facets of marketing.

Sandra Napoli D'Arco is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Freeborn & Peters LLP, a Chicago-based law firm whose practice focuses on litigation, business law, bankruptcy, reorganization and creditors' rights, and government relations. Sandra can be reached at [email protected].