Law Practice
Sep. 29, 2016
Word of mouth it still king
Technology allows us to use fancy analytics to track and quantify marketing data and strategies, but going the extra mile for a client can still be the most powerful advertisement tool for a solo practice.
GOING SOLO
Marketing is an essential aspect of any solo practice, especially one that is newly established. An effective marketing strategy will combine traditional outreach to clients, establishing community ties and professional networking. Each of these components can lead to referrals and can build your practice. Aside from these traditional areas of marketing, I have found that going the extra mile for a client can be more powerful than the most effective advertisement or outreach campaign.
Modern technology allows us to use fancy analytics to track, organize and quantify marketing data and strategies. No doubt these tools are important and should be utilized. There is no doubt that the internet and technology are essential components of any marketing plan. But word of mouth is still king, especially for solo practices that must distinguish themselves from other practitioners and larger firms.
Your work and your advocacy can serve as the most natural vehicle for your marketing, if you really practice what you preach and live up to a standard that you set for yourself. A standard which puts your clients and their interests at the forefront of your practice and professional work. Not only does this allow you to ethically and effectively represent your client, but it can ultimately lead to clients when you least expect them.
In the spring of 2014 I took on a pro bono case, representing a young woman seeking asylum who was in detention. Thankfully she was granted asylum and I was able to secure her release. My main responsibility was to represent her in court, and many attorneys would have limited their representation to that issue. The young woman did not have any immediate friends or family in the United States, and was set to go to a homeless shelter once she was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
The idea that this young asylum seeker should go directly from prison to a homeless shelter did not sit particularly well with me. I knew a bit about her background as a Muslim woman, and reached out to a number of contacts in that community to see what kind of support I could find for her. The process was both frustrating and time consuming, but as a solo attorney it was my own choice to undertake this effort, even if it was beyond the scope of my normal representation.
I ended up contacting a local shelter that served Muslim women who were victims of domestic violence. I made several calls to the director, and insisted that she should be accepted, partly because her asylum case involved issues of domestic violence. The director initially expressed hesitation, but I remained insistent that she needed a safe place and that they should be ashamed for expressing hesitation in helping her if they had the space. The director agreed, and they took her in.
I was relieved to have the matter resolved, but what happened next taught me an interesting lesson in the power of passionate advocacy. The director of the shelter began to regularly contact me to ask me immigration questions, as the majority of their clients were in various stages of the immigration process. She said that she would like to make me the primary referral source for the women in their shelter. I agreed, and provided low-fee services to these clients.
I found this lesson to be particularly satisfying, as it was a natural product of personal advocacy and taking that extra step for a client and having it recognized. I did not approach the situation as a business opportunity, nor did I have a plan to obtain more referrals, but instead I did what I thought was the right thing. Sometimes that can actually be a great business strategy.
Ultimately as a solo attorney our advocacy is the best way to make ourselves stand out, and treating your clients with respect, dignity and care go hand in hand with other forms of marketing. The fact is that showing your clients that they are not simply business may be the best way to actually garner positive word of mouth, referrals and a consistent client base. So don't underestimate the power of taking that extra step for a client - it can be just as effective as the best forms of traditional marketing.
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