You might have heard of the term USP or unique selling point in legal marketing. In my opinion a true USP for most law firms is unlikely to be what you do (unless you have a very niche area of law) but more often how you do it.
This can be difficult to articulate as every firm says they deliver excellent service, they are client focused, partner-led etc. It’s also not a marketing communications activity but a strategic decision, which then affects everything about your business and the way you work with clients.
I promised something easy in the headline though and the five points below will help any firm differentiate themselves from their competitors, USP or not!
1. Be seen
Be the first person to comment on your area of law in the press, radio and blogs. Look for opportunities to speak at seminars and update your professional introducers on changes that might affect their clients too.
This isn’t a one off exercise, but a regular drip feed of information to the right places that results in you and your firm being seen as leaders in a particular aspect of law or a geographical area.
2. Think benefits
Whether it’s the written or spoken word, focus on the benefits you deliver for clients, not the features of the firm. Use the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) and So What? test on everything you produce. Make a list of your features and next to each one write “which means that…”
3. Testimonials
Testimonials build trust. When a client instructs you they are trusting you with something (positive or negative) that is likely to be one of the most important things in their lives at that point in time. They should appear on your website, promotional material and most importantly on each quote that you send to clients.
4. Case studies
This is where you can really show off your benefits and the value you provide. Don’t assume they are only useful for commercial services, even for private work whilst you might not be able to name the client you can explain the situation, what you did to help and the outcome.
5. Accreditations
If you have Lexcel, CQS or any other recognised accreditations make sure you’re letting clients and prospects know. It’s not enough to simply have the logos on your website and letterhead – most clients will not know what they mean! Explain what you are required to do to maintain these standards and how that helps your clients.
For a no obligation discussion about marketing for your law firm click here.