Here are five different strategies your practice should be following if you hope to build and strengthen your law firm’s brand loyalty.
Brand loyalty is imperative when it comes to the growth of your law firm, and as you would assume that makes it pretty tough to nurture and establish.
According to studies, it is always cheaper to retain and reconvert exciting clients versus going out and getting new ones. But clients today are plugged into the world around them, instantly aware of your competition and the potential incentives they might be offering.
While every lawyer wants to build the next legal empire or grow their practice year-over-year, most don’t realize how much it costs in time and money to get there.
Despite the challenges, every law firm should be putting extra focus on achieving an exceptional brand image. Here are five different strategies your practice should be following if you hope to build and strengthen your law firm’s brand loyalty.
Make Every Client Experience A Memorable One
Today’s clients demand to be more than satisfied with your fees, they want to feel like they are being taken care of from start to finish in the best way possible. Their total experience needs to be held up to a higher standard. That means everything from the first time they visit your website, to the first email and conversation, all the way through the end of their legal matter needs to be done with the client’s experience in mind. If you can do that then they won’t only be happy clients but a real advocate of your practice as well.
Every Employee Must Do Their Part
All the marketing, low prices, legal degrees, and awards in the world won’t make your law firm’s brand memorable if your staff members don’t do their part as well. You need to build and reward a highly motivated and engaged front line. They are your greatest resource for generating brand loyalty in your clients. Think about it, your receptionist is likely going to be the first representative of your practice and they can help to set the tone for the rest of your client’s meeting. If they are not doing their part towards building strong brand loyalty or living up to the standards of your practice then you’re going to be fighting an uphill battle from the start.
Convert Client Interactions Into Relationships
Even digital and virtual interactions can foster real relationships and result in new clients. This means you need to pay very close attention to the conversation, especially if it is over the phone or on a video call. If they mention their kids or where they went to school, take note of that and use that information in your follow-up. If your potential clients feel like you are being a friend to them and care about their family and personal life, that relationship will have a much greater impact on the amount of brand loyalty they hold towards your firm.
Another strategy is to be responsive on social media, so that every client feels important and that they have a special friend as well as a lawyer to help them through whatever difficult matter they are going through.
Don’t Just Ask How You Can Improve
You should always ask and listen to customer feedback and fix existing problems, but the real challenge is to get input from your existing clients that you can use to excite and intrigue new and previous clients alike. They are your greatest resource when it comes to getting data and ideas on how to keep things fresh and to ensure your brand loyalty stays as strong as possible.
You may have to excite their imagination and entice them through the idea generation process. But if they come up with something great they will reward you with new business and brand loyalty that will only continue to strengthen.
Share Large Customer-focused Initiatives
Not every change or update to your practice is worthy of hype in your monthly newsletter or 500 social media posts. Your client’s attention span is short, and they will get bored or immune to constant harping on your latest incremental change, discount, and news on staff changes or successful verdicts. Your challenge is to create special events, offers, or changes that lead to customer loyalty.
An exceptional brand image is one of the most important things you can build in your practice and will determine its success for years to come. Now is the time to measure your brand loyalty, follow these suggestions and take it up a notch.
