by Robin Dicks | Sep 21, 2015 | Robin's Blog
We’re seeing signs that some firms, and in particular law firms, are moving away from thinking about differentiation as being “lets change our logo and the colours on our website”. A mystery shopping exercise we recently performed across a small set of firms showed that: Two firms had genuinely determined an “offer” which was distinctive and provided something materially different to competing firms One firm talked about undertaking work in a different way, but it appeared “skin deep” as lawyers could not articulate how they did this For one firm, there was a huge gap between what it said it was like, and the experience of a prospective client in dealing with them.There was a gulf between the “verbiage” in brochures and the website, and the reality. It was also a matter of chance as to whether the enquirer was put through to the right person. What do you think your firm would look like to a prospective client? Do you know how your proposition stacks up?...
by Robin Dicks | Jul 19, 2013 | Uncategorized
A recent article in the Law Gazette described the potential impact on major firms in 2013-14, of corporate clients reviewing their law firm relationships. This risk holds for all providers of professional services. Erroneously, it can sometimes be viewed as just a “tick box” approach. It’s never entirely that. This should remind firms to consider how well they are positioned on the key things that drive value to clients and enable them to retain relationships. Taking a step back, how robust is your insight about your position with key clients, and what are you doing to protect it? Client research is of course one way to reduce that risk – I always remember a remark made by one law firm client. While the day to day service provided by the firm was fine, they were going to be culled from the panel. The reason? They did not understand enough about the client’s business or strategy....
