Good law firm management is critical for successful marketing. That means, for there to be an effective marketing program, there needs to be an effective management structure and team. Marketing activities should be based on implementing the firm’s business plan, which in turn needs to come from management’s:
-leadership
-vision
-setting goals and objectives
-providing incentives and allocating resources
-holding attorneys accountable
-measuring results
Adam Smith, Esq. blog highlights a report by Smock Sterling Strategic Management Consultants on how law firm management has improved over the last 20 years. Key findings include:
-law firms now recognize themselves as businesses,
-high quality work is merely “price of admission” and no longer guarantees new clients,
-marketing is no longer a dirty word,
-management is better because it has to be,
-more non-lawyers involved in management, and
-practice group management is on the rise.
A law firm must instill good management, including appropriate planning for its future, before it can do the kind of marketing that will make a difference.
