The lawyer is increasingly mobile in his career and today there are as many modes of practice as there are lawyer profiles. If some choose to set up individually, others prefer to opt for the creation of a structure with colleagues, if not with other regulated professions (as part of an SPE). Finally, other lawyers choose to pursue a career within a firm and, possibly, to apply for the association.
If for a very long time, the classic pattern was to “learn your lessons” for a few years in a firm, the new generation of lawyers arriving on the market seems to want to emancipate themselves and establish themselves as lawyers more quickly. However, it is necessary to ask the right questions before proceeding with the installation.
Anticipate your installation from your collaboration
The installation is anticipated and often involves a change in lifestyle for a lawyer. Leaving their comfortable fee retrocession is a risk that many lawyers fear, especially if they have not been able to develop their personal clientele within a firm.
In order to overcome this fear, it is necessary to prepare its installation from its collaboration. The objective must be to gradually detach yourself from the image of your firm and to assert your own identity and your own skills. So, the first step can be to create your own website with your own offers before settling down. This allows:
- to take the time to think about its positioning, its offers and its visual identity before being caught up in economic constraints and the need to quickly generate customers;
- to free yourself from the image of your firm and to be visible on Google;
- to test the market and get initial feedback on its ability to generate leads.
Build your offer and differentiate yourself
The arrival on the market of other players (legaltech, accountants, associations, etc.) requires lawyers to build a solid and differentiating offer before setting up. Indeed, the lawyer can no longer simply “put down his plate” and put forward classic legal expertise.
Formalize the needs of your customers and your target audience and build an offer that meets their expectations.
Rather than showcasing general legal expertise (areas of law) on your website, try bundling your services and tailoring your areas of intervention to your clients' specific needs. Also, consider offering online services and automating low-value tasks to save time and remain competitive on price.
Finally, a firm can also be innovative through the additional services that the lawyer can offer to his client, for example:
- The possibility for the customer to access a personal online space where they can permanently access the elements of their file (Invoice History Secure Documentary Space);
- The electronic signature
- Paying bills online
Mobilize different communication levers
In order to sell your services, it is necessary to be identified and identifiable on the market. A communication strategy involves mobilizing different channels in order to showcase your expertise.
– First, a minimalist approach is to register on a lawyer-client matching platform. There are currently around ten such platforms , each with specific features. Some platforms charge the lawyer, others do not. Registering on a platform allows you, at a minimum, to be listed on the web and generate some leads. Therefore, analyzing the existing solutions on the market seems to be an essential preliminary step in preparing your setup (in this regard, see the video "Finding a (Good) Lawyer #1 (Legal Tech Battle)").
Next, it's essential to adopt a proactive approach on social media . These new platforms allow you to build a community (1), generate a prospect base (2), and improve your search engine ranking (3). The goal is to be recognized as a specialist in one or more areas of expertise. The first step is to analyze the behavior of your target audience (individuals, professionals, etc.) and register on the most relevant networks to reach them. While LinkedIn is the preferred professional network, the power of other platforms like YouTube and Instagram shouldn't be underestimated. A proactive approach on social media involves publishing content very regularly, whether it's in-depth content (articles, infographics, videos) or storytelling (conference presentations, for example). Post during peak hours on each network to maximize the impact of your posts, and don't hesitate to collaborate with other professionals by tagging each other in your posts. Promote your network, and it will reward you!
– Finally, you should not hesitate to offer free content to your community. The time invested in this process will validate your expertise and will be a premium product in order to offer your services. In order to have a return on investment, the content offered must be quality (1), accessible (2) and innovative (3). First of all, your content must be legally backed as this is the basis of your credibility in the market. Furthermore, the content must be educational in order to be understood by all litigants (avoid “notwithstanding” and other legal terminology). Finally, propose a format that thinks outside the box. Many lawyers are exploring new formats such as legal design infographics (Kristina Lazatian), Podcasts (Elise Couintet) or even YouTube videos (Arthur Sauzé). These formats will be better referenced than traditional articles. Offer to send your content to your community via a newsletter in order to build up a file of prospects.
get organized in order to work efficiently
In the first months of installation, it is rare to have fixed and closed offices. Many lawyers choose to start working in coworking spaces dedicated to lawyers, partly with a colleague and generally increase their travel. This mobility requires the lawyer to have access to his files and documents with him at all times while protecting his clients' data. Thus, a private cloud solution with local replication is ideal for being autonomous, mobile, perfectly secure and not dependent on the Internet.
Furthermore, the automation of a certain number of low added value tasks (invoicing for example) saves considerable time in file management.
Generate customers and follow your files
Generating clientele and turnover is often painful for a lawyer who is setting up because this commercial dimension has not been considered at the University and at the EFB.
The first step, once you have defined your positioning and established your business plan, is to rely on your network. Your personal and professional relationships are your first supports and know many potential prospects. Help them, inform them, explain to them what you are offering.
Also, a simple solution to generate customers is to resort to file subcontracting. Indeed, small established structures often face an overload of files and look for young colleagues to whom they can subcontract files. Using subcontracting is a way of maintaining a minimum level of remuneration, while benefiting from the flexibility of the installation. Such a solution makes it possible to limit the tedious prospecting phase and to have a few customers directly.
Above all, maintain a 360-degree view of your prospects and adopt a structured sales strategy. Record all your prospects, communicate your offers, and don't hesitate to follow up. Using SaaS business development solutions (for example, Nomination ) allows you to identify opportunities to connect with the prospects that matter to you and to initiate the relationship. Once your first prospects are converted into customers, follow up with them and check in frequently to identify new needs.