Part of the competitive advantage of being a small to medium law firm is having the ability to implement strategies that will bring you closer to your clients, to understand them better, and to give them more tailored service. Strategies that have marketing for a law firm as an objective, but with a personalised touch.
We have seen how smaller and astute law firms have identified the gap in their markets for genuine, personalised messaging. They develop connections with clients in ways that provide real points of difference in their law firm marketing strategies.
Sending out a client Christmas card is a clear differentiator for the firms who choose to do it – and it is somewhat surprising to us that only the most savvy law firms have embraced this as part of their marketing plan.
Receiving a personalised Christmas card reinforces to a client why they chose you in the first place; the sense that they are important, valued and “known’’ to you – they are not just another client. And research shows that receiving a personalised message and/or a compliment causes our brains to view the sender of that message more favourably.
Flow on Benefits
The benefits of this to your own practice are also easy to identify. Our experience in marketing for law firms has shown that a retained client, one with whom you can build an ongoing relationship, is worth its weight in gold. Each year that you spend with a long-term client entrenches your position as a trusted advisor, and increases the ‘switching cost’ for that client. Winning new clients is difficult. Delighting existing clients not so – because you have the advantage of history.
In addition, that personal touch often results in priceless word of mouth referrals. Sending Christmas cards is also an excellent brand awareness exercise for the firm.
Putting This into Action
With the holiday season approaching, there is no better time to think about sending out a friendly, personalised message in your own branding with a Christmas card. After all, new projects and planning typically take place at the end of one year and beginning of another.
And it gives you another chance to reinforce to your clients – existing, inactive and prospective – the benefits they get from choosing a firm like yours. On a more practical level, it also allows you to advise your clients of your office hours over the holiday season, so they can plan accordingly.
The good news is, you don’t have to use your own in-office staff for this task or do it yourself. We know that your time is more fruitfully spent in focusing on legal work, not in organising a client Christmas card mailout. The Lift Legal Marketing team is on hand to help streamline the process for you.
12 Weeks Left till Christmas – Prepare Now
By investing as little as $350 plus GST for client Christmas cards we can help you to implement this highly effective form of law firm marketing and reputation building. We can also offer you a template that you can choose so that you don’t have to start from scratch before you add the personal touches that only you can provide.
To find out how you can get this process started, and delight your clients this holiday season, contact Peter to order your cards by emailing him at [email protected]. And if you’d like to view the gallery at any time with a selection of design options to choose from you can do so here.
About the author
Peter Heazlewood
Peter Heazlewood is a management and marketing consultant, he specialises in helping law firms develop their practices using business planning marketing and performance reporting techniques refined in his own successful law firm. Peter lives in Sydney with his wife and is the father of five adult children.
