By: Kevin O’Donnell , Marketing Manager, MKRS Law

What I find to be one of the most interesting sciences behind marketing is the motivational and influential factors in what makes a person choose A over B. Arguably, the trickiest undertaking is making the decision making process easier for our target audience and ensuring there is no buyer’s remorse. At the end of the day we all share the same end goal as any other service or product-based industry– customer satisfaction, guaranteed.

It’s not much different than standing in a store aisle, faced with hundreds of different brands that are all carefully designed and packaged, screaming the same “PICK ME! PICK ME!” message to be the best solution to a problem. You have to be able to set yourself apart as a law firm and make sure that your results are good enough to bring back your repeat customers. Though some will argue that the overall look of a firm shouldn’t play a hugely significant part in the selection process, I hate to break it to those people, but I think we all know that you aren’t choosing the brand of t-shirt that already has some loose threads and a type-o on the tag. Yes, you’re probably more comfortable paying a little more for the brand you can trust, but we all know that looks aren’t everything. How you specialize your services is increasingly important to a firm’s survival.

I remember throwing out the word “USP” in my first few weeks and getting looked at like dyslexia had gotten the best of me when discussing mail carriers. No, no, I did indeed mean USP-unique selling proposition. You need to identify your uniqueness and promote it at every opportunity you have. In an industry where everyone claims to be the best (not literally, of course…those tricky legal advertising rules will make sure of that), you have to show your clients why you actually are the best and what sets you apart. Many firms are fully capable of being a jack of all trades but focusing on a niche market in such a competitive industry is what really sets you apart. Every individual that makes up a well-oiled machine should be a walking, talking brand ambassador. From the partners to the receptionist, everyone needs to have even the slightest marketing persona tucked away in their back packet, prepared to answer “Why should we hire you?”

As appeared in the LMASE December Newsletter.