Legal Brochure Design

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5 Most Common Law Firm Marketing Mistakes

Testimonials

"Since we have involved Nick in marketing there has been a transformation in our practice. Whilst previously we had plodded along for 10 years picking up all sorts of work via word of mouth and local networking , thanks to Nick we now have focus and are attracting the sort of work and clients that we want on a daily basis. Nick is innovative and proactive. He doesn't believe in putting off until tomorrow anything that can be done today. He is results oriented and we can already, after a relatively short period of time, see results"

Jenny Batchelor, Batchelor Myddelton Solicitors.

"Nick Jervis was recommended to me from a well respected colleague who had also received advice and assistance in relation to the development of her practice. Her words to me were something like; "Use Nick he will get you results.

As a new practice specialising in an extremely competitive area of the law I was eager to give ourselves the very best chance of growing the business. It seemed to me that as Nick was a former solicitor who had years of practising experience he would already know the marketplace.

Unlike other marketeers, he would also have a real appreciation of what my job entails on a day-to-day basis giving him a very good head start. Nick's initial "health check" was certainly a worthwhile exercise.

In the first instance I found Nick very personable and easy to get along with. After asking me a series of questions about our practice he produced suggestions in relation to how we should go about growing the business.

What I liked about Nick's approach was that he came up with a number of practical suggestions that we could start working on straight away and these did not necessarily involve any expense. He kept things simple and did not overload me with too many ideas and unrealistic targets.

I have no hesitation in recommending Nick Jervis and his company enthusiastically and wholeheartedly (my only reservation is that if too many other people get to know about him it may make life more difficult for us!)."

Chris Carter, Partner
Carter & Carter Solicitors

"I have met various consultants over the years and have always been cautious when engaging their services. However, the difference with Nick is that as a solicitor he really understands my business so that saves a lot of time. When you add to that his proven marketing experience and the fact that he consistently provides a high return on investment for my practice (ie wins me new instructions and new clients every single month) I have no hesitation in recommending him."

Robert Gray
Gray Hooper Holt Solicitors.

Hot Topics

Nick Jervis, Non Practising Solicitor and Director of Samson Consulting Limited.

Solicitors' Brochures - why bother?

1. Why bother with a legal brochure?

Choosing a solicitor is an "informed decision" meaning that any client needs to assess your competence before they can decide to instruct you. A key way of doing this is by assessing any materials produced by you.

Whereas the internet is now a major and still rapidly growing area for researching new suppliers (to be explored in a later issue) there are many clients who still do not use the internet. These clients still need to be convinced that you are the right firm for them and brochures are often the only tool they can use to assess this.

2. Your target market?

As with any marketing activity, you must ensure that your brochure communicates with your target market. If you are not sure who your target market is, look at your current database. Can you organise the majority of your clients by age, wealth or location? You need to know so that you can ensure your brochures speak in a language that your clients can relate to.

3. Brochure Design

This is one area that has caused me many sleepless nights due to some of the poor quality brochures I have seen in solicitor reception areas. I have seen brochures with partners names crossed out when they have moved on or new addresses written beside the old one. If a client sees such a poor quality brochure, what confidence will it give them in the quality of your legal services?

Another easy option to save redesigning brochures or designing them for the first time is to use the Free Law Society Guides (the black ones). These might look fine at first, and they allow slight personalisation as you can apply your own practice stamp to the back of it, but the content inside is wholly generic. This means you cannot communicate to your target market as you cannot write the content. There is also no opportunity to build your brand as you are simply promoting the Law Society brand. Worse still, the brochure actually instructs the reader to go to the Law Society website to find the right solicitor for them. It would be much better to have your promotional materials just promoting your law firm.

By having your own brochures you have complete control over the content which can then reflect the benefits of using your legal services over those of your competitors. Yes this means spending a little more money and yes it will take more time, but if you want to build your practice for the future it is the only way to move forward. (For legal brochures that can be with you in as little as 14 days, visit
Legal Brochure Design).

4. Testimonials

If you do a good job your clients will tell you (make a point of asking clients for feedback (for instance on your end of client questionnaire) and include a standard tick box asking if you can use this feedback for promotional purposes). Client testimonials on your marketing materials reassure prospective clients that you are the right practice to look after their business needs.

5. How to use them?

Finally, once you have invested in brochures please make sure you use them. Rather than fearing the reprint costs, embrace them. Having to order a reprint is great news as it means that either 1,000 or 10,000 more people now know about your services!

10 ways to use your brochures to win new clients:

Reception - Obvious I know, but invest in some brochure presentation racks. Make sure your receptionist is given full responsibility to keep them well stocked.
Every Office and the Boardroom - Again, invest in a display unit for every room in your practice. When clients are sitting opposite you if the brochure is on display they are more likely to pick it up and discover the frange of services you offer.
New Instructions - Send one to all new clients to ensure they know what other services you can help them with.
Database - Having a new brochure designed is an excellent opportunity to remind all of the clients you have acted for in the last year or two that you still exist. Failing to do this might mean that your clients go elsewhere for their legal needs in the future.
Direct Marketing Campaign - If you are looking for new clients you can build a direct mail campaign around your brochures. Direct Mail is always far more successful when followed up with a telephone campaign. Outsource this if you do not have the ability to do it in house.
Referrers 1 - If you have relationships with other professional referrers, from IFA's to Accountants, ask if they will promote your brochures in their reception areas.
Referrers 2 - Remind all of your referrers how else you can help them by sending them your brochure.
File Closing - Send a copy to all clients on closing files to ensure they have your range of services for future reference.
Client Referrals - Send your client two brochures asking them to pass on the other one to anyone else they know who might benefit from your services. Satisfied clients should be one of your best referral sources.
Networking events - Instead of the usual business card, staple your card to your latest brochure.

Free Guide Explains More About Brochures

If you are considering brochures, you must download my free guide below. This features a whole section on printed brochures and other vital marketing collateral for solicitors. Download the free guide before you obtain any brochures and I guarantee that the brochures you subsequently obtain will be far more effective!