You do great legal work, provide cost-efficient services and respond to client requests promptly. But the fact is, so does everyone else. How can you differentiate yourself from all the other great lawyers out there? Truly adding value lies in exceeding expectations and personalizing your service. Here’s what we’ve heard from clients.
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- Be invested in your clients’ professional success. Ask them what their goals are and go the extra mile to help them achieve what they’ve set out to accomplish. Perhaps they are looking to advance their career by changing companies. Keep your eye out for job opportunities you can help them land. If they are looking to demonstrate thought leadership, co-author an article with them and take the lead on getting it published. If they seek to raise their profile, nominate them for an award. Becoming part of your clients’ success demonstrates your commitment to them beyond legal work, and that is one way to provide real value.
- Communicate frequently and proactively. Don’t wait for clients to give you feedback. Check in with them regularly to get their thoughts on your work and actively listen to what they say. Provide status reports along the way, and let them know if a project might exceed the number of hours you originally estimated. Don’t let them find out their motion was denied before you tell them. Don’t make them chase you for their bill. These may sound obvious, but they are real examples of client complaints. Good communication habits can give you an edge over your competition.
- Know their business. Clients cannot stress enough the importance of understanding their industry and their company. Do your research, and then ask deeper questions to further learn about their company. Ask what their biggest business challenges are. Know who their competitors are. Become a resource and you will have a happy client.
- Get to know them as a person. Are they an opera fan? Do they enjoy craft beer? Do they have a dog that they love like a child? Are they avid cruisers? Find out these tidbits and engage with them about their interests. Send interesting articles related to their hobbies. If you have interests in common, invite them to do what you both love. Give gifts with a personal touch instead of something generic. All of this will keep you top of mind and they will appreciate the thought.
- Be invested in your clients’ professional success. Ask them what their goals are and go the extra mile to help them achieve what they’ve set out to accomplish. Perhaps they are looking to advance their career by changing companies. Keep your eye out for job opportunities you can help them land. If they are looking to demonstrate thought leadership, co-author an article with them and take the lead on getting it published. If they seek to raise their profile, nominate them for an award. Becoming part of your clients’ success demonstrates your commitment to them beyond legal work, and that is one way to provide real value.
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“I’m attending my client’s baby’s christening next week,” a lawyer recently mentioned. We aren’t advocating for cutting the umbilical cord, of course, but this anecdote illustrates the result of taking the time to build deep relationships and exceed expectations: you’ll have staunch allies, and in the best case, dear friends.
