The Honeymoon

Once a firm is ready to begin the marketing technology implementation, it’s important to focus on doing everything possible to ensure that the initial “honeymoon period” of the technology rollout is blissful. One way to do this is to start small. Begin by finding a pilot group of attorneys who could really benefit from using  the technology. Look for a group with a strong, committed leader and an interest in marketing or business development.

Spend some quality time talking to the group to get to know their desires. Are there problems they want solved, processes they want automated or information they need access to? Adopt and adapt the technology to meet those needs. Don’t forget to provide adequate support. While some attorneys may want to use the system themselves, others may need “hand-holding” from their assistants or the marketing team. During the pilot, solicit feedback so group members feel heard and incorporate suggestions that may improve the implementation.

Once the pilot is successful, it can then be repeated with additional groups. One firm we consulted with discovered that the honeymoon pilot phase doesn’t even have to end. When their initial pilot had to be extended, they found that treating additional groups as pilots actually allowed them to customize the technology and nurture each group’s needs, which had the added benefit of making sure each group felt the love. Just keep planning new pilots until everyone has participated.

Anniversaries

For better or worse, the union of lawyers and marketing technology may not seem like an easy affair, but for firms that are willing to commit the time, effort and resources, the benefits will likely leave them feeling happy ever after, which certainly has a nice ring to it.

Finally, all lasting relationships require ongoing attention. This means that a successful marketing technology implementation shouldn’t be seen as a project or an initiative, but rather a long-term commitment that never really ends. The good news is that this means that you have “from this day forward” to dedicate to ongoing nurturing of the relationship.