Sometimes it's what we *don't* ask lawyers to do.
"We don't ask our lawyers to use it." My head whipped up. I'm approximating, but that's roughly how Jen Shankleton answered a question about CRM licenses at the Legal Marketing Association TechWest x Southwest conference in Phoenix last week.
The message rang out like a bell to me: You don't have to do what other firms do. You only have to do what works for your firm.
Jen spoke in the program, "From RFP to ROI: The Modern Law Firm CRM Journey." Out of four panelists, Jen was alone in using CRM as a tool for the marketing and business development team rather than a product for lawyers to use.
When lawyers in Jen's firm have questions or need info on who knows whom, they contact the MBD team. Lawyers aren't expected to learn the CRM, and the product's value does not depend on lawyer adoption or participation.
In Jen's firm, CRM is a useful tool to help connect dots. It is not an extra burden on lawyers, and it doesn't add work to those who don't see the value of it. That's why it succeeds.
What works for Jen's group may not work for yours. My point is not about CRM. It's that sometimes, client service depends on doing something different from what others do.
Jen figured out how to give her firm what it needs without adding work or distraction for lawyers. Sometimes, the best gift to lawyers is what we don't ask them to do.
