18 februarie, 2015
Mihai Voicu a participat la finalul lunii ianuarie la intalnirea trimestriala a membrilor Legal Netlink Alliance (LNA) de la Bruxelles. Principalele teme de discutie au fost, pe de o parte, investitia in comunicarea online si in dezvoltarea unei strategii de marketing coerente, iar pe de alta parte succesele recente inregistrate in proiecte de constructii si infrastructura – proiecte la care au contribuit diversi membri LNA, intre care si ONV LAW.
February 18th, 2015
Mihai Voicu, attended the Quarterly Members’ Meeting of Legal Netlink Alliance (LNA) at the end of January, in Brussels. The main topics addressed were, on the one hand the investment in online communication and in the development of consistent marketing strategies, and on the other hand, the recent successful construction and infrastructure projects for which several LNA members, ONV LAW included, joined forces.
Intre vorbitori s-a aflat Jim Perkins, COO al firmei de avocatura Procopio Cory Hargreaves Savitch – firma ce deserveste clienti din Silicon Valley (USA) si are o experienta pe piata avocaturii de aproape 70 de ani. Jim Perkins a impartasit din experienta sa privind investitiile in marketing si a subliniat ca “in avocatura numai avocatii pot vinde, de aceea rolul departamentului de marketing este sa ii puna pe acestia in cea mai buna postura pentru a vinde.”
Cooperarea membrilor LNA din mai multe tari pentru a deservi clienti internationali a fost un subiect-cheie, in contextul economic actual. Colaborarea dintre ONV LAW si Studio Legale Padovan (Italia) care in 2015 au asistat un client international cu un proiect de infrastructura in Romania, a fost un success notabil in acest sens. Un alt succes al Grupului de Lucru de Dreptul Constructiilor din cadrul LNA este cooperarea membrilor din Marea Britanie (Goodman Derrick), Italia (Studio Legale Padovan) si Qatar (Qatar International Law Firm) pentru lansarea unui proiect de infrastructura de anvergura in Orientul mijlociu.
Atat avocatii din Europa cat si cei din alte piete sunt constienti ca investitia intr-o strategie de marketing aliniata la modelul de business al firmei este vitala pentru cresterea numarului de clienti si fidelizarea acestora. In special in Romania, unde avocatii au mai putine ocazii de a crea jurispridenta decat in sistemul anglo-saxon, inovatia si implicit detasarea unei firme de avocatura fata de competitori se face intai de toate prin calitatea relatiei avocet-client. Din acest motiv, unele firme au inceput sa cultive o relatie mai apropiata cu potentialii si actualii clienti, venind in intampinarea acestora cu informatii despre beneficiile colaborarii cu firma respectiva si mai putin cu informatii standard despre atributele serviciilor avocatiale, asa cum era pana nu demult.
Un alt indiciu care demonstreaza apropierea de clienti este cresterea vizibilitatii firmei in locurile de unde acestia isi culeg informatia. Pentru asta e suficient sa verifici ce case de avocatura intretin profiluri pe retelele de socializare, investesc in punerea la zi a site-ului firmei, contribuie cu opinii juridice pe teme de larg interes in media, sau adera la statutul de membru in retelele profesionale internationale – retele care joaca rolul de garant in relatiile dintre clientii straini si firmele autohtone (de ex. retelele LNA, Interlaw).
Pe langa crearea unor relatii mai stranse cu clientii si cresterea vizibilitatii firmei in randul acestora, ceea ce nu trebuie sa sufere modificari este calitatea serviciilor. Nu poti promova beneficii fictive, pe care nu le oferi in practica, fara ca piata sa prinda de veste. Este un fapt confirmat de avocatii participanti la reuniune, indiferent de piata pe care functioneaza.
Among the speakers there was Jim Perkins, COO of Procopio Cory Hargreaves Savitch Law Firm – a practice that serves clients in the Silicon Valley (USA) and has a 70 years experience in the legal market. Jim Perkins shared his experience in marketing investment and pointed out that “only lawyers can properly sell legal services, therefore, the role of the marketing departments is to put them in the best light to sell.”
The cooperation among LNA members from different countries to the benefit of international customers has been a key-subject in the current economical context. In 2015, ONV LAW and Studio Legale Padovan (Italy) provided assistance to an international client handling an infrastructure project in Romania. The collaboration has been a success as testified by the client. Another success of the Constructions Law Working Group in LNA is the cooperation of members from the UK (Goodman Derrick), Italy (Studio Legale Padovan) and Qatar (Qatar International Law Firm) for helping a client launch a major infrastructure project in the Middle East.
Both lawyers in Europe and those in other markets are aware that investing in a marketing strategy aligned to the company’s business model is vital to business development and customer loyalty. Especially in Romania, where lawyers have fewer opportunities to create jurisprudence than in the Anglo-Saxon system, law firms have better chances to innovate and stand out from competitors if they focus on quality client-attorney relationships. For this reason, some companies have begun to foster closer relationships with prospective and current clients. They do this by providing information to clients about the specific benefits of working with their law firm instead of standard information about the general benefits of legal advice, as was the case until recently.
One of the things that show law firms have been drawing closer to their clients is the firms’ increased visibility in the new venues where clients started to search for information. For instance, one can check which law firms maintain profiles on social networks, invest in updating their websites, contribute with legal opinions on topics of broad interest in media, or accede to membership in international professional networks – networks that act as reference point in relationships between foreign clients and domestic firms (e.g. Legal Netlink Alliance, Interlaw).
Besides the habit of creating closer ties with customers and increasing company visibility, what should not be altered is service quality. Lawyers cannot promote fictitious benefits for too long before the market gets alerted. The lawyers attending the LNA Meeting, have been confirming this repeatedly, regardless of the markets in which they operate.