As
the big name brands barge their way into the legal sector they will
seek to squeeze every penny out of every client. Can the smaller firms
compete? Of course they can as long as they don't compete on price
alone.
Some
firms in an effort to compete can extort workers to show up and work
harder for less, in order to underbid a competitor. You might make a few
more bucks for now, but not for long and not with pride. Another firm or conveyancing broker will
always find a way to be cheaper or more brutal than you.
When
I was completing my articles (yes I am showing my age as it was
pre-’training contracts’) the senior partner would tell me every so often
‘push up you prices...don't be scared’. It was wise advice and
regrettably not always adhered to by me. What the senior partner was
telling me back then was that the race to the top makes more sense. The
race to the top is focused on quality and respect and dignity and guts
and innovation and sustainability and yes, generosity when it might be
easier to be selfish. It's also risky, filled with difficult technical
and emotional hurdles, and requires patience and effort and insight. The
race to the top is the long-term path with the best outcome.
It’s
so easy to forget whilst you fight for survival that clients actually
appreciate a lawyer who cares about them. Why not be different to the
supermarket law firms with their bitter cash register jockeys? A smiling
face, a social chat, a don't-worry-about-the-pennies sort
of interaction.
There
is a side benefit when you win the race to the top. You end up with a
healthy, motivated lawyers focused on a quality service. The
result is increased profits,market share and a community of clients that
are glad you're there.
Have I been watching too much Mary Portas?
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