Boutique Law Firms, Small Law Firms

Reinventing The Law Business: Spam, Spam, Spam, Eggs, Bacon, Eggs, And Spam

If you really want to get your clients' attention, stop overloading them with unnecessary information.

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I guess I am dating myself, but if you want to see what humor was like when I was growing up, go to YouTube watch the Monty Python video called “spam.” I think they specialized in things that were just so stupid they were incredibly funny. One of their skits was about spam. I admit I don’t understand if there is subtle meaning in it but I always laugh when I see it.

Obviously, Monty Python had little respect for (the edible) spam and I confess I have a similar view of the (more ethereal) internet spam.

In a word, there is simply too much spam going around. Everyone — and I mean everyone — is begging for attention. There is traditional PR; there are press releases; there are newsletters; there are a mind-boggling number of client alerts; there are tweets; there are bleats (I made that one up — or I think I did); there are Yelps; there are links; there’s Facebooking; and so many others that it is out of control.

And at this point I think it is fair to say that the information overload is such that almost no one can possibly pay attention to all of it. And since you can’t pay attention to all of it, why pay attention to even some of it. So most people just pick a few trusted sources to actually read and delete everything else without reading. It is just too much!

As applied to us lawyers, I think what we largely do are things like client alerts and newsletters and things like that. They are often really well written and well done. Sometimes with citations to cases and legal interpretations. Mostly they take a lot of time to prepare.

But as you spend your time crafting one of these masterpieces, I ask you, does anyone really read these? And even if they do read it, then what? Was it worth the time you took to prepare it? I confess I do wonder about this.

And there really is only one message that the law firm wants to get across and that is this:

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Hi Mr. Client — I want you to know that my firm has real expertise in [this area]. Indeed I am the best there is — I am the “go-to-guy” in this area. If you have a problem in this area please call me.

I wonder — is it a lot better for everyone to just tell your clients and friends that simple message than trying to (oh so unsubtly) send that message with your lengthy client alert?

I know if I am the recipient of things like this — and I assume I get as much as the next man — I like that a lot better. Just get to the point please. I am really busy. I might really want your expertise at some point, so just let me know about it. Thanks much.

So from the recipient’s view this is a home run. And what about your point of view? That is even better because you can save the one to 10 hours it takes you to put together the newsletter and just send a straight-to-the-point email that takes five to 10 minutes.

To get my point across, I am deliberately making this one of my shortest and spam-free articles ever.

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Bruce Stachenfeld is the managing partner of Duval & Stachenfeld LLP, which is an approximately 70-lawyer law firm based in midtown Manhattan. The firm is known as “The Pure Play in Real Estate Law” because all of its practice areas are focused around real estate. With 50 full-time real estate lawyers, the firm is one of the largest real estate law practices in New York City. You can contact Bruce by email at thehedgehoglawyer@gmail.com.

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