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While it may or may not be shocking that 50% of marriages end in divorce, an even more shocking statistic may be: 77% of lawyers Experienced failed technology implementations. While some people may get a second or even third chance in marriage, second chances are rare when it comes to marketing technology implementation, especially in law firms.
Today’s legal industry is extremely competitive, with companies requiring lawyers to learn new skills and adopt new technologies such as artificial intelligence, e-marketing or experience management systems. So lawyers should be eager to embrace any MarTech that can help them gain an edge, right? Unfortunately, less than 40% of attorneys use CRM, with just over a quarter using it for sales pipeline management.
When considering lawyers’ love/hate relationship with their firm’s marketing technology infrastructure, it is important to consider the lawyer’s perspective on change management and technology adoption. Lawyers are by nature suspicious, critical, risk-averse, and unwilling to change. These attributes are certainly good for the practice of law, but they do little to encourage the adoption of marketing technology. That’s why sometimes it feels like you’re herding cats, except these cats are super smart, have opposable thumbs, and like to exercise.
While lawyers and technology may not seem like a match made in heaven, you can follow these steps to ensure wider adoption and utilization of your marketing technology:
1. Needs assessment
The beauty of technology is that it can do a lot of things, and the thing about technology is… it can do a lot of things. For technology to be successful, it must fully meet the needs of end users. Since every company has its own unique needs, technology selection should start with a needs assessment. Interviews with key stakeholders should be conducted to determine the specific needs and requirements of the organization.
As a follow-up to the needs assessment, interview user groups such as attorneys, partners and even their associates to understand their needs and requirements and understand their daily processes and issues. These groups define value differently, which means each group has its own unique needs or set of requirements. Involving these users upfront in the process will increase the likelihood that they will adopt the technology later.
2. Communication
Like any good love affair, successful technology deployment requires extensive communication. Lawyers must be convinced that the technology will not only benefit the company, but also benefit them personally. It can be helpful to take the time to develop a formal communications plan—starting with an announcement from company leadership outlining the benefits of the system. Realistic expectations should be set, not only for the system but also for user needs.
Next, establish, document, and distribute any processes and procedures needed to support implementation. Most importantly, sharing is caring, so always communicate or solicit feedback from end users when goals are achieved.
3. Resources
All good relationships require attention. Companies often forget to consider the long-term costs associated with technology deployment. For successful technology deployment, companies must invest the necessary resources, including time, money, and people. It also requires a coordinated effort from everyone in the company, so be sure to invite everyone who may need to participate, such as:
- Technical support to assist with implementation and integration
- Develop standard training programs for different user groups
- Data stewards (in-house or outsourced) ensure data is clean, correct and complete
- Marketing and Business Development are responsible for developing and executing communications strategies
- Support from company leadership and key lawyers can be used to drive adoption
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