Generation Gap Hurts Law Firm Marketing

Not only are lawyers typically reluctant to market their practices, now we learn that many associates aren't even interested in becoming a partner or staying in the profession.  It's impossible to market a service that you don't want to perform.

69% of associates don't see themselves making partner, according to the August 2006 issue of American Lawyer.  Even worse, about 55% aren't sure they'll stay in law practice.  No wonder these young lawyers aren't interested in marketing.

That's because Generation X, associates aged 27 to 41, are loners who question authority, can be cynical, pessimistic, think in short time horizons and have a "prove it to me" attitude, according to author and consultant Cam Marston, of Marston Communications in Charlotte, N.C.   

Add Generation Y to the mix, aged 26 or younger, who are "adultolescent" individuals who have never known hardship, yet stressed, at a young age, and may have huge goals but are clueless on execution.

They don't want to be like the people who are in charge of the firm, the Baby Boomers who have a strong work ethic, are competitive, optimistic and show success visibly with trophies and plaques.

Baby Boomers are "frustrated by the younger generation's seeming reluctance to step up to the plate and take on the same responsibilities that Boomers themselves eagerly took on at their age," Marston said.  And this includes marketing.

Comments

[David]

Are you sure that associates do not want to market (and/or do not know how)? Perhaps the issues is that they do not want to market their law firm. If only one out of 7 associates stays at an AmLaw 200 firm for more than 7 years, what incentive does the associate have to market the firm? Not much. But they have quite a lot of incentives to market themselves as individuals. Perhaps that is why, as Connie commented, they (OK, we) might favor blogs. Blogs have been useful in promoting individuals, not so much (so far) in promoting firms.

[connie]

Could it also be because younger generations are also suspicious of anyone marketing to them with tools such as ads, press releases and direct marketing, so they are reluctant to be associated with that sort of tool themselves? This is why use of social software tools such as blogs is a little more appealing to the generations coming up. They want more open, honest conversations. (Okay, today I've just started reading Scoble and Israel's [Naked Conversations], so this idea definitely comes from them!)

[Rich Klein]

Let's remember that marketing for lawyers and law firms is still in its infancy when compared to the corporate world. That's becaue the profession for decades had prohibited nearly every form of lawyer marketing, PR, and advertising. And just when law firms are finally catching up to the business world in 2006, we have attempts in New Jersey and New York to send law firm marketing back to the dark ages. One proposed amendment in New York, for example, would even prohibit any law firm from using a stock photo of a courtroom or a courthouse in any of its materials, including websites. I agree with Larry that supplements like "Super Lawyers" and "Best Lawyers in America" are more useful for building attorney egos rather than building business. I also think law firms should lose the courthouse photos and scales of justice pictures. But I still think lawyers should have the right to use them.

[Joel S.]

"Baby Boomers who have a strong work ethic, are competitive, optimistic and show success visibly with trophies and plaques"

You forgot to add that baby boomers (aka the Not-So-Great Generation) LOVE to make generalizations about themselves (in a positive way, of course!) and the generations that follow them (in not such a positive way).

It's really not so difficult: create a law firm environment where associates WANT to work, are assisted with marketing, and have a chance of making partner. Maybe baby boomers would get it if CSNY wrote a song about it?

[Rod Heggy]

From my experience, boomers have no clue as to how they built their business; marketing was not done in their youth. There was no marketing training and there were no clases. There were no consultants. Boomers expect younger lawyers to know about marketing, and there are still few courses, little training, and rarely are firm consultants hired to train the next generation.