The definition of vendor – one that sells something*, is not a negative implication. Let’s face it, we all sell something! Legal Vendor is a broad category and I would argue one that includes consultants. Consultants are selling their services and expertise, but they’re still selling. And lawyers/law firms are selling whether they like to think so or not. If you’re not selling, you’re probably about to fail.
For over 18 years I have worked for or with legal vendors. In the early 1990’s we were often called on to educate audiences about the benefits of technology or conduct product ‘shoot-outs’, and then seemingly overnight vendors got a bad name in the legal industry. We were viewed as the bad-guys or hucksters. The how’s and why’s of how we got here are worth examining, but they’re probably not as important as what we do to change relationships between customers and providers.
How can we find a way to swing the pendulum back and should we even try?
I believe we must work together to create partnerships that are mutually beneficial. Every vendor needs to take an honest look at what they promise and how they deliver on those promises. How is it possible that every company is the ‘industry-leading’ or ‘insert your rhetoric here’? Attorneys and the other professionals working in law firms are a cynical bunch, they’ve been burned, their expectations haven’t been met, and they’re tired of the rhetoric…it’s time to deliver.
Can law firm clients and prospects be turned around to think more positively about legal vendors? I think so. When legal providers wake up and realize that their primary competition is internal and not external, they’ve taken to first step to success. Ask the hard questions:
» How can we meet expectations?
» Are we delivering on our promises?
» What can we do to improve?
The legal profession is dynamic and the changes we’ve seen over the past 24 months are enormous. Now is the perfect time for vendors to engage with clients and prospects to forge truly meaningful partnerships. If we start now, we can begin to change how we are perceived.
*”vendor.” Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster, Inc. 14 Jul. 2010. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vendor>.
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About
Legal Vendor Advisory was started in 2010 by Cathy Kenton, a principal with Legal Vertical Strategies. The Legal Vendor Advisory (LVA) blog was born out of her belief that companies offering products and services to the legal market lack community. The purpose of LVA is to promote discussion of the strategies, opportunities, and challenges we face.
Cathy has spent 25 years working throughout the legal vertical as a litigation paralegal, marketing executive, business development professional. She is also a certified social media strategist.
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