Law Firms What Can You Learn From Dollar Shave Club

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers Law Firms: What Can You Learn from Dollar Shave Club? Have you ever heard of Dollar Shave Club? I was not aware of it until I read Chris Brogan and Julien Smith’s book, The Impact Equation. Read and watch video at:  Best practice in YouTube marketing: the case of Dollar Shave Club. I was intrigued by the concept so I decided to sign up. I chose “The Executive”  ( the most expensive option). Each month for $9.00 I receive three blades. The first month I received the Executive razor at no additional charge. For many years I have shaved with the most current Gillette razor. Lately, I have been using “The Fusion ProGlide.” I have bought the razors and blades at Costco. I hated the cost of the blades, so I did not change the blade until it was so dull it was pulling on my face. Now, with my new “Executive” razor, I change blades every 10 days. I believe the Dollar Shave Club will be a huge success and a worthy competitor for Gillette. Why? Men, like me are tired of paying too much for blades. Also, I think the shave I am getting with The Executive is better than the shave I have been getting with my Fusion ProGlide. As you have been reading, have you thought about the lesson for law firms? Clearly, the lesson is not  about creating a video. A law firm video is not going viral unless it is unflattering, so that is not the point. My old law firm’s Austin office created a video that caused quite a stir and was the subject of ridicule. You can read about it and see the video in:  Jenkens & Gilchrist: No Wonder They Went Out of Business. Given the stir my old firm’s Austin office created, I would be very reluctant to create a video. Clients are tired of paying too much for legal services. Law firms should first consider alternative fee arrangements, including monthly fees. Second, Law firms should consider ways to reduce the cost of providing those services. For most law firms offices are the second highest expense. Your firm could have a floor of fancy conference rooms in the high priced office space, but house your lawyers in significantly cheaper space. The Dollar Shave Club is analogous to Virtual law firms, which  are likely to become more popular. I found the discussion of ethics issues interesting in:  Are Virtual Law Offices Here to Stay? What other ways can you increase the quality of your legal services while at the same time reducing the cost to your clients? P.S. For those of you who get my blog by email, you likely noticed I had an error in my blog Friday on the importance of writing style and not being sloppy. If you wondered, I did not purposely make the error to make a point on writing carefully, and thankfully my sister, who is an awesome proofreader, caught it. I wrote the blog Thursday night after Nancy and I returned from our new favorite Irish pub where I had a few Smithwicks on tap.  I am trying to figure out if I need to curtail my blog writing all together after drinking, or if I am ok after Martini’s, but not ok after drinking beer. Until I figure that out I have asked my sister to proof my blog posts before they are published. I practiced law for 37 years developing a national construction law practice representing some of the top highway and transportation construction contractors in the US.