As legal cases become more complex and rely more heavily on functions like digital case management, customer relationship management, and e-Discovery, the legal profession is increasingly becoming digitized—meaning managed service providers who specialize in legal services are in high demand. With cybersecurity, compliance regulations, and the ethical matters of digitized legal services as a top concern, the legal profession needs more help than ever to stay consistent and compliant with their technology.
The Legal Market Needs Managed Services Providers to Keep Technology Relevant and Compliant
Attorneys rely heavily on electronic scheduling and other digital communications applications to keep tabs on busy courtroom schedules, trial continuances, and client meetings. They simply can’t afford a glitch in office scheduling services and smartphone integration in light of potential sanctions and malpractice suits that can arise when courtroom and legal filing deadlines are missed.
Mobility, connectivity, and constant access to communication no matter the location are of utmost importance to busy lawyers. Since lawyers save every form of communication and documentation possible, situations that result in data loss or communication interruption are even more critical than in many other professions. The fact that many lawyers rely on email as a catchall for all past communications means lawyers depend heavily on local and cloud-based servers to keep accurate records and to stay up-and-running and compliant.
The most pressing IT-managed services needed in the legal market are as follows:
- Client management and customer relationship management
- Case matter management
- Scan, print, fax, and email/e-fax integration
- Document management and archives
- Automated time and billing functionality
- Digital trial presentation and preparation
- Back-office accounting services
- Paperless practice management capabilities
- Docketing
- Reliable court and government website accessibility
- Compliant and ethical e-Discovery capabilities
- Email with user-friendly functionality
- Office productivity software and monitoring
- Unified communications and telephone systems
- Mobility across all applications
How To Sell Your Managed IT Services to the Legal Vertical
When selling your MSP to any vertical, the key to entering a particular market is a thorough understanding of industry operations and priorities. One of the most pressing concerns when working with attorneys is that in the legal world, time is money—and with many attorneys charging hundreds and sometimes thousands per hour, lawyers can’t afford any downtime whatsoever. And that's where exceptional MSP services come in.
MSPs looking to market their services to the legal vertical should focus on the relationship potential that comes from networking with local legal organizations, and participate in the same organizations that are popular with their local attorneys—such as state bar association socials and events—as well as national associations like the LMA (Legal Marketers Association) and the ALA (Association of Legal Administration). Since attorneys are a very close group, any professional relationships you develop from providing reliable, innovative IT services will provide excellent contacts and ROI in the future.
It’s also important to avoid falling into the trap of networking strictly with attorneys and their office personnel. Think about the attorney’s vendor relationships when deciding how to branch out—and try to get your existing clients to share those leads.
Finally, MSPs shouldn’t be afraid to go up the food chain when trying to seal the deal with a law firm. Instead of relying on the office manager or IT administrator to finalize a potential contract, set up a meeting with the IT department and the firm’s managing partners as a way to not only convert the sale, but to inspire confidence and excitement in how your IT services are going to improve the way they run their law firm, and ultimately their quality of life.
Ulistic is your legal IT Services market expert providing innovative marketing services to MSPs looking to target the legal profession. Contact us at 716.799.1999 or send us an email at info@ulistic.com for more information.
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