Which "Marketing" Do You Think Your Law Firm Needs?

A statement I hear so often in my circles is, "Every law firm needs marketing." "True," I say, "but not every law firm is in a place to use it or take advantage of it."

I believe there are three attitudes that define the marketing culture of a firm:

1. "Marketing is not what we need." - In other words, the leadership of the firm really has no understanding of what marketing is even if much of how they find clients might be considered "marketing".
   
2. "We need marketing and here is what marketing should do." - In other words, the leadership of the firm has already formed their own agenda about what to do and they would just like someone available to execute.
3. "We would like a marketer to help us know what to do." - In other words, the leadership of the firm is ready to listen to ideas. They may not go along but are willing to ask for help.

Where is your firm? And which firms around you are really accelerating, right now, even in a churning economy?

I actually believe there is a place in the market for every firm no matter the marketing culture. But I am convinced the firms that are still viable in five years will be, or become, #3's.