- Do amazing work, in an area you love.
- Have awesome clients who sing your praises.
- Watch the zeros accumulate on your bank balance.
- Have time to enjoy life.
If you answered yes to any of those (I said “hell yes” to all four) then creating a kick-ass Online Legal Solution is the way to make it happen.
Before we talk about “how” to do that, let’s talk about “what” we are going to design, or my top 7 things your Online Legal Solution needs to do.
1. It needs to solve a real problem
A solution (despite its horrific over- and miss-use by lovers of jargon) is something that fixes a problem – in this case for your ideal client.
Your Online Legal Solution needs to be more than a simple legal service or product. It needs to be an end-to-end solution that transforms a client’s life (by solving their problem) in a meaningful way.
2. It needs to excite you
What are you passionate about? Think about the topics you enthuse (or rant) about over dinner, are their people you find yourself fiercely advocating for, what pro-bono work can you never say no to?
Find something you love and design an Online Legal Solution around a related problem. Not only will you find your work infinitely more fulfilling but you’ll find selling your solution much easier. We can’t fake authenticity. The closer and more passionate you are to the story of “Why” you have developed your solution, the more people will respond to you.
3. It needs to earn you money
How much money do you want to earn each month? How many solutions do you need to sell to get there? What if your solution was $3,000, $5,000, $15,000?
Ideally you should be developing an Online Legal Solution that people are willing to pay $3,000 to $20,000 for.
There’s a weird theory that, if it’s online or automated, a legal solution should be cheaper than one you’d get at a traditional law firm. Rubbish.
Remember your Online Legal Solution is going to solve a real problem for your ideal client. It’s going to transform their life for the better. Who wouldn’t expect to pay a premium for that? Leave the hourly billing to traditional lawyers and base your solution’s price tag on value, not time.
4. It needs to promise your client something
Like most lawyers, I spent a good chunk of my lawyer life telling my clients about how many years experience I had, where I got my law degree and the legal documents I was going to draft for them. What a snooze-fest.
Ditch the boring stuff and focus on the awesome result you are going to get for your client. How is your Online Legal Solution going to transform their life? What’s the amazing outcome they will get?
Now express that as a clear, tangible statement. For example, for a property lawyer it’s the difference between, “Doing your conveyancing” and “Helping first home buyers get into their dream first home faster”.
5. It needs to be Scalable
Think about how you will use technology, automation and systematisation to free yourself from a traditional “Your Time” for “Their Money” exchange.
Consider how you can be removed from the delivery equation. Can you use automation? Can you design your solution so your team can implement it without constant supervision?
Alternatively, can you design your solution around a “One To Many” model? For example, instead of a series of one-on-one client meetings, can you host a webinar where you talk to 10 people at the same time?
Scalability has an awesome side-effect – clients stop contacting you whenever they want. They stop thinking “I buy your time so I can choose when I do that”. Instead you get to set firm boundaries about when you are available. I can’t tell you how awesome it is to not be constantly interrupted by expectant clients!
6. It can be sold anytime
Your Online Legal Solution needs to use technology so it can be bought at any time, on any day (most likely via a website).
I have an alert that sounds on my phone every time a sale goes through. I still vividly remember the first “Ding” the day I sold my first Online Legal Solution – total adrenalin rush! And honestly, hearing that “Ding”, even today, is still one of the greatest feelings. Nothing better than knowing you’re literally making money while you sleep!
7. It needs to be big
Don’t limit yourself to thinking about what legal service you can deliver to a client, think about the problem they have and how you will solve it. How are you going to give them a result that changes their world.
Your Online Legal Solution (or indeed the underlying problem it is solving) doesn’t have to be built around legal work. Think about your client without a legal lens. Package up a complete end-to-end bundle.
For example, you might bring in other professional services – counsellors, accountants, business development experts. You might make connections – introducing Start-Ups to potential investors, sharing your valuable contacts in a certain space. You might create resources – a series of videos, how to guides etc.
Don’t just dream it, do it
So now you know what your Online Legal Solution needs to do, it’s time to start designing and creating it. If you’d like some help with designing a scalable Online Legal Solution that will transform your law firm, we can help. Schedule a Scale Session with us now.
