Serving the Millennial Client
Serving the Millennial Client
Millennials are the largest living generation in the U.S. and currently make up 1/3rd of the workforce. As more millennials enter the workforce, their need for attorneys will increase. As their need for attorneys increases, attorneys will be faced with the difficult task of adapting to a clientele who are drastically different from the previous generations. There are two primary differences an attorney will need to address in serving the millennial client: the millennial DIY mind frame and the millennial’s preference for technology.
As Casey C. Sullivan put it in “How to Win Millennial Clients,” Millennials are able to and want to pursue DIY approaches to legal issues, such as submitting their own legal forms. Millennials are therefore more likely than previous generations to use attorneys as their second option when faced with a legal dilemma. This is due in part to the economic recession beginning in 2007 which shaped the millennial approach to finances. It is also due in part to the fact that millennials are the most educated generation in history.
Ultimately, the combination of these factors encourages millennials to first attempt to solve their legal issues themselves before contacting an attorney. Millennials and Technology. The millennial’s technological ability is also a factor affecting not only how attorney’s market to potential new clients but how attorneys communicate with their clients and receive payment. Millennials spend copious amounts of time on social media. Consequently, it has become the primary platform from which millennials receive advertising. As follows, attorneys looking to tap into the millennial market should promote themselves through social media. However, promoting oneself on social media can come with its own set of struggles. For instance, advertising on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram requires tip-toeing the fine line between accessible and professional. Nonetheless, attorneys looking to tap into the millennial market should advertise their services by creating a strong social media presence.
One of the key ways to increase social media presence is to keep a well-maintained website where clients reviews are accessible and can be shared on other platforms. Millennials place a high value on client reviews and are quick to skip over a business with a low ranking. In fact, a low ranking on an attorney’s website can be damning. It is therefore more important than ever before to make sure your clients are satisfied with your services, a difficult job in the highly contentious and often unpredictable field of law. The use of technology has also affected how millennial clients will communicate with their attorney. The instant nature of social media has produced a generation that wants quick, readily-available answers and updates. That combined with the fact that millennials prefer communicating via email or text rather than in person or on the phone creates a need to rework the in-person client appointment model. Rather than phoning the client or having the client come into the office for a meeting, attorneys may have to inform clients of the progress on their cases by providing updates through secure online websites the client can access at any time.
Attorneys may also have to make other small changes to address the millennial inclination toward technology. For instance, technology has made millennials favor online purchases or payments as opposed to mailing in checks. Thus, attorneys interested in tapping into the millennial market should offer payment options online. The attorneys at Kathryn Wayne-Spindler & Associates have experienced attorneys who change with the times to meet the needs of their clients. Contact Contact the Milford, Michigan law office of Kathryn Wayne-Spindler & Associates at 248-676-1000 for assistance. The attorneys of Kathryn Wayne-Spindler & Associates practice family law throughout Southeastern Michigan including Oakland, Wayne, Washtenaw, Genesee and Livingston counties as well as four mid-Michigan counties Clare, Gladwin, Ogemaw and Roscommon. The attorneys handle cases in Milford; Highland; Hartland; White Lake; Wixom; Commerce; Walled Lake; Waterford; West Bloomfield; Linden; Fenton; Flint; Grand Blanc; Holly; South Lyon; New Hudson; Howell; Clare; Gladwin; Houghton Lake; Higgins Lake; and many more Michigan communities.
