Law Firm Marketing Consultants

The world of business technology is moving faster than ever. In order to remain competitive, you and your firm move at the speed of light to keep up with the latest trends and movements. Social media, PPC, SEO, QR Codes and other “new technologies” fill the airwaves with a collective “here we go again” sigh from the ranks. But as fast we all seem to move, it feels as if the time-and-money-saving goals of modern technology remain elusive.

It is said that one of the best ways to measure the sophistication of a society is to look at the amount of leisure time that exists among its citizens. Judging from how hard we all work, our society appears to be moving back to the stone age.

We, as law firm marketing consultants, emphasize to law firm executives that technology is merely a tool, a tool to accomplish specific goals and just that. Managerial accounting tells us that we should not spend more on a resource than the value it provides for the business. The same should hold true for technology. Yet we all get excited about new technology and, in the process of evaluating it, determining its value, purchasing it and implementing it, we sometimes lose sight of its intended objective.

If new technology has any promise of generating more business, executives want it now and they want it fast. But what about yesterday’s technology? How have those tools improved the lives of its corporate citizens or increased the bottom line, or saved beaucoup bucks from the budget?

Technology investments such as CRM, Sales Force Automation, Business Intelligence, Reporting tools, Marketing Automation, email generators, etc. are still around, aren’t they? These ‘golden-age’ technologies of the past were probably not utilized to their full potential when they were placed in service, yet everyone is ready to move on to the ‘cloud.’

So, if technology is a tool, we humans are its intended beneficiaries, including our businesses, law practices and so forth. Successful companies know and understand this fact and therefore make the investment to research, learn and apply technology in the best and most practical way to reach their business goals.


Attend the 2011 Legal Marketing Association LMA Technology Conference West, September 15, San Francisco.  Follow the conference on Twitter: #LMAtech

Law firm marketing consultants like me make their livelihood thinking about how best to use computer technology in business and practice implementing the best solutions for our clients day after day, year after year. Some technology, no matter how sexy, sleek and powerful it sounds, may not be the best fit for your firm. On the other hand, other technology may be just what you need to move forward.

You, no doubt, have the interest and inclination to research new technology or simply revive existing technology at your company. But you may not have the time or experience necessary to implement or optimize a working program or process at your company. That’s where law firm marketing consultants come in handy. I am a marketing technology consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 20 years in the technology industry as a programmer, business analyst, consultant, project manager and executive manager, I have helped companies of all sizes get the most out of their marketing technology investments and achieve measurable returns on their investment.

I can’t say that I have seen it all–I am not smart or wise enough to say that–but I have worked with companies such as Autodesk, Hewlett-Packard, Visa International, Xerox, Inktomi, Stentor, Cycore, TestMart.com, Oracle, Littler Mendelson, Fenwick & West, and countless others to help assess, research, implement, train, optimize and measure their marketing automation, CRM, email newsletter distribution and marketing intelligence programs. Autodesk grew from $200M to $800M in sales while I worked on their sales & marketing database; Stentor went public while I worked with their sales team on CRM processes; and Littler Mendelson grew from 27 offices to 45 offices while I worked as the executive project manager to redesign their website and implement a successful newsletter distribution process across the country. I can’t take the credit for their successes but I learned how a successful company functions.

Along the way I picked up an MBA in Management Information Systems from San Francisco State University (’88), a JD degree from Santa Clara University (’94) and a few technical certifications including Microsoft Certified Partner in Windows, SQL and Microsoft CRM 1.0. Before starting Metcalf Marketing, Inc. in 2008, I was a National Marketing Manager at Littler Mendelson in charge of the 600-attorney law firm’s marketing technology programs.

My current marketing technology experience includes the following:

  • Law firm marketing consulting
  • Interim management – marketing technology
  • LexisNexis InterAction/CRM consulting
  • Website management and project management
  • Microsoft SharePoint configuration and project management
  • Marketing database integration
  • Website optimization and traffic analysis
  • SEO services, keyword research, analytics, PPC and online advertising
  • Blog development, training and optimization
  • Email lists and newsletter distribution programs
  • Alerts and RSS feed subscriptions
  • Web redesign and redevelopment
  • Microsite development

If you are ready to take a closer look at your marketing technology investments, whether you are looking to implement some of the newer 2.0 tools or just want to give your existing investments new life, please contact me at jon | @ | metcalfmarketing.com. I will be happy to share my experiences and help you reach your business goals with the best application of sound technology and business practices.