The Value of Responsiveness

A colleague once told me an interesting sentence - "the patent drafting business is one of the only businesses where you could cheat people for about 7 years, and nobody will know".

The sad truth is that many of our clients do not posses the skills to evaluate our work. It is much more art than science, and much of how patents should be drafted is a matter for debate.

With lack of ability to judge our work, our clients will normally focus on one primary thing - our responsiveness. It is very easy to judge whether we returned a call to our client at the same day, and if we do not, our clients get the sense that we do not provide a good service.

I've heard from a colleague a while ago that a Japanese client, for example, will forgive many professional mistakes but will not forgive you if you will not hurry up and file his application once he instructed you to do that.

So, the value of responsiveness cannot be overrated.

It Is All Personal!

When I started my business I thought that I am going to brand its name. We've taken the initials of the partners and created a brand name.

We then began to brand this name and sell "the firm".

I know that this is still the leading approach amongst many marketing advisors. We have only very recently had to change our name and a very clever marketing advisor suggested that we pick a "neutral" name - the same advise we give our clients when they choose their trademarks.

Well, ladies and gentlemen - not on this, I am afraid.

Legal services in general, and patents and trademarks even more than most other fields of law, are a very personal matter. Yes - there are clients who like big firms and clients that feel more comfortable with small firms, but nearly all clients do not work with firms but with people. And when a client chooses a person to work with he does it because he feels comfortable with him; because he likes him; because he trusts him.

In my view, there is nothing more important than the personal reputation of the people working for a firm. Word of mouth is the best rainmaker, and above anything else - your marketing should be to make sure you have good reputation.

Clients appreciate thoroughness and responsiveness, so when you handle a client's matter properly you not only preserve him as a client; you also market yourself.

Welcome to IP Rainmaker

Hi Dear Fellow Colleagues!

I would start by introducing myself.

My name is Zeev Fisher. I am an Israeli and a British lawyer. For the past 9 years, I have been in the patent and trademark business.

At the moment, I am the managing partner of a patent firm with offices in Tel Aviv and in London.

My practice is Intellectual Property litigation, but I have been involved with IP firms that their primary focus is patent drafting and prosecution.

Aside from my professional liabilities and cases, for the last 6 years I have been in charge of the business development of the firms I have been involved with.

Most businesses cannot survive without constant efforts of business development. Patent firms are no different. But while many have written about marketing law firm, I am unaware of a good source of information sharing the unique aspects of marketing a patent and trademark firm. In the absence of one (at least, as far as I know), I decided to be the first.

This blog is therefore destined to be a source of information for owners and partners in patent firm who wish to deliver more work to their practice. It will also serve as a source for information for associates who either wish to improve their position within their firms or start their own practice.

By all means, I will be sharing my personal experience. I hope that with time, readers will join and suggest their own insights and tips. I am very open to the idea of guest posts and will be happy to post such if they are interesting.

So, welcome to this blog. I hope you have a good ride!