Acquiring Foreign-Born Clients: Marketing Legal Services to a Growing Niche
Copyright © 2004 by Nina Ivanichvili, CEO, All Language Alliance, Inc.
Become a Foreign-Language-Friendly Firm
Law firms should use the services of an interpreter during meetings with a non-English-speaking prospective or existing client. This is an effective and tangible demonstration to clients that the firm respects their language and culture. It also shows that the firm is interested in pursuing the client-attorney relationship in a way that will be comfortable for the client. Without an interpreter present, a client may not be able to understand the difference between a "contingent fee" and "time-based fee," or may not have a clue about plea-bargaining or probation. With an interpreter, the clients should feel more in control and "in the loop." Be advised that well-meaning bilingual friends or relatives of the foreign-born client typically do not understand the role of an interpreter. As a result, they are likely to interpret only what they consider to be relevant and may omit or edit some important statements made by the non-English-speaker.8
Most people remember only 20 percent of what they hear-even less when their stress level is high, which is often the case when trying to grasp the importance of legal documents. A non-English-speaker is especially "at risk" for confusion and might not be held accountable for remembering the meaning of any legal document, even if the text of that document were interpreted by an interpreter. To serve the non-English-speaking client more effectively, important documents should be translated and put in writing for the client to read before signing. The firm should keep a copy of each translated document in the client's file, and provide the client with his or her copy to keep at home. Such documents may include retainer agreements, disclosure statements, and settlement agreements.
Professionally translated documents also will enhance the law firm's image and should be viewed as strategic marketing assets, differentiating the law firm from its competitors. The fact that the law firm makes important documents available in the languages spoken by its non-English-speaking clients sends the highly marketable message that the firm is friendly to those who are not fluent in English, that the firm cares about foreign-born clients, and that the firm is accustomed to serving the interests of such clients. Most important, foreign-born clients are likely to perceive that the law firm is providing a value-added service with greater benefits than other firms.
