Relationship Marketing in Professional Services: What Marketers Can Learn from Process Servers

What can professional services learn from delivery guys?

If you ask most marketers, they would scoff at the notion that professional process serving services have anything to teach them.

Sure, they think process servers are a necessary evil in the legal industry. But who wants to partner with some guy that hops around delivering court papers all day?

Guess what…

Professional process servers have something every professional service company needs:

Relationship marketing mastery.

You see these guys show up in the craziest situations and handle themselves like pros. They have strong relationships with thousands of legal professionals, and they're consistently growing that network.

Plus, they maintain their relationships even when they're dropping bad news on people.

It's wild to think that these process servers operate in a business sector where the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't even track statistics, but they have entire industries built on trust and relationships.

How do they do it?

Let's dig in.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why Professional Service Relationships Are Everything
• The ONE Thing Process Servers Do To Build Trust
• The Process Server Network You're Not Aware Of
• Finding The Relationship and Technology Sweet Spot

Why Professional Service Relationships Are Everything

Let's start with some cold, hard truth…

Customers who are fully engaged with your business generate 51% more revenue and sales than those who are actively disengaged. Process servers know this…

professional process serving is built on relationships. It's not transactional.

Ever wonder why your favorite law firm never switches who they work with to have documents delivered?

It's because those process servers have earned their trust, and they know how to keep it.

But here's the crazy part…

Lawyers will spend tens of thousands of dollars on tools and software to improve customer relationships… yet the second they treat their process server like "just another vendor" those relationships start to crack.

Process servers have been able to create long-lasting relationships with multiple vendors for decades. And most professional services struggle just to keep a customer for 3 years.

Here's the secret they know:

Once you show your clients you have their best interest in mind, the relationship wins grow.

• People care more about personal responsibility than brand promises.
• Consistency outperforms most modern marketing tactics.
• Trust is built over time through small interactions.

The average process server works with hundreds of law firms, court contacts, lawyers, paralegals, & other providers.

Each relationship is worth its weight in gold and takes years to cultivate.

Best part? You don't need a 7-figure marketing budget or fancy CRM tool.

The ONE Thing Process Servers Do To Build Trust

If you want to know what separates the winning professional services companies from the crap ones…

Look at how they deliver bad news.

Wait… what?

Yep. Delivering bad news.

Process servers literally hand delivery recipients divorce papers, eviction notices, and lawsuits. That's called business tension if I've ever seen one!

And guess what they do in the middle of that stressful situation? They build relationships with the people they're working with.

How do they do it?

By following 3 simple rules:

Everything is transparent.

You know how service providers love to hide behind "we'll get back to you on that" or “let me see what I can do.”

Process servers don't have that option. They explain exactly what will happen.

When you're sending legal documents, there is no "ums" or "weirding" everything out. The process is clear.

They're brutally accountable.

If a process server tells you they will deliver on Tuesday at 2PM, there is no mistake. There are over 8,748 process servers in the United States right now that will show up Tuesday at 2PM, period.

It's personal for them.

When you hear someone who delivers papers get insulted by a message recipient, it's because they've built their reputation around every serve.

Imagine how your customers would view your business if you placed that type of value on each customer interaction?

The Process Server Network You're Not Aware Of

This next lesson is mind-blowing…

Process servers have mastered partnership networks that most B2B companies can only dream of.

Take a look at who they work with:

• Lawyers
• Judges
• Skip tracers
• Other process servers (sometimes in other jurisdictions)
• Technology companies

And they do it all WITHOUT a dedicated partnership relationship management software solution.

They know the most successful partnerships are built on…

Helping others become successful.

While the Partner Marketing Industry spends more than 37% of overall marketing budgets on partner marketing activities..process servers don't need expensive programs to create partnerships.

They:

Add real value.

Whether it's passing along a stupidly difficult serve to avoid or recommending a friend to handle work in their area, process servers look to serve their partners.

Think long-term.

Process servers aren't worried about quarterly profits and stock prices. They understand some serves (and partners) may take time.

Have skin in the game.

When you refer a client to someone, your reputation is on the line. You want your partner to do a good job because if they don't..you look bad.

Professional service companies should focus less on managing partners and start building real relationships.

Finding The Relationship and Technology Sweet Spot

Here's a fun fact most people don't know about process servers.

They utilize more technology to run their businesses than most professional services.

GPS tracking, mobile apps, electronic service…process servers are using all of it.

But (and this is key), technology doesn't come before their relationships.

Process servers use technology to enhance their relationships, not depend on them. Take GPS tracking for example:

• It provides transparency for their clients
• They use apps to communicate more, not less
• Tech allows for faster service, but doesn't replace personal service.

This is the balance every professional service needs to figure out.

Technology makes your business more efficient. Relationships make your business irreplaceable.

Sure cloud-based Partner Relationship Management systems are growing rapidly..but when something goes wrong, who do you think your clients will contact? Your software company or you?

Process servers use technology to take care of the boring stuff so they can focus on what's important… building and maintaining trust with their clients.

Wrap up

Process servers have built successful industries on one simple foundation…

Relationships

While most professional services are trying to find the next shiny marketing automation platform or partner management software, process servers are out building networks that will last them for decades. They understand:

• Customers don't care how automated you are. They just want you to care about them.
• Personal responsibility breeds lasting relationships.
• Consistency is more important than being "creative."
• Relationships don't scale. People do.

Best part? ANY professional service can use this process server mentality to improve their relationships.

Consulting Firm? Accountant? Marketing Company? You can do this!

Pick one of your clients and apply these lessons:

• Be radically transparent with them.
• Hold yourself personally accountable for your actions.
• Think long-term with every interaction.
• Don't let technology overshadow your relationship
• Wrap up