Yo ho hold on a minute...

In the words of Noddy Holder, "IT'S CHR-I-I-I-I-ISTMAS", which used to mean a sudden inundation of cards from clients, suppliers and associates full of best wishes for the festive season. Then, about ten years ago, the ecard started to gain momentum, saving people time, effort and money.

Nowadays, it's all about the charity donation. Whether it is professional or personal, the phrase, 'This year we have decided to make a charitable donation instead of doing Christmas cards' is increasingly common. Call me a cynical lawyer (well, if the shoe fits), but this does run the risk of being seen as a festive cop out.

In all the notifications I have seen about firms making Christmas charity donations, I have yet to see an actual amount. Do they work out the total amount of cards, postage and billable hours spent writing them and then use that figure as the donation? If so, why not tell people?

Cards are not appreciated any more but even with a charity donation, it is still important
to be seen making some sort of effort. To that end, we are trying something new. By the time you read this, we will have done our Christmas Carol Roadshow.

All our partners and associates will spend a day travelling to each of our six branches and calling the staff at each venue to join in carol singing for an hour to raise money from passersby. Working in conjunction with the radio station Wave 105, we will be fundraising for Cash for Kids,
a local children's charity.

Our plan is to film a Christmas carol, upload it and send it to our clients and associates with compliments of the season. Granted, it may not be the most tuneful of renditions (and some may be desperately searching their keyboards for the mute button), but it shows that we did actually devote our Christmas card resources to a good cause and made a festive effort.

So long, farewell
Now, since this is my last column for Solicitors Journal, I just want to say thank you for reading my thoughts, ideas and experiences when it comes to marketing a regional law firm. The whirlwind of change is far from calming down and we are all working so hard to come up with innovative ways of adapting to a turbulent professional landscape.

I am not from a marketing background, and while thoroughly enjoying the whole experience, I have learned that the key to marketing relies on one thing - communication. Work out who you want to talk to, what you want to say and how best to reach them, and, finally, evaluate whether the message got through and what it brought to the firm.

Like all professions, we have preconceptions to challenge, modern business techniques and technologies to keep up with and new opportunities just waiting to be taken advantage of. Dynamic ways of moving forward are not just for City firms with big budgets - firms such as ours are often in a position to move quickly, be more flexible and break new ground. Wait until you see
what we have in store for 2015.

Until then, I just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, all the very best for this New Year and the many more ahead, and thank you so very much for your attention. SJ

Parting tips   Gut reactions are valid (whether good or bad) : if something someone is saying doesn't feel right, stop and think about why. Involve others in a discussion. You know the history of your firm and its clients, so never ignore a gut reaction. Likewise, if something excites you and creates an enthusiasm in the room, it is likely to do so outside it. Keep an open mind: as a profession, we are predisposed to seek evidence, rely on precedent and argue that black is white. For the innovation and creativity needed in marketing, you need to put that to one side and explore new territory. Have fun: maybe I have been lucky, but I have enjoyed a lot of laughter and fun while marketing the firm and, with the team I lead, fully expect to have plenty more.

Catherine Maxfield is managing partner of Eric Robinson Solicitors