Printed Letterhead vs. Print Your Own - The Other Side

Spend your dollars elsewhere, you smart solos!

By Jonathan G. Stein

Printed paper looks great - sometimes. It also, as Shane pointed out, "smell[s] like money when freed from its envelope." And, if I were Dewey, Cheatem and Howe, a Professional Corporation, I would probably go with printed, colored, even embossed letterhead. However, since I am Jonathan Stein, I prefer to print my own for a variety of reasons.

First, I can change my letterhead at any time without any costs. I recently had my webdesigner come up with a new logo. A few clicks on the computer and new letterhead came out. No trips to the printer, no waiting, and no wasted paper.

Second, for my clients, I dont think that they care what my paper looks like. A good portion of my clients are low income. They are happy that someone is willing to help them at all. So my paper is not as fancy as the big firms in the big buildings. To my clients, it doesnt matter.

I know, what about opposing counsel? My response, "What about them?" If they want to think less of me because I print my own paper, or they want to assume it means I lack the skills that they have, great. More power to them. Of course, it usually works to my clients favor to have opposing counsel underestimate me. (To prove my point, just read my article for the ABA about Goliath being your opponent.) I just dont care what opposing counsel thinks of me. I let my work in the courtroom and my results speak for themselves.

For me, it comes down to three simple things: lower cost, happy clients and good results. Until someone shows me how printed letterhead helps improve one of those, I will print my own!

We would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Comments

[Grant Griffiths]

Two great post. Thanks!!!!!!