Since the easiest and most lucrative way to get new legal matters is from more work and referrals from existing clients, it’s common sense that creating a stellar client experience will generate more leads for your law firm.
A lead is someone who is still early in the buying or hiring decision-making process. They likely have an interest or a need, but they’re not ready to become a client. Nurturing a lead through consistent outreach in the form of helpful and empathetic communications will keep you and your law firm in the lead’s mind. This way, when the lead is ready to convert into a client, you will be their first call.
Likewise, nurturing an existing client in a similar way creates high client satisfaction. Happy clients are much more likely to return to you for their next legal need and to tell their friends, family, and colleagues about you when they face problems you can help solve.
Creating a Great Client Experience to Cultivate Law Firm Leads
To make your client happy, think of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Translated into legal marketing speak, that means treat your clients just as you would want to be treated by your lawyer or any professional service provider.
Here are the top three ways to create a great legal client experience:
1. Be Responsive
If a client calls, texts, or emails with a question, you should return that call, text, or email as soon as possible — but certainly not more than 24 hours later. Even if the question is not one you can answer right away, returning a quick note or call to say, “This is received and we’re working on it for you,” goes a long way toward client satisfaction and beats out silence.
In today’s ultra-connected, instant gratification, 24/7 world, many people don’t expect to wait long to hear back from the person they are paying to serve them. You’re a busy lawyer, but think of the ways you can up your responsiveness game. Perhaps it’s through automated responses on your email or a new outgoing voicemail letting clients know you are in court and will respond as soon as you can. If you have a secretary or receptionist monitoring your calls or emails, be sure they know your schedule and can respond to clients as needed.
Being responsive shows clients you care, which builds goodwill, strengthens your relationship, and creates trust. If you want clients to hire you again and pass your name on to others, being responsive is a must.
2. Manage Expectations
Chances are, if your client is unhappy with you and your service, it’s because their expectations have not been met. It’s important to manage client expectations from the start of the attorney-client relationship. Here are a few ways to accomplish that:
- Get it in writing — fees and payment due dates, case timelines and milestones, and processes and goals must be agreed upon and memorialized.
- Be honest — it may be tempting to sugarcoat an issue or over-promise a result, but don’t.
- Question and listen — in addition to getting the facts of the case, dig a little deeper to ask the client how they are feeling, what their expectations are, and any obstacles they know of that might stand in the way.
3. Communicate
Good communications are the cornerstone of a great client experience. Here is how you can create successful client communications:
- Be prepared — review previous notes before meeting with the client so that you’re ready to pick up where the matter has left off.
- Pay attention — listen carefully to what the client is saying, ask appropriate follow-up questions, and document the discussion.
- Be clear — keep in mind that your clients are probably not lawyers in your field and are likely not familiar with the law or the court process. When you explain clearly and patiently what is happening and what to expect, your client will understand and trust you.
- Be proactive — don’t wait until the client contacts you for an update; instead, reach out with any relevant developments or information about their case.
- Be helpful — share information, especially if it’s generated by your or your firm, about related changes or trends in the law that your client might find interesting or useful.
- Manage your demeanor — always convey a patient, professional, and empathetic attitude when interacting with your clients.
Let Digital Marketing Technology Help
Luckily, there are many tools available to help lawyers be responsive, manage expectations, and communicate well to create great client experiences and generate leads.
One key tactic is to create and implement a legal content marketing strategy. Blogs and client alerts, videos and podcasts, and even infographics, are just some of the types of content you can make and share. Once published or posted on the firm website or in another publication, share it with clients via social media, email, or text. Creating and sharing useful content is a key tactic to keep connected and be of service to clients.
Another useful digital marketing tactic to give clients a great experience and generate leads is to utilize a client relationship management platform. A CRM is a central place for the entire firm to manage contacts and track all engagements and interactions. These abilities are one of the best ways to help nurture leads.
Scorpion’s platforms help attorneys easily communicate and generate leads through seamless outreach and tracking methods that attorneys and their clients both appreciate! Get started with Scorpion today. We will build you a great website, manage all of your marketing, improve your reviews, and get you more clients to grow your business.
