Blog Viewer

Untapped Potential Client Service

By Noah C. Hagan posted 04-04-2016 08:37

  

Will Rogers is attributed with saying, “You will never get a second chance to make a first impression.” What is your law practice’s first impression on potential clients? Are you sure that it is positive? When a potential client calls or e-mails, how quickly do you get back to them?

A recent ABA study examined the intake process at law firms around the country, and the results were dismal. The article summarizing the study noted that

  • Fewer than 10% of potential clients actually speak with a lawyer during the initial call.
  • In nearly half of all initial contacts, law firms take 3 or more days to reply to a voicemail or web contact from a prospective client.
  • 3% of callers gave up before the phone was even answered, and 11% of calls lasted less than 10 seconds.

Many prospective clients who called law firms were turned off by not hearing the name of the law firm when someone answered and by experiencing lengthy hold times. Additionally, in about half the calls, the person answering the phone failed to identify themselves by name and failed to ask for the caller’s name or phone number. Even fewer took e-mail addresses, making it extremely difficult for an attorney to follow up with the potential client. Even more disturbing, although the people answering the phones were generally polite and professional, few demonstrated empathy for the callers.

The study also found that many firms failed to get back to prospective clients the same day:

   

It seems shocking to me that any firm would take three days to return a call or e-mail from a prospective client—especially when those same firms are spending large amounts of money on marketing. Surely, no law firm expects a potential client to wait three days before finding another lawyer?

This sobering study shows how important it is to shore up your client intake process and make sure your firm gives a good first impression. All the marketing techniques in the world won’t help you get business if your client intake process leaves people feeling unhappy before they even speak to you.

 

0 comments
182 views

Permalink