Law firms across the country are struggling to add new clients as the industry becomes even more competitive with the arrival of a new decade. Whilst some outfits are relying on increased investment in marketing tactics such as SEO and PPC, there’s still a long way to go to bridge the disconnect between lead generation and client conversion.
In this article, we’ll look at why this might be the case and suggest how to better address the industry-wide client conversion problem.
Make The Intake Process More Efficient
The intake process marks the start of any client-lawyer relationship, and therefore, it’s vital that you leave a positive first impression. At this point in the client acquisition cycle, you need to focus on building trust and credibility. Both are crucial factors in a customer’s selection decision.
One way to exude credibility and trust is to ensure no lead becomes “lost” in the system. You must get more organized to ensure that from the moment a lead makes initial contact, they are subsequently nudged through the customer acquisition funnel!
A great method for remaining on top of your leads is automation. By automating large chunks of your initial contact phase, not only will you reduce errors, but you’ll also increase efficiency by freeing up personnel to actually speak to your leads rather than wasting time on data entry.
Take Advantage of Digital Customer Experience Tools
The early bird really does get the worm when it comes to potential clients! Whether it’s responding to a voicemail, replying to an email, or answering a social media inquiry – a lead will disappear as soon as they arrived if they don’t get what they need. (According to the ABA, most offices have plenty of room to improve in this respect, given that over a third of calls from potential legal clients go unanswered.)
Recent research also supports the conclusion that speed is everything, with firms that contact a lead within 5 minutes 21 times more likely to convert them into a paying client.
So, what if you’re a small firm? You can’t be everywhere at once or sit there waiting by the phone. Thankfully the digital age has provided the answer with outsourced live answering services, AI-powered chatbots, and virtual assistants. Today, you can be carrying out a deposition with a client whilst someone (or something) else is busy making a great first impression on a new lead.
Pre-Screen Your Leads
One of the best ways to streamline your sales pipeline is by pre-qualifying your leads. If your marketing is working well, you’re likely fielding inquiries via telephone, email, online and possibly on social media. However, not all of these inquiries will represent good business for your firm. Therefore, it makes sense to screen those leads at the very beginning of the process rather than much later down the line.
The live answering and chatbot services are great at doing this on your behalf. Even simple online forms can save huge chunks of time that would have otherwise been lost to chasing potential clients that aren’t ever going to make a positive impact on your business.
Streamlining Offers the Key to Growth in 2020
Lead management undertaken in this manner is a crucial piece of the scaling puzzle. Rather than simply “doing more” to get through incoming leads, it’s better to work smarter, not harder. Segregate leads as much as possible and invest in responsive software that’s capable of making a great first impression within minutes (or even seconds) of initial contact. By only focusing on leads that are a good fit for your business, you can drive up conversions and enjoy business growth as a result.
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