Hero’s Journey: Law Firm Intake, Part 1 – Engage

Lawyers often focus on their own expectations when it comes to client intake.  They assume a lot about legal consumers’ preferences without actually investigating what those preferences really are.  In that situation, it usually ends up that law firms construct intake programs that don’t reflect relevant trends respecting legal consumers and that are created for the ease of use of the law firm, and not for the ease of use of the consumer.

But we’re firmly entrenched in the convenience economy, and everything a law firm does to engage legal consumers should be based on the ease, convenience and preferences of those legal consumers.

The potential client is the hero of the client journey, and that’s where the law firm’s focus should be.  Every aspect of the intake process should address engagement because 90% of the time, the law firm that effectively engages a new lead, closes that lead.

That means that all of your online content should focus on and anticipate specific questions that your potential clients have.  It also means that you offer ways for potential clients to interact with your law firm in the most immediate ways possible – that could be a virtual receptionist to pick up your phone (only about 1/3 of law firm phone calls are actually answered, and more than 60% of voicemails left for law firms are ignored), or it could be placing a live chat or chatbot program on your website.  Some law firms even have their attorneys pick up all of the incoming phone calls – in order to surprise and delight potential clients.

If you take the focus off of yourself and place the spotlight on your leads, you’ll convert more business.

. . .

Need help building an intake system?  We can help.

The Wyoming State Bar offers free law practice management consulting services through Red Cave Law Firm Consulting.

To request a consult, visit the Wyoming State Bar’s law practice management page, and start running your law firm like a business.

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