Congratulations! Your website just got a visitor. All the hours your law firm has put into website development, search engine optimization, and online advertising is paying off.
While you should be proud of your successful efforts thus far, you must also keep in mind that drawing a visitor to your site is only the beginning. It is the user experience from this point forward that will determine whether that individual becomes a client.
When your site visitor decides to contact your practice, what will be their first impression? Will they be greeted by a knowledgeable and friendly representative, or will they be sent to a recorded message or put on an extended hold?
Far too many practices fail to invest fully in their intake process, and that mistake could potentially be costing them clients. The following are three vital components to implementing a successful intake system.
While it may seem cost-effective to use automated intake systems, the poor user experience often associated with them could be damaging your firm’s long-term return on investment.
When someone contacts a lawyer, they are usually at a vulnerable time in their life, and they are expecting to be assisted with compassion and care. The last thing they want is a computer system guiding them through a labyrinth of prompts, especially when they need urgent help.
By having professional representatives speak with your potential clients at initial contact, your practice can immediately demonstrate its commitment to providing clients with the personalized service they deserve.
Because intake specialists are typically the first point of contact for callers, these professionals can either make or break signing a client. Within just moments of speaking with your intake team, a potential client will assess the professionalism, efficiency, and overall experience they can expect from your practice. Your firm will probably not get a second chance to make a good first impression.
The ultimate goal for intake specialists is to help convert a lead into a client. Because of this, there is a significant advantage that comes with hiring an intake specialist who has a sales background. Those who have had success in sales will better understand the value of generating leads and the vital role customer experience plays in a law firm.
If you want to help ensure consistency across your intake team, create a script for your employees to use when talking to potential clients. A script allows intake specialists to seamlessly find the best course of action instead of fumbling for an answer, thereby reducing or eliminating the risk of confusing a caller. To find the optimal script, try split-testing several different versions of one across your intake team, gathering feedback from your employees along the way.
For training purposes, it is also beneficial to have an experienced member of the staff listening to intake calls and role-playing as a client. This level of preparation will help your intake team consistently execute the plan without fail.
At Client Chat Live, we help law firms turn website visitors into clients by offering live chat operators 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To find out more, contact our team at (808) 725-3633 or send us an email.
Be sure to check back here for future installments in our After the Click series.
After the Click, Pt. 2: Determining Who at Your Firm Should Be Talking to Potential Clients
After the Click, Pt. 3: How Law Firms Should Analyze Client Sources
