Generating new leads and converting them into clients is necessary for the continued success of a law firm. Setting up a call center and waiting for calls to come in isn’t enough. You need to provide these prospects with quality customer service from professionals who know the services you offer and the tools necessary to turn them into actual paying clients. Below are tips that could improve intake conversion, so potential clients don’t decide to hire one of your competitors. First, you need to consider who answers incoming calls from new leads. If it’s a paralegal or another staff member with various responsibilities, they might struggle to speak with every prospective client interested in discussing their legal matter. Most people that call a law firm want instant answers. They don’t want to wait days or even hours for someone to call them back. That means they expect to speak with a live person when they reach out to your firm. If their calls go to voicemail, they will most likely move on to someone else. If you haven’t hired an intake team, do it now. Their only responsibility should be to take calls from potential clients. They should receive training, so they know how to communicate with leads and provide the necessary information that makes them want to retain your services. Be sure your intake team can meet the needs of every caller. That means you should consider hiring people that can speak other languages. If you offer services in areas with residents from different backgrounds, your staff should be bilingual. That way, they can effectively communicate with diverse callers to expand your client base. Excellent customer service begins with answering the phone. You should advise your intake specialists to answer on the first or second ring. It’s never a good idea to allow the calls to go to voicemail. Most people don’t want to leave a message and wait for someone to get back to them. Additionally, many firms have high call volumes and not enough employees to handle them, and they don’t always return everyone’s call. If someone calls your call center and can’t get an actual person on the phone, they might cross your name off their list and call someone else. That means you should not only have enough people working in your intake department to handle the call volume but also expand your availability. You likely take your calls throughout standard business hours during the week at your offices. While that’s perfectly normal, your call center should not operate in the same way. An efficient and successful call center should be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year long. That includes holidays, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. Ensuring there’s always someone there to take calls means you could avoid missing out on potential clients and turning them into cases. Besides being able to handle the call volume, knowing what the caller needs is also critical. If your intake team can’t answer basic questions about the services you provide, there’s no chance of converting the lead into a client. Your staff should be able to discuss the caller’s goals and determine whether they meet specific criteria. In other words, your intake team should know the practice areas your firm handles and whether the caller has a case you can take. If they forward information to you about a potential client’s car accident, but you only represent people going through a divorce, it wastes everyone’s time. Intake specialists must write down the information callers provide. A prospective client will likely explain what happened and why they want to hire an attorney during the conversation. Your staff should ask questions about the circumstances and write down the answers to avoid repeating themselves. Asking a question more than once makes them seem inexperienced or inattentive. Your intake department should also be compassionate. Whatever the reason for seeking legal representation, the caller is likely feeling overwhelmed. They should listen intently to what the caller is telling them and provide the support they need throughout the call. If the caller speaks with someone that seems cold or flat-out disrespectful, it could prevent you from gaining a new client. One of the most convenient methods of sending contracts to a client who wants to retain your services is email. Sending the documents via regular mail means you can’t start working on their case until they mail the forms back to your office or drop them off in person. It delays the entire process. Additionally, that extra time allows them to change their mind about hiring you. Callers should be able to sign all necessary paperwork while on the phone with your intake employee or immediately after hanging up. If you can provide them with everything they need through text or email, they can electronically sign every form and send it right back to you from the comfort of their home. If you want to learn more about how to turn calls into cases, contact Intake Conversion Experts today. We can discuss your needs and determine the best strategy to improve your intake process to avoid missing out on new business. Call us at (855) WITH-ICE right now or contact us online.Create an Intake Department
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