Let’s start with the premise that our industry is notoriously bad at Intake. It’s true. We leave way too much money on the table due to our inefficiencies, our lack of understanding the claimant’s perspective and our inability to strike while the iron is hot.  If you don’t believe these things to be true then you can stop reading right now.

Good, I’m glad you’re still here. Assuming that we all agree that there is tremendous room for improvement, let’s look into why.

  • Could it be because claimants don’t trust us?
  • Could it be because we don’t know what the claimant wants?
  • Could it be because we don’t value time?

If you answered YES to each of the questions above, YOU WIN! What do you win? Keep reading and you’ll win the ability to convert more qualified claimants into signed retainers.

Generally speaking, most claimants have never worked with a personal injury attorney before and the idea is pretty daunting. The concept that a law firm will only get paid if they are successful in obtaining a financial award on someone’s behalf seems to be too good to be true. As a result, claimants start the relationship with a lack of trust.

How do we gain that trust?

TIP # 1: Make it VERY clear in your contract (IN ONE SENTENCE) that the law firm only gets paid if they are successful. If you are not doing this, you are hurting your chances at retaining a new client.

Assuming the claimant begins to trust you, we have to start understanding what the claimant wants. They want you to make it about them. They want reassurance. They want to make the right decision. And they want someone to answer their questions.

How do we present ourselves in this light?

TIP # 2: Assume that every claimant that contacts your office has already contacted two other law firms.             Now, what can you do differently (and better) than your competitors?

Lastly, assuming that the claimant begins to trust you and they like you better than your competitors, you now must understand that time is not on your side. As every minute passes, the claimant continues to consider alternative options.

How do we strike while the iron is hottest?

Tip # 3: Your law firm must make the decision to sign (and provide the method of sign-up) WHILE ON THE FIRST CALL. We do not have the luxury to delay, wait, think about it or further consider after the call.

Begin implementing these three tips into your everyday intake practices and you will immediately begin to see improvement.

Until next time…