We get it. If it aint broke, why fix it? Right?! Not so fast…
If you believe that because your law firm is profitable, your intake isn’t broken, you are sorely mistaken. Judging Intake by whether you’re profitable is the wrong approach to take. Rather, in order to truly assess the effectiveness of your intake process, consider how many qualified cases you failed at signing (assuming you have the ability to run this type of report).
Given the anticipated margins associated with cases that resolve for a fee, it is incumbent upon law firms to apply a marketing and intake process that would result in the best results. Moreover, with the understanding that the personal injury industry is ultra-competitive, we must also employ a process that is consistent with the notion that time is of the essence. Too often, law firms treat their intake with reckless disregard and significant delay. By not employing the appropriate staff, resources, response and follow-up procedures and retention options at the Intake level, we are putting ourselves at a significant disadvantage to our competitors.
Can you still survive (and be profitable)? Sure. But since when is being profitable the goal? Shouldn’t we be looking to maximize profits and limit our mistakes?
At ICE, we decided that we wanted to fill the obvious Intake void in our industry. What void are we talking about? The response, follow-up, qualification and retention void that has resulted in less-than-respectable conversion rates. We focus on what we believe to be the most important aspect of high volume personal injury matters: Intake and Retention. And the reality is if you’re not providing the adequate resources to this aspect of your business, you are probably leaving a lot of money, clients and good will on the table. Is this something you’re comfortable with? We hope not.
Look at your law firm’s retention rates from last month. If you’re not happy with your law firm’s ability to respond adequately, follow-up persistently, qualify immediately and retain sufficiently, call us. Intake is what we do because we know that litigating is what you do.