One of the most important steps of the client life cycle is the intake process. It involves a series of steps that ultimately converts potential clients into paying clients. It is, essentially, the sales process for law firms.
Despite its importance, law firms rarely invest energy into making their intake process more effective and efficient. Instead, they stick with a poorly developed process that wastes time and seems disorganized. This can result in lost revenue when clients become frustrated and get lost in the shuffle.
By improving the client intake process, firms can increase conversion rates and ROI. Client satisfaction will also rise as resources are focused on this process. This article will discuss four stages of the client intake process and how they can be made more effective.
If you have questions or need help improving your intake process, feel free to reach out to our team anytime. If you prefer you can schedule a time to speak with Travis by clicking on the link below.
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Stage 1: Lead Acquisition and Management
Potential new clients are called “leads.” Leads may come from your website, referrals, advertising campaigns, or other sources. They may reach out to you, or you may contact them. Regardless of how you come into contact with a potential client, it’s important to immediately engage. When you get a lead, the client intake process begins.
Common mistakes in the lead acquisition and management process include responding too slowly, failing to track leads, and not following up with people who reach out. These mistakes can severely impact your conversion rate and the overall health of your business. That’s why the first step in improving your client intake process is improving your lead system.
Stage 2: Consultations with Potential Clients
Once you have a lead, you will need to start building trust. The next step in the client intake process is scheduling an initial consultation. This is essentially a sales meeting. You will learn the nature of the potential client’s legal issue and work to get their business. Consultations are essential in the legal world, so it’s worth investing time to develop a good process for setting appointments and making sure people show up.
Stage 3: Gathering Information
Obtaining information to begin a case is at the center of the client intake process. Information gathering typically begins right away when a lead comes in, but it continues during and after the consultation as well. Because this step is so important, it’s essential to optimize the process.
Stage 4: Fee Agreement Drafting and Signing
Once you engage in stages one through three, you will have nearly sealed the deal with the client. All you need to do is get a signed fee agreement and contract. This last step is still important, so don’t stop focusing on the goal of landing a new client. This is where the attorney-client relationship is finalized.
You will want to develop a fee agreement process that is easy for attorneys and their staff as well as clients. There should be a steamlined process that flows from one person to the next easily.
Develop an Effective Client Intake Process
Although the meat of the case may take place over several months or years, the initial stages of the client intake process are just as important. Take the beginning of your case seriously and invest time and resources into improving it to reduce inefficiency.
If you have questions or need help improving your intake process, feel free to reach out to our team anytime. If you prefer you can schedule a time to speak with Travis by clicking on the link below.
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