The United States is home to over 1.3 million lawyers. Making your law practice a success is no easy task. Accomplishing this goal will require hard work, dedication and marketing savvy.
One of the main things you should be focused on when trying to grow your client base is finding a way to build trust. People who are in need of legal help want someone they can rely on. Getting a reputation as a trustworthy and accommodating lawyer will allow you to grow your practice substantially.
Building trust is not an overnight process, which is why you need to avoid getting impatient during this process. Here are some of the things you can do to build trust with your clients.
Respond Quickly to New Clients
Dealing with a personal injury, divorce or workers compensation case can be extremely stressful. Most people affected by these problems will be confused as to how to handle them properly. This is why they reach out to lawyers as soon as they can.
The last thing you need to do when contacted by a new client is to wait a long time to respond to them. Every trusted law firm has a comprehensive and well-documented client intake process. This process should include actual interaction with the client as soon as they reach out.
Generally, the first point of contact a person will have with your firm is speaking with a member of your staff. As soon as this original contact is made, you need to be on the ball about calling the client back. Trying to delegate this task to other members of your staff is a bad idea that may lead to a potential client falling through the cracks.
Provide Potential Clients With Plenty of Information
Most lawyers are unable to answer every phone call that their practice receives. The best way to solve this problem is by recording a detailed voicemail message for people who are calling in. Making sure this message is detailed and friendly is crucial.
The message should include details about what information you need to help the caller. For instance, the potential client will need to leave a brief description of what their case is and how to contact them.
At the end of the message, give the caller an estimate of how long it will take you to return their call. You need to make sure that you don’t drop the ball when it comes to honoring what is told to a caller. This is why you need to think long and hard about how long it will actually take you to reach back out before stating this information.
Use Your Website as a Tool For Building Trust
One of the first things a person will do when looking for a lawyer is to perform online research. Having a website that is both appealing and informative is crucial for any lawyer. As you develop the content for your website, be sure to keep building trust as your main objective.
The biggest mistake most lawyers make when developing a website is being vague about what they charge. In some cases, this vagueness may lead to a potential customer getting frustrated and seeking out the help of another legal professional. By providing this information, you can avoid situations like this.
You should also be careful with pop-up chat boxes on your website. In some instances, the pre-determined responses these chatbots give will not provide useful information to the potential client. It is best to encourage website visitors to contact you directly if they have questions or concerns.
Don’t Forget Bios and Photos on Your Website
Some lawyers fail to realize just how important their website is in their pursuit of building trust with their clients. Ignoring the need for truthful and helpful content on a website can create problems over time. Providing visitors to your website with pictures and bios of yourself and your staff is crucial.
Being able to put a face with your name is something most consumers view as a must. A person is more apt to trust a lawyer they can actually see rather than one they can’t
As you design your website, you need to also think about putting in a frequently asked questions section. The content on this page can help a potential client out greatly. By providing this help, you can create a competitive advantage over your competition.
Get Your Staff Involved
When potential clients contact your law office, they probably won’t talk to you initially. Training your staff is important when trying to make sure potential clients are handled with respect. If you fail to let your staff know how callers should be greeted and what information they need to gather, it is only a matter of time before problems occur.
While training your staff will be time-consuming, it is definitely worth the effort. A group of well-trained and knowledgeable employees can help you keep potential clients interested in what you can offer.
Explain Your Process to Clients
The average person knows very little about how the legal system works. This lack of knowledge can be downright frustrating at times.
During your initial consultation with a potential client, one of your main goals needs to be explaining the legal process you will use to win their case. Providing them with this knowledge will make them thankful and loyal.
Consistency is Key
The key component of building trust with your clients is being consistent. Showing clients that you are unwavering in your commitment to them will keep them loyal.
Are you looking for more advice on how to run a successful law firm? If so, check out the other blogs on our website.
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