While the notion of a “client journey” finds its roots in the realm of retail, it’s far from alien to legal practitioners amidst their ongoing pursuits for client satisfaction and firm performance. Many, however, may often underestimate when this journey commences or conclude too early. According to Lawson Rules’s Matthew DeFrain, a legal “client journey” springs into action with the client’s initial interaction with your law firm, and it does not ever ceasing (Above the Law) .
The first major step in constructing an effective client journey for any lawyer then lies in refining the onboarding process through quality intake software. Enhanced automation tools open up opportunities for engagement with clients ahead of their search for an alternative lawyer. This not only economizes what is generally a complex and energy-draining process but also enables customized responses to glean maximum benefits from leads obtained via sources such as emails, Facebook referrals, or social media ads.
The platform facilitates client engagement by encouraging them to complete a given questionnaire, subsequently guiding them to organize a meeting. Depending on the specific workflow, this process can eventually lead clients through fee schedules, and even allow them to electronically sign an agreement without requiring verbal communication. Joyce Brafford from ProfitSolv, the parent company of Law Ruler, asserts that efficiency in the intake process often translates into winning more businesses in comparison to a focus on factors such as rates or attorney efficacy.
The flexibility of the software allows for conditional logic to adapt responses to cater to the varying needs stemming from different types of cases. For instance, inquiries related to divorce cases would vary widely from those associated with personal injury cases, and the necessity to cater to these differences could be game-changing in terms of client satisfaction and retention. In addition, the system allows for setting up specific alerts for high-value cases.
Once the system is set, its ease of integration with case resource management platforms like TimeSolv ensures a smooth synchronization of several operative components of a law firm: intake, time tracking, scheduling and billing. The consequent data from these parallel operations can be highly instrumental in strategic decision making and resource allocation. Important metrics such as conversion data can be tracked to gauge effectiveness of marketing efforts, and help answer pertinent questions such as the time taken for lead conversion, and identification of stages of process that are time-consuming.
In conclusion, a well-strategized client journey backed by sound automation tools and data analytics does not only enhance the efficiency of a law firm, but it also sets the stage for an increment in cash flows, according to DeFrain. The potential that an effective client intake process holds could indeed be the most powerful tool that your firm isn’t using.