You’ve set up your website, posted advertising, set up some social media accounts and then your phones start ringing. Great! Someone needs legal help, they’ve discovered your website, are impressed by what they see, and have taken that important step by picking up the phone to know if you can help. Your marketing efforts have played their role, now it’s your turn to turn that caller into a client.
Law firms enormously invest in marketing and lead generation activities, yet most pay little attention to one of the most important parts of the process: converting a caller into a paying client. In the high flying, modern business world, you only get one chance to make that great first impression. The first phone call is arguably the most important call to your firm because it creates the prime opportunity to create a lasting client relationship and effectively satisfy the client’s needs.
Making that golden first impression on the phone may seem easier than doing so in person-to-person meetings, but that’s not really true. With face-to-face conversations, you have a whole range of ways in which you can conduct yourself, including facial expressions, body language, friendly rituals (such as a handshake), physical appearance, and many more. Over the phone, you aren’t so lucky since the caller is left to identify subtle nuances of the conversation to get that perception about the customer representative and your law firm as a whole.
When a potential client calls your law firm, what does your customer representation say about your firm? At that point, the caller does not know about your services, your values, or your history, all they care about is how they’re treated and whether they get the help they need. And that first call is your shop window, so getting it right the first time is crucial.
What Happens When the First Call Is Not Handled Properly?
A 2016 report by Professor Ian Copper found some damning statistics on the conversion of first-time callers into new files. In more than 90 percent of all calls, the customer service rep failed to attempt to build rapport with the caller. This means that the discussion was entirely formal, administrative, factual, and transactional. In some cases, callers are left feeling like they’re a nuisance to the law firm. Also, in more than a third of all calls, neither the call handler nor the caller knew who they were talking to because there was no one asking for a name or a basic introduction. Most damningly, up to 97 percent of call handlers failed to ask for the potential client's information.
Most potential clients will contact about 5 law firms so mishandling that first phone conversation can result in many lost opportunities and damaged profitability. The exact cost of missed and mishandled calls depends on the value of a client and how much you’re investing in marketing to get those phone calls. If, for instance, you’re spending $500 per month in advertising to generate at least 50 phone calls, then it means that every call costs $10. So every missed call will be more throwing away a ten-dollar bill.
But that’s just the cost to drive in the phone calls. There’s also the opportunity cost of losing a new client and that’s a much large number for your firm. If your average fee is $1000 and you lose 3 leads per day, you are losing more than a half a million dollars per year. But what about referrals? A new client may refer one more paying client but if they don’t get to the point of retaining your legal service, then you’re missing more opportunities to generate more revenue for your firm. A mishandled call can also create negative reviews that could prevent future business.
Make the Right First Impression
The first step is to make sure those first calls are handled properly is to have a legal intake script that standardizes your phone call system. And while there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to call handling, your receptionist should answer the phone with a greeting, identification, and an inquiry. The conversation should include:
- The call handlers name
- The firm’s name
- The caller’s name, contact number, and email address
- The service they’re interested in
- Next steps and the dates of those next steps
- How they found you
- The outcome
When answering every call, your receptionist should also smile, follow the two-ring rule, be mindful of their tone, be willing to find solutions, focus on the conversation, and keep hold times to a minimum.
A legal answering service can help make a great first impression by properly handling every call and delivering a consistent, high-level of customer service. The Best Call Center’s legal virtual receptionists are highly trained and always available to pick your calls and handle them in a professional and effective manner. We are committed to improving your chances of acquiring new clients and helping you grow your firm.
If you would like to learn more about how The Best Call Center can help your law firm create the ultimate first impression with our live answering services, visit our website or call us at 800-385-4656.