The main reasoning behind marketing the services of a law firm is to turn leads into actual customers. Neglecting to have a strategy in place on how to do this will usually result in a variety of problems. The leads you gain from your marketing efforts will be for nothing if you are not able to adequately follow up with people in need of your services. For the most part, the leads you garner through internet marketing will be through your website.
There are a variety of things you will need to do in order to turn these leads into actual clients.
Answer the Phone
When a prospective client calls your firm, the last thing you want is to send them to voicemail. Most people will just hang up if they are not able to get an actual person on the phone when they call for legal help. Most of the people who click your ads or follow a link on your social media do not have an existing relationship with your firm. If there is no pre-existing relationship with your firm, then a person calling has no reason to hang around and leave a voicemail.
Now that we are on the subject of phone calls, you need to also remember to avoid putting people on hold for long periods of time. This will usually lead to the prospective client getting frustrated and moving on to the next law firm on their list. Working hard to establish an effective system for answering the phone calls that come into your firm is important. While it may take some time to work out the kinks in a new call answering system, the work you invest will pay off in the long run.
Handling Email Leads Quickly
In some cases, the leads you get will come via email. It is very easy for these types of leads to fall through the cracks, which is why delegating the responsibility of answering these emails is important. By designating a few team members as the keeper of email leads, you will be able to follow up with prospective clients in a hurry.
Before handing over this responsibility to some of the employees at your firm, you need to make it clear what your expectations are. Making a print out of best practices when dealing with email leads is important. You need to advise team members to be personable with their replies and to offer the lead all of the information they need to schedule a consultation. By targeting your response towards a consultation, you will be able to get a better idea of what the client needs.
You Have to Follow Up
Another vital part of turning leads into clients is following up. Most people who contact you have a lot going on and may forget about why they need the services your firm can provide. Reaching out with a friendly reminder email or phone call is a great way to show a client you are ready to get to work for them.
Some law firms stop reaching out after one or two tries, which is a big mistake. Most studies show following up a minimum of five to seven times before giving up is the best way to turn a lead into a client. Reaching out to a lead one to two times a week may seem like a lot, but it will usually allow you to retain a new client.
Do you need help targeting the marketing methods for your law firm? Real Legal Marketing is here to help you. All you have to do is contact us with the needs you have and then let us get to work on your behalf.
