The legal client intake process is essential to law firm growth and profitability. And getting it right requires two important components: accuracy and efficiency. Numerous tasks must take place on the path from initial outreach to successful conversion, and each of them are ripe for wasted time and preventable errors without the right process management systems in place. Here are six tips for creating an accurate and efficient process that will help your law firm members perform like client intake specialists.
#1 Workflow Processes
Disorganization undermines the legal client intake process. With so many procedural components to ensure, firm members may forget to return a communication or inadvertently fail to collect all necessary data. If your firm is operating without a standardized legal client intake workflow in place, you are likely missing profitable opportunities for growth.
Consistency creates organization, promotes accuracy, and offers a repeatable step-by-step process that can be easily followed by any current or future member of the firm. Creating a client intake workflow does not have to be a difficult undertaking. Start by defining the stages of your firm’s legal intake process and the tasks needed for each of them. Document each step and require all firm members to follow the same protocols.
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#2 Speed to Lead
Legal client prospects begin evaluating law firms from the moment they start their search, and when it comes to making a final decision, initial responsiveness and communication rank high on the list of considerations. Firms that fail to respond or choose the generic “Someone will get back to you shortly” route lose out to firms that immediately initiate meaningful communication. It’s called Speed to Lead and your firm needs tools in place to make it happen, including but not limited to:
- Client Relationship Management (CRM) software for law firms streamlines legal client intake workflow tasks by providing simple solutions for consistent communications. For instance, follow ups can be scheduled and automated to ensure that no potential client falls out of the lead nurturing process.
- The AI features of legal CRM can be used to automatically communicate with prospects that reach out to the firm. Innovative technologies like chatbots can hold conversations with website visitors to collect valuable data and begin the important lead nurturing process.
#3 Data Collection
Another legal client intake benefit of CRM software is the automated collection of prospect data into one central location. This provides easy management and access for all firm members. With this efficient tool, they can reduce the amount of time spent locating contact details or other important lead data.
Law firm CRM can also assist with evaluating potential clients for quicker identification of viable leads. Armed with this information, your firm can make more informed decisions about the expenditure of time and monetary resources.
#4 Follow Up
With the many aspects of legal client intake workflows, potential clients can easily fall out of the law firm sales funnel, especially if your firm fails to follow up in a consistent manner. This is another value of CRM systems for law firms. They can provide real-time data about every potential client, regardless of their status on the path to conversion. In the event that a prospective email or phone call is missed, alerts can be sent to firm members, so that follow-up communications can be quickly made.
Every lead’s engagement history and status are documented and automatically updated. So, firm members have the tools to accurately track leads and ensure that they have received an appropriate number of follow ups. With this level of consistency, your practice will operate like a legal intake specialist in no time.
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#5 Email Drip Campaigns
Email drip campaigns are a highly successful tool for nurturing leads through the legal client intake process. For potential clients who may not be ready to commit immediately, these campaigns keep your firm top of mind by providing them with valuable information over periods of time. Your firm can use this legal marketing tool to share educational content, legal insights, and relevant news. This continual engagement lends itself to the rapport building that moves leads towards conversion.
With the CRM software offered by Law Ruler, your law firm can automate email drip campaigns as a standard part of the legal client intake workflow. Its many features include a Chat AI option that helps firm members quickly create email content. With Law Ruler, automated emails can be triggered based on specific lead actions to ensure that no lead falls through the cracks.
#6 Conversion
The final step of legal client intake can also be streamlined for greater efficiency and improved client experience. Client onboarding typically involves meetings, agreements, signatures, and numerous steps. Automated processes can help through the development of customized onboarding documents like engagement letters and intake forms.
In addition, digital intake forms can be integrated through a legal CRM or case management system software to automatically capture client data. Along with eSignature capabilities, where clients can electronically sign engagement letters, conversion becomes a streamlined process.
It’s Time to Improve Your Client Intake Workflow
With these simple tips and the right systems in place, your law firm staff will be the type of legal client intake specialists that drive growth and profits. To learn more about Law Ruler’s many client intake features, click this link for a free demonstration.
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