Streamlining Your Client Intake Process

As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Having a streamlined intake process is key to impressing potential clients and convincing them to work with you.

Making it easy for your potential clients to learn about who you are and how you will help them inspires confidence. A simple way to schedule appointments allows them to take the first step toward retaining your services. Here are some ideas for streamlining your client intake process.

Target the Right Audience

Before you spend time meeting with a potential client, you want to find out if they’re a good fit for your firm and if you can help them with their legal matter. The first thing to do is make sure your website clearly states and explains the areas of law you practice and any unique specialties. This should reduce the number of people you turn away who are seeking services you don’t offer.

The second thing to do is to implement a pre-screening process to get enough information about their needs and any conflicts of interest. Some information to consider includes:

• Information that creates a conflict of interest with other clients or the firm
• Details about their legal matter so you can determine if the work they need fits into your firm’s workflow
• Expectations regarding the process and the results they hope to achieve
• Any other information helpful in determining if you want to bring them on as clients

Ideally, you will want to get client information by having them enter it into a portal on your website. Having the client enter the information themselves reduces the chances of errors due to someone in your firm writing or typing the information incorrectly.

↠ 3 Tips to Get More Clients and Referrals ↞

First Impression

The first time a potential client is likely to learn about you and your firm is by visiting your website. Your website should look professional and catch the viewer’s attention. As mentioned above, the areas of law you practice should be easy to view and understand. In addition to listing aspects of your education and professional experience, you can add a personal touch by telling your viewer what inspired you to go into your particular legal field(s). Doing this will help to build a more personal connection with potential clients.

Quick and Clear Communication

All of your clients, whether new or not, will appreciate and expect quick and clear responses from your firm. Creating a straightforward process for communicating with clients will help boost clients’ confidence in your firm. You can create forms for your staff to use when communicating with clients. Automating parts of the process and using online fillable forms can help quicken response time and reduce potential errors.

Sending poorly written emails full of misspelled words to clients shows that you are not giving them the time or consideration they deserve. Take a little extra time to make sure communications with your clients are well-written and error-free. Pre-written templates can be used along with some minor personalization, including their name and legal issue.

>>> Implementing a Maintenance Plan That Clients Value <<<

Get Info and Schedule Appointment

The easiest way for people to schedule appointments with you is through a calendar on your website. You can have open timeslots displayed so people can pick which day and time will work best for them. This cuts out back-and-forth phone calls or emails. If a person booking an appointment with you is new to your firm, you can provide an online form for them to fill out, as mentioned above. You can have this form automatically put the information into your firm’s database.

Help with Your Client Intake Process

If you need help with your firm’s client intake process, client management system, or any other content management tasks, contact Law As a Business (LAB). We help legal firms run efficient, profitable law practices through creative solutions.

Create a better experience for prospects!

Initial consultations should not be the beginning of your potential clients’ journey. Rather, the consult should be the culmination of a thoughtfully structured process that leads to an attorney-client relationship. During this video, you will learn easy to apply insights that will change how people are introduced to the legal solutions you provide to your community and increase your bottom line.