Ever walk into a fast food restaurant that you’ve never visited before? It can be overwhelming. Where do I order? Where do I wait for my food? Does the line start on the left or on the right? How does this menu work? The locals are streaming by because they know the ropes. It’s confusing. It’s one reason chains do so well.

The same thing happens in a fitness club when you go for the first time. Regulars are flowing by, knowing where to go. The person at the counter is busy greeting people. You don’t know where to go, what to do, or whether you were supposed to bring a towel. And that’s just at the front desk. It gets worse when you finally reach the locker room (how do I lock up my stuff?) and the exercise area (how does this machine work?).

These places work great once you’ve visited a few times and learned the ins and outs. Until then, it’s uncomfortable and awkward. We feel like we don’t belong. We’re out of our element.

That’s how new clients feel in our offices. They walk in not knowing what to expect. They’re confused, and, of course, they are experiencing crisis so everything is even more challenging than it might otherwise be.

The fast food places and the health clubs don’t need to be challenging for first-timers. With good signage, helpful employees posted strategically, handouts, and other tactics, confusion can be eliminated. I’m not sure why they don’t do more to help us when we arrive.

The same is true for us as family law attorneys. We can smooth the process. We can do a number of things to make that first visit comfortable. We can embrace these potential clients in such a manner that they feel safe and secure and are, as a result, more likely to hire us to handle their matter going forward.

How?

First, explain things in advance. Understand that they are in crisis, so your explanation may require repeating. Do it when they call. Do it on your website, and e-mail them an explanation of how the visit will work.

Give them the 411. Provide directions and a map. Give them a picture of the building. Give them a picture of the door. Explain who will greet them and where they will wait. Tell them how long the meeting will last, how payment will be handled, and what refreshments are available. Tell themthey’ll leave with handouts and explain how they can ask questions after the meeting. Let them know what will be accomplished at the meeting and what will be left to address later. Explain everything you can think to explain right down to who pays for parking and how to get out of the lot.

You’ll likely need to spend an hour thinking of yourself as a potential client. Visualize driving to the building, walking in, making your way to the office, approaching the reception desk, etc. In your mind, be a new client. Don’t let your familiarity with your office and processes interfere. Look for the tricky parts and be sure you explain, explain, explain.

Don’t let your clients feel like they’re visiting a fast food restaurant or a fitness center. We can do better.