There are these services that automate the client review process. You close the file and the service will ask the client to post reviews on Google, Yelp, etc. It’s simple, easy, inexpensive, and totally hands-off. It’s awesome.

Don’t do it.

Your client just paid you $10,000 for the negotiation and drafting of an agreement. You did a great job. The client is happy. You’d like a review.

Do you have a robocall system ask the client to write a review? Is that any different from an e-mail from a service (or from you)?

Or do you call personally, thank the client for allowing you to do the work, wait for the client to thank you, and then ask for the review?

These reviews are worth thousands of dollars (more likely tens or hundreds of thousands). Why are you risking the process to software?

We know why, don’t we? You’re a frightened person. Me too. I get it. Fear drives many of my decisions. I’m a lily-livered chickenshit much of the time. I’m scared. I totally understand your fear because I have my own. I also understand our refusal to call it fear. I’m not afraid; I’m just busy. Yeah, I’m full of crap just like you.

So don’t buy the software. Don’t hide from the rejection. Don’t be too proud to ask for a favor. Just get over it and ask.

And if the fear is too much and there’s no way to get yourself beyond it, then have someone who works for you make the call. Get the “managing attorney” to do it. Or ask the “firm administrator” to make the call. Sure, the “firm administrator” can be your virtual assistant—whatever.

Don’t delegate the mission-critical stuff to a service because you’re afraid of what the client might say. This is too important. These reviews live on forever, and we don’t have that many clients we can ask for help.