Intake is all about building trust. If your intake process is confusing, or distracting, or scary, you’re digging yourself into a hole before the client has even paid you.
I often walk into a restaurant that I’ve never visited before. I look at the door, I look at the sign. I’m not sure if they’re open or closed. I go in if they’re open, but then I don’t know what to do. Do I stand there and wait, or do I go ahead and sit down? Do I order at the counter?
Is this the same experience your perspective clients are going through at your law firm?
Today’s assignment is up in your podcast feed and it’s all about looking at what you’re doing now from the client’s point of view. We need to assess how off-putting your system is right now.
Potential clients are coming to you with an emotionally charged situation and they’re looking to spend some money, but their first interaction with your law firm may not be a good one. Sometimes they feel like nobody’s paying attention, or that they aren’t being attended to, or that they aren’t being guided.
People literally walk out of the office in law firms all the time when the intake process is confusing and unwelcoming. And it’s nearly, always a result of the people handling the intake process. Those people are either busy and distracted or they’re poorly trained. Often the person handling the intake of prospective clients is dividing his time between other duties or is an entry level person with minimal experience.