How well do you do with these questions on a scale of 1-5?  1 being not at all, 5 being all the time.

1. Do you dedicate phone numbers for specific marketing campaigns?
2. Are the staff trained to ask how a caller found out about the Law Firm?
3. Do you have an assigned person to take those calls?
4. Do you have a Call Tracking System that monitors & records incoming calls?
5. Are the staff who are answering the phones familiar with the marketing strategies used to get calls?
6. Is your staff trained to ask what prompted the caller to call at this time, i.e., what problems are they currently having that your firm can help them with?
7. Is the staff trained to promote the firm/attorney?
8. Is the staff giving the caller a choice between 2 appointment time options?
9. What percentage of callers to your firm make appointments? In other words, what is your current call-to-appointment ratio?
10. Do they have an answering service that takes calls after hours or dedicate an on-call employee? What is the process for following up on those calls? What about follow up for missed calls?
11. Is there a process for following up with callers who do not make appointments on their first call? E-mail, phone call, text, etc.
12. Roleplay with your staff. Act as a client who just called in and seeks legal representation. Has your firm done this?
13. How are you currently receiving leads, and are they tracked in some sort of CRM or CMS database? 
14. How do you assure a potential client — who becomes an actual client — of the white-glove client experience throughout the entire time they are with your firm? Be proactive and reach out to them more often – they will appreciate it.
15. Are you currently asking for reviews of your service after your client’s case?

If you answered 3 or below for anything we now discuss why these are areas your firm should improve on: 

1. Do you have dedicated phone numbers for specific marketing campaigns?

This is extremely important for calculating the success of any particular marketing campaign.  For example, if you have an online marketing campaign going and various print or other marketing elsewhere, the person receiving one or the other may look up your practice on the internet after finding you elsewhere. When they call in, you need to know where the lead came from for that call.  This person may tell your office that they found you on the internet or elsewhere, but without a unique phone number for that specific marketing source, it would be hard to determine.

2. Are the staff trained to ask how a caller found out about the Law Firm?

You would be amazed at how many law staff do not do this.  I run into this with clients all the time. However, we have a phone tracking system for each client so we can go back and provide them with a list of calls that came from a particular marketing source.

3. Do you have an assigned person to take those calls?

If you are promoting a special consultation or offer, you may want to consider appointing someone in your office as a “New Client Coordinator.” This is someone that knows your practice very well and is excellent with clients, is good at getting clients to make appointments, and can be utilized as a resource to speak with callers who have been pre-qualified as good clients for your firm. Once your staff identifies the client as being a good candidate, they can simply say, “Let me transfer you to our new client coordinator so you can get your questions answered.”

4. Do you have a Call Tracking System that monitors & records incoming calls?

As well as your staff may do with asking how a caller found out about your law firm, they will not always mark the correct referral source.  That is why it is so important to have a call tracking system to monitor & record incoming calls. This is the most accurate way to calculate ROI for your marketing campaigns.  Having recordings of the calls provides an excellent opportunity to train and improve your office staff’s skill since you can listen to how they handle the calls and how they respond to specific instructions. However, just make sure you reference something like “this call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.”

5. Are the staff who are answering the phones familiar with the marketing strategies used to get calls?

It is easy to get excited about a new marketing campaign and forget to keep your staff in the loop. Once you’ve approved the content for your campaign, immediately share it with your staff, and make sure they know exactly what you are promoting. For example, make sure they know whether you promote any special offers for consulting. Make sure they know that information inside and out. It never looks good for the firm when a client or prospective client does not receive a comprehensive message from your marketing campaign and staff.

6. Is your staff trained to ask what prompted the caller to call at this time, i.e., what problems are they currently having that your firm can help them with?

When someone calls your firm, they call because they have a problem that needs to be solved, and they believe your firm may have the right people to help them solve it. It is essential for your staff to empathize with the caller, find out exactly what prompted them to call, promote your firm as the people who can solve their problem, and book the appointment. That takes practice and an investment in training your staff. Training will more than pay for itself with more scheduled appointments.

7. Is the staff trained to promote the firm/ attorney? 

After hearing the caller’s problem, they should be using that to promote the firm’s expertise in fixing that problem. “You’ve called the right place! Our attorneys have worked with many clients with the same issue. They are friendly and really take the time to listen to your concerns and answer any questions you may have.” The staff’s goal should be to book the appointment and promote your firm at every opportunity.

8. Is the staff giving the caller a choice between 2 appointment time options?

This should always be done rather than asking the caller what day/time works for them. The first approach should be an “either/ or” appointment option. When your staff asks what time works best for them, it breaks up the conversation’s rhythm and often overwhelms the caller. If the caller has specific days and times that work for them, then they will usually let your staff know that upfront. Your staff should assume the client is going to make the appointment and give them two options.

9. What percentage of callers to your firm make appointments? In other words, what is your current call-to-appointment ratio?

A well-trained staff will book 70% of qualified callers with an appointment. A good staff should have an appointment scheduling ratio of 50%.

10. Do they have an answering service that takes calls after hours or dedicate an on-call employee? What is the process for following up on those calls?  What about follow up for missed calls?

Having a process for handling calls when the office is not open is imperative for success. If you have an answering service, they should be able to give the caller a window of time to expect a call back from your office. For example, within a half-day or full-day, whatever time works for you, but usually sooner than later. Without some sort of time frame, your caller is likely to shop around for another firm.

11. Is there a process for following up with callers who do not make appointments on their first call?  E-mail, phone call, text, etc.?

Regardless of how well your staff is trained, there are always people who just won’t commit to making an appointment on their first call. For these people, you want to stay in touch with them in a concerned, personal way, and not spam them with generic emails. This can be with a follow-up call from a staff member, a personalized email or text, etc. What is important here is that you have a process in place for follow-ups.

12. Roleplay with your staff. Act as a client who just called in and seek legal representation. Has your firm done this?

Making time to role play with some staff will give you a good idea of how prepared they are for taking calls. This will let you know if you need to invest in some training for your staff to maximize your ROI.

13. How are you currently receiving leads, and are they tracked in some sort of CRM or CMS database? 

There are studies that say someone needs to see your name 5 times before they will remember you.  Staying in touch with past clients and leads will often result in revenue for your firm, either through these contacts needing your firm or from them referring friends and family to your firm.  If you do not have a CRM that can generate reports and data easily, then it may be time to re-evaluate your system or train your staff on how to use it correctly.

14. How do you assure a potential client — who becomes an actual client — of the white-glove client experience throughout the entire time they are with your firm?

Reaching out to your clients through a physical newsletter or e-mail newsletter a few times a year keeps your firm in front of them in a friendly, non-obtrusive way. This develops relationships and a referral base for your firm.

15. Are you currently asking for reviews of your service after your client’s case?

Once you have completed the case and you know that your client is happy with the outcome, reach out to them and ask them to give you a review.  Ask them for their help. People like to help and will take a few minutes to review your practice or give you a good testimonial when asked the right way.

• Remember, communication is key. Keep your non-clients (hopefully soon-to-be clients), and your current clients in constant contact even when there is not much of an update to give them. They will appreciate you reaching out to them.