When there’s a stranger in our house you’ll usually find my cat hiding under the bed. If we were to re-arrange the furniture, I’m sure it would have the same effect.
Change makes cats uncomfortable. It’s different and scary. They prefer things the way they are.
To some extent your clients are the same way.
You know this is true. Imagine going to Amazon.com to shop your usual categories and one day all of the pages and links are different. You’d be confused and uncomfortable and wonder what’s going on. You might feel a little betrayed.
Why did they do that? Where’s the link? I don’t have time to figure this out! What else did they change that I don’t know about? What’s next?
I know you understand this. Lawyers tend to dislike change even more than their clients. But change is inevitable and more often than not leads to good things.
So don’t avoid change, just be judicious about implementing it. And think about it from your client’s point of view.
Consider what your client’s might be thinking and feeling when you:
- Assign a different lawyer or staff member to their case,
- Increase your fees,
- Change billing methods,
- Change the schedule/due dates,
- Re-do your website,
- Introduce new reports or forms you send them, or
- Move your office.
Make changes as smooth as possible for your clients, and also for your staff who will be implementing these changes and explaining things to nervous or confused clients. Do your best to
- Keep change to a minimum. Not too much, not too often.
- Keep your promises. Grandfather in existing clients, if need be.
- Give plenty of warning. Don’t spring things on them at the last minute. Let them process and prepare.
- Explain why you made the change, and how the client will be better off.
- Offer extra help: people they can talk to, pages they can read, longer hours during a transition.
Follow these guidelines, use common sense, and see things the way your clients see them. Your clients may not universally applaud these changes, but in time, they will accept them. Even my cat eventually comes out from under the bed.
Marketing is everything we do to get and keep good clients. This will help
