When a prospective client visits your website and fills out a “contact me” form or emails you directly, you do know that you’re not the only attorney they’re contacting, right? Because you know this, I know that you have a strict policy in your office for contacting said inquiries as quickly as possible.
But how quick is quick?
According to the Harvard Business Review, companies that follow-up within an hour of receiving an online query from a potential customer are almost 7 times as likely to qualify that lead than companies that contact prospects only an hour later.
“Qualifying a lead” means talking to a decision-maker to find out if they are a good match for you. Do they have a problem you can help them with, are they willing to make an appointment right now, and can they afford to hire you, for example. Qualifying prospective clients quickly is a key to signing up more of them.
By the way, HBR also noted that companies that waited a day before following-up were 60 times less likely to qualify a lead than companies that did it within the hour. I’m just saying.
Consumers today are impatient to the extreme. They want answers and solutions immediately and will seldom wait for a vendor or professional to get back to them. You may be the best lawyer for the job but repeatedly lose cases or clients to lawyers who are a little faster.
By the way, everything I just said about email applies equally to phone calls. Inquiries from prospective new clients who leave a phone message should be called immediately, even if it is to have someone tell them that you’re unavailable and schedule a time when you can talk.
So raise your right hand and solemnly swear that from this day forward you will respond to prospective clients who contact you at the speed of light. Make sure someone in your office monitors your voicemail and email inbox and replies in 60 minutes or less. If prospects call or email after hours, your phone message or email auto-reply should indicate when you will contact them, and (unless it is an emergency) that should almost always be the first thing the next day.
Marketing is easy when you know what to do
