You may not be the best writer or speaker. Your trial skills may not win any awards (or big verdicts). You might be just okay at managing your team or your money. But you can be amazingly successful in your practice if you master this skill.
Actually, it is a set of skills, usually referred to as “client relations”. Which encompasses a lot of things, big and small, but boils down to the ability to make people like you.
Think about it, a prospective client comes to see you. They have a problem. They’re nervous about their case and nervous about you. Can you help them? Are you honest? Will you charge a reasonable fee? Will you be nice and friendly or mean and scary?
All these doubts and fears swirling in their head, making them even more nervous as they open up and tell you about their situation.
Within minutes, they feel better. Relieved. Encouraged. They like you. And trust you. And feel confident that you can help them.
And they hire you on the spot.
Or they don’t. Because you don’t have this skill. In which case, all of your core legal skills, experience, and reputation don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.
Once the client hires you, they see that you are attentive and work hard to serve them. They see that you appreciate them. They come back to you. And tell others about you.
Or they don’t. Because you didn’t continue to earn their trust or make them feel appreciated.
We’re in the people business and client relations is a set of skills that can make or break your practice. Like any skills, they can be learned.
You can learn how to make people like and trust you. You can learn how to inspire loyalty. And if you’re already good at these things, you can learn to get better.
And you should. Because if you want to build a successful practice, no other skills are as valuable.
Learn how to make people like and trust you
