Yesterday, I talked about following up with prospects and clients before, during, and after the case or engagement. Most lawyers get it. But many lawyers don’t do it because it takes a lot of time.
I say it’s worth the time because it helps you get new business, keep clients from leaving, and generate positive reviews that can multiply that effect.
But (surprise) lawyers are busy. Even if they want to do it, it’s too easy to let it slide.
I mentioned having an assistant do it. Have them make the calls, send the emails, and otherwise manage follow up and other marketing activities for you. Yes, there is a cost, just as there is a cost to you if you handle this function yourself. If you take an employee away from their other work, that work might fall through cracks and cause problems.
I say it’s worth the risk because the benefits outweigh that cost. Especially if you have a reasonable volume of cases or clients.
Think about it. Do the math. If you hire someone part time and pay them $4000 per month, and they’re able to save one case or client per month or get one client to return, your costs would be covered, wouldn’t they? And if that assistant is able to stimulate clients to provide more reviews and more referrals, and this generates two additional cases (or saves) per month, you would double your investment.
Over time, these numbers would compound.
You know I’m a big proponent of making referrals a primary marketing method for most attorneys. If you’ve read me for a while, you also know that you can stimulate referrals without explicitly talking to clients about the subject. But, let’s face it, talking to clients about referrals is a powerful way to get more of them. A lot more.
If that’s not something you want to do, have your marketing assistant do it for you.
I built my practice primarily with referral marketing. A key to making that happen was delegating as much as possible to assistants.
It was an investment, not an expense. And it paid off in spades.
How to talk to clients about referrals
