According to a recent study, a majority of doctors give their patients just 11 seconds to explain the reason for their visit before interrupting. Only one third gave them enough time to describe what’s bothering them.

I don’t know if doctors interrupt to ask questions or because (they think) they’ve heard enough to issue a diagnosis but it doesn’t matter. A visit to a doctor isn’t just about getting well.

Patients want to feel like they made the right decision in choosing a particular doctor. They want to feel that they are in good hands and that everything will be okay. They want to know the doctor cares about treating them and not just the disease.

It’s been said that “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much they care.” It’s said because it’s true.

Do I even have to say that it’s also true for attorneys?

Let your clients talk. Look them in the eye. Don’t take calls during the appointment. Say please, say thank you, and go out of your way to show them you appreciate them, you care about what they’re going through, and you are committed to helping them get better.

Take care of the client, not just their legal problem.

Client relations made simple

You’re throwing a party. You want your guests to open the front door and come right in. You want them to take off their shoes. You don’t don’t want them using the upstairs bathroom. You want them to help themselves to the snacks you’ve laid out for them and the drinks in the cooler.

To make your guests comfortable, you put up signs around the house explaining everything.

That’s the gist of an article I saw today.

It’s a great idea. Not only does it make guests more comfortable, it relieves you of the burden of repeatedly being asked where the restroom is and having to explain “the rules”.

But no, I’m not suggesting you do something like this at your office (unless you’re throwing a party). What I am suggesting is that when it comes to client relations, the sentiment behind this idea is on target.

We want our clients to feel welcome, not just to our office but to our “family” of clients. We want them to be comfortable with us and what we’re doing for them.

And, let’s face it, we also want to make things easier on ourselves.

That’s why we send new clients a welcome letter or kit, explaining things. We tell them about fees and billing, office hours, appointments, parking, and what to expect in the first days and weeks ahead.

We send them copies of our work product so they can see that we’re on the job. We send them reminders about upcoming appointments. When there’s a problem, we don’t email, we call to explain things, answer questions, and ease their anxiety.

In the office, we greet them with a smile and a handshake. We make eye contact and ask them if they would like something to drink. We take our time explaining things and answering questions.

Because our job as professionals goes beyond doing legal work. Our job is just as much about making our clients feel welcome, safe, and appreciated.

Most clients can’t tell how good you are as a lawyer. But every client knows and will remember how you make them feel.

Happy clients give more referrals