Establishing and managing a streamlined intake process separates good law firms from those that dominate. How effectively your firm executes the intake process will determine your level of success.
Set the Tone for Success With Every Intake
When hiring a contractor, most people speak to a few to compare experience and credentials. Choosing a law firm is no different. On average, consumers contact up to three law firms before making their final decision. Consumers want to hire a firm that they feel confident with and can trust, especially if the outcome may significantly impact their lives and livelihood.
Intakes are the lifeblood of a law firm. Attorneys and staff must understand this to treat each opportunity as a top priority. One lost opportunity is one too many. Firm owners and managers must set the example for this mindset.
If your firm isn’t handling intakes effectively, you are losing business. These guidelines will help your firm have a smooth, efficient intake process that converts leads into clients.
First Impressions Matter
Your intake staff is the first point of contact for potential clients, and they have one chance to make it count. There are no retakes with intakes.
- Accessible and Available. Never miss a call with an always-on after-hours service like Afterhour, ensuring no opportunity is missed—even outside business hours.
- Tone. Intake staff should speak clearly, concisely, and with confidence. Have empathy when the situation necessitates.
- Script-ready. Intake staff should obtain key information like name, address, and phone number, and ask key questions to quickly ascertain if the case is one that the firm would handle.
- Listening is essential. Yet, intake screeners need to be able to control calls that get off track.
- Practice area knowledge. Intake screeners need to possess foundational knowledge of case profiles that the law firm accepts.
- The “break-up.” If the firm cannot take the case, how the call ends is just as important as how it started. Offer a referral to another firm or direct them to the bar association to ensure they still feel supported.
Opportunity Only Calls Once, And It Doesn’t Wait On Hold
Phone calls are one of the main ways prospects will contact your firm. Here’s how to handle them effectively:
- Answer all calls within a few rings.
- Calls on hold or transferred should be for mere seconds to avoid call abandonment.
- Avoid voicemail. Many callers won’t leave a message and will just move on to the next firm.
Quick Responses Turn Prospects into Clients
When a prospect reaches out through your website, it’s an important opportunity to convert. That’s why chat and web inquiries require just as much attention and responsiveness as phone calls.
- Website form inquiries (emails) and chats need a response within minutes during business hours and in a timely manner after hours.
- Use Sherloq to see your leads in real time and listen to recent calls from your desktop or smartphone.
- Emails and chats need the same attention as calls. If a lead comes in over the weekend and is a viable case, a firm staff member should promptly reach out.
- Leverage a partner like Afterhour to handle qualified leads professionally when your team is offline so you never miss a potential client again.
Strong Intakes Sign Cases—Don’t Miss the Moment
- Sign the prospect without breaking the initial contact. The immediacy of e-signature platforms results in a higher conversion rate if permitted in your jurisdiction. A follow-up in-person appointment is also an option to solidify the attorney/client relationship.
- If the initial contact flow is broken, establish a follow-up cadence to ensure the sign-up happens shortly after the first contact.
- Audit all calls handled by the intake team and the after-hours call service to ensure they are following the script and/or standard protocol established by the firm.
- Perform regular training. Practice roleplaying to evaluate and improve the quality of your intake team.
- Brief your after-hours call service. Take time to ensure the service is familiar with your practice areas, business hours, and locations.
- Incentivize your staff. Offer special recognition to staff who have demonstrated the necessary qualities to be entrusted with speaking to prospective clients.
Consumers have choices when it comes to legal services. You need to start with a quality intake if you want to stand out. Make sure you sign the case — work for yourself, not your competitor.