Finding and retaining clients is one of the biggest problems facing attorneys and advocates. According to the New York Times, there are currently too many law students and too few jobs available—Only 60% of 2014’s J.D. recipients had long-term legal jobs lined up upon graduation. With the market getting more and more competitive, it’s vital for firms to retain as many signed clients as possible.

Clients may choose to leave your firm for a competitor, because they no longer believe they have a claim, or because they’re dissatisfied with your work. Here are some top ways you can keep the clients you’ve sent retainer packages to.

Set Realistic Expectations for Your Clients

Many clients expect their attorney to have a case settled within a matter of weeks. They’re often completely unaware of the sheer amount of time that it takes to even schedule a hearing, let alone reach a settlement.

When you call a lead for the first time, or simply meet with a claimant who walks through your firm’s front door, be sure to explain how much time they can expect to wait to receive some kind of settlement. Are some Social Security disability applicants approved within a matter of days? Sure. But most will need to wait for over two years to be approved if their initial application is denied. By being upfront about your client’s timeframe for approval, you can improve his or her likeliness to stay with you for the long run.

Modernize Your Firm for 2017 and Beyond

It’s simply not realistic for your firm to do business entirely on paper anymore. According to the Pew Research Center, just 13% of Americans do not use the internet. You’ll need to not only email your clients on top of calling them, but consider sending paperwork electronically.

Fortunately, our clients all have complimentary access to eLuminate, our lead and case management software. eLuminate has a powerful document generator that allows you to send your retainer package, medical release statements, and more via email for electronic signature.

Be Not Only Responsive, but Proactive

It goes without saying that you and your intake staff should strive to be as responsive as possible when handling clients. If your clients feel as if their needs aren’t met and their questions aren’t answered, they’ll start looking for another firm to work with.

On top of being responsive, you should also take the first step and reach out to your clients whenever necessary to update them of their case’s status, any pending documents you need, and updates of when they’ll be going to court. eLuminate has a Mass Action function that allows you to send customized emails dozens of claimants at once, allowing you to save time while still letting your clients know their case is at the top of your priority list. Additionally, our clients have access to a complimentary Live-Transfer feature that allows you to be connected with a lead as soon as he or she submits a Free Evaluation.

Sign Better Cases

Simply put, if you sign good cases, you’ll have an easier time keeping clients. Signing every client that gives your firm a call will stretch your staff thin and lose profitability.

Lead generation services are significantly less expensive than other forms of marketing because we know your firm will realistically not be able to sign most claimants. Unlike some competitors though, the vast majority of our leads are generated through paid search campaigns on major search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. This ensures that the leads we generate are high quality. If you’d like to discuss our lead pricing and availability, give us a call today at 617.800.0089.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/opinion/too-many-law-students-too-few-legal-jobs.html

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/09/07/some-americans-dont-use-the-internet-who-are-they/