Lead follow ups are probably one of the most important tasks for law firms. Yes, the process for legal claims and lawsuits is full of many important steps, but if you don’t properly follow up with a lead and convert them to a client, then there is no claim to even begin with. To make better use of your firm’s follow ups, try using these follow up tips:
Timeliness When Contacting Any Lead
Time of the essence when it comes to lead follow ups. In fact, those who reach out to a lead within one hour are 7x more likely* to speak with a lead than those who wait over an hour to make initial contact. It can also be assumed that if someone is reaching out your firm, then they are likely reaching out to other firms as well. With these in mind, a faster follow up can likely result in a new client for your firm rather than a new client for a quicker firm.
The timing of follow ups can also play a big role in a successful lead follow up process. Keep in mind the area of law and what the lead may be doing. For example, an employment law lead may no longer be working, making them available to speak during traditional business hours. On the other hand, a divorce lead may be working and may not be able to answer a call during work.
Along with timing of a lead follow up, you should also consider how you follow up. Is your firm’s lead more likely to answer a call, email, or text?
Calling a Lead
Following up with a lead via a phone call is one of the most common follow up forms. But it can be difficult to get a lead on the phone. So, how many times should you call a lead? This can depend on what your firm finds to be most successful. We recommend calling a lead at least 10 times before discarding them.
When calling a lead, have a brief, informative message ready to leave to increase the chance of a call back. In the case that a lead does answer the phone, have a script you or your intake staff can follow to maximize the chance of a conversion. This can include questions to ask a lead about their case as well as information about your firm.
Emailing a Lead
You may find that emailing a lead has a higher conversion rate for your firm. Many law firms have success using emailing as part of their lead follow up process. About 33%* of recipients open an email because of the subject line, so be sure to have one that is informative and engaging. Within your emails, you should include personalization, such as using the lead’s name. Answering basic questions within your email can help show a potential client that your firm is knowledge, persuading them to work with you. For example, a common question a disability attorney hears may be “How long does the SSD claims process take?”. You can include the answer to this question within your email.
Make contacting your firm back easy for a lead. Within the email, provide a link for a claimant to schedule a call directly with your firm. This way, you can skip the phone tag and have a designated time to speak. If you’d like the lead to correspond via email, be direct about this. For disability attorneys, you’ll want to remember that some of your leads may have vision impairments, so keep the formatting simple and easy to read.
Texting a Lead
Another lead follow up option is texting a lead. If your leads are younger, especially under 40, they are likely not going to answer an unknown phone number. Texting them first can help a lead identify who is calling. But before your firm can text a lead, you will need to get their permission. This can be done through an opt-in form or by asking for permission to text them on your firm’s contact form. Once you have permission, you can begin texting your lead.
When texting your firm’s leads, make your messages short & clear. If you want them to call you back, state this. For example, if you just received a lead via the contact form on your firm’s site, consider texting them something like “Hi Micheal, this is Pam from The Law Firm. We received your inquiry about your wrongful termination. Please call me at 617-123-4567 to further discuss your claim.” or “Hi Michael, this is Pam from The Law Firm. We received your inquiry about your wrongful termination. I’ll call you this afternoon to discuss your claim.” You can even add a link to your firm’s calendar to schedule a call (just keep in mind some may think a text with a link is spam).
Often, the best lead follow-up process uses a combination of calling, emailing and texting a lead. Automating the process of frequent outbound calls, follow up emails, and reminder texts can make connecting with claimants easier too. Schedule your emails or texts for specific days or for when a lead completes a specific action (such as scheduling a call with your firm). As your firm works to fine-tune your intake process, track what tactics are most successful. You can then adjust what works best for your firm.
If your firm would like more leads to try out these follow up tips, contact eGen today! We currently have employment law, personal injury, workers’ compensation, family law, and Social Security disability leads available.
*https://ircsalessolutions.com/insights/sales-follow-up-statistics
