Having great marketing will only take you so far – you also need a solid intake system that will help you keep up. Many firms see their marketing efforts go to waste due to missed calls, slow responses, and no follow-up. This is known as case leakage and can be an incredibly costly issue for law firms while also harming their reputation. So, what is the solution? We have a 24/7 intake playbook that will stop case leakage and ensure that leads turn into a signed retainer. Sound good? Keep reading to find out more.
The Cost Of Missed Calls
It might seem that a missed call is no big deal, but these missed calls can lead to enormous sums in lost revenue each year. Statistics show that 78% of potential clients hire the first firm that calls them back, so you want to make sure that you are on the ball. Most firms take over 24 hours to respond, which is far too long and sees them lose out to the competition.
If you are spending big on marketing, you want to make sure that your intake system is up to scratch – without this, all of your SEO, LSAs, and PPC ad spending is a waste.
The Importance of Intake in the Legal Space
Intake is hugely important in the legal space because consumers need instant responses. If someone is searching for a “personal injury lawyer near me”, they are likely to be in a crisis and will hire the first firm that is responsive and helpful. This means that intake is about much more than picking up the phone; you also need:
- 24/7 availability
- Professionalism
- Qualification to identify the right cases
- Follow up to close the loop
Intake Best Practices
We see law firms often making the same mistakes when it comes to intake. Therefore, it is helpful to be aware of the best practices so that you can avoid these mistakes and prevent case leakage.
Answer Every Call
Nothing will put off a potential client faster than a ringing phone that goes to voicemail. Every call should be answered by a person, whether this is your own in-house team or outsourced to a 24/7 service.
Stick To A Script
A script is key for consistency and professionalism. Of course, you do not want your intake team to sound robotic, but a script is useful for ensuring that clients are guided smoothly. The intake script should address:
- Client name and contact information
- Nature of the case (car accident, DUI, personal injury, etc.)
- Qualifying questions
- Next steps
Identify High Value Cases
Not every lead is the right fit for your law firm, so your intake team needs to be able to identify high-value cases quickly. By quickly identifying cases that align with your goals, you can save time and ensure the most valuable opportunities don’t get buried.
Use Tech
Having hardworking, compassionate, and professional intake staff is key, but you can also use tech to streamline the process. Your tech stack should include:
- Call tracking
- CRM integration
- Automated reminders
- Analytics dashboards
Technology can make work easier for your intake staff, help improve conversions, improve the experience for callers, and help you capture all the key details.
Follow Up
Never give up if a client does not sign up after the first call. Often, clients need some time to decide, which is why you should always follow up within 24 hours. Persistence is key here, so you need to develop an effective follow-up system until a decision is made. This should involve same-day text/email confirmation, next-day check-in, and weekly follow-ups until a decision is made.
Track Metrics
Like many areas of the business, you should track metrics so that you can fine-tune and identify what is working and areas where improvements could be made. Key intake metrics include:
- Response rate
- Conversion rate
- Retainer rate
- Channel ROI
An Intake System You Can Trust
Ultimately, there is nothing more important than intake for a law firm, but it is also an area that many struggle with. The hiring, firing, and payroll you have to keep for an intake team is the hardest part of the law firm and can get in the way of your firm making money.
We have our own intake system using a partner that is used to signing 1,000 cases a month. This can help you save a significant amount of money on case closing while helping you maximize signed retainers. On top of this, a reliable intake system can improve your brand reputation and help you secure more clients.
Here is how our intake system does things differently to deliver results:
- An end-to-end solution that gets you signed retainers
- 24/7 live intake with every call, chat, or form, getting an instant and real human response
- Fast retainer delivery with retainers sent via text and email in real time
- Follow-up sequences are delivered by our system, so your staff does not have to
- Lower cost per signed case – more conversions = more ROI
Our intake system is proven to deliver results. We had one startup firm sign six cases in its first week, while another client lowered the cost per signed case by a staggering 38% in just 30 days. By fixing your intake, we can make sure that your marketing is actually working and prevent losing clients you have already paid for.
Discover our done-for-you intake system and discover how we can help your firm avoid case leakage and win more signed cases. There is no point in investing in great marketing if you fail at the intake stage, so fixing this area is essential for maximizing your marketing efforts and competing at a higher level.
We are confident that our proven intake system will deliver more signed cases without the hassle and cost of running intake yourself. Contact us for a free consultation today, and we can show you how we will turn leads into a signed retainer.
