How to Build a Better Law Office Complete With Superior Attorneys
If you have recently started your law practice or are looking to grow then it’s likely your objective is to hire outstanding lawyers that are credible and that can help launch your legal firm to success. The chart below shares some strong insight starting from examining and interviewing prospects all the way through the final selection. In short, build your practice the way Super Lawyers builds their list of attorneys.
Once you have the right lawyers in place consider these tips for the home run.
Let Your Answer Be “No”: Unless you expect a healthy referral or you’re doing a favor for a friend or charity, say no to all work that is not profitable. Instead take the money you would lose and invest it back into marketing. When work is slow lawyers are often too quick to say yes just to have a new case but that new case is better off left alone so you can look for business from clients that are more interested in hiring a quality attorney than they are getting a cheap one at your expense.
80/20 Rule: As the old expression goes (and it’s usually true) 80% of your business will probably come from 20% of your current clients. Make sure you build and strengthen relationships with those that can afford and appreciate you. Don’t overextend yourself on the 80% one-time customers with outrageous demands that far exceed their investment in your firm. That’s not to say there are not important, but be careful not to allow them to pull you too far from the clients that will be there long after today. They are the ones that will keep you in business.
Marketing: Let’s face it, most of us don’t have a never ending supply of referrals and if you don’t then you will certainly need a marketing plan. Most businesses fail because they refuse to really invest in their business and consequently their phones don’t ring. A simple website and pay per click advertising (also called paid search) can be highly effective and you even get total control over the budget, so you can spend as little as $5 a month, $2,000 or whatever is in you have available for this line item.
Answer The Phone: Alarming but true and time and time again people reach out to law offices and end up in voice mail world. Surprisingly some attorneys actually think all callers will just leave a message and wait, as opposed to just calling another law firm. They are dead wrong. The loss of one client can add up to several thousands of dollars, so one can image the severity of missed calls over the course of a year. Thousands of lawyers use an attorney answering service that answers calls 24/7 and generally pay less than $1.00 a call. This literally lets you have a live secretary take your calls at any time, be it 2am, Christmas, or after hours. Find out what it can do for your office and request a quote today. Remember, you can be a great lawyer, do lots of marketing, and work overtime, but every missed call is a missed opportunity for revenue.
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