Give Your Clients the Red Carpet Treatment to Succeed in This Economy
It's been a busy week here at the Law Business Revolution. I became a featured contributor on Lawyerist, the Lawyering Survival Guide, held a training call for hundreds of lawyers ready to turn their clients into raving fans, and traveled to Colorado and and back with my kids so I could speak at Denver law school about the new business model for lawyers.
That's one of the benefits of building a business that is supported by a great team and has automated processes in place, you can travel, get away, and relax, while the business keeps on going.
And yes, you can have that too in your law firm. This week's article is about giving your client's the red carpet treatment and each of the strategies I share with you can be structured to happen on auto-pilot so that you have the faith of knowing your clients will be treated like gold, even without you being there every minute of the day.
Check it out below.
One of the best things about having my business on autopilot and homeschooling the kids is that we can travel wherever and whenever we want. So, I'm writing to you this week from Colorado where I'm staying with one of my very first mommy friends, Martha.
When is the last time you took a break from “lawyering” or spent some vacation time out-of-state?
If you’re thinking, “that’s impossible Alexis, I can’t take time off—this firm would fall apart without me and I’d be broke!”, then read on because you still have some work to do in building a systematized firm that runs on autopilot.
Shifting to flat-fee or membership based billing is a key piece to that puzzle and this week’s Law Business Briefing Memorandum explains exactly what you need to do to make the change.
Enjoy!
Power to the People (and your dream law business!),
PS - with Thanksgiving coming up, I want to say thank you so much for being a fantastic member of the Law Business Revolution. It is because of you and the difference you want to make in the world that I am doing this. I'd love to hear how anything I've written or said has impacted your life and/or business. Write me back.
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Law Business Revolution Weekly Briefing Memorandum
Give Your Clients the Red Carpet Treatment to
Succeed in This Economy
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As we all know, the legal industry was hit particularly hard by the economy. Over 12,000 lawyers and legal staff members lost their jobs, entire firms have shut down and small and solo attorneys are working harder than ever to get new business in the door.
You may be wondering, 'Is my practice next?" "How long will this last?" "Can I afford to ride out the storm?"
Here's the good news about the economic shakedown:
I don't want you to believe a word I'm saying here. I want you to test it out in your own business. I know it works because it's what turned my law firm into a million dollar business within three years and has my Personal Family Lawyers and private coaching clients doubling and even tripling their income right now by making a few fundamental shifts in the way they do business.
And the really good news is that it doesn't have to take a whole of time, effort or money to make this shift in your business. But, the return on your investment will be phenomenal.
So what does high concept/high touch look like in your law firm?
Essentially it means creating a WOW experience that appeals to all of your prospect’s or client’s senses, not just their minds.
There’s a new business model emerging as a result and if you are prepared to embrace what client’s really want . . . high concept / high touch and interaction, you will completely differentiate yourself in the marketplace and your business will thrive.
Try some of these out in your practice:
- Change the way your phones are answered. No more “Law Offices” barked into the phone by a surly receptionist. Instead, make sure that whoever answers your phone has a smile on his or her face and a script that immediately identifies your firm as different, warm and inviting.
- Walk into your office as a prospect and see what they see. How can you make the décor of your office appeal to your “ideal clients” on multiple sensory levels (ex. My practice helped families with little kids, so we had toys, fresh fruit, juice and muffins daily, scented candles burning, comfortable furniture to relax in, pictures of my family, etc).
- Automate your client engagement and client service systems so there is consistent follow up and communication with prospects and clients who will never again feel as if they’ve fallen into a black hole after calling or engaging you (I call this the ‘no client left behind’ initiative).
- Shift your billable hour model to flat-fee billing or a membership model so clients don’t feel “nickel and dimed” or penalized every time they contact the firm. It’s amazing what happens when your clients don’t have to worry about getting a bill in the mail each time they contact you.
If you’ve already started making these changes in your law practice, GREAT! You’re on your way to jumping off the cash flow rollercoaster/ marketing merry-go-round forever!
Remember, in a time of economic hardship, lawyers are a dime a dozen. People are choosier than ever as to who they do business with and what they spend their hard-earned money on, and most of that decision making is driven by the little extras that make people feel special.
To hear more about what having a high-concept, high touch office looks like—especially as it relates to dealing with clients on a daily basis, I invite you to download a free call I recorded here on setting up a client service system and how to take your firm to new and unexpected heights, even in this economy!
