Practice Building Skills: Exceeding Clients' Expectations

Can asking your clients questions be the answer to increased business? We recently attended a legal marketing workshop in Philadelphia, and the main topic of conversation revolved around retaining clients, and what clients believe is important in their choice of attorney or law firm. We were not surprised to find that there is a huge disconnect between what clients are looking for in their choice of attorney, and what they believe they are receiving from their current law firm.

The differences between what clients believe they are getting from their law firms, and what the firms perceive, tell us several things. Before you begin to develop new business, it is important to make sure that your current clients are happy with your work. It is important to constantly 'take the temperature' of your clients to ascertain that they are satisfied with the work and service that you and your firm provides. It is easier to save a relationship by resolving issues than it is to win back a client that you have lost. Studies show that it is approximately 11 times more expensive to develop new business than it is to keep a current client. Clients want to believe that their attorney understands their business and keeps up with industry trends. It is important to get involved with your best clients' professional associations. They want to feel special and appreciated. They want to believe that their attorney can not only handle the matter at hand, but can also anticipate their future needs. There are tens of thousands of competent attorneys in most regions in North America. There are far fewer attorneys who truly understand and care about their clients' needs, and can communicate that to their clients. Keep up with industry trends and show your clients that you care. Here's how:

Be Responsive

One of the biggest complaints that clients have is that their attorney/law firm is not responsive. How long does it take you to return your client's call? If your client needs additional resources, an attorney with another area of expertise or from another practice area, or contact with another professional competency, how responsive are you to that need? Many clients become upset because their attorney does not get back to them in a timely fashion. One of the surest ways to lose a piece of business is to not respond quickly when a client or contact reaches out to you. Make sure that your response matches the urgency of your client. Responsiveness does not always mean speed. When is the last time you've asked a client how he or she would like you to communicate? Do they prefer telephone or e-mail? How often do they expect face-to-face meetings? Our experience tells us that if you communicate with your clients in the way that they are most comfortable, you will get a quicker response and your client will feel more comfortable with you.

Communicate Effectively

Many clients believe that their current firm isn't listening to them. They sometimes harbor the perception that their attorney takes liberties, and that the attorney assumes he or she knows what the client wants. It's important to ask your clients what is important to them. Are they committed to winning the case at all costs? Do they want to limit their expenses? Is it important to keep names out of the newspaper? Even if you've worked a similar case for the same client, it is always important to seek out his or her objective. Have things changed, or does the client want to go in a different direction? How does this fit into the larger picture? What is the ideal outcome? You may be surprised that you don't always get the answer that you expected.

Studies also show that there is tremendous opportunity to take business away from other law firms. One study claimed that less than one-third of corporations would recommend their current law firm to someone else. Some of the major complaints that corporations have about their law firm include:

Law firms are unresponsive to the clients' needs. Many times, the client believes his or her attorneys spend too much time talking about the positive attributes of their law firm, and not enough time asking about the client” needs. The client feels like he or she is getting pitched, rather than conversing with a trusted adviser about his or her needs.

Their law firm is unresponsive to billing questions or billing issues. Many clients believe their attorney has a blatant disregard for their budget. Often, clients don't understand their bills, or they request to be billed differently and the law firm does not respond. Many clients believe that their law firm does not care about the best/easiest way to work with them

When the law firm makes a mistake, it will often promise that it will never happen again. Unfortunately, clients hear that it will never happen again over and over. Sometimes the relationship partner falls out of favor with the client, and the firm is reluctant to place a new relationship partner with the client. All of these issues lead to a sour relationship between the law firm and the client.

Take Advantage of Opportunities

If you are looking to develop additional business, take advantage of opportunities that are missed by attorneys and law firms that are not providing the best customer service. When meeting with potential clients, it is important to ask them what an ideal relationship with a law firm would look like. It is important to ask questions. It is imperative to know why they are looking for a new attorney now.

Ask them to tell you the one thing their former attorney could have done to better manage the relationship.

Ask them to describe what the ideal relationship between their firm and yours would look like? What would they need your firm bring to the table for them?

The answers to these questions will provide you with valuable information about how to proceed with the opportunity. The number one reason that clients leave their current law firm is because they no longer feel appreciated. Make sure that you sincerely care about your clients, and that those feelings come across in your day-to-day client interactions.

Chuck Polin and Evan Polin are partners at The Training Resource Group (www.trainingresourcegroup.com). They provide professional coaching and training to law firms and attorneys (both associates and partners) who are looking to build their practice. Chuck and Evan can be reached at 215-320-4650.

Can asking your clients questions be the answer to increased business? We recently attended a legal marketing workshop in Philadelphia, and the main topic of conversation revolved around retaining clients, and what clients believe is important in their choice of attorney or law firm. We were not surprised to find that there is a huge disconnect between what clients are looking for in their choice of attorney, and what they believe they are receiving from their current law firm.

The differences between what clients believe they are getting from their law firms, and what the firms perceive, tell us several things. Before you begin to develop new business, it is important to make sure that your current clients are happy with your work. It is important to constantly 'take the temperature' of your clients to ascertain that they are satisfied with the work and service that you and your firm provides. It is easier to save a relationship by resolving issues than it is to win back a client that you have lost. Studies show that it is approximately 11 times more expensive to develop new business than it is to keep a current client. Clients want to believe that their attorney understands their business and keeps up with industry trends. It is important to get involved with your best clients' professional associations. They want to feel special and appreciated. They want to believe that their attorney can not only handle the matter at hand, but can also anticipate their future needs. There are tens of thousands of competent attorneys in most regions in North America. There are far fewer attorneys who truly understand and care about their clients' needs, and can communicate that to their clients. Keep up with industry trends and show your clients that you care. Here's how:

Be Responsive

One of the biggest complaints that clients have is that their attorney/law firm is not responsive. How long does it take you to return your client's call? If your client needs additional resources, an attorney with another area of expertise or from another practice area, or contact with another professional competency, how responsive are you to that need? Many clients become upset because their attorney does not get back to them in a timely fashion. One of the surest ways to lose a piece of business is to not respond quickly when a client or contact reaches out to you. Make sure that your response matches the urgency of your client. Responsiveness does not always mean speed. When is the last time you've asked a client how he or she would like you to communicate? Do they prefer telephone or e-mail? How often do they expect face-to-face meetings? Our experience tells us that if you communicate with your clients in the way that they are most comfortable, you will get a quicker response and your client will feel more comfortable with you.

Communicate Effectively

Many clients believe that their current firm isn't listening to them. They sometimes harbor the perception that their attorney takes liberties, and that the attorney assumes he or she knows what the client wants. It's important to ask your clients what is important to them. Are they committed to winning the case at all costs? Do they want to limit their expenses? Is it important to keep names out of the newspaper? Even if you've worked a similar case for the same client, it is always important to seek out his or her objective. Have things changed, or does the client want to go in a different direction? How does this fit into the larger picture? What is the ideal outcome? You may be surprised that you don't always get the answer that you expected.

Studies also show that there is tremendous opportunity to take business away from other law firms. One study claimed that less than one-third of corporations would recommend their current law firm to someone else. Some of the major complaints that corporations have about their law firm include:

Law firms are unresponsive to the clients' needs. Many times, the client believes his or her attorneys spend too much time talking about the positive attributes of their law firm, and not enough time asking about the client” needs. The client feels like he or she is getting pitched, rather than conversing with a trusted adviser about his or her needs.

Their law firm is unresponsive to billing questions or billing issues. Many clients believe their attorney has a blatant disregard for their budget. Often, clients don't understand their bills, or they request to be billed differently and the law firm does not respond. Many clients believe that their law firm does not care about the best/easiest way to work with them

When the law firm makes a mistake, it will often promise that it will never happen again. Unfortunately, clients hear that it will never happen again over and over. Sometimes the relationship partner falls out of favor with the client, and the firm is reluctant to place a new relationship partner with the client. All of these issues lead to a sour relationship between the law firm and the client.

Take Advantage of Opportunities

If you are looking to develop additional business, take advantage of opportunities that are missed by attorneys and law firms that are not providing the best customer service. When meeting with potential clients, it is important to ask them what an ideal relationship with a law firm would look like. It is important to ask questions. It is imperative to know why they are looking for a new attorney now.

Ask them to tell you the one thing their former attorney could have done to better manage the relationship.

Ask them to describe what the ideal relationship between their firm and yours would look like? What would they need your firm bring to the table for them?

The answers to these questions will provide you with valuable information about how to proceed with the opportunity. The number one reason that clients leave their current law firm is because they no longer feel appreciated. Make sure that you sincerely care about your clients, and that those feelings come across in your day-to-day client interactions.

Chuck Polin and Evan Polin are partners at The Training Resource Group (www.trainingresourcegroup.com). They provide professional coaching and training to law firms and attorneys (both associates and partners) who are looking to build their practice. Chuck and Evan can be reached at 215-320-4650.