With well-known contestants as diverse as Tom DeLay and Kelly Osbourne, it is little wonder that fans are tuning in for the latest season of Dancing with the Stars. Though much of the broadcast is devoted to the stars’ performances – after all, keeping the audience and the judges happy are major components of how contestants win – the producers take the time to show rehearsals and other “behind the scenes” events.

For lawyers focused on increasing sales and client retention, this popular show offers an important lesson: the work that you do behind the scenes is every bit as important as the time you spend in the spotlight. When you’re working with a client, it’s important to keep them happy – and to remember to continue selling throughout the engagement.

A law firm marketing consultant will remind you that thinking about future sales is particularly important if the client you’re working with needs only limited effort – especially if you see the potential for future business development opportunities. Here are some suggestions that will help you focus your client retention efforts to better ask for and ensure future sales:

• Know what’s working and what could be better. Find out by conducting regular client satisfaction visits or discussions to enhance your client retention opportunities.
• Focus on more than just what you’re doing now. Cross-selling other practice areas is a solid approach to law marketing.
• Keep adding benefits to your services. While perfoming a document review or conducting a client interview, keep notes on issues that you are spotting. Give your clients something extra by arranging a lunch to go over these issues with the General Counsel – without charging a fee, of course.
• Participate rather than just attending. Law selling success requires you and others from your firm to attend and actively participate rather than just buying tables at dinners or offering tickets to sporting events. And remember, while you’re dancing around the floor at a client-sponsored fundraiser, don’t forget to thank your client for inviting you to a great event.

Remember, when it comes to client retention, your clients are both the audience and the judges. The more that you prepare, the better your performance will be.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 1:35 pm and is filed under Client Retention. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.