Law Firm Marketing and Business Development Blog » Client Retention

Every Great Legal Sales Strategy Needs Even Greater Tactics, Part IV: Be Worth It

Allan — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:29:42 +0000

“You prove your worth with your actions, not with your mouth.” – Jean Paul

With the economy throwing every company a curve ball, selling legal services is more difficult than ever. In order to close the deal, your law firm needs to show the prospect what you can offer and why it’s worth it for them to hire you.

In the last post, we discussed the importance of putting your best foot forward to make a great first impression. When you make your making a good impression, you’re also proving your worth. The following tactics will make sure your prospect knows that you’ll be a valuable asset:

Think business value: If the client’s project involves a practice area your law firm would like to gain more experience in, try persuading the client to give your firm a chance—and if they’re still on the fence, make it easier for them to consider your law firm by negotiating a lower introductory fee for a few months, allowing them time to gain confidence in your ability to handle the work.

This technique is also effective at improving client retention as it shows your eagerness to help the client with additional legal work, while proving that your firm is adept in a number of different practice areas.

Deliver value: When the meeting closes, you want your client to leave with a better understanding of their own situation. This means you’ll have to give a little free legal advice. Consider this free advice an investment in your future, as it will likely make the client more confident about hiring your law firm.

Certainly, the tactics described in the last several blog posts aren’t going to completely shake up your legal business development strategy, but the fact remains that they should be in every firm’s toolkit of legal sales closing skills. Make the most of being in the RED ZONE: be bold, think critically, put your best foot forward, and be worth it.

Client Communication – When to Talk, How to Listen

Allan — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:14:24 +0000

Lawyers are undoubtedly great at talking. Listening is the challenge – and an important one at that.

“A good listener is a silent flatterer.” – Proverb

When it comes to making clients happy, listening to them and letting them know they’re being heard it critical. Companies want lawyers that are good communicators and are easy to talk to. Flatter them—and improve your client service skills– by listening to what they have to say.

Are you doing the right amount of listening? If you’re not sure, consider following the 60:40 rule, where the client speaks 60% of the time and you speak 40% of the time. This means you need to use that 40% very wisely. Ask thoughtful questions that draw out the most important pieces of information and you’ll find that your listening skills will continue get better.

When you’re interacting client, consider focusing on the following topics during the valuable 40% of time you’ll be talking:

What you do
How you can help them
How you’ve helped others in the past
Specific questions to help you better understand their needs

When you’re actively listening to the client, pay close attention to ensure that you get answers to the following important questions:

Who they are
What they need
How you can help
What their goals are
What they expect

Increase your chances of impressing the client and closing the deal (or getting the future business referral) by focusing on listening. Use the 60:40 rule with every client, current or prospective. This will help you to close the deal and bolster client retention.

Client Retention – The Little Things Make a Big Difference

Allan — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:09:24 +0000

Going the extra mile gets you further than you think, and when it comes to client retention, the little things truly go a long way. While these little things seldom go unnoticed, you can subtly point them out if you feel like they’ve been overlooked. Clients like to know you’re going beyond the call of duty.

What can you do to go above and beyond?

A hand-written thank-you note
A celebratory lunch for a case won or a legal success
A congratulatory letter, e-mail or call for a successful event or big news
An email or letter including articles that a client might find interesting or relevant
Client appreciation events
A follow-up call or e-mail after a meeting or conference call
Quick turn-around for communications
Frequent updates on ongoing activities

While everything you do may have good intentions, don’t overdo it! There is a difference between going the extra mile and a running laps around a track; find the right balance between adding value and being too pushy. To do this, focus on things like respect, courtesy, and accessibility, as these are the traits clients are most likely to notice and appreciate.

Just think: what does it cost you? Maybe a little time and effort, but it will be worth it in the long run. Supporting your services with courtesy will not only help you to keep clients, but also increase the number of business development opportunities and bring in referrals.

Getting Plugged In—Developing Client Connections

Allan — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:07:20 +0000

“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.” -Douglas Adams

We live in a fast-paced world. We’re always in a hurry: faster cars, faster internet, text messaging, and near-constant multitasking. With everything moving so quickly, we oftentimes forget to slow down and make real connections with people. Don’t let the opportunity to get to know clients slip right by you.

Remember to focus on each client, one at a time. Treat each client as important as the next regardless of their size. And don’t underestimate the power of a personal connection. Just because you are doing business together, does not mean you cannot share things about your life. Making a connection is a two-way street that requires effort and reciprocity.

Making a connection helps with both client retention and getting to the Red Zone. And building good rapport with prospective and current clients gives them a greater sense of confidence about the quality of your work and your trustworthiness. Make the time to make connecting with clients a priority.

Fast Times: Client Retention in an Ever-Changing World

Allan — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:10:08 +0000

Your firm is evolving, and your clients are moving forward. With the world moving at such a hectic pace, it’s easy to be left behind! In order to stay relevant, it’s important to constantly stay informed, keep communications flowing, and continue to prove your value.

Client retention is vital to preserving business as times change. Solid relationships and keeping your clients happy are at the core of this concept. Here are some important tips & techniques to keep you on your toes and on your game:

Take a step back: Whenever you have the chance, observe the client’s situation from a different perspective. Moving away will let you step outside your standard viewpoints – and increased objectivity will increase productivity.

View it through fresh eyes: While you may have the greatest insight or knowledge about a client, getting a fresh set of eyes and opinions on an issue can be enlightening and surprising. Whether you’re feeling stuck in a rut, needing some inspiration, or looking for a new approach, ask new associates or lawyers not associated with the client for their take.

Demonstrate knowledge & initiative: Make it evident that you are not only keeping up with the latest developments impacting your client but also applying that knowledge. Take this as an opportunity to develop more business for the firm and show the client your firm’s value and commitment.

Maintain open lines of communication: While stepping back is important, so is staying close and keeping in touch. Open communication fosters trust, shows commitment, and demonstrates your interest in continuing a healthy business relationship.

Don’t forget you’re providing a service: Your firm has been hired to provide a client with legal services. Don’t slip into a routine and produce lackluster, monotonous work. Show the client how you can help with upcoming issues and challenges. Prove that they are getting their money’s worth.

In this tough economic climate, clients are hard to come by. Keeping the ones you have is no easy task, but more important than ever.

Client Retention: Creating Long-term Relationships and Understanding Why Clients Leave

Allan — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:17:03 +0000

In our previous post, we discussed the importance of thinking in the long term and how it shapes our approach to helping our clients win new business. Another element of long term thinking that we often discuss is client retention.

Client retention is a key element of long term revenue creation. Jay Abraham has pointed to three primary reasons why clients leave long term relationships:

Lack of contact leads to their forgetting about the relationship.

Their situation changes.

They become dissatisfied.

Clearly, the first of these is the easiest to overcome – and we encourage the lawyers and marketing teams we work with to develop and take advantage of a contact system. Your clients won’t forget about you when you stay in touch: let your clients know what you and your firm are currently engaged in; send them articles or reviews of legal decisions that they may be interested in; ask your clients to join you on a conference panel.

Make sure you are communicating the status and next steps of your work on a regular basis and stay on top of changes your clients are experiencing as well. Ask them about other challenges that they are facing and offer your assistance. Be aware of your relationships, and keep on the lookout for subtle changes.

While client dissatisfaction is never comfortable to deal with, it’s something you should be aware of long before a client disengages. Even if it seems insignificant, when even the smallest issues arise during an engagement, deal with it immediately. Especially if they have been a long term client, take action and win them back. According to Abraham, 80% of these relationships can be recovered with instant actions – in fact, you may find that they become your best clients.

Business Development Lemonade: What to Do With the “Lemons” of Lost Clients

Allan — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:06:04 +0000

What would you do if you lost your largest client? Would the setback stop you in your tracks? How bad would the firm suffer?

While losing a major client can be disastrous, it is hardly the time to curl up in a ball and cry. As they say: When you get lemons, make lemonade. Identifying the opportunities presented by the situation is crucial. When you lose a client – or if you simply lose some rather than all business from a major client – it’s important to take action.

First, take the time to reflect on the decision – with the client if possible. If they chose another firm, find out what the competition did that earned them the win. Think about your work with the client and identify what changes you could have made. If there was a pitch for a given project, try to identify where your sales and closing skills missed the mark.

Once you’ve thought out the loss, it’s time to move forward and start working to turn rejection into a future close:

If you identified shortcomings in your pitch related to the presentation itself, rework the pitch and encourage lawyers within the firm to role-play with the new material. This will help identify any remaining challenges and give them a chance to become more familiar with the material.
If you find that your firm didn’t address the client’s needs, explore opportunities to increase communications with your clients. Consider a survey of what you’re doing well or even a one-on-one lunch to pick their brain, identify what’s important to them, and create solutions that strengthen your relationships.

Most of all, remember that just because you’ve lost the business right now doesn’t mean that the business development opportunities are gone forever. Follow up in the future, see how things are going with their new arrangement, and keep your practice and your firm on the minds of past clients.

Building Relationships and Increasing Business Development Opportunities: Co-Marketing with Your Clients

Allan — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:38:15 +0000

Have you ever had a client come to you asking if your firm can sponsor a table at their conference, donate a free consultation or other item to a silent auction, or to see whether it would be possible for you to offer an internship to their CEO’s nephew who has an interest in becoming a lawyer? Most of the time, lawyers and law firms try to find a way to make it happen. It may not seem like there’s a tremendous marketing benefit, but it helps to keep the client relationships on solid footing.

While clients often reach out to the attorneys, it’s far less common for lawyers to reach out to their clients. Often this is because the lawyers and firms treat the client relationship with kid gloves and don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that relationship. However, by focusing on co-marketing opportunities, there’s little risk – after all, you will be offering your clients something that benefits them as well.

A wide range of co-marketing opportunities exist. Planning to write an article for publication in an industry newsletter? Reach out to a client in that field, ask for input, and offer to share the byline so that the article markets you and your client. Moderating a panel discussion and know a client who would have great insight? With his or her permission, recommend your client as a panelist. Have a client with a blog? Ask to write a guest post or to offer legal commentary around on a specific topic in exchange for a link back to your website as a way to enhance your online law firm marketing efforts.

By showing your clients that you value their business and their expertise, you will continue to build a strong relationship. By getting increased exposure, you’ll increase the business development opportunities available to you – and to your clients.

Need more ideas for co-marketing opportunities or help identifying the right way to reach out to your clients? Don’t hesitate to contact us.

Give Thanks for Business Development

Allan — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:05:24 +0000

The holiday season and New Year is upon us. But before Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah are distant memories making way for New Year’s Resolutions, don’t forget to give thanks to your clients with a hand-written note on a greeting card. Communication is crucial to building client relationships. Sending best wishes, reminding a client of a won settlement or other firm victory with them, or letting a prospect know you remember chatting with them in the past year can all support business development efforts by keeping you focused on staying in touch which will help to build a long-term relationship into the new year.

From all of us at the Closers Group, have safe and happy holidays!

The 60/40 Rule for Client Attention and Retention: Listening

Allan — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:21:11 +0000

What’s the best way to ensure that you’re giving your client the attention and focus s/he deserves and that they will pay attention to what you have to say? Try following the 60/40 rule, where you get the client talking 60% of the time and formulate your responses in a way that takes up a smaller percentage of the conversation.

The iconic author and poet Henry David Thoreau once said that “The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked what I thought, and attended to my answer.” And David Bartlett, author of “Making Your Point,” agrees that brevity is important when he suggests we “focus on a clear message supported by just a few carefully chosen and well-focused pieces of evidence.”

One of the best ways to be brief and still make a big impact is to use simple and attention-getting statistics, or to develop analogies or comparisons to help prospects quickly grasp the whole story. Whether your legal marketing efforts are being put to work in a speech, or you’re simply trying to maximize the value of a one-on-one meeting, you’ll benefit by using a few key techniques that allow your focus to stay on the client while you deftly and convincingly make your point.