Client Retention Program
by Allan Colman, August 30, 2009
Management gurus point out that there are only 3 ways to gain new business – from clients, client referrals and new clients. This column will focus on a client retention program which will also lead to referrals for lawyer marketing.
In a recent BTI Consulting Group survey on in-house counsel satisfaction with outside counsel, they found that the clients most committed to their outside law firms were those who received:
- Great legal services
- Who believed those services offered value
- And who knew the lawyers they were working with were fully on their side.
Therefore, do not count on high quality legal service alone as your client retention effort. There are many other components that help to keep clients coming back for more services.
Start working a client retention strategy into your legal sales efforts from the first contact with a prospect. Determine:
- Whether the offer you made solves the current problem for the client or prospect
- If you accurately described how you and your firm can resolve their situation
- Whether your prospect or client trusts you to solve their problem
- How clear you were when explaining how they will save time and money with your services
- If you will actually be part of their solution
By considering and evaluating your efforts after you’ve made a proposal, you’ll be able to learn what does and doesn’t work. Reflection will show you where your law business development message needs improving; making changes will lead to improved closing skills which will lead to more success.
Once you have a client and want to keep them coming back for more, transform the way they see you. Make sure that you are staying on top of the latest information about your client’s businesses. Focus on keeping your clients informed and make sure that you are up to date on their changing needs. Take the time to ask what they need when they report to the C-Suite and Board of Directors and make sure that you get that information to them.
A sound client retention program features a commitment that you make to your clients that will keep them with you. A great attorney marketing tactic to enhance client retention is to be available for your client following a settled case to ensure that everything is still going smoothly. Check in and stay in touch at regular intervals and make sure that your clients and even your top prospects are comfortable picking up the phone when they have a question – this keeps you fresh in their minds.
- Make sure you always follow up a call or email in a timely fashion. This law marketing tactic demonstrates their importance to you.
- Make certain clients and prospects have a strong understanding of what you and your firm have to offer – successful law business development creates an awareness from clients of what you can do for them.
By making your clients a priority, your reputation, client retention and closing skills will benefit.
Allan Colman is an expert in helping law firms with legal marketing. CEO of the Closers Group, a business development consulting firm for lawyers, Allan Colman has helped to generate millions of dollars in new business for attorney clients.
