Like most businesses, law firms rely on successful marketing campaigns in order to grow their practice. A well-constructed campaign will help to raise awareness of the firm, generate a large number of leads, and increase your business overall.
Although developing an effective marketing campaign is important, preparing the firm to meet the demands created by the campaign is just as essential. Below are 10 ways you can help your law firm prepare for the increased business generated by your next marketing campaign.
1. Train staff for intake
Once your marketing campaign is underway, your firm will begin receiving an influx of calls from potential clients. Prepare for this part of the process by training your staff to answer these calls and/or set up initial meetings to maximize client conversion.
2. Plan for overflow support
Depending on how much business your marketing campaign generates, your current staff may not have the capabilities to handle all the calls coming in, causing you to miss the chance to capture and convert all leads. Before the influx of calls begins, create a plan to deal with overflow. This may involve working with a legal call center that can determine which calls can wait and which should be transferred immediately. Call routing can also help to prevent and manage overflow.
3. Provide off-hours coverage
Leads often come in after business hours have ended for the day, on the weekends and on holidays. As a result, you need to have a plan in place that allows you to capture leads at any hour and on any day. For example, you may need to work with a service like Alert Communications that’s available to take calls 24/7/365 when no one is available in your office.
4. Establish an efficient lead tracking process
Lead tracking is the process you will use to track your leads from their first point of contact until their conversion. It also ensures you are appropriately responding to the needs of your prospective clients in a timely manner. Make sure you establish an efficient lead tracking process that focuses on encouraging leads to make an appointment and sign on as your client.
5. Use a CRM system
A customer relationship management (CRM) system is a tool you can use to keep track of client information and build strong relationships. Use one of these systems to manage your leads, streamline your processes and optimize your firm’s relationships with its clients.
6. Set up online forms
One of the easiest ways to capture leads quickly and efficiently is through the use of an online contact form. Develop forms for your website and make sure that all submissions are addressed with a live call to increase conversion rates.
7. Offer e-sign options for contracts
When you are able to get clients signed on the first call, you will enjoy higher conversion rates. For this reason, you should consider allowing clients to sign contracts electronically. When doing so, however, make sure delivery methods are safe and secure to protect your and your client’s information.
8. Have a measurement plan in place
To understand how well your marketing campaign and lead management processes work, you need to review your firm’s results continuously. Make sure you are tracking all the most important metrics, including total incoming leads, lead capture rate and lead conversion rate.
9. Use a calendaring system
When speaking with a new client, your goal is to schedule an appointment. Having an effective calendaring system ensures that you have the information you need to set up the appointment immediately. Be sure to select a system that automatically adds appointments to the calendar and sends reminders to clients so they will remain engaged with your firm.
10. Hire a legal answering service
A legal answering service solves many of the problems associated with an influx of business, from handling overflow calls to dealing with calls that come in after hours. A legal answering service like Alert Communications can help your firm prepare for a marketing campaign properly by providing trained, bilingual intake specialists that will be available 24-7-365. They can also provide virtually any other service you need to handle all of your extra business, including contract delivery, transparency reporting and much more.
Marketing campaigns are key to growing your law firm, but it’s important to prepare in advance to achieve optimal results. Use the tips above to prepare your firm for new business, and consider choosing Alert Communications as your legal answering service.
