Mike Graner

Without a steady stream of new clients, your law firm cannot thrive. It’s as simple as that. However, finding leads and then moving them through the funnel from awareness to discovery, evaluation, intent, purchase, and, finally, loyalty is easier said than done.

Every business faces challenges. That’s particularly true when it comes to customer communication. Sometimes, just answering phone calls can seem like an insurmountable hurdle. The good news is that AI-assisted virtual receptionists can help.

Switch from your current Virtual Receptionist, Chat, or Outreach Campaigns provider to Smith.ai and save 50% for two months!

How much time do you spend screening potential leads? Chances are good it’s a considerable amount, and every minute you spend on non-billable time is essentially money lost. Lead screening is vital. It’s an important tool to help winnow out clients that might not fit with your firm, as well as to help identify potential conflicts of interest, build an accurate picture of the client’s situation, and more.

Acquiring new customers is expensive and time-consuming. In fact, Forbes points out that it can cost five to seven times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one, depending on your industry. That means customer retention is as important as customer acquisition, or even more so. While retention involves taking the right steps throughout the client relationship, it all begins with onboarding. The right client onboarding process removes hurdles, sets the right expectations, and cements your business as the best answer to the client’s pain points.

Client intake is a critical part of operating a successful law firm. It’s also time-consuming and takes you and your staff away from serving other clients (billable hours). Of course, you can’t skip intake –– you’d never get new clients. You can outsource the process, however.

Unless you run a 24-hour business, chances are good that you let calls that come in after hours go to voicemail. That’s a pretty standard practice across most industries. It’s also a major mistake. Here’s the thing. Those after-hours calls? They’re legitimate prospects. Some might even come from current customers with serious challenges that only you can solve.

Missed calls mean missed opportunities. However, you also need your team to focus on mission-critical tasks. With the rise in robocalls and spam, it’s harder than ever to hit that balance. Using a call answering service is a great solution that ensures you never miss a call again, but your team can do what they do best without having to spend all day on the phone. But how do you stay in tune with your customer needs if you’re using a call answering service?

Often, “lead generation” and the practice of law seem unrelated. Isn’t generating leads something that salespeople need to worry about? Why should a lawyer be concerned?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days. It powers your Amazon search, helps you find the fastest way to work in the mornings, and helps you make shopping lists without having to use pen and paper. AI is also making inroads into the area of business services, including virtual receptionists. That’s a good thing because this technology can dramatically transform your workday. Here’s a look at a few of the ways it’s doing that.