As any business owner knows, attracting clients is difficult, but retaining them is more complex. Client retention is a hallmark of every great company, and law firms should particularly seek to retain clients who are well-established in their industry. It will ensure that you have long-standing relationships in the corporate world and clients who trust you. Client retention is a skill, and the following are the eight best client retention strategies your law firm should try:
1. Offer Excellent Customer Service
Many studies have shown how much customers value service and are willing to pay to get it. As a result, your efforts should be geared towards improving customer service. This means going above and beyond to meet your clients’ needs and expectations. This also includes things like implementing new technologies or training your team members on how to best serve your clients.
If you can provide top-notch service, your clients will be more likely to stay with you in the long run. Make sure that your team is adequately trained in providing great customer service. This includes being friendly, helpful, and responsive to your clients’ needs. If a client does have a negative experience, make sure to address the issue promptly and apologize for any inconvenience caused.
2. Get Feedback
Communicating with your legal clients will give you feedback regarding the client’s perspective, and you can then apply their input to allow you to provide the best customer service and retain your legal clients. Having your customers take surveys with questions designed to give you insight into their preferences will provide you with valuable information. It will also help you get marketing ideas from this site that are tailored toward your clients. Surveys are the best way to collect information about customers, but there are other tools too.
3. Gifts and Discounts
One of the best ways to retain clients is by offering them incentives. This could include things like discounts on future services, complimentary consultations, or even bonus gifts. By showing your clients that you appreciate their business, you can encourage them to stay with you in the long run.
Gifts and discounts are a great way to gain customers from competitors. It would be best if you also offered clients discounts on various legal services. Discounts are handy tools that help clients make more purchases. If a client gets a discount, they know they are a valued customer and that you would rather lose money on a case than lose them as a client.
Make sure that your incentives are actually valuable to your clients. If they are not interested in the incentive you are offering, they will likely be less likely to stay with your firm.
4. Win Cases
When your clients see that you are able to successfully represent them in court, they will be more likely to stay with you in the long run. Make sure that you are taking the time to properly prepare for each case. This includes doing your research and building a strategy that will help you win. If you do lose a case, make sure to learn from your mistakes and figure out what you can do differently in the future. Keep your clients updated on the status of their cases, and let them know if there are any developments. Never give up on a case, no matter how difficult it may seem.
Showcasing your legal prowess is always challenging, but your firm should have the staff. Always put the right lawyer on the proper case and ensure they are the best your firm can offer. Being a good problem solver and understanding legal tactics help as well.
5. Keep Customers Informed
Many law firms and lawyers lose clients because they keep the client in the dark about various details. If the case has a negative outcome, the client will definitely count that as a grievance and a valid reason to abandon you. If you want to retain clients as a law firm, it is a good policy to be open and honest with clients about the case, even though they may not want to hear it. Keeping clients informed also means apprising them of changes within the firm, such as new partnerships, products, and discounts.
6. Create a Community
A great way to inspire client loyalty is to make them part of the community that is your business. Legal clients are becoming ever more socially conscious, and with the internet, it has never been easier to form a community. Customers want to feel like they are part of something bigger, even in something as small as purchasing a product or service from a business.
Once you have a community, involve clients in outreach and CSR projects that show that you care about more than making money. By doing so, you will retain clients as they will want and be proud to be associated with your brand.
7. Utilize Technology
You should utilize technology to ensure that your law firm is as productive and efficient as possible. Law firms are organizations that handle a lot of data, much of which is sensitive. The firm also has many moving pieces which are challenging to coordinate. Technology can help improve workflows and efficiency by having a searchable digital database through which you can find any records you want.
8. Personal Connections
No legal client wants to feel as if they are just another name on a long list of case files. If you want to retain clients, it is best to form personal connections with them. Understanding their behavior and preferences will help you offer them customized customer service that they will appreciate.
You need to also keep in touch with your customers. This could mean sending them periodic emails, texts, or even handwritten cards. By staying in contact with your clients, you will remind them of your services and keep them updated on any new developments.
When contacting your clients, make sure that you are not overwhelming them with too much information. Space out your communications so that they are more likely to read and remember them.
Retaining clients as a law firm is quite challenging, considering the nature of the business and the competition. Every law firm wants to keep the clients they have, especially if they are corporate lawyers. The above strategies should help any law firm retain clients. It depends on how willing the firm is to apply them.
