Some folks are just natural born salespeople. They could sell ice to an Eskimo. As a lawyer you’re not going to need to be the best salesperson in the world, but ultimately someone has to buy what you’re selling or your business ceases to exist.
Fortunately, the general ‘would be legal client’ has already got something going for them. They’re on your website for a reason, they need some legal advice, some expertise, and some solutions. So you never have a cold/hard sell. That doesn’t mean that converting legal leads into clients is an easy process though.
Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. You’re on a firm’s website. You’re there because you need some help, but there are so many options elsewhere. How do you narrow down that this is the best place to be, and make your decision? Surely you want to work with the person who shows the most promise for your desired problem.
How do you become that person? We want to make the buying process the easiest process known to man. Smooth sailing. Where do we begin?
Speed is of the essence
If it wasn’t obvious enough, speed is critical. According to this report from the “Legal Services Consumer Panel” 30% of people looking at legal services tend to shop around. That’s not a crazy percentage, but when you consider that 48% of people never even started shopping around as they were referred by friends, family, or an immediate trustworthy source, it looks, and is quite a bit higher. If you want to convert legal leads you need to reach out as quickly and efficiently as possible!
Converting legal leads
Communication is critical. If your communication is clear, calm, and confident you’ll be miles better for it. This doesn’t just refer to how you speak over the phone to a potential client, it covers everything. Take a look at where visitors initially interact with your website. Is the wording complicated? Do you use too much legal jargon? Remember that not everyone is a lawyer. In-fact most people visiting your site are not legal experts whatsoever, that’s why they’re there in the first place. Use simple plain english.
Secondly, be flexible. Some visitors might be confident speaking directly to a legal advisor immediately, so are there contact details available? Others might prefer to take their time and ask simple generic questions. Is there a live chat feature, or a virtual receptionist to guide them around to certain answers? Do you have an email address where you can provide more complex and personalised answers to your visitors? Is there a CTA box whereby visitors can provide their details and a preferred communication method.
Supply as many shortcuts for visitors to get the information they’re looking for, as easily and as flexibly as you can! Remember, how you behave with potential clients gives an insight into how you behave with existing and paying clients.
Providing security
No one’s getting fired for hiring IBM. What does it mean? Well, the average consumer is pretty risk averse these days. There are so many options available in the legal market, consumers can afford to look around and find the best fit. If they find a safe bet, and you aren’t convincing them otherwise, the safe bet will always be appealing.
People want a guarantee that what they’re spending isn’t going to be wasted. Offering free consultations, free initial advice, discounted rates, money back guarantees’. Offering some financial security for any potential client will make it far easier for someone to say yes to you.
Being spread too thin
You’ve probably heard this idiom before, but if you haven’t it’s not to do with toast. You know what you know, and you don’t know what you don’t. One major problem that many legal firms, and indeed other businesses have is trying to convert someone that falls outside of their ideal client. It’s okay to say no. Sometimes people arrive at your site who maybe aren’t the perfect client for you, and they’re looking for something that you either don’t know, or don’t believe you can deliver. There’s good and bad things if this happens.
Obviously it means that your lead isn’t as qualified as you want it to be. It isn’t ideal, but it’s not the end of the world. What this can do however, is 2 things. It will provide great insight into how this visitor found you, and guide you to where amongst your content you should focus your targeted keywords to narrow down your niche audience.
It also means that you have the opportunity to network with other legal experts and pass across qualified leads. This is a classic case of; I scratch your back, you scratch mine. Referrals are incredibly powerful, so if you can develop a network of experts in different legal fields and share leads whenever possible, there is great potential to open up a highly qualified new lead generation route.
Thinking long term
Not every potential client who arrives at your online doorstep is going to be looking for something immediately. Some might have trouble and need assistance here and now, but others might just be assessing options for a problem they foresee in the coming months. Don’t be dismissive of someone who isn’t there for the here and now.
Understandably it can be frustrating or time-wasting when you feel like you’re advising someone who doesn’t need your advice immediately. However, being patient and honest with someone will help build recognition, trust and maybe even referrals or recommendations.
Retaining legal leads
Consider aligning your website with a CRM platform. Good law firm CRM software combines data, calendars, to-do lists, and a systematic approach to create engaging and informative communication. Maintaining and strengthening new and ongoing relationships is an integral part of your legal marketing strategy, so honing the best platform that will allow you to stay on top of this process is crucial!
Final Thoughts
Converting legal leads is not a walk in the park. Your visitors do need something, yes, but you have to ensure that first, you’re able to deliver what they want, and second, that they’re willing to buy what you have. Throwing your name in the hat quickly is crucial to securing any lead! Be flexible, ensure your communication both verbally and online is clear and concise, and that you’re answering all the questions you need too!
Don’t spread yourself too thin and be afraid to say no, this isn’t for you! After-all, you’ll learn valuable insight and can gain a pretty influential networking route. Be honest and open with your advice, and ensure that you do the utmost to convert and retain and and all of your legal clients. If that means aligning with a CRM platform, then do it!
If you’re looking for any more information about converting legal leads, or for your digital marketing strategy for your law firm, please contact us here for a free consultation!
