How to close cases without ever meeting with a potential client
I have many different websites that serve niche markets across the Internet. When I receive a lead from these websites, the sales process begins. Many attorneys think that sales in the law business is a dirty word, but it feeds my family and keeps the lights on so to speak.
Therefore, I will give a very basic primer on how to close more cases over the telephone. For more detailed examples and training, contact me at 1-866-522-8529.
New Client Lead: this is typically either a phone call to my virtual 800 number that comes up on my iPhone as a new client call or a lead from dynamic contact forms built into my many websites. In my experience, a new lead needs to be called within 10 to 15 minutes of the initial contact. If I have been in court and missed a new lead and waited even 30 minutes, they have usually moved on to another lawyer. This is the Internet people…there is no built in loyalty here!
Once I have made actual contact with the potential client, I launch into my sales pitch. This may sound down and dirty or “salesy”, but it works!!! The sales pitch consists of some basic elements. The first think you must do is qualify the buyer. What county is it in? What is the charge? Do they have a prior record of any kind? Is it a felony or misdemeanor? And if you are familiar with the local court, you can ask questions about who the charging agency is…is is the state prosecutor or a local municipality with more flexibility?
Once I have qualified the client, I go into my experience and offer them specific examples of what they may encounter in the court process. I then go into possible defenses and assess the amount of money to quote the client…over the phone! I never wait and try to meet with the person in my office. This only gives them an opportunity to scout out ten other lawyers and schedule competing meetings. I want them to commit over the phone or at least check with their parents or significant other and call me back.
Based on my experience handling cases, I will always give the client a fixed fee that I charge that includes a trial. This gives them comfort in knowing that they will have one fee to pay and I will be their lawyer for the entire case, no matter what course they decide.
Once I have quoted my fee…I ask for their business! I then will send them a written fee agreement and online invoice using our AutoRetainer system where I can send both with a couple form fields being filled out on either my laptop or iPhone. Many times I will have money in my bank account and a signed fee agreement within 15 minutes of our initial conversation. This is how to close more sales and increase your bottom line.
If you would like to speak with Attorney McNeil about your sales process or vLawyer Consulting’s AutoRetainer system you can contact him at 1-866-522-8529
The Benefits of an Autoretainer System
I have implemented and sell a system where attorneys can automatically create retainer agreements and invoices with one simple step. The benefits of this system are pretty obvious, but I had a recent experience that highlights the importance of an autoretainer. I was recently contacted by a potential client for a drunk driving case. The parent was calling for their son who was a student at a university in Michigan. The lead was generated using a dynamic contact form on one of my many criminal defense websites.
Every time a potential client fills out a form it gets immediately sent to my iPhone and to a contact management database called Highrise. It also sends them an autoresponder telling them that no attorney-client relationship has been established and that they can call my 800 number for immediate assistance. This particular client called my 800 number and I was able to return his call within a matter of minutes…this immediately establishes trust!
After speaking to the client’s father for 10 minutes, on a Saturday, I was able to establish enough of a rapport that he wanted to hire me on the spot. I told him that I will send a written fee agreement and invoice that he can pay online immediately. Most clients would expect to receive these documents on Monday or Tuesday. Not from my office. I tried logging in to my computer from home and it was frozen for some unknown reason…have to love Windows 7!
Because we have an autoretainer system built and integrated into an online form generator, I was able to take my iPhone and follow these simple steps:
1. I have the URL for a pre-built general form stored in the notes on my iPhone. I simply copy and paste the URL into my safari browser on my phone;
2. The URL takes me to a form where I fill in the client name, address, email, court where the offense occurred, and the amount of the retainer quoted;
3. I hit the submit button….and it is done! That is it.
This simple step created a customized retainer agreement sent as an autoresponder. The form also integrated with my online invoicing system and created a custom invoice that is sent to the client’s email. This can be paid with PayPal or credit/debit card immediately.
It sends me a notification to my email that both were sent and the client called to acknowledge receipt of both. The client indicated he would be paying immediately and I had the money in my bank account from a non-refundable retainer agreement in less than 15 minutes…on a Saturday! I can also check on my iPhone whether or not the client viewed the invoice and track payments since my program has an iPhone app.
If you would like to create your own Autoretainer system, contact us today at 1-866-522-8529.
Sales Training for Lawyers…Is it a Necessary Evil?
I have been advocating sales training for new lawyers for many years. Many lawyers find the need for “sales” training to be distasteful and a waste of resources. Many attorneys feel that if they are qualified and present those qualifications adequately, the business will come.
The reality of the economic landscape lawyers find themselves embroiled in would portend differently. I primarily practice in the area of criminal defense and competition is fierce. It is equally fierce in the areas of family law and personal injury. Prospective clients today are utilizing breakthrough technology that was simply not available even three or four years ago. With the explosion of smartphones clients are searching for lawyers in their mobile browsers.
I have even seen lawyers developing iphone Apps and I believe that this will continue to be the trend into the future. This means that lawyers who generate client leads through the internet need a unique sales skill set in order to close those cases and get money in the door.
When I train an attorney on sales techniques, the number one thought that I have to drill in their head is that if the client does not reach someone immediately or get a return phone call within 5 to 10 minutes…they are on to the next lawyer in Google. This is very uncomfortable for many lawyers who are used to lag time to return phone calls and to develop new business. In the current economic crisis, it has become even more necessary to have a live voice answering the phone, almost 24 hours a day.
However, a live voice on the other end of the phone is not enough. I would encourage lawyers who have solid internet leads to set up a virtual phone system that connects those callers to his or her cell phone directly using a service like grasshopper or ring central. The clients want to talk to an attorney, not your staff member or paralegal.
Once I have a potential client on the line, I want to make sure and qualify the lead. This means that it is in a county that I can handle and am familiar with and that it is a case that I would normally take. Once they are qualified I try to start educating the client on the process and fill them in on any tips or tricks for that particular court system. Clients want an attorney that is familiar with their court and can guide them through successfully.
You must then qualify yourself. You need to give the potential client enough information about yourself that they feel comfortable with your ability to handle the case effectively. This takes practice to not be arrogant and yet stay professional.
The step that most lawyers skip is qualifying the client financially. Most lawyers save this conversation until it is too late and they have wasted both parties time. I find out if they have the financial resources to hire an attorney or help from family or friends before I go any further. This will also help me to determine how to structure a payment plan if I feel comfortable with the person’s ability to pay.
You must then close the case! This means you need to ask for their business and make it easy for them. You should have an auto-retainer system utilizing an internet link or other easy method for invoicing the client, generating a fee agreement and closing the transaction through the internet. I can have a client closed and money in my bank account within 15 minutes of first talking to them. Use technology and close the gap.
If you feel you or your firm could use sales training to increase your bottom line, contact Attorney McNeil today at (866) 522-8529.