Your staff is an integral part of your practice. Yes, you know that – but do you know how important they are to your law firm when it comes to marketing? You can have the best website in the world, show up on every first page of search engines and still have an empty appointment calendar. Your staff’s relationship with clients is important!
Here are a few weak spots to keep an eye on:
1 - Play “secret-shopper” and call your office at least once every three weeks. If your voice is easily recognized, have someone else call. Make sure the person answering the phone reflects the warm, welcoming and professional brand you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
2 - How are your clients greeted? Are they met by a warm and friendly person, shown immediately to a comfortable meeting room and offered a beverage? Or are they left sitting in a cramped and drafty reception area? Your staff should treat your clients like valued guests.
3 - How well organized is your office? If your brand is all about caring and concern for clients while handling highly personal and sensitive matters, but your staff misses a deadline, you have a marketing problem.
4 –Fundamentals matter. This includes such basics as remembering to say please and thank you during client interactions inside and out of the office. When you attend community events, is your staff smiling? If they are busy checking their phones and not making warm and friendly eye contact with potential clients, consider whether or not they represent you and your firm correctly.