5 Tips to Generating New Clients During Unprecedented Times
Nearly every aspect of our “normal” lives is altered right now in one way or another. Each day brings new challenges and considerations. As we navigate this evolving environment, it’s vital that your commitment to your business and clients remains constant and active.
That means making adjustments to how you run your firm. Many companies, both global and local, are currently buying equipment, training staff, and setting up new processes to meet the demands of newly imposed virtual workplace requirements.
A new “virtual” reality
The virtual workplace, in many ways, will be the new norm, even after the current crisis is resolved. With virtual processes, your firm can potentially retain and manage more cases, and easily manage home-based staff. Many paper documents can be simplified in a digital format – and don’t necessarily need to be physically delivered to the court.
Many courts are suddenly accepting electronic filings and virtual signatures for cases in lieu of in-person hearings. Those that still require “wet” signatures are not closed – but simply working through a delay affecting your immediate ability to file. This doesn’t mean that you can’t prepare a stack of new petitions in the meantime.
5 Tips to Generating New Clients During Unprecedented Times
- 1. Stay Open
Do not “close” your law practice. Instead, consider government stay-at-home mandated orders as “freezing in time” your operations. Or, if “work-from-home” or virtually-operated businesses are allowed, continue to operate as best you can based on your staff and system capacity. Physically closing your business only makes it harder to reopen in the future. Do not allow leases or space rental agreements to expire or shut off utilities, and try not to permanently lay off staff. Keep your staff on, in a limited capacity, so they will be able to come back and work for you quickly when the time comes. - 2. Keep Answering the Phone
Do not stop answering your phone or replying to email inquiries. Redirect your business number to a virtual receptionist if needed. Or if you temporarily no longer have a staff member to take incoming calls, redirect your business number to your personal cell phone. - 3. Work Virtually
Shift to phone consults, video consults, electronic communication and signings for documents. There are many online tools available for free or very little cost that also require virtually no involved training to implement. For video consults, consider using Facetime, Zoom or Skype. For signing retainer agreements and forms, consider DocuSign or Adobe Sign. If you haven’t yet used one of these services, they are simple and intuitive for both the sender (you) and the signer (your client). - 4. Tell People You’re Open
Place a notice on your website that states you are open and working virtually rather than requiring in-person meetings. It may sound obvious, but currently there is a lot of confusion out there about which businesses are open and which have closed. You must tell them you’re open for business. - 5. Update Your Marketing
Adjust advertising to mention that your business is open. Yes, there are still people searching for attorneys to hire right now. Though the current demand has about halved from what it was earlier in the year, there are still new clients out there to retain. Let them know you’re open and ready to consult with them virtually.
It’s true that new prospects right now may be panicking and their personal situations may be changing rapidly. While it may make sense to advise a client to hold off a few weeks or months during this uncertain period before filing with the court, make sure to get them to sign a retainer agreement with you now. This will essentially prime the pipeline for new cases into the coming months for your firm. And, it prevents the potential client from continuing to shop around for another attorney in the meantime.
Work and life are complicated and challenging right now. Please continue supporting your staff and clients, and take good care of yourselves.
Remember, this period of time is temporary and regular commerce will resume. In the meantime, keep your firm going now and you’ll be even more prepared for the next wave of new cases.
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