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Mistakes made by your intake team can be damaging. Systemic issues that exist within an intake department can not only result in missed opportunities to sign clients, they can also, if not addressed, negatively affect your firm’s reputation. The goal of plaintiff law firms is to turn every client and potential client into a raving fan of your firm, regardless of the outcome of the claim. How do you do that? You create a client experience that serves to make people feel heard, informed, and important. This is accomplished by mitigating the common team mistakes through training and ongoing education and by ingraining your firm’s mission, vision, and values into your team.
Over the past decade, Vista has had the honor of getting to work with many amazing law firms. This wide lens perspective has provided us with the opportunity to identify and counter mistakes firms (both big and small) make in their intake department. Here are the top five worst mistakes we see intake departments make and how you can avoid them:
Whether it’s a new lead or call that comes into your office, dedicate the time and manpower to ensure every lead is responded to in less than three minutes and the call is answered by the 2nd ring. Train your team to react to these leads with immediacy.
This might be the first time the potential client has been injured and needs representation. They may be afraid of hiring an attorney right away. If it’s a case you want, but they need more time to think about it, let them speak with another team member.
Answer their questions, ensure they feel heard, and explain the process so that it feels less daunting and unfamiliar. It could simply be that they need to hear another voice reassuring them that they are taking the right next step. And it doesn’t have to be an attorney. Consider escalating the call to a peer or Intake Manager. Too, train your team to have rebuttals at the ready for common objections. Sometimes being armed with the right words is all it takes for your team to feel confident.
A great way to continue to grow and develop your team is by listening to call recordings and providing feedback. Sometimes, team members don’t know what they don’t know. They may not even realize there’s a better way to handle a common situation or question.
Allowing your intake team members to listen to their own calls with a discerning eye can be incredibly impactful. Even long-tenured team members can begin to sound mechanical over time. This is a great way to get ahead of that and have confidence that your firm is changing the way people see lawyers one call at a time.
You may not be able to help every new caller, but every caller should feel heard and supported. Use a turndown disposition as an opportunity to become a resource for them. This goodwill gesture will be remembered the next time a legal need arises, and they call with a case you want! Even for leads you turn down, you’re still collecting valuable information from them.
Include them in marketing efforts like newsletters and birthday greetings. They’ll remember your name, and, if the need ever arises, you’ll be the first firm they reach out to.
What is your conversion rate? Wanted rate? Attrition rate? The best firms measure and analyze their numbers…then improve upon their personal best. Law firms produce huge amounts of data on a daily basis.
The best, most successful firms are using that data to drive business decisions, develop and hone standard operating procedures, and motivate team members to raise the bar. Your intake team should be aware of their key performance indicators (KPIs), and they should aim to meet their goals every month.
The good news? Fixing these huge mistakes and improving your processes doesn’t have to be something earth-shattering. A small tweak can turn a stumbling block into a stepping stone. Take the time to work with your team to ensure they have the tools, training, and expectations to deliver top-quality client service day in and day out. Your intake team can help your firm build on its stellar reputation. They should truly see themselves as brand ambassadors who are on the front lines. If they embrace this role, your firm will land the leads they want and surpass once distant milestones.
© Copyright 2022 Vista Consulting Team. All Rights Reserved.
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Privacy PolicyTim co-founded Vista Consulting in 2009, along with his partner Chad Dudley. Vista’s aim was to help plaintiff law firms reach their full potential. In December 2017, Tim acquired Chad’s interest in Vista. Tim and Chad remain very close friends to this day! Tim has decades of CPA experience with local, regional, and national CPA firms. However, it is through Tim’s prior consulting practice that he found his passion. He has worked with many business owners, assisting them with defining and attaining success in their business and personal lives. Developing a management philosophy with business owners along with the associated systems and processes that assist in delivering outstanding management to Vista’s client teams is Tim’s forté.
Dr. Heather Carroll holds a Doctor of Business Administration in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She specializes in areas such as job satisfaction, motivation, burnout, and organizational commitment, particularly as these workplace factors apply to the legal industry.
During her nearly 20 years of legal experience, she has held many roles from Case Manager, to Litigation Paralegal, to HR Manager, to Firm Operations Administrator. The majority of Dr. Carroll’s legal experience has been in the area of personal injury. However, she began her legal career at a labor union by assisting in the negotiations of a new collective bargaining agreement between a major US airline and their pilot group. It was through that experience that her interest in team and operational matters, within a legal setting, took root. Many years, and a doctorate, later helping legal teams thrive through increased operational efficiency is her passion.
Dr. Carroll resides outside the Seattle/ Tacoma area of Washington currently. She is a military spouse and a mom of three.
Ryan joined the Vista team in 2014 as a Programmer. He has more than fifteen years of experience working in various finance and accounting roles with a strong background in IT and management information systems. Ryan codes in Visual Basic and is an expert with all Microsoft products. He works closely with Vista’s Operations Consultants to build out custom dashboards for our clients. These dashboards become integral in our clients’ success. Ryan is skilled at assessing and understanding our clients’ requirements and translating those into clear and concise reporting tools that allow our clients to improve firm operations.
Mary Ellen Murrah joined the Vista Team in 2019. Prior to joining Vista, Mary Ellen spent more than 16 years managing and marketing a national, legal case management software company. That position introduced her to thousands of personal injury law firms across the country. She was a familiar face at annual legal events and a frequent voice on topics ranging from legal marketing to data integrity. Over the years, she’s forged meaningful relationships with legal vendors, which has provided keen insight on almost every corner of the legal industry. She is skilled in identifying law firm business improvement opportunities and brings her extensive operations, team management, and industry knowledge to the Vista team. Mary Ellen has a true passion for tackling projects with common sense management. Her eye for detail, human resources experience, and deep operations skills are an asset to help law firms grow their businesses and help attorneys foster and maintain efficient, profitable practices.
Pam joined the Vista Team in 2020 as an Operations Consultant. She began her career more than twenty years ago at a personal injury law firm where she served as Law Firm Administrator for close to a decade. In that role, she became intimately familiar with the nuances of personal injury firms and developed a keen eye for improvement and success. She then took her passion for data management and effective processes to a national, legal case management software company. There, she worked with hundreds of law firms across the country to help them implement a new system that allowed them to collect and analyze their data and institute seamless workflows. She then transitioned to the role of Training Director for a large personal injury firm where she served as project manager for a massive data conversion and software platform shift. Ultimately, she yearned to get back to her roots, traveling the country, meeting thousands of attorneys and team members, and helping them transform their business.
Stephanie joined the Vista Team in 2009 as an Operations Consultant. She brings her knowledge and experience in management and operational excellence to our team. Prior to joining Vista, Stephanie spent twelve years working for insurance claims departments and five years as a Chief Operations Officer of a multi-office, northeast, personal injury firm. She is admitted to practice law in Connecticut, New York, and Tennessee. Stephanie utilizes her experience to assist Vista clients in implementing tried and true solutions in law firm operations. She is an innovative thinker who can apply solutions to clients’ specific circumstances. Stephanie has a knack for assisting COO’s and Office Managers in challenging situations. She has polished coaching techniques and is skilled at helping her clients work through the decision-making process. She is extremely thorough, exhibits strong communication skills, and partners with key client personnel in delivering systems and accountability that drives results.
Terri joined the Vista Team in 2018 as an Operations Consultant. After joining a large, multistate law firm in 2004 as a front desk receptionist, Terri quickly realized that her passion for serving others was best utilized in the personal injury firm setting. She developed a love for the legal field. Terri’s passion and desire to understand all aspects of a personal injury case resulted in several promotions to Senior Legal Assistant. In 2015, Terri was selected to join a brand new personal injury firm as Senior Legal Assistant and Office Manager. In this new role, Terri was able to utilize her dedication to the profession and years of experience to help this firm quickly become one of the premier small firms in her hometown. Terri looks forward to helping personal injury firms meet their growth goals.
Amanda Hankins joined Vista Consulting Team in 2017, bringing more than two decades of intimate experience working in personal injury law firms. Amanda’s career at a large, multistate law firm took her from Receptionist to Legal Assistant to Intake Supervisor to Medical Treatment Coordinator. This experience in working in every department of a personal injury firm serves her clients exceptionally well. She’s been there, she knows the struggles, and she knows how to drive progress. She also has experience working with one of the largest medical funding companies as a Business Development Manager. She has a true passion for customer service and loves working with law firms to teach them all avenues of keeping client satisfaction as a top priority.
8:00 am | Breakfast |
9:00 am | Welcome & Introductions Tim McKey | Vista Consulting & McKey Business Group Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
10:00 am | 3 R’s – Relationships, Referrals, and Reviews Darcy Neighbors | CIM Marketing Partners Julie Ostrovsky | Nevada Justice Association |
11:00 am | Stretch Break |
11:15 am | Systems, Metrics, and Alignment Mike Morse & John Nachazel Mike Morse Law Firm and Authors of the book “Fireproof” |
12:30 pm | Lunch |
2:00 pm | Organizational Commitment and Burnout within a Law Firm Setting Heather Carroll The Eichholz Law Firm | Savannah, Georgia |
3:00 pm | Stretch Break |
3:15 pm | How to Take a Moneyball Approach to Running Your Law Firm Larry Buckfire & James Schmehl Buckfire & Buckfire | Southfield, Michigan |
4:15 pm | Extra Sensory Dave Dee – Mentalist Speaker, Author and Mentalist | Milton, Georgia |
5:00 pm | Conclude Day 1 |
6:00 – 8:00 pm | Cocktail Party The Joule Hotel | 1530 Main Street Dallas, Texas 75201 |
8:00 am | Breakfast |
9:00 am | Virtual Secrets Revealed Dave Dee – Mentalist Speaker, Author and NLP Sales Consultant | Milton, Georgia |
10:10 am | Stretch Break |
10:30 am | Everyone Deserves a Great Manager Scott Miller, Bestselling Author and Leadership Expert at FranklinCovey FranklinCovey Salt Lake City, Utah |
12:00 pm | Lunch |
1:00 pm | Local Service Ads for Legal: Buying Your Way to the Top Locally Nalini Prasad | BluShark Digital Washington, DC |
2:00 pm | Servant Leadership and the Power of Positive Reinforcement Merten Rice | Dudley DeBosier Baton Rouge, LA |
3:00 pm | FYI, Don’t Do This Tim McKey | Vista Consulting & McKey Business Group Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
3:30 pm | Conclude Day 2 |