My clients return again and again and refer new cases to me regularly. What keeps them coming back? Strong relationships. As a young attorney, with a new law practice, the yellow pages seemed like the best investment. Okay, it was 1996 and I was wrong. Building relationships was my best marketing investment. Those relationships resulted in high ratings on Yelp, LinkedIn, Avvo, and other online platforms based on strong referrals from happy clients and other attorneys. After more than thirty-two years of legal practice I can offer three top tips to garner a steady stream of clients even into retirement.

One: Listen and Connect

The most effective leaders know how to connect with people, according to John C. Maxwell in his book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently.[i] As a new attorney, I was able to meet with my clients from the first introduction all the way through trial or settlement. Even after earning the title of Senior Attorney, I learned that listening and genuinely connecting with clients keeps them coming back. When you listen, you learn how to better connect on the topics that matter most to your clients.

We are advising our clients and giving them the best recommendations for their situation. Even if you’re very good at that, if you do not listen and connect with the client, they won’t understand when things don’t go exactly as they expect. You want a client who understands that, when things don’t go their way, it is not the end of the world. You want clients to continue to have confidence in you, no matter the outcome.

Listen to your clients’ fears, goals, and purpose. It will provide insight to help you find creative solutions. When you help a client fulfill their intentions, you win. More often than not, a solution is a win-win for all parties, while adversarial procedures might breed contempt. Strong relationships developed over time, by listening and connecting with your clients, lay the pathway to a productive and successful legal practice.

Two: Take Time to Explain

While we are familiar with the process, the courts, and the details in legal procedure, our clients are not. When you take time to explain what your client can expect in the process, the pros and the cons, they will feel confident in you and your decisions. Explaining the alternative outcomes is also comforting for the client. It takes time, but it’s well worth the investment.

Justice, ideally, is a fair outcome. Yet what is fair to one person may not be fair to another. During the process of arbitration and other forums, the judge will often find a compromise between the parties’ positions. This means, even when deserved, a client may not receive all the aspects of their preferred outcome. Explaining the alternatives, the background of the judge, or the potential outcomes that might be reached will enable the client to be prepared for an adverse outcome. If you fail to explain, anger can build unexpectedly and the client may rashly choose to terminate your representation.

Happy clients do not sue. Even when the verdict is not what we hoped for, nor what we prepared for, a client will have confidence in you when your relationship is strong and you take the time to explain.

Three: Maintain the Same Phone Number

Giving a client a cell phone number lets your client know that you are available even outside the office. Having clear time parameters for yourself, though, is important for your mental health. If you answer a client call at 10:00 pm, you have set an expectation. If you answer or respond promptly during reasonable work hours and non-holiday days, your clients will feel important and respected.

I have had the same telephone number since 1992, and I continue to receive telephone calls from clients I served more than a decade ago. Given the changes in my legal practice, I am not always able to assist them, but I can give solid referrals. Many of my clients seek my assistance for their family and friends as well. Why? Because we have a preexisting relationship, and they trust me. That relationship was not built in a day, but over time. Because I still have the same cell phone number, clients do not have to search for me. That helps maintain the continuity of the relationship built over often long periods of time.

These are my main tips for building effective relationships. I value my clients, and I strive to listen and to communicate clearly, effectively, and promptly.

Keep Reading

Environmental Friendly Class Action Against Maker of Gore-Tex Based on Speculation Why I Chose to Become an Attorney Salty Situation: Class Action Lawsuit Against Salt Manufacturer Alleges Improper Levels of Heavy Metals You’re Out? Additional Litigation Uncertain After Judge Denies Certifying Class of Ex-NCAA Baseball Players Strategic Anchoring: Using Cognitive Bias to Win Negotiations Laughing Gas Is No Laughing Matter: New Lawsuit May Impose Strict Liability on Nitrous Oxide Manufacturers for Marketing Practices In Florida, What You See is What You Get Whether You Click on It or Not Don’t Let It Be “A License to Kill Your Case” — How to Vet Investigators Effectively Trial Prep: Expectation vs. Reality

Sources

[i] John C. Maxwell, Everyone Communicates Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently (2010).