|
|
|
|
What If It’s a Phone Call? or Hey Ma, It’s For you…. Each of your advertising presentations anticipate a response. Your aim is to make it as easy as possible for a client to find you and to contact you.
Consider your most effective options: 1. You have the internet (a web page) and email 2. You have two phones? Or one phone? 3. The US mail is reliable most of the time but slow. 4. Referral by other parties? Usually you place a call to a number given to you. 5. Direct Mail could get you a phone call. Ideally, you would be available at all times in a quiet area by a telephone with a perfectly professional response to the query. Did you notice the word ideal? The fastest way to turn off a client is to be slow about returning calls or emails. You lose. This is even worse than your kids answering the phone with wild music playing. It is, of course, real easy to become lax as statistically, you would expect contacts at most 1% to 2% of your direct mail or other marketing contacts. Internet searches are done by attorneys actively looking for an LNC. While contacts are not frequent, they are serious if you receive a call. So, let’s say that the attorney reaches you at your chosen telephone for business. Phone at home- Ideally, you have a phone for business only, in a quiet room. Most of us do not. Less than ideal is an answer machine but at least you can be prepared to return the call. Be sure your message does not contain background noise. Cell Phone at work. Wow, this one is risky. In the first place, you probably shouldn’t have it on. Secondly, you would need to take a number, go to a quiet area and call back.
Perhaps a cell phone when away and a family phone at home. (We all know that a separate business phone is best). 1. Call your number when away from home. Assuming that you do not live alone, who answers? How would it sound to an attorney? Any back ground noises? An attorney would receive an image of you. If this phone is your best option, teach whoever answers how to answer and take a message including a return call number. Have a pencil and paper ready. You return the call from a quiet area. 2. An answer machine takes your message. Okay, but make sure your message is professional and you check that machine frequently, like every couple of hours at the most during business hours. Otherwise, you lose a case. Someone else will answer their call first. 3. If you are using a cell phone as your business number, answer each call professionally, not necessarily with your business name but your name. Hello, this is…….. You told the caller that they have the correct number and let them take the lead. This could work. Take a number and call back if you are unable to talk at that time. Don’t try to drive and talk; your voice will not be stable and the sound echoes. Return the call ASAP when you are stopped. (It’s safer, too.) Besides, you cannot write and drive. Keep paper and pen or pencil handy to take a message. You will need to record information. You could keep handy, a Client Contact Form. Start off in a professional manner. Practice your telephone presentation. It must be professional, polite and prompt. If you must return a call, call back ASAP. Introduce yourself and have your information ready, like who you are, what cases/experience you have, when you can start the case, your fee, your shipping address. Ask about timelines, questions to respond to, purpose of review, particular services to be rendered. You may want to use a Client Contact Form. Click here for a Sample Form. Keep some forms on a clipboard or in your purse so that you can easily record all necessary information and continue to use the form as you receive information. Above all, be prepared to respond and continue to check your contact resource frequently. Be available. If you’re not, others are.
|
