Do you have a client selection process?
I recently did a series of videos about how to avoid or keep difficult or problem clients out of your law practice. We’ve talked about trusting your gut and identifying and making a list of those red flags that signal a client might not be the right fit for you. (You can find those videos on this page).
Next, you’ll want to use that information to develop a client selection process or early warning system that helps you weed out those clients.
Skip video and keep readingTurn Red Flags Into Client Selection Processes
Turn each of the red flags into a concrete action or process that creates an obstacle for those difficult clients entering your practice.
For example, if your experience has shown that clients who come unprepared to your initial consultation cause problems because they don’t provide you with the information you need for the representation in a timely manner, you might require clients to complete an intake form or provide you with certain documents before you schedule an initial consultation with them.
Or, to weed out clients who never pay their bills on time, you might require that all clients pay you for your initial consultation or provide you with a retainer up front that you will draw from, rather than doing the work first and allowing clients to pay later.
Use Your Marketing To Weed Out Difficult Clients
Does your marketing help you weed out difficult clients?
Your client selection process starts before the client ever contacts you or comes to your office. It starts with your marketing.
Skip video and keep readingYour Marketing Message Can Eliminate Difficult Clients
Your marketing should target your ideal client, but it should also help you weed out clients who are not the right fit for you.
The way you talk about your ideal client in your marketing can help those difficult clients self-select themselves out of your practice and decide on their own that you are not the right lawyer for them so they never contact you.
Let’s take an example.
Let’s say you are a matrimonial lawyer and you have found that the clients who cause the most problems for you are clients who are out for revenge, or who are more concerned about hurting their ex-spouse or getting the most money possible than doing what is best for their family.
Instead of using language like, “We’ll fight for you” or “we’ll get you everything that you deserve,” which puts the emphasis on being adversarial or focusing only on money, you might talk about taking a collaborative approach, finding resolutions that work for the entire family, or ensuring that your children grow up in a stable environment.
Do You Know Who Your Ideal Clients Are?
If you want a practice filled with clients who are the best fit for you, you have to have an understanding not only of who your problem clients are, but also who your ideal clients are.
One of the reasons you end up with difficult or problem clients is that you haven’t taken the time to drill down into who your ideal client is. The best way to do that is to develop an ideal client profile.
Skip video and keep readingWhat Is An Ideal Client Profile?
The ideal client profile pinpoints not only the basic demographics, but also attitudes, behaviors, philosophy, needs, expectations, problems and opportunities.
Creating a profile of your ideal client is one of the most important things you can do for your practice. It informs everything from your marketing messages to the platforms you participate in online, the content you post, and the groups you join, to how you communicate, who you hire, and even how your office is set up.
If you want to learn more about creating an ideal client profile, grab a copy of my ideal client profile workbook.
Collecting Client Data
An effective client profile relies on data.
What data are you capturing about your clients and potential clients? How are you using that data?
Creating that profile isn’t a one-time exercise – it’s a living document that needs to change over time to respond to changes in the marketplace, the services you provide, and changes in your firm. But to respond effectively and make those adjustments, you have to be capturing the data.
Skip video and keep readingWhat Data Should You Collect, and How Should You Use It?
For example, by tracking how potential clients come to you, you may learn that your most valuable clients come from one or two referral sources. As a result, you may want to focus on those referral sources, or look for more like them.
Keeping track of communication preferences may reveal that your ideal clients used to prefer to communicate by phone or email, but now they prefer to communicate via text message. This might cause you to rethink your communication policies or add text messaging as a communication option.
What data do you find is most helpful for identifying and serving your ideal client? Let me know in the comments!
If you want to learn more about creating an ideal client profile, grab a copy of my ideal client profile workbook, below, or feel free to contact me – and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss my next article or video.
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