The Lawmatics Blog

In this episode of The Law Entrepreneur podcast hosted by Neil Tyra, Lawmatics CEO Matt Spiegel shares his journey from criminal defense attorney to legal tech entrepreneur building the most powerful legal intake solution, marketing automation, and law firm CRM for attorneys by focusing on helping law firms improve the customer experience.

After the brief history lesson, Neil and Matt dive into a discussion on the importance of the client journey and what law firms can do to deliver an experience that encourages happy customers to become repeat clients.

“The client goes through a journey with your law firm,” explains Matt Spiegel, and the client journey is comprised of three distinct parts:

1. Client Intake - From the moment someone contacts your law firm all the way up to the moment they sign on the dotted line to become a client.
2. Active Matter - The client has officially hired you, they have an open matter with your law firm, and there is a definitive start and end to the process.
3. Former Client - Matt cites this phase as the most neglected phase that is actually a critical moment for law firms. The vast majority of business comes from referrals, so neglecting clients after their active matter is complete is a missed opportunity for driving more business.

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With this understanding of the customer journey, Matt explains how your success is determined by your ability to attract, delight, and retain clients. Next, Neil and Matt talk about the importance of having the right set of tools that all work together to deliver a successful customer experience.

We’re just scratching the surface of this podcast episode. Listen to the full discussion between Neil and Matt in episode 264 of The Law Entrepreneur podcast below!

A day in the life of an attorney is hardly a leisurely nine to five. From the phones ringing to emails coming in, preparing pleadings, to reviewing documents, there’s a lot going on. It’s easy to get dizzy from trying to keep up with it all, particularly if you’re a solo practitioner.On top of the time an attorney spends in the office working on their open matters, they also have to market themselves. After all, the only way to keep clients coming in is to attract and retain new clients, which requires work!The best way to ensure that you can keep up with the demands of a busy day in the life of a lawyer is to be as efficient as possible. After all, better efficiency means better profitability, especially in the legal world.

Why increase my law firm's productivity

More revenue

Increased efficiency doesn’t just mean less stress— it means increasing the amount of work you can take on, which ultimately means more revenue.Quite simply, regardless of your industry, better efficiency means more profitability, especially for lawyers who offer fixed fee services. Fixed fee services mean that regardless of whether a matter takes several days or several months, the amount on the bill stays the same. So it goes without saying that if you can increase your productivity on a flat fee system, you'll get through your workload much faster and boost your profitability.Even lawyers who charge by the hour still need to get through their workload as quickly as possible. If clients see that they're paying top dollar for services that take too long to happen, then you won’t make a very good impression. You need to be able to handle multiple cases at once as quickly as possible if you hope to grow your firm, and boosted efficiency is the only way to do that. In order to encourage repeat business and earn referrals, you'll need to offer efficient and honest services.

Fewer errors

Missed deadlines and neglected follow-ups are some of the most common complaints that people have about lawyers. After that comes poorly drafted contracts and essential documents with errors. An inefficient process means failing to spot mistakes that make a significant difference, particularly during your client intake process.Being a reliable lawyer means spotting mistakes and identifying issues as early on as possible by developing an efficient process. By implementing the right methods, you'll have the time and resources to make sure nothing important gets overlooked.

Happier clients

Ultimately, getting through your work faster means more time to spend on your clients which in turn creates happy clients. With all of your administrative work out of the way, you'll be able to receive more consultations and ultimately do what you do best which is practice law.Increasing your law firm’s productivity starts with measuring itWe live in a data-driven world, and the most reliable way to track progress is by relying on law firm data analytics. Key data gives you exact insights into understanding how well your current methods and strategies are working, eliminating the need for guesswork.Checking and tracking your firm's productivity by looking at the most important metrics will help you develop a better understanding of your overall performance and open doors to new opportunities. When it comes to being the best in your industry, the more information that you have, the more that you can do with it.[oxygen-template id="6132"]

6 key metrics for measuring your law firm’s productivity

Here are some of the most important metrics you can measure to help boost your law firm's productivity.

1Number of billable hoursIf your law firm operates on an hourly system, one of the most straightforward ways to track productivity is by counting how many billable hours you have completed. If you're spending fifty hours a week working and only a fraction of that is on billable work, then clearly something needs to change.

2Number of matters openedKeep track of how many matters are open to determine whether you're reaching your goals.

3Number of tasks completedBy tracking your firm's number of tasks compared to how many have been completed, you'll have a clear understanding of whether you need to make changes in your process.

4Average work rateIn addition to measuring the overall success of your firm, it's also essential to measure individual performance. Average work rate is an integral part of assessing the productivity of each member of your team.

5Monthly revenue billedUltimately, the amount of revenue that you bill each month will determine the success of your firm.

6Revenue per employeesIn addition to the overall revenue billed, your firm should also be tracking individual revenue.

How you can benefit from measuring your law firms productivity with Lawmatics

Using Lawmatics custom law firm reporting software will give you the critical information that you need to boost your overall productivity and ultimately boost profitability.Fortunately, the data is presented in an easy-to-digest format that anyone in your law firm can understand. You'll be able to see important metrics like how close you are to your objectives and how well your staff members are performing. In turn, you’ll benefit in the following ways.

Less time lost

Once you start tracking your performance, you'll likely begin to find areas where you can make improvements. Lawmatics can help you identify areas you can speed up in your workload so you can turn your attention towards things that matter most.For example, if you see that you're spending over half of your day devoted to manual data entry, it's time to start implementing an automated client intake process.

Smoother processes

There's a big difference between collecting data and putting your data to use. If you truly want to make the most out of your goal tracking, then it's time to start finding areas in your practice that need to be streamlined.Creating automated email workflows for law firms has never been easier than with Lawmatics. You can create automated workflows that eliminate the need for tedious and repetitive manual processes. It's as easy as building automated email campaigns with custom triggers. Engage, nurture, and convert— all with the help of workflow automation for law firms.

Accountability

Once you have the right information at your fingertips, you can determine who and what is responsible for the bottlenecks in your firm. In turn, your firm will have increased accountability and a better chance of avoiding the same problems in the future.

Predictability

Before becoming a data-driven firm, measuring your success is merely speculation. However, once you learn how to measure your productivity, it's easier to predict what will work and what will not work in the future.Predictability is your most reliable guide for what may or may not further productivity in the future.Now that you’ve got a better understanding of what you can gain from tracking your firm’s productivity, here are five tips for measuring it effectively.

How to effectively measure your law firm’s productivity

1Identify your goals

One of the most important steps of measuring your progress is to have a clear understanding of precisely what your short and long-term goals are. For example, if you hope to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on your clients, you'll need to measure how much time you're spending on each. Once you can clearly identify what it is that you hope to achieve, then it will be easier to measure whether you're reaching those goals by implementing a strategy.Remember, your goals should be as specific as possible and include as many concepts as possible. Everything that you hope to achieve should be plainly laid out and documented, including reasonable expectations. Make sure that your short-term goals tie into your long-term goals to apply the best possible strategy.Your strategy should include streamlining your processes and integrating legal document automation in order to ensure that you reach your goals as quickly as possible.

2Break them into manageable portions

It's natural for your law firm to be eager to reach your goals as fast as you can. However, it's more realistic to break your targets up into manageable portions. For example, if your objective is to obtain a certain number of clients each year, then try to split up your goals into weekly or monthly goals. You can set the number of new clients to an appropriate amount per lawyer in your practice.Obviously, the fewer lawyers that you have in your practice, the lower your goals will be. Once you've broken down the numbers, you can track everyone's lead conversions week by week. By dividing that figure by the number of law firm marketing efforts you've made, you'll be able to determine whether your system is paying off or not.

3Put a better system in place

The most successful law firms are the ones that have an efficient system set in place. The key to an effective system is adjusting it as needed. You may have to fine-tune the way that you do things until you find a rhythm that gets you the results that you want.When putting a system in place, make sure that you implement the right technology for maximum productivity. It helps to know what’s out there. Some of the most popular tools for optimal productivity include:

Legal intake and CRM software like Lawmatics

With so much going on as a lawyer, one of the biggest challenges is getting back to all of your leads and clients on time. The only way to effectively manage your clients and where they currently stand in their client journey is by tracking them through a legal intake and CRM for lawyers.

An attorney intake software automates the entire experience so that your leads and clients stay happy every step of the way. From sending automatic thank-yous to offering automated appointment scheduling, a legal client intake software makes everyone's lives easier and ultimately results in your law firm being more productive. Check out our post on how to optimize the legal client intake process for a closer look at how you can do just that.

Calendar and email software like Google Suite and Microsoft Office

A cloud-based calendar coupled with email automation for law firms is the foundation on which you’ll build your legal practice. When using it for day to day work combined with a CRM for attorneys and law firm client intake software, you’ll skyrocket your productivity and efficiency in ways you could never dream of. It’s as simple as your leads filling out a legal client intake form and the information goes directly into your CRM, and the client journey begins.

Law practice software like MyCase

Many people get confused about the difference between practice management software and a law firm CRM. Although they do have some similarities, ultimately, each provides unique benefits individually. Unlike a legal CRM, which handles current and past clients, case management software handles existing clients, helping you keep all of your cases organized.

The right case management software will help you manage all case details and any changes that have been made, track task management, keep all of your important documents and files you need for your cases, and handle client billing. While some of the features between CRMs and case management software may be similar, ultimately, they function better when used in conjunction with each other. The only way to maximize your productivity is by using both of these types of software.

4Measure and evaluate progress

As you continue to implement your new strategy, it's important that you constantly evaluate and measure your progress. Using a software created specifically for goal tracking for law firms regularly will determine whether you're meeting your goals as a whole and individually. The key to evaluating is maximizing technology to your advantage. By setting up legal reporting software in a way that works for your law firm, you can keep a close eye on how well you are meeting your targets.

5Rate your productivity on a scale

The key to increasing productivity is using a scale system. Rating your productivity as a team will help you provide concise feedback on your progress. Make sure that everyone in your law firm contributes their rating so that you have a combined representation of how well everyone thinks they're doing. Are you functioning at a 7 and you’d like to be more of a 10? Having a specific number on a scale to shoot for makes progress feel more achievable.

Measure your productivity and blow your goals out of the water With Lawmatics

The more knowledge you have, the more opportunities that you have to grow. By measuring your law firm's productivity through the help of Lawmatics’ robust software, considered the best CRM for law firms, you can set, track, and achieve your law firm's most important goals.Are you ready to see how Lawmatics can help you improve your law firm's productivity? Sign up for a free product demo today!

Ask any law firm, and they'll likely tell you that their ultimate goal is to become as profitable as possible. Yet, the key to profitability is efficiency, and this is where many law firms are lacking. Without an efficient system set in place, you can never reach your full potential as a practice. If we examine some of the most successful law firms, they share one thing in common besides profitability.They use visual marketing analytics for law firms to their advantage by using it to make better-informed business decisions. Though despite the clear evidence that data analytics can skyrocket your business, a startling amount of law firms have not yet started incorporating visual analytics into their practice.So, how do you use visual analytics, and what is it?

What are visual analytics?

Visual analytics draws information from your law firm’s activity, from the number of open matters to bottlenecks in your client intake process. You can view your law firm's trends through easy-to-digest visuals on both macro and micro levels. Analyzing this data can help you better understand how processes work and apply the information to push the envelope even further in your law firm.Data has always been there, of course— it’s nothing new. But modern technology now makes it more accessible for law firms to read and understand. What once might have taken a lawyer a painstaking amount of time to gather information relevant to what they hope to achieve now takes only a matter of minutes by running it through visual analytics software.Visual analytics are incredibly easy to understand since it’s presented in a straightforward and easy-to-read format. You can compare everything from conversion rates from each marketing source to how many matters you have open today versus last year. By observing your law firm’s progress, you can gain important insights that give you an edge on the competition.

6 signs your practice can benefit from analytics

1 You’re losing track of leads

Many law firms are under the impression that they're doing a satisfactory job when leads first make contact, but analytics can expose it’s not the case. The client journey begins the minute that a lead first contacts your law firm. It's your make-it-or-break-it moment to make a good impression.A great way to tell if your client intake process is where it needs to be is by asking yourself how quickly you get back to calls, emails, and legal client intake forms. If your law firm is still relying on a paper and pen process to write down leads' information, then chances are this is a warning sign that you're in trouble. Running your practice off of sticky notes is a fast track to losing track of opportunities.A closer look into your practice with law firm reporting software can help you recognize that your conversion rates are significantly lower than the number of calls coming in. In many cases, you may not even realize that the source of your low profits has to do with an area of your practice that you didn't even suspect. The right legal crm can help you set things on track through features like automated appointment scheduling and audience segmentation software.

2 Your clients aren’t happy

If there's one thing that you don't need for your law firm, it's a bad review. Unhappy clients are much more likely to talk about their experiences than happy ones — unfortunately, that's just the way that the world works. All it takes are a few unhappy clients to successfully tarnish your reputation.It's easy to brush negative reviews off as difficult people impossible to please. However, if you start to take a closer look at your visual analytics, you may have better insight as to why they were unhappy and have a right to be so. Most of the time, it's a result of poor communication on the lawyer's part. Analytics can help you find places in the client journey that need improvement that can often be solved with the help of workflow automation for law firms.

3 You have no idea where your clients are coming from

So you have a few different marketing campaigns in place, but you're not really sure which ones are giving you what results — How can you be sure that you're spending your law firm's marketing resources wisely if you're not even sure which sources are getting you the greatest results? If you don't have a clear understanding of exactly where your leads and clients are coming from, then this is a clear indication that you're in trouble. Analytics can help you identify where your target audience is so that you can focus your energy more in that direction. Legal metrics can help you appropriately adjust your budget to wherever marketing your law firm gets you the most results.

4 Your revenue is suffering

It is safe to say that the amount of revenue your law firm pulls in is one of the most critical elements of your business. If your revenue isn't close to where you'd like it to be, then there's no reason for you to settle for where it is. Tracking your revenue with the right software can help you make the necessary improvements where needed to increase it. By having a clear understanding of where your law firm stands in profitability, you can get a realistic idea of what changes need to be made.

5 You’re losing time on administrative tasks

Many lawyers get out of law school thinking that starting their own practice means they'll spend the majority of their time practicing law. Yet, they are in for a rude awakening when they realize that most of their week is spent on administrative tasks. Thanks to the help of technology, this no longer has to be the case. If you find yourself spending the bulk of your workweek on monotonous data entry, then you're doing it all wrong.Visual analytics can help you see where your firm is devoting its time, and in turn, you can implement time-saving features like legal document automation. The right law firm client intake software and CRM for lawyers can input leads' information for you and even follow up with them without you having to lift a finger. That means more time for you to focus on what matters most at your law firm.

6 You don’t have specific goals

Many law firms believe that they may not be able to benefit from using analytics. When determining whether you need legal analytics for your law firm, it's essential to ask yourself what you'd like to achieve. If you're looking to make better use of your time and increase your profits, then law firm analytics are undoubtedly a good choice for you.With data visualization tools, you can make better-informed decisions to help you stand out and deliver the best possible results for your clients.

Why data-driven law firms are more successful

Competitive pricing

A quick internet search will show you that there is a large range of prices when it comes to hiring legal services. Some charge by the hour, while others charge flat fees. Many lawyers may hesitate to transition into a flat fee pricing system because they fear it may fall short of the amount of work and hours that the job requires. Data can help you determine what kind of flat fees are best for your practice by looking closely at your previous cases, how many hours they took to complete, what they entailed, and ultimately how much you were compensated. In turn, you can use these figures to move towards a fixed fee system. So many legal professionals have begun offering alternative payment arrangements that failing to do the same can result in your leads turning elsewhere.

Improved business decisions

Businesses outside of the legal industry have been using data to make important decisions for years. And although it is relatively new to the legal industry, it's incredibly valuable. Becoming a data-driven law firm will equip you with the knowledge you need to measure how well you're doing, what problems you need to address, and what plans you can make for a better future. With this valuable information, you can analyze your own data combined with market trends and make better-informed business decisions.

Growth

Ultimately, a law firm isn't any different from a traditional business. In order to grow, you'll need to regularly review how well your performance is in order to plan for the future. The most successful firms that have experienced significant growth didn't get there by accident—they ran their firm like a business. They used technology to their advantage to develop better strategies. Data analytics for lawyers give you a birdseye view for better forecasting the future of your law firm and what you can expect in terms of growth.

Better time management

Statistics show that lawyers spend only a small portion of their workweek actually practicing law. When you start thinking like a CEO, you start to realize that lost time equals lost money. Generating more revenue begins with using your time wisely. Visual analytics provide the information you need to determine whether you're using your resources as well as you could be. The end result is making the best possible use of your time in the most profitable way.If you fall into the category of law firms that haven't yet leveraged data, then here are some of the things that your law firm can expect to gain by using visual analytics.[oxygen-template id="6132"]

7 reasons to start utilizing visual analytics at your law firm

1 Increased revenue

When you begin to incorporate data analytics into your law firm's process, you start to realize where you stand currently and where you have opportunities to improve. Closely tracking where your firm can make improvements will ultimately improve your understanding of how to get results, therefore increasing your revenue.Before implementing data and analytics into their process, many law firms learn that their numbers aren't even close to being where they could be. Data often reveals that leads are falling through the cracks instead of being converted into clients. By tracking your client acquisition rate, you can see how well you're converting leads. From how many matters you have open to how many new clients you've received recently and where they're coming from, you can determine the total value of where you stand.The great news is, it's often as simple as implementing a systematic client intake process to boost your lead-to-sale conversion rate. An attorney intake software will help you get your numbers to where they should be by having a clear view of where each leading client stands and by using the power of automation. You can significantly improve your law firm's legal intake process, all thanks to the insights provided by visual analytics.

2 Better formed strategies

Reaching your firm's goals starts with having a plan. Relying on your intuition to form business strategies is a flawed system. Without data, your plan will be nothing but guesswork. Strategic planning is essential if you hope to grow your law firm. The best way to form strategies for the future of your law firm is by using valuable insight provided through data and looking for patterns that can be useful for the future. By harnessing the information presented to you in an easy-to-read format, visual analytics make it possible to make data-driven decisions in all aspects of your law firm.An in-depth analysis with goal tracking for law firms will help you identify opportunities that wouldn’t be possible without the help of data.For example, if your data reveals that certain months of the year tend to be slower than others, you can prepare for these months in advance by pushing your law firm marketing methods hard to bring in more clients before those months hit.The idea is to gain as much insight as possible in every area of your business in order to ensure your law firm's success.

3 Improved marketing

Visual analytics can help you identify any holes in your marketing. Ultimately, you want a return on your investment for your marketing efforts— otherwise, you're just spinning your wheels. Once you identify the best ways to effectively target your ideal audience, you can improve your current marketing efforts and increase your ROI. With data analytics, you'll have a much broader understanding of which areas of marketing you should continue to spend in and which areas you should scrap. Simply put, legal marketing analytics help you understand who your ideal client is and where they’re coming from. The end result is gaining the know-how to create the most effective marketing strategy possible to reach your target audience.With the information you gather from analytics combined with email automation for law firms will better capture and convert leads into happy clients.

4 Improved time management

If your law firm isn't producing the kind of results that you'd like to see, then it's vital that you figure out where the problems lie immediately. Instead of wasting precious time brainstorming and speculating where the bottlenecks are in your law firm, you could be spending that time practicing law.There's no need for speculation or guesswork when you rely on data. Tracking your law firm's performance pinpoints precisely where you have room to grow. It's as easy as running a report once or twice a month and going over what needs improvements.

5 Better overview of your performance

A lot of people get startled when they hear the word data. However, Lawmatics reporting and insights software is so incredibly easy to use that anyone in your office can read it. It's delivered in an easy-to-digest format that covers the most critical metrics for your law firm.Easily break your lead sources up into actionable data points and work towards your long-term revenue goals. Monitor your staff's productivity and uncover where each staff member has room to grow. No need to read complicated technical jargon— it's all laid out in an easy-to-view format that will give you total control over your progress.

6 Superior client experience

Knowledge is power, so once you know exactly what's working and what isn't, you can make improvements where necessary. Viewing your stats allows you to make smarter decisions that ultimately improve your clients' experience. With clear visuals and insights into your internal processes, you can boost your clients' journey and take your law firm to the next level.

7 Improved planning for the future

The only way that you can plan for the future is by having the proper insight. Without data, business decisions are nothing but guesswork. However, when you have all of the figures laid out in front of you, you can strategize and make predictions based on actual statistics, not just educated guesses. The end result is knowing exactly what's working right now and what is most likely to work in the future. With legal reporting software, you can focus on what's driving revenue and what creates repeat business— today and tomorrow.

Best tips and practices for utilizing visual analytics

Set specific goals

Legal professionals have found all sorts of obstacles in their path since the outbreak of Coronavirus. It's more important than ever for attorneys to learn how to thrive in the legal industry. The most reliable way to set yourself up for success is to create specific goals for your law firm. The more specific that you can be, the better. When setting goals for your practice, you should first determine things like:✓ Why you’ve chosen a particular goal for your law firm ✓ Any challenges that you predict may arise ✓ How you plant on accomplishing your goals When setting your targets, make sure that they are realistic. Although it's admirable to shoot for the stars, trying to achieve unrealistic goals can leave you feeling frustrated. Consider finding a balance between ambitious and realistic.

Measure results regularly

The only way to ensure that you're reaching your goals is to measure them regularly. Check your law firm data analytics frequently to gain better insights into your firm's performance. Visual analytics make it possible to track whatever custom information you would like. Center your analytics around where your goals are to ensure that you're staying accountable.Consider measuring your goals on a routine basis, like every month. That way, you know if there are any red flags indicating that you need to make changes.

Make changes immediately

One of the biggest mistakes that people make with their data is failing to take action. Without taking action, data is useless. It's vital that as soon as you find problem areas in your practice, you take action as quickly as possible. The longer you take to make changes where necessary, the more revenue you're losing by the minute. Stop floundering your time and prioritize making changes, even if it means having to completely upgrade the way you operate.

Update regularly

Naturally, your goals will evolve. Therefore, you won't need to track the same metrics all the time. It's crucial that you update your goals regularly and your metrics accordingly. That way, you're not wasting your time looking at data that is no longer relevant to your current plans.

Grow your law firm with Lawmatics reporting and insights software

Gone are the days of running your law practice out of your email inbox and spreadsheets. It's time to embrace technology and optimize the way that your law firm does things.There's already enough pressure on your practice as it is. Becoming data-driven can lift a considerable amount of pressure off of your shoulders and provide the right insight for you to make changes where it counts most. Increased cash flow and more clients start with knowing which efforts you need to implement.By mapping out where the problem areas lie and where opportunities are hidden, You can rethink your law practice and blow your goals out of the water. Not only will you make things easier for yourself, but you'll also make it much more convenient for your clients. Unleash the true potential of your law firm and harness technology to reach your goals through a systematic and efficient process.feAre you ready to see how Lawmatics Reporting and Insights Software can help you grow your practice? Sign up for a free product demo today!

What is your role at Lawmatics, and what does your job entail?

I am a Lawmatics software craftsman. I am responsible for taking care of our platform’s infrastructure while simplifying our customers’ lives by helping the engineering team create the powerful features we offer in our platform.

How did you end up working for Lawmatics?

I started working with Matt and Roey a long time ago on other products. I've been working for Lawmatics since the very beginning. I enjoy how we continue to work together to deliver an exceptional experience to our customers.

What’s the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is interacting with all the amazing people we have in our team. It's pretty incredible to feel that everyone here works with passion and acts like a family.

What challenges have you faced or opportunities you’ve uncovered working remotely during COVID-19?

Well, I was already working remotely for Lawmatics before COVID. And I really appreciate that the Lawmatics team communicates really well and stays organized despite the team being entirely remote.

Where are you originally from, and how did you end up in San Diego?

I'm from Goiania, Brazil, and still here in Brazil. But I love to go to San Diego to visit our team. I miss these moments so much with our team. I look forward to when it is safe for us all to come together as one team again.

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

I'm a person with a lot of hobbies, and I'm learning to fish this year. I take my hobbies very seriously with a learning plan like a business. I'm a Tennis addict and love to play board games.

What is a fun fact most people may not know about you?

I love popular Brazilian country music. It's really fun because as a nerdy engineer, nobody can imagine my music taste.

What is the one thing you can’t live without, and why?

I can't live without "Pamonha.” Pamonha is a very typical Brazilian food that is a paste made of sweet corn that is boiled and wrapped in corn husks.

Do you have a favorite saying, quote, or personal mantra, and if so, what is it and why?

"Love the life you live. Live the life you love." -Bob Marley

I really appreciate all the moments that happen in my life. Bad moments are an opportunity to learn and grow.

Can you walk us through your "Aha" moment—the moment when you realized how powerful the Lawmatics platform is for lawyers and law firms?

I decided to use our platform for hiring new engineers and created a hiring process flow using Automations, Pipelines, and Email templates. At that moment, I realized how adaptable Lawmatics is, and you can automate everything.

Based on your experience, what words of wisdom or advice do you have for legal professionals looking to help their law firms win more business, impress clients, and be more efficient?

A long time ago I got an SMS from my dentist on my birthday. I never forgot about this dentist because of this one small thing. My advice is "be simple" and never forget the most important part of your business: your customers. Simple actions like an SMS on your customers’ birthday will help them keep your business top of mind.

Since an engineer's mind naturally wants to automate everything, I highly recommend focusing on automating your workflow. Our pipelines with Automations can be a very powerful way to organize your day-to-day work, and taking the time to explore Automations can help you be more efficient.

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that attorneys are busy people.Yet, believe it or not, a vast majority of their tasks are administrative, sometimes even making it a challenge for them to prioritize practicing law over monotonous office work like getting back to potential clients.You heard that right — sometimes lawyers have so much going on that they hardly have time to be lawyers.Sounds pretty backward, right?Yet, for a law firm to succeed, it has to prioritize the tedious administrative tasks — like the client intake process. The client intake process is unquestionably the most important part of a law firm’s opportunity to uphold its reputation. First impressions count, so if a lawyer blows their intake process, they’ve already lost half the battle.Far too many law firms neglect their client intake process and, as a result, have a poor conversion rate. A poorly-developed client intake process doesn’t just result in friction and disorganization; it results in lost money. And let’s face it, the goal is to make revenue, not lose it.When you don't have a good intake strategy in place, then you're losing time that you could be spending practicing law. So, before you lose any more valuable time on a poorly constructed client intake process — it’s time to start prioritizing, streamlining, and optimizing your client intake process.A great place to start is knowing the do's and don'ts of client intake.

Do: pre-screen your clients

Pre-screen your clients

As an attorney, your schedule is already spread thin. Why waste time trying to onboard clients who aren't a good fit for your practice? Unfortunately, not everyone who comes into your office will be the right match for you and your team, and that's just the way things are. Believe it or not, you don't have to say yes to everyone who comes into your office. In some cases, it benefits both you and the potential client to send them elsewhere for legal services.Rather than carving out a consultation in your schedule only to realize during the appointment that you're not a good fit for each other, you should conduct a thoughtful prescreen. Prescreening is a great way to assess things like what the person is looking for services for and whether they've ever sought out legal services in the past.Bigger firms have the luxury of a receptionist who can conduct phone pre-screening prior to consultations. However, if you're a solo practitioner, then you probably don't have a lot of time to spend on prescreening clients. One of the best ways to speed up your intake process without forgetting to collect important information is by using custom templates. Quickly get the answers you need from your clients upfront, so everyone is on the same page before your consultation.With Lawmatics drag and drop custom form builder, you can easily grab whatever information you need, making the prescreening process that much faster and easier.

Do: capture contact information

Capture contact information

Using the same custom form builder, create a legal client intake form that requests your potential client to fill out their contact information. Customizing your field inputs ensures that you'll capture only the information that you need in a way that makes sense for your practice. Once it's filled out, the form will automatically go into your CRM for lawyers.No more searching through your inbox or digging through spreadsheets — grab your clients' information right away with the right attorney intake software. Once the contact information is collected, you can start meticulously tracking your client's journey and never losing track of a lead again.

Do: automate email replies

Automate email replies

One of the biggest missed opportunities that lawyers make is failing to follow up after grabbing the initial contact information. With so much on your plate as an attorney, slipups are expected. That's why automation makes it easy to stay on top of getting back to clients.From the initial lead capture, law firm client intake software automates the client experience so that your clients stay happy from the very beginning. Custom automation makes it possible to follow up with clients without you having to do a thing. From sending an automatic thank you message with a bit of information about your firm to confirming your consultation, automation keeps everyone on the same page, so nothing slips through the cracks.

Do: be friendly

Be friendly

It seems so simple when you see it in writing, yet being friendly is something that many lawyers forget. Don't forget that even though your job is to practice law, you're still a salesperson. As your grandma always said, you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar, and if you hope to get the sale, you’ll need to be friendly.Delighting your clients is one of the best ways to boost your conversion rates, and nothing delights like friendly customer service. It's really that simple. From sending out an automatic thank you message to smiling during your consultation, a bit of friendliness makes your clients feel valued and results in more referrals.

Do: track your data

Track your data

Data is an essential part of better understanding how well your firm is achieving its goals; otherwise, you’re just guessing — particularly when it comes to your intake process. Goal tracking for law firms is as easy as using the right legal client intake software. For example, Lawmatics can help you determine key analytics like where most of your leads are coming from, how many of them are successfully converting into clients, and which of them have turned into the most profitable for your firm.Thanks to easy-to-read dashboards, you don't have to be a computer scientist to understand law firm data analytics. Law firm reporting software will present you with a report that is incredibly easy to use and understand so you clearly see what's working and what's not in your client intake process.

Do: offer e-signature

Offer e-signature

So often, lawyers assume that they’re the only busy ones in a client-attorney relationship. The truth is that your clients don’t love lengthy back and forths any more than lawyers do.Why spend hours and even possibly days sending back contracts and agreements that require printers and scanners? Offer a client e-signature tool instead. An E-signature feature doesn't just allow you to create, send, and sign important documents, but it also stores them safely in one single, convenient place. Legal file request automation saves time sending the right attachments for your clients to sign quickly.It's as easy as creating, signing, and sharing within minutes. You'll wow your leads and clients by eliminating bottlenecks and simplifying a large portion of your client intake process.[oxygen-template id="6131"]

Don't: waste time on repetitive data entry

Waste time on repetitive data entry

A recent report revealed that the average lawyer spends nearly 50% of their workweek on administrative tasks. Unfortunately, that's a serious hit on lawyers' productivity. Many practices still rely on repetitive data entry to keep up with all of their client's information. Unfortunately, if you hope to grow as a law firm, you'll need to upgrade to a superior process.There's no way you can possibly keep up with the demands of all your clients with a manual system in place. Workflow automation for law firms is the best way to get the same amount of work done in a fraction of your time, giving you more time to spend on practicing law.

Don't: use paper and pen

Use paper and pen

Let's put it this way — if your client intake process involves paper and a pen, then you're likely not converting that many leads. Not only do you risk leads falling through the cracks, but you're probably making all sorts of errors during your manual pen and paper process. Forget about post-its stuck all over your desk, and join us in the 21st century.!A huge part of your firm's reputation rides on the client journey. If you hope to deliver a positive client journey and delight every step of the way, you have software to ensure no one gets lost in the mix.Automation makes it so that you never have to worry about a task being taken care of or whether a lead's details have correctly collected.Using software instead of a pen and paper means no more digging through stacks of documents. No more worrying about who's been followed up with or what the last thing you discussed with them was. Intake software makes it easy to track your client every step of the way and easily store important information in one central location so that anyone in your law firm can see where the client stands.

Don't: take too long to respond

Take too long to respond

One of the biggest complaints that people have about lawyers is their lack of communication skills. Recent studies have shown that as little as 64% of lawyers get back to their leads clients and phone calls. While this may seem like a shocking figure to some, it's no big surprise for firms that are still relying on pen and paper or their email inbox to run their law firm. Software is the only way to ensure that leads are followed up with right away. Email automation for law firms makes it possible to give your clients the attention they need every step of the way without you having to lift a finger. Whether it's to confirm an appointment or thank someone for signing up for your newsletter, following up has never been easier than it is with automated email workflows for law firms.

Don't: spend time on long email back and forths

Spend time on long email back and forths

Is all too common of a scenario: A lead requests a consultation from a lawyer, the lawyer gets back to them with a list of possible appointment time, and unfortunately, none of those times work — resulting in a lengthy back and forth. Instead of wasting your time with unnecessary back and forths, it's time to start incorporating automation into your process.With the help of client intake software, your leads can self-schedule without you having to do a thing. It's as simple as syncing your calendar with only the dates and times you want your clients to see. Show them only the available appointments that you'd like them to be able to choose from. After choosing from your available time slots, everyone will be notified with a consultation confirmation by email.Not only does automated appointment scheduling save time by allowing your clients to self-schedule and keep you on track with your appointments, but clients will significantly appreciate the direct access to your schedule.

Don't: skip talking about fees upfront

Skip talking about fees upfront

Failing to talk about your fees beforehand can lead to misunderstandings later down the road. It's best to get the conversation of money out of the way as early on as possible so that it's clear what you're both asking of each other. During your consultation, take time to discuss how your billing works and what kind of methods you accept. If you offer payment plans through a legal billing software, make sure that you explain how they work. Ensure that everything billing-related is gone over and put in writing, so there's no question about it later on. Failing to get this critical information on the table can lead to frustrations for everyone.

Don't: assume all leads are the same

Assume all leads are the same

Lumping everyone together into an all-in-one marketing approach is a huge blunder. Don't make the mistake of assuming that all of your leads are the same. The only way to grow your law firm is to get to know your prospects in and out, and strong connections are the key to generating new and repeat clients. With audience segmentation software, you can deliver targeted and personalized marketing campaigns that will make meaningful impressions. Thanks to client list segmentation, targeting distinct groups of your clients makes it easy to deliver personalized content through drip campaigns for law firms.Create tailored ads, and engage with leads individually by marketing your law practice through audience segmentation software.

Optimize your client intake process with Lawmatics

At the end of the day, time equals money. The more time you spend on unnecessary tasks like monotonous data entry, redundant back and forths, and inefficient processes, the more revenue is lost. However, by automating whenever you can, you'll lighten your workload and improve your clients' experience throughout the intake process.First impressions are critical, so your intake process should be optimized every step of the way — and Lawmatics can help you do that.Are you ready to see how to optimize the legal client intake process with Lawmatics? Sign up for a free product demo today!

Over the last year, the world as we know it has changed entirely. To survive as a law firm, chances are that you've had to make a considerable amount of changes in order to stay afloat.Since the same old law firm marketing methods need adjusting due to social distancing measures, online marketing is critical. Potential clients are online more than ever, so it’s up to you to grab their attention and increase your business. The first place to start with your digital marketing is by maximizing your inbound marketing strategies.Inbound marketing, a popular buzzword these days, is all about growing your brand. As the world progresses, so do marketing techniques, and a mass marketing approach is no longer as effective as it once was. Inbound marketing is based on a methodology that focuses on pulling leads in on their own terms rather than bombarding them with advertisements. It's all about mastering the client journey through three stages.

3 stages of inbound marketing for law firms

1

Attracting

Bringing in potential clients and establishing yourself as a credible law firm.

2

Engaging

Keeping leads engaged by following up and successfully with an attorney intake software.

3

Delighting

Once your leads become customers, the goal is to delight them by exceeding their expectations and making them feel like assets.

Benefits of inbound marketing for law firms

Better relationships

A one-sided marketing approach offers very little in terms of feedback from your prospects. However, an inbound marketing approach encourages conversation, questions, and customer feedback. The end result is an opportunity to evolve as a law firm based on listening to your clients through meaningful conversations on places like social media.

More affordable

Outbound marketing involves unsolicited advertisements urging people to buy what you're selling. Traditional advertising isn't just pricey, but it doesn't always promise a return. You can think of it as putting all your bets on one horse, and the horse loses the race. However, inbound marketing requires far less of an advertising budget and is much more likely to generate a high return on your investment.

More credibility

When you create a name for yourself online, you establish yourself as a credible resource. The more you organically come up in search results, the more that leads will view you as an authority in your area of practice. By increasing your online visibility, you come across as a more credible and trustworthy law firm that leads will go to when they require a lawyer.

Better leads

Even though the idea of inbound marketing is to ultimately boost your brand, above all that, it's more about producing high-quality leads. When you attract leads with a more targeted and personalized methodology, you attract a target audience that's much more likely to hire you.Now that you've got a better idea of how inbound marketing can help your law firm let's break down the 13 best strategies.

1. Blogging

Once upon a time, blogging was for sharing your favorite guacamole recipe or discussing the latest fashion fall trends. Now, blogging is considered a staple in content marketing.Blogging is an opportunity to write meaningful and valuable content that drives people towards your website. However, starting a blog alone isn't enough. In order to make sure that it's effective in your inbound marketing strategy, you'll need to make sure that it has the following characteristics:

A niche

It helps if you specialize in a specific area of law. Google loves niches, and people are much more likely to search for a specific legal question rather than something general. Focus on a topic that your law firm specializes in and build on it.

Evergreen and timely topics

In the world of blogging, there are two different kinds of blog posts:

1. Posts that focus on current topics that apply to the here and now.
2. Posts that cover topics relevant to any time period that can be shared for years to come.

An example of an Evergreen blog would be a post about why it's crucial to have a will — a topic that will not change frequently and is considered general information. Whereas an example of a timely topic would be a current breaking news trial that falls within your area of practice.Both timely and evergreen blog posts can offer equal value for your blog and are incredibly useful for reaching your target audience.

Keywords

Keywords are what lead Google to your blog. The right keywords will bring in the right traffic. Ultimately, your content will be the most important part of your blog; however, keywords are a vital part of leaving digital bread crumbs for leads to find you.If you’re unsure what kind of keywords to use, it might be helpful to do some keyword research. You can find choices by looking through some of the top-ranking keywords related to your area of practice. Above all, make sure that they match your intended audience.

Visuals

It’s important to shy away from walls of text. They aren’t exactly inviting, and they aren’t very easy on the eye. Visuals are a great way to break up wordy posts and enhance your blog by making it easier to digest.Statistics show that blog posts with visual content perform significantly better than those without visuals.

2. Social media

These days, having a social media account isn’t even an option. It’s just as important to have a social media account as it is to have a website. It’s not only an effective way to attract new clients, but it’s one of the most reliable ways to create brand awareness around your law firm.Attorneys have a chance to connect with leads on a personal level and create powerful relationships that go beyond traditional forms of advertising.[oxygen-template id="6129"]Before you get too carried away and start creating profiles on every social platform, however, consider scaling down. It’s better to choose only the right ones to devote your time to. Most attorneys start with Facebook and Twitter. Those are great places to begin since they have a significant number of users, and you only have to focus on two platforms. When you start branching out in too many different directions, it can get challenging to stay up to date unless you outsource.Investing your efforts in only one or two platforms initially is a great way to ensure that your efforts will pay off.It’s a good idea to create a content strategy that includes everything you plan on posting. Rather than only posting promotional content for your law firm, you should make sure you include posts that engage and build relationships. Include meaningful and shareable content that will encourage people to visit your page — and share!Tips For Getting More Followers

Follow other lawyers

The best way to get people to start following you is to follow others. Find other lawyers or relevant social media profiles that tie into your area of practice. Following other relevant accounts that actively post, you’ll have a pool of followers to engage. Get to know who’s following them and get them engaged.In your free time, go hunting for key profiles that have a big following. Interact with their posts and stay active on their profile. In time, you’ll start to attract followers who are also contributors in their comments.

Join groups

Just like staying active on key influencer profiles can be fruitful, so can being active in groups. Active groups can be a goldmine for leading you to quality followers who can lead you to more quality followers.Places like Facebook have plenty of groups that are great networking opportunities. If you’re really feeling ambitious, you can even start a group of your very own! Many lawyers find huge success starting a page of their own to engage and retain prospects.

Share often

The secret to success on social media is consistent contribution. It’s a critical part of building value around your account. Rather than just regurgitating links like some kind of a bot, provide insight behind why you’re reposting a link. Remark what you think about it and why it’s valuable for your followers.You can share anything from videos to articles to original content.

Be engaged and engaging

When others comment on your posts or send you messages, you should always reply. People are more likely to engage if they know you’ll respond, and when it comes to social media, engagement is currency.

Have an opinion

People react well to accounts that have a stance on something. Make sure that you clearly demonstrate your opinions and insights. Posting content alone without an idea or opinion behind it is easy.Followers are much more likely to engage and share content that has a strong opinion on an important matter. When posting your opinions, it helps to have data to back it up. There’s nothing that makes you look less credible than be disproven publicly online.

Use hashtags

It’s easy to forget about hashtags when posting, but you’re missing a huge opportunity. Always consider what kinds of hashtags could be relevant for your post. If you choose the right ones, you can attract new followers and significantly boost your visibility.

Host a live

Hosting a Facebook live is a great way to partner up with someone else in your practice area. Consider interviewing an expert who has a significant following and can bring more followers to your page.Live meetups are a great way to bump up new followers and re-engage your current ones. Make sure you post about it before you go live so that people know to look for it.

3. SEO

When it comes to one of the most reliable methods for increasing your visibility online, it has to be SEO. Considered a must-have for marketing, SEO can significantly increase your Google search results. A good law firm SEO strategy includes the following:

Relevant legal keywords

Between your blog and any other content you publish from your website, you should be using relevant legal keywords that attract your target audience. Again, you can refer to keyword research to choose the right ones for maximum traffic.

Website optimization

You can think of your website as a garden. It needs to be watered, fertilized, and regularly sprinkled with fresh content and user-friendly navigation.

Diverse backlinks

Your content should be filled with backlinks from a wide variety of reliable sources that support your posts. The more you can include, the higher you’ll rank in search results.

Local SEO

Your SEO should be targeted towards your local area so that when leads search for your specific location, your firm comes up. Google will provide the highest-ranking local attorneys when people search for an attorney in a pinpointed area. If you can manage to appear at the top of search results

4. Targeted advertisements

Paid ads offer an opportunity to expand your audience even more than it would organically. In turn, you’ll cast a wider net that’s easy to track how many people are taking the bait with law firm reporting software.Marketing analytics for law firms makes it easy to assess how well your advertising efforts are working and where you can make improvements.The main challenge with PPC advertising is standing out. With so many legal ads, you’ll have to be smart about your marketing strategy to get people to look. The best way to ensure that you have a chance at getting noticed amongst all the competition is to do your research.Get to know what your competitors are doing and differentiate yourself by focusing on what makes you the best. Whatever they’re doing, do it better than them — it’s really that simple.

5. Videos

Videos are one of the most successful forms of content on social media. According to recent statistics, as many as 73% of people say that they’ve purchased a product or service because of a video they saw on social media.Because of the considerable influence on consumers' decisions, it's no secret why more and more businesses are using video as a form of advertising. Despite video marketing being a somewhat new form of marketing, it’s a proven method for increasing brand awareness for your law firm.Before you start uploading videos to your social media account, it’s a good idea to know where to start. Although there are all sorts of different approaches for video creation, one of the most logical for the legal industry is unscripted legal tips.For example, if you’re a family lawyer, you might want to consider posting a weekly family law tip. Free legal advice is an extremely valuable and shareable form of video that can bring in plenty of traffic. Although you don’t have to worry about your video being the next Oscar contender for best film, you should make sure that it's well-edited. Ideally, it should be shot on a tripod and well-focused. Above all, make sure that you introduce yourself and your law firm, so people know who they’re listening to.

6. Offer a deal

Running a promotion is a terrific way to promote your law firm for various reasons. If it’s a social media promotion, then it can be an effective incentive for people to like and share your page. Each person who enrolls in your promotion can receive a discount code or enter a chance to win something.In addition to incentivizing sharing your page, it’s also a great way to boost sales. Running a limited-time discount on legal services can grow your client base and encourage referrals.

7. Newsletters

A newsletter isn’t as simple as sending out a mass boring email once a month and hoping it will do the trick. If executed correctly, a newsletter can become one of your best methods for promoting your law firm and growing your client base.It’s a relatively inexpensive yet incredibly effective way to promote yourself directly to people’s inboxes. Your newsletter should be consistent and full of useful content. Make sure that on top of being full of valuable information that it’s visually compelling as well.

8. Marketing automation

Marketing is considerably easier when you rely on technology to automate it for you. With drip campaigns for law firms, it’s easy to keep your leads and clients engaged. You can easily take advantage of workflow automation for law firms based on whatever triggers you decide on.Perhaps you send a thank you message if someone signs up for a newsletter, or a “Happy Birthday” email goes out on a client's birthday. Audience segmentation software makes it possible to individually target and nurture your prospects and clients on auto-pilot while you focus on practicing law.

9. Ebooks and whitepapers

Ebooks and whitepapers are examples of long-form content. The goal of long-form content is to convince readers that you’re the authority on the subject you’re writing about, in your case—law. By offering detailed information that presents yourself as an expert, you can potentially turn a reader into a client. Simply choose a topic that you know a considerable amount about that ties into a service you offer clients.Make sure that it’s well proofread and ideally designed using a template made specifically for ebooks and whitepapers. Consider offering a free download when a visitor provides their email address so that their information goes straight into your CRM for lawyers.

10. Gated content

Gated content is a great way to pack more leads into your CRM for attorneys. By offering valuable and exclusive content in exchange for web visitors' contact details, you’ll significantly expand your database.Make sure that whatever you decide to offer is genuinely valuable enough that it's worth visitors sharing their personal information. If people feel like they were created after being promised something valuable enough to be gated, they’ll turn towards competitors.Some ideas of gated content include product demos, data reports, and free courses.

11. Call to action

Also known as CTA’s, calls to action are a must-have in your inbound marketing strategy. The idea is to tell your visitors what steps to take next. Never allow anyone to visit your website without getting them to move closer to being a paying client. Not to be confused with a simple “contact us” button, a call to action should be a full phrase in order for it to be the most effective.Usually, it’s a hyperlink located at the bottom of an email or web page. Some ideas for law firms of a call to action could be:

• Scheduling a free consultation
• Downloading an ebook
• Click to Call

The idea is to compel prospects to engage rather than clicking away. Feel free to get creative with a call to action relevant to your law firm.

12. Testimonials

In the age of Amazon, shared client experiences are more important than ever. People want to know whether previous clients have had a success story with you or not and are eager to hear all about it.Social proof is a huge selling point. When people see that your service worked for someone else, they’re willing to take the chance of hiring you to reach the same level of success.Most clients who have had a positive experience with your law firm are more than happy to share their stories. Don’t be afraid to request a testimonial to share.

13. Case studies

A high-quality case study can be the ultimate way to prove your expertise in your area of practice. However, it’s important to note that they take a considerable amount of time when executed correctly.For a case study to do its job, it should outline how a client managed to reach their goals through the help of your firm. It should be comprehensive and thorough and promise the same success to your leads.

Use inbound marketing to grow your firm

Bringing in more clients doesn’t have to be a complex process. By using the right tools like these strategies paired with a robust law firm CRM, you can increase your leads, establish yourself as a credible law firm, and ultimately boost your revenue.Ready to find out more about how to market your law firm using Lawmatics software? Sign up for a product demo today!