Why legal firms need to communicate better with clients

Providing legal expertise and helping with a case is one thing, but good communication with clients is essential. This point may seem obvious, but it needs bearing out for one key reason; because lawyers are much more likely to think they are good at communication with their clients as their customer base is.

This was a key finding of the LexisNexis Bellwether Report 2015: The Age of the Client. While 80 per cent of solicitors and barristers felt they were good at keeping in touch, only 40 per cent of clients concurred. That means that 60 per cent were left with reasons for grievance.

 

What often goes wrong? 

Among the common shortcomings are:

• Not keeping clients abreast of the progress of a case
• Failing to account for language barriers for those who are not fluent in English
• Missing a deadline without prior warning.

The last of these is particularly damaging. The hardest thing to do is to explain to a client why something was late and a promise not kept. The old saying "under-promise, over-deliver" remains true.

Why word of mouth can make matters worse 

It is not just that your own clients will be more likely to come back if you have kept in touch and met or exceeded their expectations; word-of-mouth will amplify the impact you have, either growing or shrinking your potential client base.

These factors will all be magnified if your firm uses content marketing and social media as key elements of its marketing strategy. 

• At the core of any successful strategy is having a story to tell using great content, which will outline just why you do what you do; namely your passion for helping your clients and righting wrongs.
• By providing good service, you can not only demonstrate this in everyday situations; you can also use it to capitalise on good feedback.
• Positive publicity on social media provides ample scope for feedback to help enhance your services  
• The chance to raise awareness of what you do through blogs, articles and posts can all be hugely beneficial.
• All this, however, must dovetail with an equally positive experience of good everyday communication with your clients. 
  

If your firm can achieve this, it will help your brand and reputation grow even beyond your own highest expectations.

 

How BeUniqueness can help your firm

At BeUniqueness, we can help your firm develop its strategy for communicating better with clients. Whether that is through email marketing, social media or other means, we can help you grow not just by drawing in new customers, but also by delighting those you already have.

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