21 Jan The Ins and Outs of Taking a Client Centric Approach to Maximize Revenue

As a lawyer, finding the right technique for simultaneously maintaining healthy client relationships and increasing revenue can be illusive. In this article, we take an in-depth look at how to make that possible for your law firm.

Understanding what it truly means to be client-centric to help your law firm succeed is an important first step. If you aren’t focusing on your clients and providing subpar customer service, then your revenue is also most likely subpar. Clients are the lifeblood of the legal industry, and without them attorneys wouldn’t have any work to do or law to practice.

Learn to Manage Client Expectations

Managing client expectations is one of the most important ways to begin using a client-centric approach to maximize revenue at your law firm. All clients expect their lawyers to have expertise, respect, and consistent communication.

The first impression you make on a client can also have a huge impact on these expectations. How you begin the relationship makes it clear to the client what kind of service they will get throughout the duration of their case. Make sure you have the brand message you want out there, and the right people in place answering your firm’s phone calls to create the first impression you want.

Going Past the First Impression: Understand the Client

Continuing to understand the client and their needs is also key in taking a client-centric approach to your revenue goals. The first impression is important, but you also must continuously set the tone of your quality of customer service through good communication strategies and setting collective goals in your client relationships.
Doing things like asking questions, showing appreciation and being openminded and honest rather than critical will keep you in your clients’ trust and create a setting of mutual respect. Lawyers can also share their industry knowledge to show clients they are keeping up with the changing legal landscape and truly care about getting the best result possible on each client’s case.

Benefits of Adopting a Client-Centric Model

There are many benefits to adopting a client-centric approach, but a few crucial advantages this approach provides to your law firm are retaining loyal clients, enhancing market reputation, creating a good work environment for lawyers.

Keeping happy clients often means keeping repeat clients. In the legal industry, getting clients to come back whenever they require legal service or a lawyer’s advice is a major sign of success and helps keep your firm’s revenue where you want it to be. Law firms operate in a highly competitive market, and that isn’t likely to change with the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. That means it is easy to get replaced if lawyers don’t pay attention to focusing on the clients they draw in, as well as getting them to stay.

Another benefit of using a client-centric approach for your getting the most out of your firm’s revenue goals is enhancing your market reputation. All lawyers know the majority of clients are extremely quick to leave an online review of their experience with your firm, good or bad. Providing high-quality customer service and making it clear you are focused on nothing other than your clients not only keeps clients happy but will in turn result in increased positive reviews. Building a positive online reputation doesn’t happen overnight but is worth the effort when it results in direct increases to your revenue stream.

Finally, it’s important to note that when customer service is priority it doesn’t only make clients happy. Happy clients also often mean happy employees, as employees experience higher job satisfaction and increased productivity. Increased productivity means more billed hours from lawyers, which obviously helps to boost the firm’s overall revenue.

Partnering with a Pro

Partnering with a practice management and legal technology provider like Lexicon is one foolproof first step to adopt a client-centric approach at your law firm. Lexicon provides law firms a holistic suite of legal services and software so lawyers can focus more on practicing law for their clients, instead of daily tasks that quickly fill up the day. Visit LexiconServices.com to learn more.