THE 3 RINGS RULE FOR LAWYERS – AND WHY YOU ARE LOSING CASES

For over 16 years we have been auditing law firm conversion rates to continuously seek out areas for improvement. Over that time, competition has increased, consumer expectations have increased, and many major advertising and lead providers have prioritized call responsiveness rates for their customers. The results are not hard to see.

We have audited multiple law firms over the years that use virtually identical new client and lead sources – yet receive wildly different results. Based on my experience, we have seen anywhere from 15%-85% new client generation and revenue improvements over competing firms based largely on conversion rates alone. And one area of conversion above all else that led to this success was how they answered their phones. Bad performing law firms see the phone as a necessary communication tool while great ones see it as a priority lifeline of growth and success.

There are four major reasons why law firms today should prioritize and optimize their phone intake processes and these include…

1. Google Business Profiles (Local/Maps) and LSA ads will prominently display listings when their office hours match the search time. If you are struggling to show-up in Google search results, one of the easiest ways to compete is by taking live calls 24/7 when most of your competition is offline.
2. Google LSA ads measure your phone ring and answer rates and will penalize you for poor answering performance. If you are spending money on Google LSA ads now, you should be equally focused on answering and responding to those ads faster than your competition.
3. New client conversions can and should take place without delay over the phone. The old days of telling callers to schedule a time and come into the office to discuss their cases are largely over – especially for contingency attorneys. Competition and client expectations have changed, and the good firms know this and sign-up clients before they have a chance to get off the phone.
4. Most people will have negative thoughts if a call is not answered in 3 rings or less. How quickly you answer your phone is your first indication of the customer service levels you provide. Research from Forrester shows that 77% of consumers say that valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do to provide good service and a Legal Trends Report found that 62% of people consider responsiveness to be the most important factor when choosing a lawyer. So, as you can see, by following the 3-Ring rule, you can set yourself apart from your competition.

To better understand the 3-ring rule, you need to understand the state of mind and emotions of “today’s” caller. Studies show that today’s post-pandemic customer expects higher levels of customer service and when it comes to hiring and choosing a law firm. They also show that 90% of today’s consumers want to receive immediate responses to inquiries. How quickly you “consistently” answer your phones is by far the most important first impression your potential clients have about your firm and the perceived customer service levels you will provide them.

Whether you want to hear this or not, facts consistently show that attorneys have a negative trust factor relative to other business professionals – which means HOW you initially interact with prospective clients is CRITICAL in how they perceive you. Moreover, most people who call an attorney for legal help are typically in a negative emotional state to begin with.

To help make this simple to understand, let’s look at what instinctively and emotionally happens when a new client calls a law firm for help – FROM THE PROSPECTIVE CLIENT’S PERSPECTIVE:

RING ONE (Anticipation): The caller has just initiated a call and is prepared to speak. Most people seeking legal help are in a heightened emotional state and their visceral reactions are in high gear. The caller is asking themselves: Do I have a case? Can I afford this attorney? How do I work with an attorney? Is this the right lawyer for me?

RING TWO (Uncertainty): The caller is beginning to ask themselves questions: Did I call the right number? Are they going to answer? How long will this call attempt take to answer?

RING THREE (Annoyance): The caller is now becoming irritated, and their uncertainty is now changing to doubt. They are now asking themselves: Is this the wrong number? Why are they making me wait? Is my call not important enough to them? Maybe I should try calling another attorney.

RING FOUR+ (Resignation): The caller’s concerns and questions are now confirmed. Even if you answer, the emotional state of the caller is now negative, and trust is harder to regain. The caller is now thinking: Why did it take so long to answer? Is this the right attorney for me? Is this indicative of the service and communication I can expect if I hire this attorney? Maybe I need to try somebody else.

HOW YOU CAN MAKE THE 3-RING RULE WORK TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Most law firms cannot “consistently” answer all inquiries received within 3 calls. Issues dealing with hours of operation, lunch breaks, sick days, busy schedules, simultaneous calls received, staffing requirements, etc. all make answering phones correctly a difficult task. That is why every law firm / attorney should now have call support as a “standard and necessary” tool for running their law firm.

That is why when we developed our unique Local Conversion Pro service for member attorneys, a cornerstone of our service includes our advanced 24/7/365 call intake and real-time client conversion services. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE…